O/T Somebody please explain this one to me.

[Huysmans]

Originally Posted by Orioles1954

You make this look like a bad thing. You do know the modern card market absolutely dwarfs pre-war collecting in both volume and dollars? There are also several examples of "manufactured scarcity" of cards in the 1930s (albeit obviously to a far lesser level, I get it). I just find it strange that post-war collectors usually have a very healthy respect for vintage cards. Why can't that respect be reciprocated?

The easiest way to sum this up, is that to most collectors, vintage cards are generally seen as highly collectible due to their rarity and age, with a certain mystique placed on players of the past as well as nostalgia towards the game in general. "New" cards carry no mystique whatsoever - at least as far as pre-war collectors can see, with many SOLELY manufactured in low numbers to create pseudo-scarcity.

What bearing the modern card market "dwarfing" pre-war collecting has I'm not sure.... as sheer numbers mean little. Think about "Pop" music, played on the radio, it's the most popular.... but would true music aficionados call it the best? Quite the opposite, as the masses usually clamor for the generic, while a select few appreciate the finer things for a plethora of reasons, hence the term "connoisseur".

Regarding no reciprocation of respect from vintage card collectors, the person driving a Ferrari rarely appreciates a Pinto, while that Pinto driver can't help but envy and admire a Ferrari.
This is just my take obviously....