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I started enjoying the hobby more when.............

edmundfitzgeraldedmundfitzgerald Posts: 4,306 ✭✭
in Trading Cards & Memorabilia Forum
when............................

Comments

  • PSASAPPSASAP Posts: 2,284 ✭✭✭
    The Edmund Fitzgerald sunk. :-)
  • DodgerfanjohnDodgerfanjohn Posts: 491 ✭✭✭
    When I quit caring what cards were worth. Essentially I just collect what I enjoy.

    eBay helped a ton. Nearly every card shop in LA was a complete rip off...overgrading and overpriced. Frank and Sons was great because it cut the cost of new product and supplies in half....then PSA opened up eyes to proper grading, and now eBay has opened the marketplace wide so that the entire sportscard market is very close to a true supply/demand equation.

    I'm pretty sure I'm in the minority, but I'm also glad there's way fewer product lines than 10 years ago.
  • YogiBerraFanYogiBerraFan Posts: 2,390 ✭✭
    When I found a completely new direction that I had never considered before.
  • DougnddebDougnddeb Posts: 221 ✭


    << <i>When I quit caring what cards were worth. Essentially I just collect what I enjoy.

    eBay helped a ton. Nearly every card shop in LA was a complete rip off...overgrading and overpriced. Frank and Sons was great because it cut the cost of new product and supplies in half....then PSA opened up eyes to proper grading, and now eBay has opened the marketplace wide so that the entire sportscard market is very close to a true supply/demand equation.

    I'm pretty sure I'm in the minority, but I'm also glad there's way fewer product lines than 10 years ago. >>



    +1 image
  • Foo3112Foo3112 Posts: 1,961
    ...when I got back into collecting and could start affording and purchasing the cards I could never even dream about owning as a kid.

    Don’t get me wrong, collecting as a kid was pretty fun because it’s like almost every kid collected there for a moment but we all went by the price guide so even though me and my friends didn’t have high dollar cards, they still had value the same was as today (except it was a lot less back then) and now I understand the hobby better than I did as a little guy in the 80's.
  • itzagoneritzagoner Posts: 8,753 ✭✭
    when i hooked up with my future wife.

    we watched games on TV while filling in Topps sticker books with packs we obtained at the AM-PM Mini Mart.

    those were halcyon days. neither of us gave a rat's hindquarters what stuff was worth. we bypassed Canseco & the late 80's Fleer Basketball completely. image
  • DboneesqDboneesq Posts: 18,219 ✭✭
    Believe it or not, it was when I was forced to sell my collection (about 6 years ago) when my girls got sick. (See my signature line.)

    Back then I had a lot of expensive items in my collection (although not nearly as expensive as some of you guys) and always wondered if I was going to lose money if I spent too much on one card.

    Now that I don't spend a lot of money on items it has become a lot more fun.

    In addition, this site has made my collecting so much more enjoyable.
    STAY HEALTHY!

    Doug

    Liquidating my collection for the 3rd and final time. Time for others to enjoy what I have enjoyed over the last several decades. Money could be put to better use.
  • ndleondleo Posts: 4,146 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>When I quit caring what cards were worth. Essentially I just collect what I enjoy.

    eBay helped a ton. Nearly every card shop in LA was a complete rip off...overgrading and overpriced. Frank and Sons was great because it cut the cost of new product and supplies in half....then PSA opened up eyes to proper grading, and now eBay has opened the marketplace wide so that the entire sportscard market is very close to a true supply/demand equation.

    I'm pretty sure I'm in the minority, but I'm also glad there's way fewer product lines than 10 years ago. >>



    +1 image >>



    How is the Frank & Sons show these days? The last time I was there I bought a 1955 Topps All-American lot and a bunch of loose 1996-97 Stadium Club BKB packs for $1.50 each. The packs were incredible, I pulled several Jordan inserts.
    Mike
  • grote15grote15 Posts: 29,743 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I realized I wasn't the only person who could appreciate the beauty of a mid-70s rack pack with an unpunched header card and all three top cards well-centered on top... image


    Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
  • DodgerfanjohnDodgerfanjohn Posts: 491 ✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>

    << <i>When I quit caring what cards were worth. Essentially I just collect what I enjoy.

    eBay helped a ton. Nearly every card shop in LA was a complete rip off...overgrading and overpriced. Frank and Sons was great because it cut the cost of new product and supplies in half....then PSA opened up eyes to proper grading, and now eBay has opened the marketplace wide so that the entire sportscard market is very close to a true supply/demand equation.

    I'm pretty sure I'm in the minority, but I'm also glad there's way fewer product lines than 10 years ago. >>



    +1 image >>



    How is the Frank & Sons show these days? The last time I was there I bought a 1955 Topps All-American lot and a bunch of loose 1996-97 Stadium Club BKB packs for $1.50 each. The packs were incredible, I pulled several Jordan inserts. >>



    It's much more oriented to toys and other collectible items. There's still some sportscards guys there including the wholesalers. I don't buy much new product these days save a complete Topps base set and the random few boxes at Target. Supplies have gone up in price...I think a 100ct 9 pocket ultra pro box is around $13 now, but that's still cheaper than anyone on eBay once you factor in shipping.

    I forgot one more thing that made me happy:

    I've been dating a lady since December. I picked up a number of vending boxes since then in order to boost up 70's and 80's sets I had. Add into this the stuff I got in group breaks and I had a bunch of stars and semi stars I didn't want to just keep in shoe boxes. So I've kept my stars in binders alphabetically. Imagine my surprise when she insisted on helping me and actually liked sorting and putting the cards into the binders, making fun of the funny names on the way and nearly spazzing when she got to Yastrzemski due to Fever Pitch being one of her favorite movies.

    I like that her OCD and my OCD mix well together.
  • zep33zep33 Posts: 6,897 ✭✭✭
    she's a keeper image
  • yankeeno7yankeeno7 Posts: 9,249 ✭✭✭
    Sadly, I enjoy it much less now. But when I started enjoying the hobby more, was when I discovered there were card shows. And how I loved going to those.
  • tsalems1tsalems1 Posts: 3,455 ✭✭✭✭
    When people wanted o-pee-chee cards!
    opcbaseball.com
  • MBMiller25MBMiller25 Posts: 6,057 ✭✭
    When I got away from the PSA registry. For all the good it has done for PSA and its brand, it's terribly competitive and not for me.
  • MattyCMattyC Posts: 1,335 ✭✭
    1. When I stopped with the Registry sets, and returned to what collecting was for me at its purest: the best cards of the best players.

    2. When I decided to collect cards and not holders, in other words to buy for eye appeal and not numerical grade.
  • MrNearMintMrNearMint Posts: 1,209 ✭✭✭
    ...I signed up on ebay!
    After I bought my first graded card, I became addicted and have been hooked ever since. Ebay/graded cards are a hell of a drug!
  • GriffinsGriffins Posts: 6,076 ✭✭✭


    << <i>1. When I stopped with the Registry sets, and returned to what collecting was for me at its purest: the best cards of the best players.

    2. When I decided to collect cards and not holders, in other words to buy for eye appeal and not numerical grade. >>



    This.



    Never been to Frank and Sons, have to check it out sometime but not the most scenic part of town.

    Always looking for Topps Salesman Samples, pre '51 unopened packs, E90-2, E91a, N690 Kalamazoo Bats, and T204 Square Frame Ramly's

  • DetroitSquirreLDetroitSquirreL Posts: 742
    I started enjoying the hobby more when...... After my massive 7 month stay in hospital (2007) and almost dying 4 times during. I appreciate / enjoy all the things in life more. You guys can pay the big money for the high end cards, Ill pick up the scraps of the lowered end ones that I can afford & still enjoy them
    Ranked #1 in - Lance Parrish PSA = MASTER SET + BASIC SET + MASTER TOPPS SET + BASIC TOPPS SET

    ALL MY PSA SETS
  • orioles93orioles93 Posts: 3,481 ✭✭✭✭✭
    ....people stopped complaining about ebay and other little petty things that happen to them.
    What I Collect:

    PSA HOF Baseball Postwar Rookies Set Registry- (Currently 80.51% Complete)


    PSA Pro Football HOF Rookie Players Set Registry- (Currently 19.80% Complete)


    PSA Basketball HOF Players Rookies Set Registry- (Currently 6.02% Complete)
  • JoeBanzaiJoeBanzai Posts: 11,999 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Wow so many things come to mind. When I found out about card shops and shows (met so many nice people), when I discovered Sports Collectors Digest (and even got my name mentioned in the "Barnstorming" column), when I found ebay, went to a "National", joined PSA, discovered these boards, achieved the #1 ranking for my Killebrew Master set.

    I REALLY enjoy this hobby!

    Great thread!

    Joe
    2013,14 and 15 Certificate Award Winner Harmon Killebrew Master Set and Master Topps Set
  • Indy78Indy78 Posts: 806 ✭✭✭
    ...when I stopped worrying about pleasing others with my collection and focused on what makes me happy. As an example of this, overall, there is not much difference between a PSA 7 and a PSA 8 card, but the price doubles or triples between the two for many of the mid- to late-70's cards I collect. I became happier when I realized that the tiny wear to the corners that's difficult to see and that makes a card a PSA 7 isn't a big enough deal to me to warrant paying double or triple the price for a PSA 8. So I happily buy the PSA 7 card to please myself instead of the PSA 8 card to what I perceive would be pleasing to the others. This simple adjustment in my collecting habits has made a world of difference to me.
  • Nathaniel1960Nathaniel1960 Posts: 2,325 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Approx. 1999 - had been out of the hobby for 7 years and was thrilled to see 80's and early 90's product on fire sale.
    Kiss me once, shame on you.
    Kiss me twice.....let's party.
  • MinorLeaguerMinorLeaguer Posts: 513 ✭✭✭
    I started earning a good enough income in my 40's to buy the cards I wanted but could not afford in my late teens and 20s.
  • billwaltonsbeardbillwaltonsbeard Posts: 3,748 ✭✭✭✭
    I actually put a lot of thought into this, and unfortunately I honestly believe I have never enjoyed the hobby more than when I first started buying cards in 1987.
    My cards on COMC
  • gemintgemint Posts: 6,126 ✭✭✭✭✭
    When the markets opened up. It was challenging to find certain cards in high grade at local card shows. I laugh now when I think back at how I struggled to find well centered, sharp 1969T baseball league leader cards prior to eBay. Aside from card #7, the market is flooded with high grade examples of those cards. Also finding vintage unopened packs which I never thought existed before seeing Perfect Card Company's set-up at the National.

    It's a different kind of enjoyment today. When I was a kid, I bought the newest cards when they were issued and could care less about Nolan Ryan or Hank Aaron. I wanted to get Pirates cards. Now, I don't collect the new stuff and only focus on vintage. The challenge now is finding high grade examples rather than just trying to find a card in any condition to fill in a set. And I have to say I'm more thrilled with locating a high grade raw star card than a high grade raw Pirate common. That doesn't mean I enjoy collecting any less though.
    https://ebay.com/sch/gemint/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from=
  • gemintgemint Posts: 6,126 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>When I got away from the PSA registry. For all the good it has done for PSA and its brand, it's terribly competitive and not for me. >>



    It doesn't have to be. I'm content just building PSA 8+ sets and don't care where I rank. I was #2 or #3 on the 1971 registry after I bought a high grade set but I had no problem selling off all those 9s and keeping my 8s. It's just a matter of whether you can contain the competitive juices when building graded sets.
    https://ebay.com/sch/gemint/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from=
  • hyperchipper09hyperchipper09 Posts: 1,455 ✭✭✭✭✭
    When I took 8 years off from the hobby before returning in 2009 image
  • hyperchipper09hyperchipper09 Posts: 1,455 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>When I got away from the PSA registry. For all the good it has done for PSA and its brand, it's terribly competitive and not for me. >>



    It doesn't have to be. I'm content just building PSA 8+ sets and don't care where I rank. I was #2 or #3 on the 1971 registry after I bought a high grade set but I had no problem selling off all those 9s and keeping my 8s. It's just a matter of whether you can contain the competitive juices when building graded sets. >>




    I agree here. It's as competitive as you want it to be, if that makes sense. I'm Looking at Registries of Derrick Thomas, Lance Parrish and Scott Stevens(when PSA adds him, soon I think). But instead of trying to be #1 or anything like that I'm going to submit my raw cards of these players, and whatever grades I get, I'll log in. My own personal touch. I'll pick up a few already graded cards but the majority are going to be my own. 7's, 8's, whatever they may grade. image
  • DodgerfanjohnDodgerfanjohn Posts: 491 ✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>

    Never been to Frank and Sons, have to check it out sometime but not the most scenic part of town. >>



    Frank and Sons Yelp

    Upcomming signings at F&S

    Prohibitively expensive signings IMO, but whatevs.......

    Parkings a disaster. Be prepared to search for 20 minutes for parking unless you get there really early on Saturday(I presume you are not a sadist and will not be attempting to navigate westside to City of Industry on a weekday)

    Its hot as heck during the summer. Nerds + heat = not good aromas.
  • BaltimoreYankeeBaltimoreYankee Posts: 3,035 ✭✭✭✭✭
    ....when I stopped submitting to PSA. Too inconsistent.
    Daniel
  • jgrigalijgrigali Posts: 364 ✭✭
    when i bought my first 1952 topps card...too sexy!
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