[novakjr]

Darkest

1)counterfeits
2)scammerish grading companies and authenticators
3)Too many brands. And then those brands each having 5-10+ sub-brands, including inserts(I have no problem with the idea of inserts as they were done pre-'91)
a)Parallels
b)Any insert that requires something to be cut up(jerseys, bats, auto's cut from other cards, so on and so on..)
c)Autographs of every person ever associated with the game in packs.
4)Card shops going "solely" online, and high shipping prices.
5)Publications and price guides dictating the hobby, rather than simply reporting it...

Brightest

1)the creation of cards in general.
2)Grading Companies and authenticators
3)Competitive brands and inserts/autographs as originally concieved.
4)ebay and online shops as they basically made regional material available to everyone.
5)Anything Hobby related(publications, conventions, Net54, blogs, the Standard Catalog, so on and so on)

With this hobby, every bright thing usually gets abused and leads to or turns into a dark thing, and then those dark things eventually lead to the creation of new bright things, which in turn get abused and creates a dark thing... It's an endless cycle of innovation and corruption.. Basically, Abuse and overabundance.