The difficulties of getting kids to collect

[Neal]

Next week, I'll be 51 years old. I started collecting in the mid to late 70s, with 80-83 being big years. Packs were 30 cents and local card shops were abundant with the occasional fire hall show. It was a blast.


Added to the collection during the HS and college years, and without eBay, the collection remained largely the same. Flash forward to the late 90s with eBay, the internet, message boards, and access to more spending money, the collection changed. Still is to this day …..


Now I am married, with two boys. One loves baseball and all sports and my youngest is a casual sports fan other than Philly teams. Neither collect, and I don't think any of their buddies do either. To me, that is the sign of a potential "apocalypse" for the hobby - none were 30 cent pack kids like most of us.

My neighborhood was teaming with kids back in the day whose daily summer activities included trading sessions. Some of them still collect, many do not.