Sports Collectors Digest

[sports-rings]

A couple of years ago I let my subscription of SCD run out and I did not renew it. The reason was because I was furious that they allowed coaches corner to advertise in the publication for so long.

Anyway, I don't want to make this about coaches corner, but I was wondering if I was missing valuable content and hobby information by not subscribing to SCD. A friend told me the publication is so small now that I should not bother.

I do seem able to get a lot of hobby news and information from the internet.

I wanted to ask if the group here thought it was a good idea to get a subscription or do you feel the ship has sailed and the publication is no longer useful. Or do you feel it's important to support this company because it's good for the hobby.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

[perezfan]

Mixed feelings on this one...

I think "the ship has sailed" for the most part. SCD is far less relevant than ever, and their size is a fraction of what it once was. But it is good that they finally separated themselves from Coach's Corner.

I guess a show of support (by subscribing) would be positive for the hobby... but you really aren't missing much. I cancelled my subscription years ago... not just because of their CC support, but because those of us on the West Coast received SCD 4-5 days after everyone else. Everytime I inquired about an advertised item, it had already been sold.

Bottom line is that they are far less relevant (approaching obsolete), with the advent of the Internet and all of its options at your fingertips.

[prichmond]

I would agree about letting your subscription run out. I currently have one and won't be renewing it.

[keithsky]

I let my subscription run out a couple years ago because of C.C and because of the price for 38 pages. You can still get info on there website and Sports Collectors daily which is current everyday. Why get a publication that by the time you get the news it is already a week old. I remember getting the National issue 2 days after I got back from the National and I live in Indiana about 90 minutes from there place. There would be coupons from some dealers like 10% off or something and the issue came late every time so the coupons were worthless. And also like it here at Net54 the news is current with some of the posts from everyone. I'll never go back to them. Just my opinion.

[Jewish-collector]

The magazine is now totally useless. I let my subscription run out some time ago. Years ago before the internet, eBay, auctions, etc, it was a fantastic publication. There were even some collectors who payed extra money to receive the latest issue overnight, priority mail, etc,... However, as mentioned in this thread, nothing is in there that's not already on the web. I just can't figure out how the hell they can still afford to produce a publication.

[NeuhartCards]

I too have mixed feelings on this one. I have been a subscriber for 20+ years and find most of the information they report to be outdated. However, it is a weekly magazine that is fairly inexpensive and it makes for some easy bathroom reading.

[sports-rings]

thanks for all the responses. it saddens me that the publication has become a fragment of what it once was. some of it was their own doing, such as letting CC advertise for years, but a lot of it is that free content is so easily available on the internet.

I really wish there was a better voice of the hobby that could really help us collectors. Sadly, I always felt scd in the last few years sold out, and never really continued to be an independant voice of the hobby. by sell out I mean they would take the money from the advertisers and not be a true advocate for the collector.

[Vintagedegu]

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[HRBAKER]

Just be thankful for all those years of Mr. Mint's grinning visage landing on your doorstep weekly. Nothing great lasts forever.

[Duluth Eskimo]

I still have a subscription hoping that one day they will find their way back to meaningful content, unfortunately I think I am on a sinking ship. I still seem to buy a few vintage things per year from advertisers so it makes it worth it, considering the subscription costs about $25 a year.

As previously mentioned they did drop Coaches Corner, but left the door open for CSC collectibles and others peddling terrible forgeries to continue. It is hard to support a pub that continues to pine for the "good old days" when they obviously have their heads burried in the sand. If I hear one more reference to the "Willow Grove" shows or one more "Mickey Mantle" checklist I am going beat my head against the wall.

You see TS O'Connell at the National, Sun Times, etc. walking around, talking to the same people he spoke to every show for the last 20 years wondering why the "hobby" is in decline. Try doing something to promote the hobby instead of putting out the same dribble every week.

Sorry to rant, but maybe it's time to save my $25.

[sports-rings]

Here is what worries me about the long term health of our hobby and about collectibles holding onto their value. Kids today don't collect baseball cards at all! My 14 year old son is a huge sports fan but rather spend time on the internet or playing a video game. He is turned off to cards because of the high prices, not to mention all the cards out there. While sports is in his blood, he will never be a collector. Not a single friend of his is a collector either, although most are big sports fans.

When all the current collectors retire or pass on, who is going to take their place? We all know what happens when demand goes away, prices will fall!

[Scott Garner]

Originally Posted by Duluth Eskimo

I still have a subscription hoping that one day they will find their way back to meaningful content, unfortunately I think I am on a sinking ship. I still seem to buy a few vintage things per year from advertisers so it makes it worth it, considering the subscription costs about $25 a year.

As previously mentioned they did drop Coaches Corner, but left the door open for CSC collectibles and others peddling terrible forgeries to continue. It is hard to support a pub that continues to pine for the "good old days" when they obviously have their heads burried in the sand. If I hear one more reference to the "Willow Grove" shows or one more "Mickey Mantle" checklist I am going beat my head against the wall.

You see TS O'Connell at the National, Sun Times, etc. walking around, talking to the same people he spoke to every show for the last 20 years wondering why the "hobby" is in decline. Try doing something to promote the hobby instead of putting out the same dribble every week.

Sorry to rant, but maybe it's time to save my $25.

I've been and continue to be an SCD subscriber of over 18 years. The SCD used to be the absolute best, but the ship has definately sailed.

I agree with Duluth Eskimo in that every year I continue to find a few items in the SCD. I used to also use SCD to identify up to date autograph signing info for people that I needed, but more recently I find myself using the signingshotline.com website for this info. It's a great tool if you members haven't checked it out, I can definately recommend it. Occasionally the SCD will have some decent interviews and stories that keep me hanging in there, but it's definately a shell of what it once was in the height of the sports cards hobby.

BTW, I too am tired of the never ending article on Mickey Mantle oddball that's been running for about a year. Time to turn the page....

[Rickyy]

I too let my subscription expire years ago...I still have some of the old issues..pages and pages of cards and memorabilia...I used to look forward to spending a few hrs going over the ads...only a distant memory now...

[Kalineman]

I've been subscribing to SCD since the days my old friend John Stommen started to publish it. Of course, it isn't the same "gotta have" publication it used to be. But I still enjoy getting it weekly and reading columns and feature stories about the hobby. I like the mix I get between SCD, Net 54 and everything else on the web.

[danc]

My friend bought a 5 year subscription to get a free Pete Rose item and he had an SCD in his car and I haven't seen one in probably 7-8 years. Here's summing it up...it's now the size of a regular magazine, about 50 pages and most of it is articles once published in the magazine a long time ago. It took me, in all honesty, three minutes to go through it all and chuck it in the back seat.

Sports-Rings, used to enjoy your blasts on your blog about CC.

DanC

[HRBAKER]

I guess if I didn't know how great it used to be I would feel different. But as someone brought up how many times do we need a checklist of Mickey Mantle items. The hobby has moved on, SCD hasn't.

[hangman62]

I agree, its gone so far downhill I think they should cease printing it.
I used to read it in Barnes and Noble.. but even they stopped carrying it

[Duluth Eskimo]

I don't think it needs to cease operation. There is still an avid following for sports collectibles and they are pretty much the only real publication that has made it through, even though that is arguable. They just need to completely revamp, as I think a lot of people would still have there subscriptions if they could look forward to knowledgable people writing knowledgable articles about vintage collectibles. I can count on one hand in the last 20 years I have seen an article specifically on pennant, etc. The articles that Ron K used to write on vintage autographs were good too. No one who is spending thousands of dollars on vintage cards and memorabilia wants to read about A-Rod refractor cards. They want to read articles like the ones published in Vintage and Classic Baseball Collector. Now that was a good publication. Too bad it could not survive. Take care all. Jason

[tinkereversandme]

I was once a subscriber and cancelled because of Coach's, like many. For those of you were'nt raised 'collecting wise' by the magazine, it was like drugs to a junky. It was so great at one point. They really let the hobby down and a lot of people (a lot of advertisers) basically said 'us or them' and they chose 'them'. It's just an embarrasing entity now. I miss those days on a Friday spending all night (literally 3 hours) just looking over this massive, 400 page periodical.

Larry

[baseball tourist]

Like a fool I signed up for a subscription approx 5 years ago without checking out the then current state of the publication. I remembered reading it in the 1990's and thought it would been much the same.

The fool part is that I paid the Canadian distribution rate - over $125 for the subscription and recieved the content-poor, size diminished publication WEEKS later than US readers, making it utterly useless as a vehicle for purchasing items too.

Luckliy, I wad able to cancel my subscription after a few issues (and heated discussions with heir customer service people) based on the delayed reciept argument. They did not offer me a priority post option, as it happened.

[DJR]

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