Posted By:
Al CrisafulliI'm not sure which side of the fence I fall on with respect to this argument, because in my opinion both sides have valid points.
But...
Have any of you had the pleasure of seeing the look on a little kid's face when he pulls a game-used jersey card out of a brand-new pack?
To me, there's some value in that. I watched my son pull a piece of Bobby Thompson's bat out of a pack of cards. His eyes lit up like Christmastime. He then asked me all about Bobby Thompson - who was he? Why was he important? Tell me about the game! Tell me about the three New York teams - which one was better?
For that kind of conversation with my son, and to witness the joy on his face and his genuine interest in the history of the game, I'd hack up one of Bobby Thompson's bats myself.
I've also seen him rummage through boxes of basketball cards at shows - for what seemed like hours - looking for a swatch of Jason Kidd or Shaquille O'Neal's jersey. When he found them, you'd think he struck gold.
In my mind, there's still an element of this hobby that belongs to children, and I try to remember that whenever a discussion like this comes up.
-Al