[Rhotchkiss]

Originally Posted by G1911

I won't claim poverty or anything, I'm very privileged to be able to spend some coin on cardboard pictures just for fun, but I do low grade on a budget too. I gather you don't do so much non-sport or minor sports as I gravitate too but we seem to be collecting the same exact baseball stuff.

I don't think it really matters if people ooh and aah over a pickup, I get the card because I need it for a set or I like it (and it's nice when a pickup thread leads to an email or call about another card in the set and creates an opportunity to add more I need or serves as a springboard for research or knowledge sharing I didn't know). The most desirable items will get the most comments and tend to be the most expensive items as that correlates strongly to desirable. Groups will definitely primarily respond to other members of that subgroup, but there's nothing stopping other low grade collectors from posting. High grade $100K card collectors primarily post and respond to high grade $100K cards, boxing cards tend to respond to boxing cards, T206 collectors tend to respond to T206 collectors. If you're bothered by subgroups and cliques, and I don't mean this in a negative way, I'm not sure there is any hobby for which this will not be the same. It's human nature, people gravitate to those like them who have the same or similar focuses that intersect. There's plenty of fellow low-grade collectors who share your interests (clearly, or I'd win all the auctions!)

Very well said