Interesting read

[BobC]

Originally Posted by cubman1941

Appreciate your comments and, wholehardly, agree. Back in the 80's and 90's I was buying boxes and putting together sets. I was having fun - then - first, I bought a box of probably 91 Upper Deck and did not get a card in the 600 series in the entire box, then, the subsets started coming out - when 1 of 1 started coming out I quit as I realized I could never finish a set and started into vintage Cubs. I have subsequently sent my surplus to auction just to pare down what I had. I still have fun only not as much as when I was opening packs. My kids and grandkids get me some packs to open every Christmas and I subsequently send those off also. Your comment about what difference did it make it it was a 9.5 or higher is the same thought I had. If it was truly a 1 of 1 it shouldn't make any difference. I also am with you on the "quid pro quo" statement.

Right back at you on appreciation. And your story is exactly what has been happening to the hobby over the decades. When growing up, packs of cards for a nickel, dime, or quarter were available nearly everywhere you went. And easily accessible to kids who wanted them not for the possibility of selling them to make money, but because they wanted to pull cards of their favorite players/teams. Sure isn't like that today, or what it has been like over the past couple decades now. And don't really know of any younger, modern collectors that are true "set" collectors at all. Like you said, it seems impossible to reasonably collect and complete modern sets, with all the subsets, limited edition cards, and so on in the products released anymore.

[cubman1941]

Originally Posted by BobC

Right back at you on appreciation. And your story is exactly what has been happening to the hobby over the decades. When growing up, packs of cards for a nickel, dime, or quarter were available nearly everywhere you went. And easily accessible to kids who wanted them not for the possibility of selling them to make money, but because they wanted to pull cards of their favorite players/teams. Sure isn't like that today, or what it has been like over the past couple decades now. And don't really know of any younger, modern collectors that are true "set" collectors at all. Like you said, it seems impossible to reasonably collect and complete modern sets, with all the subsets, limited edition cards, and so on in the products released anymore.

I do not think there are any "set" collectors anymore or even many "favorite" players. It seems it all revolves around "what can I get for this card?". Regarding TPG, I am done with that also. I did have a number "graded" but that was only because I wanted to be sure they were not fakes or reprints. However, one can not even trust that anymore.

[Exhibitman]

Thanks for the favorable mentions, guys. The irony for me is that there are some really nice modern cards that I would like to own for my PC, I just think they are a crappy buy.

[BobC]

Originally Posted by cubman1941

I do not think there are any "set" collectors anymore or even many "favorite" players. It seems it all revolves around "what can I get for this card?". Regarding TPG, I am done with that also. I did have a number "graded" but that was only because I wanted to be sure they were not fakes or reprints. However, one can not even trust that anymore.

No worries, I, and I am sure some others, still work on collecting sets, just not sets of modern cards. LOL

When it comes to collecting modern sets, I guess people can still try to collect some select subsets or specific portions of some sets or just specific players from them, but you're right, most younger collectors in the modern sector are not worried about or into collecting complete actual sets of modern cards anymore. For a large majority of them, it seems to be a lot more about the valuable inserts and limited edition cards, and what they can flip to make money off of now, or hopefully put aside to make a couple bucks off of in the future.

The most modern "sets" I've worked on include the 1997 Donruss Signature Series autographed cards, just the "red" version base autos, the 2002 Topps 206 autographed and GU subsets, and the 2003 Topps 205 autographed and GU card subsets. Trying to collect and complete some of those types of sets are similar to the trials and tribulations of finishing some of the more vintage and pre-war sets out there. But haven't really been interested enough in anything else coming out in the almost 20 years since then.

And I'm like you with regard to TPGs. I have only submitted cards to a TPG for grading once, and it was really to just authentic some 1889 Diamond S and Number 7 Cigar baseball cards I had gotten raw and that were in really poor shape, but wanted to make sure were real as I wasn't familiar with those card issues back then. Other than that, I do have many graded cards I've purchased over the years, but I've only bought them graded as there weren't any reasonably priced raw versions available at the time otherwise.

[Exhibitman]

The single biggest detraction from modern, for me, is that the limited edition cards make it impossible to collect your favorite player. A few years ago I tried to 'collect the rainbow' of 2018 Leaf Originals Metal cards of Errol Spence, Jr. (a boxer I really liked and thought had HOF potential).



Problem is, I could never get the last few cards, the 1/1, the /2, or the /3. It is just not 'normal' to be unable to finish a set or run. I got frustrated and simply quit.

I will be airing a ton more grievances with modern in my blog.

[cubman1941]

Bob C - I should have been more specific in my post. I really meant to say that modern set collectors are few and far between if any. I still get modern Cubs thanks to a trader I met years ago who sends me all the modern Cubs. I still send him cards when I can of his team. Until three years ago we had a low minor league farm team and I would go to the games and pick up items, even got a bobblehead one year, and send to him. But MLB shut the league down and replaced it with a college wooden bat league. I still to to these games but the interest has waned since I can't follow these guys on the way to the bigs.

Adam, look forward to your next blog as I alwasy enjoy reading them.

[Chicosbailbonds]

Originally Posted by cubman1941

Bob C - I should have been more specific in my post. I really meant to say that modern set collectors are few and far between if any. I still get modern Cubs thanks to a trader I met years ago who sends me all the modern Cubs. I still send him cards when I can of his team. Until three years ago we had a low minor league farm team and I would go to the games and pick up items, even got a bobblehead one year, and send to him. But MLB shut the league down and replaced it with a college wooden bat league. I still to to these games but the interest has waned since I can't follow these guys on the way to the bigs.

Adam, look forward to your next blog as I alwasy enjoy reading them.

I am a modern set master set collector, had to give up thanks to breakers and flippers. I can’t afford $600+/series.

[BobC]

Originally Posted by Chicosbailbonds

I am a modern set master set collector, had to give up thanks to breakers and flippers. I can’t afford $600+/series.

Can understand your pain. I've only tried collecting a few modern subsets, so I at least have a chance to finish them.

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

The single biggest detraction from modern, for me, is that the limited edition cards make it impossible to collect your favorite player. A few years ago I tried to 'collect the rainbow' of 2018 Leaf Originals Metal cards of Errol Spence, Jr. (a boxer I really liked and thought had HOF potential).



Problem is, I could never get the last few cards, the 1/1, the /2, or the /3. It is just not 'normal' to be unable to finish a set or run. I got frustrated and simply quit.

I will be airing a ton more grievances with modern in my blog.

I feel your pain. The only modern(2017) rainbow I am interested in has 7 yes 7 1/1 cards. I still need 3 of them. I finally made the ones I was missing as placeholders until I hopefully find them.

[Seven]

The commoditization of the modern card market, and the direction the hobby is heading into as a whole is something that I'm not a fan of. I'm not talking about the microcosm that is here on Net54.

One doesn't need to look any further than what the National has turned into. I did enjoy the time I spent in Atlantic City this past summer, but the obnoxious breaking culture was everywhere to be seen. Card "influencers" were running around, the WhatNot booth had people chanting "WhatNot" over and over again. I thought I was at the circus and not in a good way. I'm happy the Hobby is popular but I cannot stand the fact that in some ways certain aspects of the hobby have been ruined by social media. I don't mean to sound preachy, or like I'm looking back with rose colored glasses, but things had to be better than this in the past.

I quite frankly, can't stand modern cards. I'll rip a pack or two just for the hell of it, but other than that It's completely lost me. The Manufactured rarity, the hundreds of different sets, the "relic cards" with questionable origin in terms of the material put into them, and the autographed cards with signatures that are either complete chickenscratch or downright printed letters. I fully anticipate a "tulip mania" when it comes to the modern card market, it will come, eventually.

I'm not telling anyone what they should collect, but I'll stick to my cards of players long since dead, retired or both. It's simpler, it's more enjoyable, and reminds me of years, long past when the Hobby was just that, a hobby. More and more I find myself relating to this:

[cubman1941]

[QUOTE=Seven;2302221]The commoditization of the modern card market, and the direction the hobby is heading into as a whole is something that I'm not a fan of. I'm not talking about the microcosm that is here on Net54.

One doesn't need to look any further than what the National has turned into. I did enjoy the time I spent in Atlantic City this past summer, but the obnoxious breaking culture was everywhere to be seen. Card "influencers" were running around, the WhatNot booth had people chanting "WhatNot" over and over again. I thought I was at the circus and not in a good way. I'm happy the Hobby is popular but I cannot stand the fact that in some ways certain aspects of the hobby have been ruined by social media. I don't mean to sound preachy, or like I'm looking back with rose colored glasses, but things had to be better than this in the past.

I quite frankly, can't stand modern cards. I'll rip a pack or two just for the hell of it, but other than that It's completely lost me. The Manufactured rarity, the hundreds of different sets, the "relic cards" with questionable origin in terms of the material put into them, and the autographed cards with signatures that are either complete chickenscratch or downright printed letters. I fully anticipate a "tulip mania" when it comes to the modern card market, it will come, eventually.

I'm not telling anyone what they should collect, but I'll stick to my cards of players long since dead, retired or both. It's simpler, it's more enjoyable, and reminds me of years, long past when the Hobby was just that, a hobby. More and more I find myself relating to this:"


I totally agree. I used to enjoy going to card shops and hanging out talking sports but now there are no card shops around, at least around here. I would, with a friend of mine, go heither and tither to various card shops traveling 50 or 60 miles one way on weekends looking for cards we wanted. I would go to flea markets hoping to find something. I went to three or 4 Nationals, a couple with my son, and we had a great time but haven't been in awhile. It was fun then because it was a hobby not a business thing to look for a high priced card and toss the rest away. As I said, I still enjoy opening modern packs but don't buy them. They are gifts from my kids and grandkids at Christmas because they know I enjoy opening them. I don't keep any of them and send them off, but I still do enjoy opening them, seeing the players and remembering back when.