Depressing

[MattyC]

I see tons of affection from boys and men today toward their collected players. I see it firsthand in our little leagues and in my own household. When we buy a Brett Gardner or when I shell out for a major Judge card, I am doing so because I actually want it for my collection.

[mechanicalman]

Originally Posted by MattyC

I see tons of affection from boys and men today toward their collected players. I see it firsthand in our little leagues and in my own household. When we buy a Brett Gardner or when I shell out for a major Judge card, I am doing so because I actually want it for my collection.

While I don't collect modern, I can understand this sentiment completely. I can imagine that if you took your son to a Reds game and Joey Votto winked at your boy on the on-deck circle and then cracked 2 HRs, you'd have more allegiance for him that you would any Mantle, Williams, or Ruth (all flawed characters in their own right.)

When it comes to the modern/vintage debate, I try to separate the players from the cards. While I think modern players can spark passion, I personally, do not appreciate the cards. If I love Mike Trout, for example, which of his 100 rookie cards do I pursue? Should I go after the "Cognac Diamond Anniversary" edition or maybe the "Super Refractor with Bedazzled Edges 1/1" edition that looks like it was designed by an 8th grade girl? Having grown up in the 80s when there was just one base card of a rookie (yes, way overproduced), I am used to simplicity. I just can't wrap my head around the incredibly complex system of manufactured rarity that drives the modern market.

Don't get me wrong. I'm glad the modern market exists even if I don't participate in it. I would never begrudge anyone who does. It's just not for me, and that's a function of the cards, not the players.

[Peter_Spaeth]

There are still base cards, and they're an easy way to avoid all the complexity of the 57 varieties of refractors and sparkles and chromes etc. if those are not your speed.

[mechanicalman]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

There are still base cards, and they're an easy way to avoid all the complexity of the 57 varieties of refractors and sparkles and chromes etc. if those are not your speed.

Yes, I could see myself owning a card like that someday if it's available at a fair price.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

There are still base cards, and they're an easy way to avoid all the complexity of the 57 varieties of refractors and sparkles and chromes etc. if those are not your speed.

All collecting is good collecting. I am a big advocate of youngsters doing anything with collecting cards. I also think a lot of them will gravitate to older cards. I don't know how many people NEVER collected cards as a kid, collect them as an adult? I am sure there are a few but not a ton. So to keep our collecting going we need to be supportive of their gambling/card collecting. I never collected anything past about 1972 as a youngster opening packs and came back to vintage as an adult, going backwards to Pre-War. Whatever floats your boat. The only small drawback is that some kids will spend and lose way too much on their collecting/gambling and that is never good (except for the card companies I guess.)

[53Browns]

I only collect pre-1970 but I also do not begrudge collectors of modern issue. What bothers me (aside from ALL reprints), is the death of the wax pack. Upper Deck, with the advent of their foil tamper proof package, essentially started the ball rolling to price the hobby out of the hands of the kids.

[Touch'EmAll]

The wax, the gum, the smell, ahhhh.

[ls7plus]

Originally Posted by mechanicalman

While I don't collect modern, I can understand this sentiment completely. I can imagine that if you took your son to a Reds game and Joey Votto winked at your boy on the on-deck circle and then cracked 2 HRs, you'd have more allegiance for him that you would any Mantle, Williams, or Ruth (all flawed characters in their own right.)

When it comes to the modern/vintage debate, I try to separate the players from the cards. While I think modern players can spark passion, I personally, do not appreciate the cards. If I love Mike Trout, for example, which of his 100 rookie cards do I pursue? Should I go after the "Cognac Diamond Anniversary" edition or maybe the "Super Refractor with Bedazzled Edges 1/1" edition that looks like it was designed by an 8th grade girl? Having grown up in the 80s when there was just one base card of a rookie (yes, way overproduced), I am used to simplicity. I just can't wrap my head around the incredibly complex system of manufactured rarity that drives the modern market.

Don't get me wrong. I'm glad the modern market exists even if I don't participate in it. I would never begrudge anyone who does. It's just not for me, and that's a function of the cards, not the players.

Hi, Sam. From a sheer numbers standpoint, the many, many, many different "rookie" cards cannot do anything but cause a fragmentation of demand in the future. That means, of course, great difficulty in achieving any significant appreciation in value of any given example.

Best always,

Larry