Interesting read

[cubman1941]

[QUOTE=Seven;2302221]The commoditization of the modern card market, and the direction the hobby is heading into as a whole is something that I'm not a fan of. I'm not talking about the microcosm that is here on Net54.

One doesn't need to look any further than what the National has turned into. I did enjoy the time I spent in Atlantic City this past summer, but the obnoxious breaking culture was everywhere to be seen. Card "influencers" were running around, the WhatNot booth had people chanting "WhatNot" over and over again. I thought I was at the circus and not in a good way. I'm happy the Hobby is popular but I cannot stand the fact that in some ways certain aspects of the hobby have been ruined by social media. I don't mean to sound preachy, or like I'm looking back with rose colored glasses, but things had to be better than this in the past.

I quite frankly, can't stand modern cards. I'll rip a pack or two just for the hell of it, but other than that It's completely lost me. The Manufactured rarity, the hundreds of different sets, the "relic cards" with questionable origin in terms of the material put into them, and the autographed cards with signatures that are either complete chickenscratch or downright printed letters. I fully anticipate a "tulip mania" when it comes to the modern card market, it will come, eventually.

I'm not telling anyone what they should collect, but I'll stick to my cards of players long since dead, retired or both. It's simpler, it's more enjoyable, and reminds me of years, long past when the Hobby was just that, a hobby. More and more I find myself relating to this:"


I totally agree. I used to enjoy going to card shops and hanging out talking sports but now there are no card shops around, at least around here. I would, with a friend of mine, go heither and tither to various card shops traveling 50 or 60 miles one way on weekends looking for cards we wanted. I would go to flea markets hoping to find something. I went to three or 4 Nationals, a couple with my son, and we had a great time but haven't been in awhile. It was fun then because it was a hobby not a business thing to look for a high priced card and toss the rest away. As I said, I still enjoy opening modern packs but don't buy them. They are gifts from my kids and grandkids at Christmas because they know I enjoy opening them. I don't keep any of them and send them off, but I still do enjoy opening them, seeing the players and remembering back when.

[Seven]

Originally Posted by cubman1941

I totally agree. I used to enjoy going to card shops and hanging out talking sports but now there are no card shops around, at least around here. I would, with a friend of mine, go heither and tither to various card shops traveling 50 or 60 miles one way on weekends looking for cards we wanted. I would go to flea markets hoping to find something. I went to three or 4 Nationals, a couple with my son, and we had a great time but haven't been in awhile. It was fun then because it was a hobby not a business thing to look for a high priced card and toss the rest away. As I said, I still enjoy opening modern packs but don't buy them. They are gifts from my kids and grandkids at Christmas because they know I enjoy opening them. I don't keep any of them and send them off, but I still do enjoy opening them, seeing the players and remembering back when.

I think smaller shows that are a little more skewed to vintage, are the key here, in terms of social gatherings for cards. The only question is where to find them. Certainly not in New York, I can tell you that much (Though the Hofstra show is very enjoyable, out in Long Island)

There were three main Hobby Shops centered around the area of Brooklyn when I was a kid. Renata Galasso's store (Though it closed when I was very young), another in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn, which has long since closed and a third that was taken over by two new owners, that has totally gotten into the modern card craze.

Two of my favorites, up in Cooperstown, were Yastrzemski's and Baseball Nostalgia. The Former is still thriving, which is always nice to see. The Latter just shut its doors about a year ago, which definitely stung a bit considering how long it was around and how when you stepped through the door, it was like, what I would imagine, a time machine into the hobby of the 70's/80's. I still have however, seen one of the owners around town, as he still lives in Cooperstown.