A lot of new footy card collectors start out by collecting the base set of cards.  It’s a great way to get into the hobby (this is exactly how I started too).

Then one day, you realise there is more to collecting footy cards than just the common cards.  There are these other cards known as “Insert Cards”.

Collecting insert cards is a great way to expand your collection and to increase the value of your collection.

But not everyone knows what an insert card is.

An insert card is a card that is “inserted” in to packs randomly at a pre-set ratio at the time of production.

For example, a standard pack of AFL Classic footy cards has 10 cards in it — 9 cards plus 1 holofoil card.

The holofoil is the most basic of the inserts in this release… but there are a few more too.

The Hall of Fame Tribute Match cards are inserted 1 card in every 6 packets.

Then there’s the Draft Pick Signature Gold cards which are inserted 1 card in every 36 packets.  Making them harder to find than the Hall of Fame Tribute Match cards.

But the cream of the crop are the Signature Redemption cards which are inserted 1 card in every 360 packets. These are very hard to find.

Because these cards are hard to find in packets, they are relatively scarce.  As I’ve said on many previous occasions Scarcity is one of the main factors that drives the value of a footy card.

The other factor is Demand.  Demand relates to how many people want a particular card.  A popular card that lots of people want would have high demand… but a common card that is widely available would have low demand.

When the two factors of scarcity and demand combine… values really start to increase!

This is exactly what happens with the Signature Redemption cards.  They are relatively scarce (only 100 of each card produced) and because a lot of collectors like to chase these cards the demand is relatively high.

But hey… not everyone can afford to spend $500+ on a card… so if your budget is more modest how can you get involved in collecting Insert Cards?

First of all… you can chance your hand opening packets! You MIGHT get lucky… and you might not — they are scarce remember!

I think the easiest way is to take a look on our site.

We’ve opened all the packets for you, so you can pick and choose ONLY the cards you want without wasting any of your money on unwanted cards.

You could get started by collecting your team only. For instance you can get the Holofoil Team Set for your team if you’re an AFL collector.

You can get the Past Heroes inserts if you’re an NRL collector (there’s just two cards per club).

Start small and dip your toe in slowly with the cheaper cards until you become more comfortable.

Once you’re comfortable collecting the lower value insert cards you can move on to some of the other footy cards such as the:

• Draft Pick Signature cards,
• Top Prospect Signature cards,
• Case cards, and also the
• High End Signature Redemption cards.

If you would like some advice on where to start please feel free to email me.  My email address is: ian[AT]footystars.com.au

We’re always happy to provide free advice.

Click here to tell us what insert sets you’re collecting in the comment section below: