Just getting sick of getting ripped in general ( rant here)
kingraider75
Posts: 1,500 ✭✭
I am getting kinda sick of the prices going up and up on most modern items, and not really getting the quality back for my money. Latest upsetting situation is when I paid way too much for a box of Topps Retired All American ($90 for a HORRIBLE hobby box), the box yielded one auto, despite the "H" all over the place. This type of thing is very upsetting.
It's all about the "money" auto chase, and when that doesn't happen, it's tough justifying the money spent. For the last few months, I have a made a dramatic cut in my spending, so this 1 auto in the box, was even more troubling to me. However, I recall many times in the last couple of years when companies failed to really deliver on the odds, or yield any "quality" autos.
The hobby has become to focused on the high-end collector, and hardly anyone under 18 collects sportscards anymore, so I believe that the hobby is dying because of the prices. A general rant here, but collecting is basically like gambling in Vegas now; the house will win out in the end.
It's all about the "money" auto chase, and when that doesn't happen, it's tough justifying the money spent. For the last few months, I have a made a dramatic cut in my spending, so this 1 auto in the box, was even more troubling to me. However, I recall many times in the last couple of years when companies failed to really deliver on the odds, or yield any "quality" autos.
The hobby has become to focused on the high-end collector, and hardly anyone under 18 collects sportscards anymore, so I believe that the hobby is dying because of the prices. A general rant here, but collecting is basically like gambling in Vegas now; the house will win out in the end.
Running an Ebay store sure takes a lot more time than a person would think!
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figured I would post here too, as ya never know which one will be read.
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The "hobby" is what you make it.
SD
However this isn't new. Think of all of the late 80's and 1990's boxes we all busted and received nothing but a bunch of commons. At least in the current boxes you have a chance to pull a nice card. The game is the same, it's just the price of admission went up. Instead of 5 $20 boxes, you buy 1 $100 box and get ripped off.
Speaking of rip-offs, does anyone buy from bigboyd's on ebay? I bought quite a few boxes from them and didn't even get the stated autograph odds in any of the boxes. I bought mostly Upper Deck product, so I'm not sure who is being shady.
This has been evolving since the hype started with the Reggie auto insert back in the early 90s.
But there is hope - some of the companies are working to attract the children again with better 'base brand' items.
But, I have found that no one wants the base brand stuff - not even the kids perhaps.
Last year I bought a case of hobby Heritage and a boatload of retail and got no autos - I feel your pain.
But, I still had a lot of fun putting the Master Set together along with one major relic subset.
I remember when modern set collecting was popular in the late 80s and early 90s - it was fun to go to shows and pick up commons and trade for others - not so today IMO.
The beginning of the end for me was when I was at the National in Atlanta in 1992 and kids were buying 92F cellos - looking for the Rookie Sensations and leaving the basecards on the floor to be swept up - no lie!!!!!
Let's hope the card companies get a handle on this - since IMO the future of the vintage market is tied to the health and wealth of the modern market.
mike
A few good points. I don't doubt that about the kids leaving basecards on the floor either.
I got back into the hobby in '99 when I was 22. I hadn't collected since I was 12 in '89. When I was 12, there were still local pharmacies and even the Walgreen's and gas stations had wax packs. Last week I wanted to buy my nephews some packs and was at a gas station and they had nothing. I then went to a Walgreen's later in the day and they had no cards either. I was shocked. The mom and pop pharmacy, where I always got my packs, are long gone in Chicago and I couldn't belive that kids today have to go to a hobby shop to get cards rather than the corner drugstore. Things have changed and I don't see them ever going back.
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Target and Walmart along with Kmarts that are left - great place for modern. There are other chains but for me these are the best in my neck of the woods.
mike
<< <i>Target and Walmart along with Kmarts that are left - great place for modern. There are other chains but for me these are the best in my neck of the woods. >>
Good tip. That also further exemplifies my remarks. In Chicago there are 3 Target's(2 within one mile and the other about 6 miles south), there is one K-Mart left on the north side which is actually a few blocks from the Targets and there are no Walmarts. Where are kids to go to get packs of cards while riding their bikes around the city? I know that with mom and dad they often go to Target, Walmart or K-Mart, but when we were young we went alone to get packs so mom and dad couldn't say no.
I just think the hobby has moved so far away from the young collector that I don't know how it could right the ship. I mean almost every one of us remembers ripping the packs as a kid, memorizing the stats on the back, hoping to see your favorite player at the ballpark, and eagerly awaiting to see what the next year's card is gonna look like. I did it in the 80's, my brother in the late 70's, uncle in the 60's and my dad in the 50's. It just seems like its not the same anymore and there are fewer kids that actually collect sports cards. They all had yu-gi-oh or magic cards(at least my nephews did) but the sprts cards got too expesnive and hard to find.
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<< <i>
<< <i>Target and Walmart along with Kmarts that are left - great place for modern. There are other chains but for me these are the best in my neck of the woods. >>
Good tip. That also further exemplifies my remarks. In Chicago there are 3 Target's(2 within one mile and the other about 6 miles south), there is one K-Mart left on the north side which is actually a few blocks from the Targets and there are no Walmarts. Where are kids to go to get packs of cards while riding their bikes around the city? I know that with mom and dad they often go to Target, Walmart or K-Mart, but when we were young we went alone to get packs so mom and dad couldn't say no.
I just think the hobby has moved so far away from the young collector that I don't know how it could right the ship. I mean almost every one of us remembers ripping the packs as a kid, memorizing the stats on the back, hoping to see your favorite player at the ballpark, and eagerly awaiting to see what the next year's card is gonna look like. I did it in the 80's, my brother in the late 70's, uncle in the 60's and my dad in the 50's. It just seems like its not the same anymore and there are fewer kids that actually collect sports cards. They all had yu-gi-oh or magic cards(at least my nephews did) but the sprts cards got too expesnive and hard to find. >>
Another important factor involves the fact that we had less to do. I had a TON of free time as a kid (born in '72), and I spent some of that time collecting St. Louis Blues hockey cards, Cardinal baseball cards, and Steeler football cards. Why not? I had long, empty days stretched out in front of me (especially in the summer), and collecting and trading cards was, like Stratego and Connect Four, another way to pass a day.
Between soccer camps, piano and French lessons, and the X-Box I don't know how a kid today could ever find time to collect cards. Anyone else here ever read the book 'Slowness' by Milan Kundera? Card collecting is a form of 'slowness'; it can't be done quickly, and the gratification is frequently delayed (putting together sets, etc.). These kinds of langorous hobbies just aren't suited for today's kid.
<< <i>Another important factor involves the fact that we had less to do. I had a TON of free time as a kid (born in '72), and I spent some of that time collecting St. Louis Blues hockey cards, Cardinal baseball cards, and Steeler football cards. Why not? I had long, empty days stretched out in front of me (especially in the summer), and collecting and trading cards was, like Stratego and Connect Four, another way to pass a day.
Between soccer camps, piano and French lessons, and the X-Box I don't know how a kid today could ever find time to collect cards. Anyone else here ever read the book 'Slowness' by Milan Kundera? Card collecting is a form of 'slowness'; it can't be done quickly, and the gratification is frequently delayed (putting together sets, etc.). These kinds of langorous hobbies just aren't suited for today's kid. >>
Another great point. Kids these days are just busy. Funny to say and see, but true. Between those things Boo mentioned and 3 different basketball leagues and 3 baseball leagues, the summer is gone. I remember we had house league and that was it. Baseball actually had a travelling team but we were so enthralled with baseball when we travelled to a tournament wwe tried to find a place to get cards between games because they probably had better cards in this "other" city.
Damn, I never realized how much kids today are missing out on. I remember an e-mail forward I got some time ago that was in a similar vein to this and the one thing I remember was "that when we wanted to play with a friend we would go and ring their bell." I know my nephews are always on the horn trying to make plans and my sis is so paranoid that she won't let the boys leave the house unless hse knows where they're going. We used to head out when we wanted to find who ever we could to play ball or what not and all mom said was be home before dinner.
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<< <i>
<< <i>Another important factor involves the fact that we had less to do. I had a TON of free time as a kid (born in '72), and I spent some of that time collecting St. Louis Blues hockey cards, Cardinal baseball cards, and Steeler football cards. Why not? I had long, empty days stretched out in front of me (especially in the summer), and collecting and trading cards was, like Stratego and Connect Four, another way to pass a day.
Between soccer camps, piano and French lessons, and the X-Box I don't know how a kid today could ever find time to collect cards. Anyone else here ever read the book 'Slowness' by Milan Kundera? Card collecting is a form of 'slowness'; it can't be done quickly, and the gratification is frequently delayed (putting together sets, etc.). These kinds of langorous hobbies just aren't suited for today's kid. >>
Another great point. Kids these days are just busy. Funny to say and see, but true. Between those things Boo mentioned and 3 different basketball leagues and 3 baseball leagues, the summer is gone. I remember we had house league and that was it. Baseball actually had a travelling team but we were so enthralled with baseball when we travelled to a tournament wwe tried to find a place to get cards between games because they probably had better cards in this "other" city.
Damn, I never realized how much kids today are missing out on. I remember an e-mail forward I got some time ago that was in a similar vein to this and the one thing I remember was "that when we wanted to play with a friend we would go and ring their bell." I know my nephews are always on the horn trying to make plans and my sis is so paranoid that she won't let the boys leave the house unless hse knows where they're going. We used to head out when we wanted to find who ever we could to play ball or what not and all mom said was be home before dinner. >>
We have developed into a nation paralyzed by fear; due largely to the fact that most of us get our news from TV, but I think it's also an extension of our collective concerns about the influence that this corrosive and profit driven popular culture has on our young people.
My Mom once pointed out that we are the first nation in the history of the world to actually be at war with our popular culture for the souls of our children. In a country that isn't as f'ed up as ours your culture actually HELPS you socialize your children; you DON'T feel like you need to constantly immunize them from its affects.
I think these two factors help explain why parents keep children so busy with structured and supervised activities, and also why they're far more restrictive then our parents were.
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