Anyone Else Feeling Marooned on Vintage Collector Island??

[JollyElm]

Originally Posted by jingram058

Well, can you share some of that love to some of us who post up what, to us less fortunate, is something meaningful, so as not to be totally ignored? Kind of takes the wind out of the hobby when the only thing that gets noticed or a pat on the back is the latest Wagner, Mantle, Ruth, or Cobb.

Tell me about it!! I do cartwheels every time I post another Gregg Jefferies rookie card that I landed in the 'new pick-ups' thread, yet there's not a single back pat to be found anywhere. But if any 'Mick' card from any year gets posted, that member gets a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade level of excitement thrown his way.

[G1911]

Collect for the fun it brings you, not the accolades from investors. Or, Invest for the returns it will bring you, not the accolades from collectors.

If one is collecting or investing for approval from other people, one might want to consider a change.

[jingram058]

Originally Posted by G1911

Collect for the fun it brings you, not the accolades from investors. Or, Invest for the returns it will bring you, not the accolades from collectors.

If one is collecting or investing for approval from other people, one might want to consider a change.

I do collect for the fun it brings. I'm simply saying "the good old boy" club, the same people over and over, practically fall all over themselves to pat on the back the latest "pick up", with, as Jolly says, a virtual Macy's parade. For "picking up" the latest 5 or 6 figure card. While those who collect for the fun of it get 100% ignored over and over. If that is what card collecting is, then I very truly might want to consider a change.

[Peter_Spaeth]

To each his own, but I can't imagine caring that much about whether people comment or not on any card I might post? What does that add to anything?

[G1911]

Originally Posted by jingram058

I do collect for the fun it brings. I'm simply saying "the good old boy" club, the same people over and over, practically fall all over themselves to pat on the back the latest "pick up", with, as Jolly says, a virtual Macy's parade. For "picking up" the latest 5 or 6 figure card. While those who collect for the fun of it get 100% ignored over and over. If that is what card collecting is, then I very truly might want to consider a change.

I won't claim poverty or anything, I'm very privileged to be able to spend some coin on cardboard pictures just for fun, but I do low grade on a budget too. I gather you don't do so much non-sport or minor sports as I gravitate too but we seem to be collecting the same exact baseball stuff.

I don't think it really matters if people ooh and aah over a pickup, I get the card because I need it for a set or I like it (and it's nice when a pickup thread leads to an email or call about another card in the set and creates an opportunity to add more I need or serves as a springboard for research or knowledge sharing I didn't know). The most desirable items will get the most comments and tend to be the most expensive items as that correlates strongly to desirable. Groups will definitely primarily respond to other members of that subgroup, but there's nothing stopping other low grade collectors from posting. High grade $100K card collectors primarily post and respond to high grade $100K cards, boxing cards tend to respond to boxing cards, T206 collectors tend to respond to T206 collectors. If you're bothered by subgroups and cliques, and I don't mean this in a negative way, I'm not sure there is any hobby for which this will not be the same. It's human nature, people gravitate to those like them who have the same or similar focuses that intersect. There's plenty of fellow low-grade collectors who share your interests (clearly, or I'd win all the auctions!)

[jingram058]

Originally Posted by G1911

I won't claim poverty or anything, I'm very privileged to be able to spend some coin on cardboard pictures just for fun, but I do low grade on a budget too. I gather you don't do so much non-sport or minor sports as I gravitate too but we seem to be collecting the same exact baseball stuff.

I don't think it really matters if people ooh and aah over a pickup, I get the card because I need it for a set or I like it (and it's nice when a pickup thread leads to an email or call about another card in the set and creates an opportunity to add more I need or serves as a springboard for research or knowledge sharing I didn't know). The most desirable items will get the most comments and tend to be the most expensive items as that correlates strongly to desirable. Groups will definitely primarily respond to other members of that subgroup, but there's nothing stopping other low grade collectors from posting. High grade $100K card collectors primarily post and respond to high grade $100K cards, boxing cards tend to respond to boxing cards, T206 collectors tend to respond to T206 collectors. If you're bothered by subgroups and cliques, and I don't mean this in a negative way, I'm not sure there is any hobby for which this will not be the same. It's human nature, people gravitate to those like them who have the same or similar focuses that intersect. There's plenty of fellow low-grade collectors who share your interests (clearly, or I'd win all the auctions!)

Well, I can't contradict anything you say, sir. I get it. I just blow off steam every now and then. You do seem to be the voice of reason.

[Ronnie73]

2017 was my last year of really enjoying myself. Money was good and items were reasonably priced. It continued a bit into 2018, but then I noticed a change. Yes, values were going up on the cards I owned, but I would have rather the values stayed the same, and the purchases continued to be reasonably priced. I've mostly been in a holding pattern with my T206's, and maybe add a new card every few months, instead of every few days. I collect coins also. So I'm not completly lost. But the fun has decreased. There are days where I feel lost with no purpose. Many things have changed in the last 5 years of my life, and I'm trying to find my way back to the reality I once enjoyed.

[Rhotchkiss]

Originally Posted by G1911

I won't claim poverty or anything, I'm very privileged to be able to spend some coin on cardboard pictures just for fun, but I do low grade on a budget too. I gather you don't do so much non-sport or minor sports as I gravitate too but we seem to be collecting the same exact baseball stuff.

I don't think it really matters if people ooh and aah over a pickup, I get the card because I need it for a set or I like it (and it's nice when a pickup thread leads to an email or call about another card in the set and creates an opportunity to add more I need or serves as a springboard for research or knowledge sharing I didn't know). The most desirable items will get the most comments and tend to be the most expensive items as that correlates strongly to desirable. Groups will definitely primarily respond to other members of that subgroup, but there's nothing stopping other low grade collectors from posting. High grade $100K card collectors primarily post and respond to high grade $100K cards, boxing cards tend to respond to boxing cards, T206 collectors tend to respond to T206 collectors. If you're bothered by subgroups and cliques, and I don't mean this in a negative way, I'm not sure there is any hobby for which this will not be the same. It's human nature, people gravitate to those like them who have the same or similar focuses that intersect. There's plenty of fellow low-grade collectors who share your interests (clearly, or I'd win all the auctions!)

Very well said

[Rhotchkiss]

Originally Posted by jingram058

I do collect for the fun it brings. I'm simply saying "the good old boy" club, the same people over and over, practically fall all over themselves to pat on the back the latest "pick up", with, as Jolly says, a virtual Macy's parade. For "picking up" the latest 5 or 6 figure card. While those who collect for the fun of it get 100% ignored over and over. If that is what card collecting is, then I very truly might want to consider a change.

Your complaining is beyond old. How about some accountability yourself. You never compliment any “good ol boy” cards. You just complain. Nothing is stopping you from starting a monthly thread to post pickups under a certain price, or of certain type of cards. You have as much control over what is posted as anyone else, yet instead of doing anything you just complain.

I am sorry you can’t afford what you want, sincerely. And I understand how it can be frustrating to see posts and discussions about things you can’t get. But I don’t understand why you begrudge and demean people who can have what you can’t. I took huge risks and worked my fucking ass off (and had some luck) to be in a position where I can buy six figure cards; part of those risks includes buying cards that are now six figures when the then-five figure price seemed nuts.

Anyway, if it’s so painful for you to see people get what you can’t, then this likely is not the place for you. Or maybe it is, but you just need to create your own niche and start threads that appeal to people with your collecting means and interest.

I wish you well and good luck. I do. And I don’t care if you don’t feel the same about the Good’ol boys. But it seems to me that this site and hobby causes you more pain than pleasure, considering a change is probably a good call.

Ryan Hotchkiss

[jingram058]

Originally Posted by Rhotchkiss

Your complaining is beyond old. How about some accountability yourself. You never compliment any “good ol boy” cards. You just complain. Nothing is stopping you from starting a monthly thread to post pickups under a certain price, or of certain type of cards. You have as much control over what is posted as anyone else, yet instead of doing anything you just complain.

I am sorry you can’t afford what you want, sincerely. And I understand how it can be frustrating to see posts and discussions about things you can’t get. But I don’t understand why you begrudge and demean people who can have what you can’t. I took huge risks and worked my fucking ass off (and had some luck) to be in a position where I can buy six figure cards; part of those risks includes buying cards that are now six figures when the then-five figure price seemed nuts.

Anyway, if it’s so painful for you to see people get what you can’t, then this likely is not the place for you. Or maybe it is, but you just need to create your own niche and start threads that appeal to people with your collecting means and interest.

I wish you well and good luck. I do. And I don’t care if you don’t feel the same about the Good’ol boys. But it seems to me that this site and hobby causes you more pain than pleasure, considering a change is probably a good call.

As the rules state, post your name. Otherwise, your comments mean nothing, no one cares.

If you don't like what I say, the truth hurts, as they say. Go buy another Ruth or Cobb.

[Rhotchkiss]

Originally Posted by jingram058

As the rules state, post your name. Otherwise, your comments mean nothing, no one cares.

If you don't like what I say, the truth hurts, as they say. Go buy another Ruth or Cobb.

I edited my post to add my name (even though it’s pretty much there already). What is the truth, that I can buy Ruth and Cobb and I don’t give you kudos on a pickup that I don’t care about? Man that Hurts a lot; what an insult - “Go buy another Ruth or Cobb”…

I am done here. Good luck to you.

[jingram058]

Originally Posted by Rhotchkiss

I edited my post to add my name (even though it’s pretty much there already). What is the truth, that I can buy Ruth and Cobb and I don’t give you kudos on a pickup that I don’t care about? Man that Hurts a lot; what an insult - “Go buy another Ruth or Cobb”…

I am done here. Good luck to you.

You didn't do a very good job updating your profile. And still, no one cares. As they say, b-bye.

[John1941]

I think none of us should complain about our budgets. There are all sorts of kinds of budgets- there will also be someone with budgets greater or less than ours.

I'm a high-schooler without a job, and I can tell y'all it's pretty hard to go through the pickups threads and drool over the amazing cards. I'm only able to get good cards if I get a great deal. I have very expensive card tastes without much capacity to fill them.

But on the other hand, I have a good friend who loves collecting cards. He's part of a family significantly worse off than mine, and has probably about 2% of the number of vintage cards I have. If I'm so much better off than him card-wise what right do I have to grouse? The same goes for y'all.

[anchorednw]

Originally Posted by John1941

I think none of us should complain about our budgets. There are all sorts of kinds of budgets- there will also be someone with budgets greater or less than ours.

I'm a high-schooler without a job, and I can tell y'all it's pretty hard to go through the pickups threads and drool over the amazing cards. I'm only able to get good cards if I get a great deal. I have very expensive card tastes without much capacity to fill them.

But on the other hand, I have a good friend who loves collecting cards. He's part of a family significantly worse off than mine, and has probably about 2% of the number of vintage cards I have. If I'm so much better off than him card-wise what right do I have to grouse? The same goes for y'all.

This. +1

[anchorednw]

Originally Posted by jingram058

While those who collect for the fun of it get 100% ignored over and over. If that is what card collecting is, then I very truly might want to consider a change.

You are not collecting for the "fun of it", if you are upset about the lack of pats on the back your getting. Just sayin..

[destijl03]

Speaking from the perspective of someone who returned to the hobby as an adult in 2019, then spent a year or so researching, learning, observing, and finally figuring out what my main collecting interest was by early 2020 (pre-WWI baseball cards), the whole of 2023 has been, for lack of a better word, exhausting. Don't get wrong, I love collecting. I love seeing all of the cool cards posted in the pickups threads and all over the board. Knowing I'll never be able to afford 98% of them doesn't bother me, I'm happy to see others completing their goals, just as I have my own goals I'm working toward.

The exhaustion for me stems from a couple of places. First, as Darren said in the original post, finding the combo of appealing and affordable outside of the B/S/T boards and FB groups has become nearly impossible. As avenues for reasonably priced cards dry up, more and more people flock to the few remaining good ones. As a result, as James has pointed out, you have to be fast or lucky or both to snag from what's posted. What's even more disappointing is there have been several times when I've seen cards on the B/S/T boards or FB groups get scooped up within a few minutes of being posted, then I find them on eBay a week later marked up 40-50% of what they bought it for. I totally understand that there are many who buy a deal to sell higher than they paid so that they can fund other cards they want, I get that. It's just deflating as a collector that would have loved to buy a card to keep forever, but missed out because I wasn't glued to my phone all day long. At that point, I have to either hope I get lucky that another is posted and I'm in the right place at the right time, or I overpay on eBay. Or, as has been my case for most of 2023, I buy nothing. Also, I'm always finding myself debating whether to overpay for something now, knowing it could be my last shot before it becomes forever unattainable, or continue waiting in the hopes that the price will eventually drop to a reasonable level. In short, the hunt is part of the fun of collecting for me, and it always has been. The mental hustle that it feels like it's become, however, is truly exhausting.

I collect by Luke Lyon's philosophy of love every card you own, which has helped me the most when deciding whether or not to buy a card, especially in deciding whether or not to overpay. As prices somehow keep climbing though, the result of that philosophy for me is that my collecting goals continue to substantially shrink. What I would have spent three years ago on five cards total that I loved, I now spend on one card that I love. As others have pointed out, I agree that there are other niches and corners of the hobby to move to, but for me it goes back to the philosophy of collect what you love, and for me that is baseball cards. I do enjoy collecting some pre-WWI soccer and boxing cards, but I'm definitely not as passionate for those as I am baseball. I'm not just going to collect something for the sake of collecting, I want to genuinely appreciate every piece I buy.

Sorry for that long-winded Debbie Downer post I intend to stick around and continue collecting what I love, I guess I just expected things to be somewhat back to normal by now, and I'm tired

[tlhss]

I've always been a low budget, well-loved card collector. The prices of these items have also gone up. I chose not to stop collecting, live in angst on something I can't control, or to increase my budget; I just decided to buy no more than one card a month. Once the card is purchased, I don't shop for anything else. I still have fun ... the collection just builds slowly. And I continue to research and document what I have on my website, which costs nothing but time.

And I go fishing more

[Yoda]

I am pretty well convinced that the run up on tasty pre-War cards is, at least partially, due to the trillion or so passed out by the government for Covid relief, whether fraudulently or legitimately obtained.
And while I agree that Ebay is not the hunting ground it used to be, deals of interest still pop up. For example, last night a nice group of T206 commons, all mid grade 5's were on offer. The average closing price was about $300 with no bp but taxes. I picked up a couple and was very pleased.

[perezfan]

A good rule of thumb.... Try to focus on what you DO have vs. what you don't. You will be a much happier person.

There will always be someone with more money and better "stuff". There are lots of people on this planet.

And if you just can't get past the envy, perhaps switch over to memorabilia... Whether it's vintage photos, tickets, ad signs, scorecards/programs, pennants, autographs, or game used uniforms/bats/hats, you can still find an endless number of pieces that display beautifully while celebrating the game just as nicely as cards (but at a fraction of the cost).

[conor912]

Originally Posted by destijl03

I'm always finding myself debating whether to overpay for something now, knowing it could be my last shot before it becomes forever unattainable, or continue waiting in the hopes that the price will eventually drop to a reasonable level.

I hear you. I think we’ve all felt that way to some degree at some point. While FOMO is a real thing, my real life collecting experience has taught me that you have to take that last shot, always. Having prices soften on a card you just bought is a way easier pill to swallow than watching one sail away into the sunset of unaffordability, never to be attainable again. Paper losses come and go. Cardboard losses haunt you forever.

[JollyElm]

Originally Posted by destijl03

Speaking from the perspective of someone who returned to the hobby as an adult in 2019, then spent a year or so researching, learning, observing, and finally figuring out what my main collecting interest was by early 2020 (pre-WWI baseball cards), the whole of 2023 has been, for lack of a better word, exhausting. Don't get wrong, I love collecting. I love seeing all of the cool cards posted in the pickups threads and all over the board. Knowing I'll never be able to afford 98% of them doesn't bother me, I'm happy to see others completing their goals, just as I have my own goals I'm working toward.

The exhaustion for me stems from a couple of places. First, as Darren said in the original post, finding the combo of appealing and affordable outside of the B/S/T boards and FB groups has become nearly impossible. As avenues for reasonably priced cards dry up, more and more people flock to the few remaining good ones. As a result, as James has pointed out, you have to be fast or lucky or both to snag from what's posted. What's even more disappointing is there have been several times when I've seen cards on the B/S/T boards or FB groups get scooped up within a few minutes of being posted, then I find them on eBay a week later marked up 40-50% of what they bought it for. I totally understand that there are many who buy a deal to sell higher than they paid so that they can fund other cards they want, I get that. It's just deflating as a collector that would have loved to buy a card to keep forever, but missed out because I wasn't glued to my phone all day long. At that point, I have to either hope I get lucky that another is posted and I'm in the right place at the right time, or I overpay on eBay. Or, as has been my case for most of 2023, I buy nothing. Also, I'm always finding myself debating whether to overpay for something now, knowing it could be my last shot before it becomes forever unattainable, or continue waiting in the hopes that the price will eventually drop to a reasonable level. In short, the hunt is part of the fun of collecting for me, and it always has been. The mental hustle that it feels like it's become, however, is truly exhausting.

I collect by Luke Lyon's philosophy of love every card you own, which has helped me the most when deciding whether or not to buy a card, especially in deciding whether or not to overpay. As prices somehow keep climbing though, the result of that philosophy for me is that my collecting goals continue to substantially shrink. What I would have spent three years ago on five cards total that I loved, I now spend on one card that I love. As others have pointed out, I agree that there are other niches and corners of the hobby to move to, but for me it goes back to the philosophy of collect what you love, and for me that is baseball cards. I do enjoy collecting some pre-WWI soccer and boxing cards, but I'm definitely not as passionate for those as I am baseball. I'm not just going to collect something for the sake of collecting, I want to genuinely appreciate every piece I buy.

Sorry for that long-winded Debbie Downer post I intend to stick around and continue collecting what I love, I guess I just expected things to be somewhat back to normal by now, and I'm tired

534. Kiblitzer (Yiddish)
Someone who seemingly has a front row seat to every thread in the B/S/T, and rushes in to buy up everything before anyone else has a chance to even view it.