I collect baseball memorabilia for the fun, if not joy, it brings me. There appears to be no fun, and certainly no joy at all, with the autograph hobbyists. I am of the opinion they have been exploited by fraudulent items in the past, and now they are "on a mission" to call everyone's attention to the perils of autographs in the market. They have gone from sincere hobbyists to zealous vigilantes, with the subplot of who deserves to be their leader. I have been burned in the past with some purchases I elected to make, as I believe we all have, but those episodes have not bitterly corroded my outlook toward the hobby. If these folks need a carthartic release, let them have their own forum. It can also serve as their support group. Other areas of collecting don't seem to need one.
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