The difficulties of getting kids to collect

[deweyinthehall]

I just re-discovered this forum after looking for a place to talk about just this kind of subject.

I bought a few packs of Topps Big League today because part of what I read said it was aimed at getting kids into the hobby. It's a nice design, a decent feel, and relatively simple - but still a disappointment. Only 400 cards, limited stats, etc.

I'm 50, and a set builder. I've been buying cards since I first found a small uncut sample sheet of 1978s in a Dynamite magazine in 4th grade. I became a baseball fan because of the cards, rather than the other way around. In recent years, I've given up putting together anything current because of what's out there.

To my mind, here are some things Topps could do to appeal to young, and old, collectors alike:

1) Have a comprehensive set that includes star outfielders, but also back-up catchers and long relief men. That's how I, and I suspect many others, really started to learn about MLB - the teams, the players, etc.
2) Include lifetime stats, with minor league records where they fit - at first glance, it looks like Joey Votto has been around only as long as Khris Davis.
3) Give all teams a roughly equal amount of cards - with some recent issues, it's hard to imagine kids in San Diego or Baltimore getting very excited about what they have to chose from.
4) Have a nice, non-flashy, cardboard-ish stock with no foil printing - this is something Heritage and Big League get right. Some recent Topps base cards had to be held at just the right angle to read the player's name.
5) Have absolutely no computer generated "paint jobs" - leave those guys that switch teams for the update issue;
6) Don't make it impossible to easily build a base set - I'm looking at you, Heritage - no better way to discourage kids than to make it hard to complete a set.
7) Sell cards at someplace other than just Wal-Mart or Target. Make them ubiquitous.
8) Insert sets are fine, but if you want parallels, autos, relics and such, keep it very simple and make them slightly easier to find than Amelia Earhart. It might help keep the guys who loiter around Targets at opening to snatch up cases of product away, and that would be wonderful.

I know it sounds like an old man yelling at people to get off his lawn, but I just can't imagine it being that hard. Kids are either going to buy cards or they're not.

I suppose the one good thing about younger people staying out of the hobby means that eventually I'll be able to pick up some 1960s sets for a few hundred dollars. Seriously - can these sets still go for thousands if no new blood comes into the hobby?

Anyway, glad to get that off my chest - happy collecting!

[Rich Klein]

Originally Posted by deweyinthehall

I just re-discovered this forum after looking for a place to talk about just this kind of subject.

1) Have a comprehensive set that includes star outfielders, but also back-up catchers and long relief men. That's how I, and I suspect many others, really started to learn about MLB - the teams, the players, etc.
2) Include lifetime stats, with minor league records where they fit - at first glance, it looks like Joey Votto has been around only as long as Khris Davis.
3) Give all teams a roughly equal amount of cards - with some recent issues, it's hard to imagine kids in San Diego or Baltimore getting very excited about what they have to chose from.
4) Have a nice, non-flashy, cardboard-ish stock with no foil printing - this is something Heritage and Big League get right. Some recent Topps base cards had to be held at just the right angle to read the player's name.
5) Have absolutely no computer generated "paint jobs" - leave those guys that switch teams for the update issue;
6) Don't make it impossible to easily build a base set - I'm looking at you, Heritage - no better way to discourage kids than to make it hard to complete a set.
7) Sell cards at someplace other than just Wal-Mart or Target. Make them ubiquitous.
8) Insert sets are fine, but if you want parallels, autos, relics and such, keep it very simple and make them slightly easier to find than Amelia Earhart. It might help keep the guys who loiter around Targets at opening to snatch up cases of product away, and that would be wonderful.

I know it sounds like an old man yelling at people to get off his lawn, but I just can't imagine it being that hard. Kids are either going to buy cards or they're not.

I suppose the one good thing about younger people staying out of the hobby means that eventually I'll be able to pick up some 1960s sets for a few hundred dollars. Seriously - can these sets still go for thousands if no new blood comes into the hobby?

Anyway, glad to get that off my chest - happy collecting!

1) Your basic Topps set issued in series 1, 2 and update pretty much covers all that. Yes there are 2-3 cards of the stars but you are just as likely to have a Chance Sisco card as a Mike Trout card. This one is covered

3) See comment about Topps 1. 2 and update. Yes, all teams are covered

6) I get your frustration about Heritage and the SP's but,,,, the original sets those cards are based on had SP''s and tough cards to find. Guess what, that's actually being somewhat true to the original. I can live with the SP's especially when Topps returned as they did this year to having common players as SP's. What had been going on the past few years with the stars almost all being SP's was terrible. This year is fine.

7) I'm sure Topps and Panini would love to sell cards at more than those just the places you mentioned. That is what caused some of the "junk wax" issues of the 1980's and 90's when cards were everywhere. But I get it, the wider audience does need more places for cards.

8) I could explain in long detail why the card companies do parallel sets but the simplest answer is that this makes sense for them and Topps does a pretty good job in their basic set of mostly affordable insert cards with a few better ones tossed in.

I get your rant, but as the old saying goes, be careful what you wish for.

Rich

[Johnny630]

I’ve heard many guys say. Oh my wife is gonna kill me or don’t tell me wife, I hope she doesn’t find out etc. I think these are funny.

Anyways here is my question, what percentage of women collect ? Better yet what percentage under 50? At this one small card show in Baltimore, that I sometimes set up at, I’ve only seen 2 women collectors.

From what I gather most women don’t want card hoards in their house, they get pissed off with the space it takes up. The key is to get young girls and women involved in the hobby. I’m sure this statement makes many cringe, I believe it will really help the hobby.

[Rich Klein]

Originally Posted by Johnny630

I’ve heard many guys say. Oh my wife is gonna kill me or don’t tell me wife, I hope she doesn’t find out etc. I think these are funny.

Anyways here is my question, what percentage of women collect ? Better yet what percentage under 50? At this one small card show in Baltimore, that I sometimes set up at, I’ve only seen 2 women collectors.

From what I gather most women don’t want card hoards in their house, they get pissed off with the space it takes up. The key is to get young girls and women involved in the hobby. I’m sure this statement makes many cringe, I believe it will really help the hobby.

Trust me, I live with that issue about cards in the house every day. At my shows, what I usually do is check to see who is the collector if the significant other comes. To make it easier, I usually let them in for free because to charge the small amount of money to upset someone makes no sense to me. Sometimes they pay the admission anyway which is fine by me.

I use the same policy for kids and half the time let them in anyway. The more people we can expose to the fun in the hobby the better off we are. That's why one should always think long-term. Now, there is a difference at show such as the National where the costs are so huge and so much is going on, yes they do charge for the significant others but all kids 12 and under are let in free for the National. All in favor of that policy for the kids and frankly too difficult at that show to monitor the S/O issue..

Rich

[Johnny630]

Originally Posted by Rich Klein

Trust me, I live with that issue about cards in the house every day. At my shows, what I usually do is check to see who is the collector if the significant other comes. To make it easier, I usually let them in for free because to charge the small amount of money to upset someone makes no sense to me. Sometimes they pay the admission anyway which is fine by me.

I use the same policy for kids and half the time let them in anyway. The more people we can expose to the fun in the hobby the better off we are. That's why one should always think long-term. Now, there is a difference at show such as the National where the costs are so huge and so much is going on, yes they do charge for the significant others but all kids 12 and under are let in free for the National. All in favor of that policy for the kids and frankly too difficult at that show to monitor the S/O issue..

Rich

Agree Rich. Free admission for collectors wives and kids go a long way, that’s classy and old school. love it

[Johnny630]

I’ve heard this one a lot too, predominantly collectors in their late to early 40’s. I have to put my kids through college. I wish I had the money to buy some of your cards. Which leaves what I believe is the median age hard core collector in the hobby, male mid 50’s to 70’s.