Interesting read

[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.

[Exhibitman]

Latest column is up

https://adamstevenwarshaw.substack.c...r-genius?sd=pf

[cubman1941]

Yup, read and enjoyed it per usual!!

[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.

[Seven]

Originally Posted by cubman1941

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.

I think smaller shows that are a little more skewed to vintage, are the key here, in terms of social gatherings for cards. The only question is where to find them. Certainly not in New York, I can tell you that much (Though the Hofstra show is very enjoyable, out in Long Island)

There were three main Hobby Shops centered around the area of Brooklyn when I was a kid. Renata Galasso's store (Though it closed when I was very young), another in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn, which has long since closed and a third that was taken over by two new owners, that has totally gotten into the modern card craze.

Two of my favorites, up in Cooperstown, were Yastrzemski's and Baseball Nostalgia. The Former is still thriving, which is always nice to see. The Latter just shut its doors about a year ago, which definitely stung a bit considering how long it was around and how when you stepped through the door, it was like, what I would imagine, a time machine into the hobby of the 70's/80's. I still have however, seen one of the owners around town, as he still lives in Cooperstown.