The Biggest Threat To Sports Memorabilia Collecting Is...

storm888

Vote.

Seraph

The saturation of parallel RCs and chase cards.

XanaduNow

I voted for the shrinking base of childhood collectors.

While I agree that counterfeit items, corrupt dealers and the saturation of modern RCs and the such take away from existing collectors we're all still willing to sift through all that for the pursuit of our own collections. The reasons we collect are heavily tied our own childhoods. Some do it to reacquire a sense of youth while others do it as a stress-reliever/distraction from the responsibilities and chaos of adulthood. No matter what the reason, sportscard collecting -- like any other hobby -- is escapism.

While the other suggestions are valid and, indeed, hinder or affect our enjoyment of the hobby they are still just pitfalls that can and will be avoided as long as there are collectors interested in legitimate items from solid dealers. If we run into a generation of children who don't collect sportscards they'll grow up without the need or desire to come back to that pursuit. If there are no collectors then the other negative examples will cease to exist as well.

It's all about the kids.

$0.02

Arthur

Gonblott

No more sports (like hockey season a few years ago).

storm888

"...the shrinking base of childhood collectors."

////////////////////////////////////////

It is an extreme threat, but I did not vote for it.

TOPPS claims to be making progress on that front.
Time will tell; but, there is not much I can do to
solve that aspect of the problem. (I do give alot
of cards away to kids, but there is no way to know
how many of those will stay the course.)

FAKE items can cause the existing-base of adults to shrink -
never to return - and that will wipe the hobby out,
regardless of how many kids jump in.

perkdog

I voted for rising prices but a close second IMO is the lack of childhood collectors. With soccer, lacross stepping up more than ever now I think little league loses its ground compared to what it was when most of us were kids, that being said I believe the sport is not followed as much. (not to mention skateboarding is huge now as well)

Rising prices really takes the cake though, card collecting is geared more towards a bussiness now and mainly for adults.

Southerncards

price guides

Jdurg

I think it's a case of rising prices AND the shrinking pool of young collectors. Growing up, you could easily afford the base sets put out by the companies and part of the fun was buying packs upon packs trying to complete your set and get things you could trade with others for. Now a days, completing a set by buying packs will cost you a fortune. As a kid, I'd spend 50 cents and get a pack of 15 cards. Now, you pay 2 bucks and get 10 cards.

Yes there are companies that make "kiddie" sets which cost a lot less than their regular issues, but kids don't want "kiddie sets". They want what their dad is collecting or what their big brother is collecting. Until the base sets start coming down in price so that young collectors can afford them, all the "kiddie sets" in the world won't bring back the youth that this hobby desperately needs.

storm888

"price guides"


/////////////////////////////////////////////

Very good choice.

I was going to put that one in, but it slipped my mind.

Guides can have a very demoralizing effect on new collectors.
Lots of high/low misinformation; leads to confusion, paranoia,
and giving-up.

calaban7

I'm very reluctant to get too deep into old- vintage items mainly due to fraud. Things that are trimmed, cleaned, re-colored, etc. , is in it self a large speed bump , at least in my mind. Although 3rd party grading has been a big help to slow this down, until the alchemist learn to adjust ,AGAIN, the very fact that high priced FAKE or ALTERED items still get through the cracks , doesn't pode well for the hobby as a whole.

When I hear of some of the auction houses , admitting to "cleaning " up the cards, to present them as something that they are not, says pretty much all that need to be said. To think that the idea of there being a "DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE" , then any number of grading companies, laying in bed right next to the doctors, shows what greed does to supposable principled people. It really makes me sick to see some of the members even on this board that feablebly try to either rationlize this away or even worse , justify it. Some of them sell cards on Ebay ,that I would love to buy , but no longer will deal with them.

Last month , I resubmitted a coin to a MAJOR coin grader, that we all know and must never speak badly of. I thought that the coin was under graded. If I was right it was a huge difference in worth. This was not a cross over, but a re-submission. I cracked it , then sent it back to the coin GODS, for their new opinion. It came back as a fake. It may have been fake all along, but why wasn't it caught the 1st time.

This is small potatoes , compared to others, but it points out a fundamental flaw.

I love this hobby as it has been very good to me . I only hope and pray it will still be here when my youngest sons get older. I can't wait to be wrong here, but we are heading to some scary days , if I'm not.

Overrated

Dealers that only buy under book, then sell only way over book. Thats why ebay and auction houses will run these guys out of town.

ORANGE

Hey, what about the threat of the internet. All the novelty of the tough to find cards (which is great for the hobby) is lost when you look at the availability of these items on Ebay.
Just like anything it's supply and demand and because of the internet there will always be more supply than demand. No dealers want to buy cards because of Ebay. Why spend all your time trying to collate some set that's being sold by high rollers for practically nothing on ebay. You can get 300 card sets for $10.
That and too many kinds of cards,
Heritage,
Bowman,
Tops
Opening day
Allen Ginter
Bowman Draft
bowman cardboard vs chrome
Triple Threads (what??)
Retired
Turkey Red
Pristine
Super Suede
Bowman Originals
Sterling
Co signers
Cracker Jack...etc

Gimme a Break....a three month break from any new sets... anyone for 6 months? cmon.. Topps trying to do something? How can they when they're employing half of America at their factories.

TheCARDKid

There are a few that I can think of...

-Lack of childhood collectors. There are more alternatives than there were in the 80's and 90's for kids. More video games, the net, all kinds of things.

There's no law that says there can "only" be 4 big sports...look at x games, skateboarding, golf, nascar.

-Fraud and the lack of uniform standards.

Estil

Oh there are some hard to find things that can be a challenge on Ebay. Try to assemble master sets of 1992-1995 Fleer/Ultra or try to assemble a run of Topps wax packs from 1981-present and see how well you do.

But I guess the biggest threat is the same thing that's been going on for the past 10 years or so. Too many damn products released too soon! Up to around 1993-1995 or so, you did have a wide selection of products, but at least it wasn't so many you couldn't keep track of it (though even back then there were concerns about too many products). And back in 1997 when the first memobilia cards and 1/1's came out, those were really neat, sought after collectibles for about the first few years. But then all the companies got crazy and just totally overdid it; now with few exceptions, 1/1's and memorbilia cards are a joke. It seems like only the basic Topps sets and the Topps Heritage sets are about the only products today that have any chance of holding their value in the long run.

As for vintage stuff, I guess tampering with packs and doctoring cards (trimming, recoloring) perhaps?

HeritageAddict

I voted rising prices, but lake of children base was a close second. I think that the high cost of cards does deter kids, I'm sure a kid today gets payed more for mowing a lawn than I did when I was a kid, but for $10 I could get 40 packs of cards, today that would mean that the kid would have to be getting between $60 -$120 a lawn. Also, the card shops of today atleast in my area seem to cater almost exclusively to adult collectors, none seem to be kid friendly.

bobsbbcards

I voted "shrinking base of childhood collectors" but only because there wasn't an option called "ridiculous number of new issues with little to no significance to collectors."

Estil

Oh they could cater to kid collectors if they tried. Make themselves grab bags and have a huge cardboard box of so called "junk wax" for say, 25 or 50 cents a pack. If that doesn't get kiddos into collecting, nothing will. I mean, can you imagine the thrill of opening packs older than you are, yet are still very affordable?

mercurynut

Non of the above. I think it would be players becomming even more arrogant and elitist and turing off the collector base.

HeritageAddict

Estil, you are exactly right, when I was a kid there were two card shops in town, one did exactly what you said and traded fairly with you no matter your age and the other would try and get to you on every trade and seemed more bothered that you were there than anything else. Needless to say the later didn't stay in business for more than ayear or two, and I can still remember them thinking they were going to get one over on me by only giving me $2 in trade for each of my 1988 donruss Gregg Jeffries, who's laughing now.

Gonblott

<< <i>none seem to be kid friendly. >>



Very true, they just want high dollar transactions.

stevek

As long as Major League Baseball is strong, then basically sports card collecting will remain strong. If interest in MLB ever wanes, you can kiss much of the value of baseball cards goodbye - particularly the modern material. Fortunately, I don't foresee any of that happening anytime soon so don't worry about it.

Estil

It will in the Star Trek universe, MLB will be out of business after the year 2039 (mainly because only 300 fans showed up for that final World Series).

uniship

Read "Operartion Bullpen"

counterfeits and fake autos run rampant it appears

ORANGE

On second thought, The number of card sets can't be too high, I was looking through my vast collections of cool and expensive (therefore extremely rare) inserts I amassed and that is the coolest thing of all is having so many options. And so many different cards to collect of each great star. It is too bad that there is no more donruss in baseball and no more absolute and all the types of fleer. That Donruss brand will be missed. I can't see any threats to this hobby at all. There had always been some kids who were just not cool enough to collect cards....

bxb

Global warming.

ORANGE

except global warming. Like this chunk of ice that's cooling us off right now....

Gonblott

High Prices = Kids can't buy = no interest

MorrellMan

Personally, I think the shrinking base of childhood collectors has about as much to do with sports memorabilia collecting as the shrinking appreciation for classical art has to do with art collecting. Vintage collectibles are a commodity and there will always be demand for them.

Goot

<< <i>On second thought, The number of card sets can't be too high, I was looking through my vast collections of cool and expensive (therefore extremely rare) inserts I amassed and that is the coolest thing of all is having so many options. And so many different cards to collect of each great star. It is too bad that there is no more donruss in baseball and no more absolute and all the types of fleer. That Donruss brand will be missed. I can't see any threats to this hobby at all. There had always been some kids who were just not cool enough to collect cards.... >>



Hey I'm cool and I collect cards.

Goot

<< <i>Oh they could cater to kid collectors if they tried. Make themselves grab bags and have a huge cardboard box of so called "junk wax" for say, 25 or 50 cents a pack. If that doesn't get kiddos into collecting, nothing will. I mean, can you imagine the thrill of opening packs older than you are, yet are still very affordable? >>



The card store in my area has a pile of 90 and 91 donruss for 75 cents a pack. Whenever I go in there, I always pick up a pack of those as well as my usual stuff. And those cards are the same age or 1 year older than me.

Gonblott

One day kids are just going to inherit the cards and sell them for whatever they can get.

TZAHL

I think counterfeit items, lack of child interest, and high prices are all a result of corrupt dealers to some extent.....

CDsNuts

Gremlins.

1420sports

I voted for the shrinking collector base as well. There will always be corrupt dealers and counterfeit items (always has been), but prices will be set by the market - which may not even be around in 20 years.

JasP24

I am an avid collector of football cards and autographed memorabilia...Have been a collector since childhood. I have 2 kids and neither shows any interest in the cards or autographs, even when I show them on ebay what some of them are worth on the market. Their response to that is usually "sell them"... Kids today, in general, don't care about collecting much of anything. It is a NOW and FAST generation. They want the newest popular video game or a cell phone or IPOD. Cards to them are dull and boring...

For me as a kid, the thrill of the chase and trying to find those cards you are looking for was fun. Now my collecting is mostly about nostalgia and learning about the history of the sport. Sadly, this is where the future of collecting lies...Its no longer for or about the kids...Just ask any card store owner who their customer base is. You can't even find sportscards in retail stores anymore, except the "geek isle" as my kids call it, beside the registers in Wal-Mart or Target...

Just my opinion of course,
Jason

Ladder7

I cringe at the idea of cut-up Hall of Famer memorabilia.

Gonblott

<< <i>I cringe at the idea of cut-up Hall of Famer memorabilia. >>



Honus Wagner card in the shredder.

SlangNRox

I think coin collecting is the biggest threat.

bifff257

<< <i>FAKE items can cause the existing-base of adults to shrink - >>




I am new "back into" the hobby. Collected in the late 70's early 80's. The first packs I ever remember ripping were 1975 topps....

I can tell you 2 of my first 3 purchases on Ebay last summer were of fake cards.. (1954 Williams & 1964 Mantle) approx $500.

The hobby just about lost me again before I ever got back into collecting.

Gonblott

Stay away from raw no matter how good it looks.

jrinck

High prices deter the kids, and the elitism of the modern game deter the adults. It is a dying industry, and a dying game, sad to say.

I was the typical card collector as a kid--if I had a dollar, I had enough for four packs. I had stacks of cards, and I enjoyed them. I threw them in a bag, sorted them, traded them--I did everything that they were made for.

But now, a kid will need much more money for the cards and won't really be able to do anything with them except hardly touch them or else risk losing their value. And competition from iPods and Playstation is very real. Hmmm, Grand Theft Auto for $50, or ten packs of baseball cards? Not a very tough choice.

And the most telling thing is how I, the most fervent collector as a kid, WILL NOT EVER, EVER, EVER buy a pack of cards for my son. He will not be introduced to the hobby by me. I don't really even look forward to taking him to a major league baseball game because modern baseball isn't about the fan anymore, it's about the money. I'll take my son out and play the game with him, or at most maybe to a minor league game.

The American consumer can bend over and spread them pretty wide when it comes to being taken advantage of by big corporations, but at some point it just gets too painful even for the most "accomodating" of consumers.

dude

Nuclear Annihilation

RonBurgundy

"I voted "shrinking base of childhood collectors" but only because there wasn't an option called "ridiculous number of new issues with little to no significance to collectors." Modern = junk.


Well put. I agree.



Ron

Estil

<< <i>Hmmm, [new video game] for $50, or ten packs of baseball cards? Not a very tough choice. >>



Don't be so sure about that. I'm into video games also, and I seem to go in cycles of "collecting cards" and "collecting games"

qmayer

Card companies wouldn't have made all the crap if people weren't buying it. Donruss was annihilated because the MLBPA took away their license due to the "confusion" too many sets was causing collectors. Now the remaining companies are limited in how many different sets they can produce.

My vote was for shrinking collector base. If no one takes the place of the old collectors, what will happen to demand for all those "low pop" cards?

CDsNuts

Clearly you guys have no idea what Gremlins are capable of.

Lee

Gonblott

<< <i>Clearly you guys have no idea what Gremlins are capable of.

Lee >>



Getting blown up in the microwave?

Morgoth

I think for value if we find out alot of altering has been done on prewar vintage that will kill that market and there will be a trickle down effect. They are like the blue chip stocks of our hobby. As far as the future of collecting goes the biggest issue I see is that it isn't about collecting anymore it's about hitting the lottery. All anyone every talks about is their latest pull not about getting that one card to finish their set. RC's are an issue too, you cant even get all of you favorite players RCs anymore due to the 1 of 1s and such in the hobby. What's this about limiting card makers sets? It seems Topps puts out about 30 sets a year.

Gonblott

Not sure about you guys but I prefer the vintage look instead of shiny. Who cares about refractors or chrome! The #'ed I like though, for the new cards thats something I think should stay forever in the hobby.

Publius

Jason
Thank god for comrats with 2 kids and you going after the HOF set.

joe

Publius

Honestly, I dont have kids, but my nephew collects pokiman cards, and other garbage like that. I used to play football in the yard with my friends, now kids sit indoors and play PS, or in the car with gameboy. No one goes outdoors to play, ie no one loves football the way we did as kids, therefore, they dont care, dont follow it.

I guess that makes my vote for shrinking, rapidly, fan base.

joe