Speaking as one who opened his first pack in 1951 (Bowmans, of course), I have seen the hobby, yes, once it was a hobby, morph into something unrecognizable. The only way one saw the transfer of cards was by trading, usually done within a tight circle of neighborhood pals similarly affected by the "bug". Our dads, being baseball fans, encouraged our hobby but were not involved in the commercial end of things except to give us our allowances, which naturally were spent on cards. Of course, cash deals rarely occurred because nobody had any money to speak of, so in effect we were both collectors and dealers.
Such modern devices such as TPGers, AHs, Ebay simply did not exist. The monetization of cards has made many people wealthy, but the hobby has lost some of its soul. The obnoxious, I am richer than you, thus I am better than you, attitude of some is reflective of that sad reality of today's market.
|