Posted By:
Luc MitchellI wonder if the 'appreciation' of slivers of game used materials differs between card collectors and non card collectors---say one was to ask two huge sports fans, one a card collector and one not, which they would prefer (one item of 1000s of tiny items). My gut instinct is that a card collector would like the 1000s more, but that's just me.
If there was a difference, it could mean a couple things:
1) Modern collectors have become accustomed to it, eventually deciding to like it.
2) Said collectors are more inclined to it, as they see cards as being able to distribute the materials.
3) It's not about the actual bat/jersey piece, but about the card.
I would think it's #3. I don't see #1, as from personal experience (I collect modern Jonny Gomes cards), I detested game used cards even before I started collecting game used jerseys. Nor do I see #2, as the debate centralizes around the cutting up of materials, not the distribution of them.
#3, then, comes about on several grounds. First, memorabilia pieces (talk about a euphemism) are incorporated into the design of a card; no card is solely about the item (I'm just going to say 'slice' from here on out). An example of this is Beckett, which offers to put a bat chip in slabs for an additional fee. These are far from popular, and why? They're uncertified, ugly pieces of junk:
Moreover, I would question the attachment to an item in the first place. I posted this on three forums (and to clarify, yes, it is my April Fools joke)---here, PSA and Beckett. On the Beckett one, where slices are generally liked, the reasoning behind calling it a joke was there would be severe backlash against Upper Deck if a Wagner was actually destroyed. Note the hypocrisy? Destroy rare gamers, but not cards because people actually like them.
Last, I would question that any slice can bring someone closer to a player. Indeed, bat chips never saw the light of day, let alone touched by said player. Is the pursuit of any item, be it a card, bat, jersey or autograph not as important as the end of having that item?
A couple blippy comments:
Thanks for the kind words on the joke. Took a while, but it was a lot of fun!
Everything is made up of carbon; does that make everything the same?
I would much rather a museum have one gamer that 1000s of people having slices.
It's 1:48 AM, so if I made some logical error I'll reply much later.