Player collecting 70s-90s vs present day, which is more enticing?

rickeyfanatic · Jan 12, 2014

Speaking on my own experience, I find collecting a particular player who is still in every new issue frustrating. I enjoyed collecting a lot more when there were not 5x parallels in every release.

Just wondering how others feel, those who collect newer players, or have similar players from the older era in the new products.

BunchOBull · Jan 12, 2014

I'd say any player with cards from 1993 through 2001 has some of the best cards to collect. Most the the more modern, low serialized stuff is repetitive and unimaginative in comparison.

Hendersonfan · Jan 12, 2014

I'm with you. There are more cards in 3 releases today as there were in the whole year of 93. I might not be so bad if there wasn't a /50, /25, /15, /5 and then the /1's start. Printing plates, auto'd plates, Platinum /1 and everything else they come up with. All while using the same 2-3 photos over 5 years. All the cards look the same and it turns me off of buying them. As a collector, I do want them, but they are very low on my priority list due to the reasons above. I have been trying to knock out some of the 90's cards whenever I can.

MansGame · Jan 12, 2014

Being a player collector today for a new player like Trout is nearly impossible - meaning you're not going to chase every card, ever get a large % of his cards, etc.

Just my opinion. I know a lot of guys collect players in today's game but I'd just get frustrated and discouraged.

---
Buying Albert Belle cards! PM me!

rickeyfanatic · Jan 12, 2014

I have not even bothered with the last 2 years of releases. I focus on 97-03 and trying to plug some of the gaps there. I find it much more fun focusing on those years

ThoseBackPages · Jan 12, 2014

Old is Gold

gradedeflator · Jan 12, 2014

^Second, third, and fourth everything said above. being a player collector nowadays is too hard. I collect old and new, and have found that with the newer guys I collect (Clayton Kershaw, Trevor Bauer) there is just way too much stuff--both releases and parallels--for me to keep up with to even aspire to get 90-100% of what is produced.

also compounding the fact is that it feels like the releases get piled up on top of each other and distributed within a few weeks of each other which crunches cash flow.

aside from the sheer numbers and timing, also find that while I like rainbows and the hunt to finish them, I great appreciate having less "blah" things to keep track of and more unique things to go after. Which makes earlier stuff appealing, like from the 90s

Yanks2151 · Jan 12, 2014

I get frustrated with the new cards. Paul O'neill retired in 2001. He was not the superstar of like a Griffey, Bonds, Ripken etc. How he has 378 cards to chase in the last 3 years is beyond me? Most are low numbered and auto'd. I will admit I was happy to have some to chase, in '09 he had the elusive '89 UD buyback which I never saw and in '10 none except for a none license g/u. So in '11 I was happy to hear something was going to be issued.... All hell broke loose with the variations autos g/u etc. I do like the days where you can complete the years. Bring back the 80s and big hair!

LWMM · Jan 12, 2014

MansGame said:
Being a player collector today for a new player like Trout is nearly impossible - meaning you're not going to chase every card, ever get a large % of his cards, etc.

Just my opinion. I know a lot of guys collect players in today's game but I'd just get frustrated and discouraged.

---
Buying Albert Belle cards! PM me!

Depends on who you collect. It would be nearly impossible to collect to completion someone like Miguel Cabrera or Mike Trout, who had 704 and 646 cards in 2013, respectively. Most players, however, have nowhere near that number of cards. Jonny Gomes had 211 cards issued in 2006, and pursuing those was completely doable. I agree with you that looking to complete collections of stars today is untenable; but most players aren't stars.

rickeyfanatic · Jan 12, 2014

It is refreshing to hear I am not alone in feeling the way I do. I agree, the feeling of completing a year, or a rainbow(96 select mirror for example) are things that I enjoy so much. Just do not feel it is attainable or worth the money and effort to try anymore.

predatorkj · Jan 12, 2014

IMO, no matter what era their from, it'll cost some money or be a pain. If you're a real completist, you'll go after everything you can. So you can try older guys and have a bunch of tough as hell regional oddball issues. Or you can collect a new guy and get kicked in the teeth by all the parallels.

Gwynn545 · Jan 12, 2014

When I collected in the 70's-90's, one difference is that there was a lot I didn't know about, so my "knowledge" revolved around a few card shops around, and a couple of publications (SCD, Renata Glassico, etc) so on that front I feel much more like a collector now, compared to then. However, I find myself wishing there were good card shops again, and wishing that there were better publications again, So deep down am yearning for the "easier" times...
As for the new products, on the surface I really despise them, but there are also a lot of great things, too. As a player collector, I could never limit myself, like 1983-2001 only, because I feel that defeats the purpose of a player collector. You are something different now (I am not saying better or worse, just different). I can be more choosy about what I pay, and when I buy, but I still have plans to pick up new stuff when it becomes logical. For example, as much as I hate, hate, hate the new Fleer retro basketball with Gwynn in it, I still look for the stuff to drop to a price I am happy with, and will buy it eventually I am sure (currently I still have 0/50 variations!) Some awesome new cards I pick up first chance I get!
So in sum, I agree with a lot that's been stated above, and the some new stuff is ugly, redundant, overproduced, but I much more like being a player collector today.

ASTROBURN · Jan 12, 2014

BunchOBull said:
I'd say any player with cards from 1993 through 2001 has some of the best cards to collect. Most the the more modern, low serialized stuff is repetitive and unimaginative in comparison.

I agree wholeheartedly. I love these 90s inserts. Theres enough cards in this era I still need, I dont need to collect anyone currently playing.

mrmopar · Jan 12, 2014

Where is that "collect what makes you happy" or"you can't get it all, so just focus on the___" responses? Kidding, real hard core player collectors know that those are not options if you want to have the best collection out there.

I consider myself more fortunate, but I am in the same boat as many of you. my player is retired and less popular, so I have that going for me, however that doesn't stop Topps, Leaf or Panini from producing endless amounts of cards numbered /1, /5, /6, /10, /15, /20, /25, etc. It is frustrating to get past a new issue, still needing several low print run cards that either never showed up or were too expensive to buy, only to see a new release come out with 10 or 15 or more new cards, half of which are sure to be numbered to 50 copies or less.

Sure, that must be the way to satisfy the box buyers, but it is really starting to alienate the singles and set collectors and those are the people who are keeping the box rippers in business for the most part! If you stop buying the "junk" that rippers pull from their boxes and cases, they probably won't be buying more to rip later on.

I want to draw the line and say that I will no longer chase the newest cards, but as of yet have not been able to pull the trigger on that. Panini way help me make my mind up this year though!

AmishDave · Jan 12, 2014

I'm a player collector.

MansGame · Jan 12, 2014

55_marlins_sp said:
I'm a player collector.

Me too

---
Buying Albert Belle cards! PM me!

rickeyfanatic · Jan 12, 2014

Guess it comes down to price point of player collecting too. Depends on the player and market. I dont want to spend the money anymore on Rickeys endless parallels thats Topps keeps making. It has turned me off to collecting honestly.

OscarOne · Jan 12, 2014

I think that if you collect current players it can be just as much fun...but you have to recognize that you can't maybe play by the same rules as you would have in the 80's or 90's.

Every player--no matter what era you collected--had tough cards to find. If all the cards were easy than everyone would do it. Part of the fun. But nowadays, it has gotten a little out of hand with the low numbers, short prints, parallels and printing plates. And this is just with a couple manufactures in the mix. You add a couple more companies into the mix...yikes...if would be hard to just get on paper everything that you would need.

If someone wants to be a classic player collector and get every issue of a card, that is awesome and I think they are tackling a project that they should be proud of. But I think if you go into it with some rules--I am only going after bases cards and the parrallels, or only short prints, or autographs, or game used--than this can just as much fan as it was back in the day. You try to get everything you are going to have to be ready to drop some serious coin.

rickeyfanatic · Jan 12, 2014

The financial part of collecting the new releases is the main drawback for me. I dont see them retaining the value over the long haul.

nkdbacks · Jan 12, 2014

It's hard for me to have a good opinion, as I never collected in the '70s or '80s, and only started around 1999. But for me, I like having a lot of choices. Maybe not as many choices as Donruss in the 2003-2005 era, with the meaningless parallels I can barely tell apart. But having multiple releases to choose from has always been fun for me. There's always something to chase, and I know I'll never complete it all, but it's still fun to know there will always be something to chase.

My biggest issue, more than having an excess amount of products, is the lack of variety between those products, both in appearance and player selection. I'd love to see more than just the same 3 Diamondbacks players get autographs in products each year.

Welcome to our community

Be apart of something great, join today!

Player collecting 70s-90s vs present day, which is more enticing?

Member

Active member

New member

Active member

Member

New member

Active member

Active member

Well-known member

Member

Active member

Well-known member

Active member

Member

Featured Contributor, Collector Showcase, Senior M

Active member

Member

New member

Member

Active member

Similar threads

Log in