My two cents about the board and the "hobby".

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Posted By: David Smith

Barry,

No, I do not think the board is imploding. I think some people are coming to the realization that our "hobby" is a business and they don't like it. I know I don't.

My story. During high school and the early college years, I used my extra money to buy my friends card collections and some of the few collections that were advertised in my local paper. I didn't party like my friends. Why? Because 1) I can't stand the taste of beer, 2) I was usually the designated driver and 3) I would rather spend my money on cards than alcohol.

Ten years ago, well a little over 10 years ago, I had just graduated from college, started in my first REAL job and had the time, money and energy to go out looking for OLD baseball cards. I enjoyed the chase and occasionally, I actually found some cool things.

One time I found over 1,000 tobacco cards from the 1880's. Unfortunately, only three were baseball. N28's of Clarkson, Keefe and Caruthers. There were other N28's of athletes and also of Annie Oakley and Wild Bill Hickok. There were also over 100 cards of Indians. Worse yet, the cards were out of my price range and I wasn't able to buy them.

The good thing that came out of that find was that in doing research about cards that old, I learned a lot and I also met an old-time collector who had a really nice collection (he owned a REAL T206 Wagner) and was very knowledgable about Pre-War cards.

So, for a few years, I had someone I could talk to about old cards and ask questions of. I would go to flea markets and antique shows looking for cards/memorabilia and if there were things I found but either didn't want/collect or didn't have enough money for, I would talk to XXX about them and see if he was interested.

One time I found 11 T200 Fatima team cards (9 different) and another time I found a bunch of cards from the early 1920's, including over 20 Curtis Ireland cards. Both times I didn't have enough money to buy them but XXX did. For my trouble, i.e, my time and gasoline, XXX gave me a team card and a Curtis Ireland card. He also traded cards with me.

One time we made a lopsided trade (in my favor) and I think he did it so as to keep me energized about old cards (and to continue looking for them) when I was feeling down. Down because I was finding these great things but couldn't add them to my collection.

That, to me, is what the hobby used to be about.

Now, like someone else said, things are NOT done in person very much. I mean, you log onto your computer and check eBay, Net54 and the large auction company sites. I don't go to card shops or shows anymore because 1) there aren't that many around and 2) those that are deal mostly in new shiny crap. Also, I don't have the money (not getting into that story).

With this non-personal type of collecting, I don't know a lot of the players and I can not hold the object (card or memorabilia) in my hand for inspection. Because of this (and very little money), I have to REALLY know who I am dealing with.

Lately, it is getting harder and harder for me to trust ANYBODY. I mean, fake cards being sold on eBay that look REALLY good, allegations of trimmed and/or restored cards in major auctions, allegations of trimmed cards and grade inflation by the grading services (all based on WHO submits the cards)and this latest fiasco with JP Cohen and Memory Lane.

The problem I have with the BUSINESS of baseball cards is the registries and one-upmanship that goes along with it. It used to be the type of car a person owned, then it was the number of cars a person owned. Then, it moved to houses and yachts and art. Now, it is baseball cards.

For some, the game, the history or just owning a certain baseball card is not good enough. It has to be at least a PSA 6 or 7. To others, not even those grades are high enough, it has to be an 8, 9 or 10!!! With this type of competition and the dollars that go along with it, it is no wonder that the seedy and criminal element has found their way into cards and memorabilia.

A criminal might think (and I assume do) "Hey, if I can buy a PSA 6 and then trim it so that it becomes an 8 or 9 AND I can get it graded, why not?" In this scenario, PSA (or any other grading company) makes more money on the regrade (the revenue helps the stock price, if the company is publicly traded), the criminal sends the card to an auction house and they make money on the consignment and the sale. The person buying the card gets some bragging rights and moves higher up the registry. And on it goes.

To me, what is going to have to happen so as to get the business some what back to hobby status is a MAJOR scandal. Something like a grading company being convicted of knowingly grading trimmed cards. An auction house being convicted of shill bidding or card restoration. A big time set registry person being convicted of running a scam dealing with high grade cards, etc.

I know it seems a lot of people are being negative on the board lately but I think they have a right to. I know I have been and that is because I don't think some things are fair and honest. There are people out there who KNOW shady things are going on yet they don't speak up. Why I don't know. There are people out there DOING shady things. Again, why? I don't know.

What I do know is that with my limited collecting budget I have to be careful about what I buy and that is concerning only $20 dollar cards. I can not imagine what type of stress a person buying a $20,000 card goes thru. That is why I am glad some of these negative things are coming out. So people can see what (allegedly) is going on and what and who they should be dealing with (or not).

Thanks for letting me vent (and giving me an outlet to do so),

David