[theseeker]

I'm sure it's only me, but I not only buy the "shinny junk," I wish it had come along a generation sooner so that my childhood era cards could be had at easily affordable prices and also be of FAR superior quality.
It's a sad irony that at the hobbies height of popularity (late eighties thru early nineties), an investment mentality prevailed and most child-aged collectors were planning on financing their college education with the cards that are now refurred to as "worthless, shinny junk." Equally ironic is how the suddenly huge industry of manufacturers and dealers act of fueling this investment hype with promo cards, endless insert sets, premium grade, and super premium grade cards sealed then own fate when the bubble inevitably burst. With all the cases of cards being bought and the proliferation of supplies to protect these over-produced "investments," I'm still shocked at how many adults fell for this obviously manipulated market by all involved, including MLB with it's ridiculously liberal use of licensing.
No doubt in my mind that it is the disappointment with how these "shinny cards" did as investments that is the root cause of all the present resentment towards them.
Is it any wonder that the hobby is now largely viewed as a baby boomers activity? I fall into the tail end of that and I am part of the last generation where it was a true collector's activity. As a result, I see the cards from this era for what they really are.......plentiful, affordable, and vastly superior products to anything that came before them. Yet, perhaps because they were the first cards to be targeted to an adult market, utterly lacking in any visceral attachment.
As to the owners who still beleive there is any value in them.........................