Any other frustrated collectors out there???

[doug.goodman]

MLB hasn't cared about old school fans for a long time.

They don't care about younger fans either, so we can't really take it personally.

Doug


PS - the only witty nickname I could think of was "Fuck 'em" but that seemed so rude...

[commishbob]

I'm another publications collector who is disappointed (but not surprised) at the demise of programs, yearbooks etc. Like the OP I have a run of Orioles publications going back to 1954. The announcement a few years back that they were discontinuing printed media guides really stung. My guide/yearbook collection means more to me than anything else I have. I recall phoning the team back in the 60s and 70s and getting a price list along with some fun 'junk' in the mail. Receiving my yearbooks and postcard set in the mail was a big deal for me.

The Orioles are not alone by any means. I also collected Houston Texans (now dead to me), University of Houston and NY Rangers publications and they have dropped printed guides and yearbooks. It's the way of the world I guess.

[SAllen2556]

You guys gotta get with the future! This is yet another thing which reinforces my notion that I no longer understand anything about the world we live in. Here's some highlights - link at the bottom.

In October 2020, Miami-based art collector Pablo Rodriguez-Fraile spent almost $67,000 on a 10-second video artwork that he could have watched for free online. Last week, he sold it for $6.6 million.

The video by digital artist Beeple, whose real name is Mike Winkelmann, was authenticated by blockchain, which serves as a digital signature to certify who owns it and that it is the original work.

It’s a new type of digital asset - known as a non-fungible token (NFT) - that has exploded in popularity during the pandemic as enthusiasts and investors scramble to spend enormous sums of money on items that only exist online.
Blockchain technology allows the items to be publicly authenticated as one-of-a-kind, unlike traditional online objects which can be endlessly reproduced.

“Non-fungible” refers to items that cannot be exchanged on a like-for-like basis, as each one is unique - in contrast to “fungible” assets like dollars, stocks or bars of gold.

Examples of NFTs range from digital artworks and sports cards to pieces of land in virtual environments or exclusive use of a cryptocurrency wallet name, akin to the scramble for domain names in the early days of the internet.

Each collectible has “a unique serial number with guaranteed scarcity and protected ownership guaranteed by blockchain”, the site says. “When you own #23/49 of a legendary LeBron James dunk, you’re the only person in the world who does.”

The biggest transaction to date was on Feb. 22, when a user paid $208,000 for a video of a LeBron James slam dunk.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-r...-idUKKCN2AT1HG

[Scott Garner]

Originally Posted by SAllen2556

You guys gotta get with the future! This is yet another thing which reinforces my notion that I no longer understand anything about the world we live in. Here's some highlights - link at the bottom.

In October 2020, Miami-based art collector Pablo Rodriguez-Fraile spent almost $67,000 on a 10-second video artwork that he could have watched for free online. Last week, he sold it for $6.6 million.

The video by digital artist Beeple, whose real name is Mike Winkelmann, was authenticated by blockchain, which serves as a digital signature to certify who owns it and that it is the original work.

It’s a new type of digital asset - known as a non-fungible token (NFT) - that has exploded in popularity during the pandemic as enthusiasts and investors scramble to spend enormous sums of money on items that only exist online.
Blockchain technology allows the items to be publicly authenticated as one-of-a-kind, unlike traditional online objects which can be endlessly reproduced.

“Non-fungible” refers to items that cannot be exchanged on a like-for-like basis, as each one is unique - in contrast to “fungible” assets like dollars, stocks or bars of gold.

Examples of NFTs range from digital artworks and sports cards to pieces of land in virtual environments or exclusive use of a cryptocurrency wallet name, akin to the scramble for domain names in the early days of the internet.

Each collectible has “a unique serial number with guaranteed scarcity and protected ownership guaranteed by blockchain”, the site says. “When you own #23/49 of a legendary LeBron James dunk, you’re the only person in the world who does.”

The biggest transaction to date was on Feb. 22, when a user paid $208,000 for a video of a LeBron James slam dunk.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-r...-idUKKCN2AT1HG

Hi Scott,
Thanks for your look into the future of "collectibles".
I have to admit that I am one collector that will take a "hard pass" and will not be part of this journey, FWIW

[mickeymantle]

Originally Posted by SAllen2556

Each collectible has “a unique serial number with guaranteed scarcity and protected ownership guaranteed by blockchain”, the site says. “When you own #23/49 of a legendary LeBron James dunk, you’re the only person in the world who does.”

The biggest transaction to date was on Feb. 22, when a user paid $208,000 for a video of a LeBron James slam dunk.

Some NFTs make sense but I'm not on board with topshot long term. To me it's a big game of hot potato. I could see some limited "moments" retaining some value just based on the significance of the moment/rarity but most of the ones being traded now are just run of the mill highlights with many thousands being minted.

Re the OP, I'm a ticket collector and I'm frustrated looking for quite a few tickets. There are many key game tickets over the last decade which simply don't exist except sometimes in a generic TM form. It's annoying.

[doug.goodman]

Originally Posted by mickeymantle

Some NFTs make sense but I'm not on board with topshot long term. To me it's a big game of hot potato. I could see some limited "moments" retaining some value just based on the significance of the moment/rarity but most of the ones being traded now are just run of the mill highlights with many thousands being minted.

I don't give a shit what anybody says, the whole concept is stupid.

[mickeymantle]

Originally Posted by doug.goodman

I don't give a shit what anybody says, the whole concept is stupid.

Top shot? NFTs? Blockchains?

First, I agree, but mainly because of how it’s being implemented. Second, there are good use cases. Third, I think they are exceptionally useful in many ways.

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by doug.goodman

I don't give a shit what anybody says, the whole concept is stupid.

Thanks, Doug, I needed that.

To me, digital means inconsequential, disposable. I read the newspaper digitally now. Love the convenience for taking it into the crapper with me, but that's about all it is good for.

[thecatspajamas]

And I would add what Adam said that "digital only" presumes the content is disposable to all users and therefore should not be committed to print, which would only consume resources and landfill space for something that will ultimately be trashed.

In other words, while that may describe the mindset of many modern/younger fans for whom the experience and personal memories are the main takeaway, it completely disregards the "collectors" to whom ballpark vendors have long tailored their offerings. I'm going to go out on a limb though and say that no major league club is going to just allow a 3rd-party vendor to start printing up their own programs and publications for these games to fill the void that the teams themselves are leaving.

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by doug.goodman

MLB hasn't cared about old school fans for a long time.

They don't care about younger fans either, so we can't really take it personally.

Doug


PS - the only witty nickname I could think of was "Fuck 'em" but that seemed so rude...

Baseball doesn't need to steal the logo from "Supreme". My watch has that logo on it, don't want it on my baseball stuff no matter how fitting it is.

The only World Series(2004) game I attended I have one of those print out tickets instead of a real ticket.