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Originally Posted by Michael B
I strongly disagree. If not for the collectors who recognize the value and significance of items many would never be seen or lost. One of the big fallacies is that if a museum has it they will display it. Many museums only display a fraction of their holdings. The Smithsonian is a good example. You could go to every single museum building here in D.C. and look at every item on display. You will have viewed less than 1/10th of 1% of their holdings. They display items that people will find interesting, but that is for the masses and it changes with time. A lot less people today are interested in seeing Fonzie's jacket or Archie Bunker's chair then 20-30 years ago. With collectors there is always the chance that it will change hands and new people will get to enjoy it.
I agree that chopping up a bat or cutting up a uniform is bothersome, however it is a big stretch to call a Tony Lazzeri bat a 'national treasure.
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Of course no museum will display every holding. No one here is suggesting they should. I also agree that a Tony Lazzeri bat is not a 'national treasure'. But I guarantee the museum wouldn't sell a Lazzeri bat to be chopped up by a card company either.
I don't blame card companies for meeting a market demand. There is a thirst for relic cards so they quench it. They have no obligation to the hobby. But if we feel that destroying artifacts is wrong than we need to take a hard look in the mirror at who is really causing this problem.