? for long term collectors that will never not collect

[VizquelCollector.com]

I'm a collector, through and through. Product diversity, innovation, quality, and "the chase" are critical factors in what I enjoy about this hobby. Less companies means fewer products, less variety, and ultimately less for me to collect. I hate and resent the fact it's been determined for us that the only cards on the market will be made by the same company. And that single company controls what and how everything is produced. I think it's a fair to consider who they really are and what their motivations and incentives will be. How many of the product designers are members of SABR, have season tickets, coach little league, or are otherwise inspired by and live for this game? Who knows, maybe all of them. Regardless, they're a company now enjoying a monopoly on the market with no one to outcompete them. I for one want them looking over their shoulder to see who's chasing them. Let's open it up to anyone that's willing to pay a basic licensing fee and try their hand at producing baseball cards. I bet we'd see some pretty interesting things, and we'd be better off determining with our dollars who sticks around!

These licenses and contracts are in the name of greed, masked as having our best interest mind. Phooey.

 

[MacK]

I'm not sure really.

This is the hobby I've always known, but I collected offline until about 2006. Since then, nothing has really made me notice a change. I collect what I want, and it seems like there is always something that I want.

 

[jflan702]

I think it's heading down the crapper. As a set collector, 2005 was the pinnacle of my collection. I completed 12 different sets, and still have a couple that I am slowly working on. Now, in 2010, I am down to only putting the Topps base set together, and no others. The only reason that I am still doing that is because I have always done the Topps base set, but no other Topps product. I guess I'll be saving a lot of money this year because I won't be opening any other new product this year. I am now turning my collecting attention to completing all of the vintage sets that I never got to finish in the 70's.

Frankly, I just don't know who to blame for this mess, so I'll blame them all.

Bring back DLP!!!!

Thanks,

 

[uniquebaseballcards]

There is little incentive for companies to be innovative, etc to "earn" a dollar because too many collectors will compulsively buy EVERYTHING and ANYTHING.

More isn't better, better is better.

DLP and Topps would be in my perfect world - but with half the releases, and with one high-end UD HOF release.

I only buy what I like, and I feel like there isn't gonna be much with Topps as the only game in town.

See, I don't know if it is because I love this hobby so much or if it is just my never ending business mind; but I don't think in terms of what would be perfect for me, I think about what would make the perfect hobby.

In a perfect hobby world:

Topps, UD, & Panini would all have the MLB license, the MLBPA license, and the ability to make a RC as soon as a draftee/free agent signs with a MLB club.

The companies are on an even playing field as far as the ability to produce cards. They would have to deliever on quality, innovation, consistency, etc. to earn the collectors dollar.

 

[Adamsince1981]

There is little incentive for companies to be innovative, etc to "earn" a dollar because too many collectors will compulsively buy EVERYTHING and ANYTHING.

More isn't better, better is better.

DLP and Topps would be in my perfect world - but with half the releases, and with one high-end UD HOF release.

I only buy what I like, and I feel like there isn't gonna be much with Topps as the only game in town.

See, I don't know if it is because I love this hobby so much or if it is just my never ending business mind; but I don't think in terms of what would be perfect for me, I think about what would make the perfect hobby.

In a perfect hobby world:

Topps, UD, & Panini would all have the MLB license, the MLBPA license, and the ability to make a RC as soon as a draftee/free agent signs with a MLB club.

The companies are on an even playing field as far as the ability to produce cards. They would have to deliever on quality, innovation, consistency, etc. to earn the collectors dollar.

So innovation isn't important, but beter is better...what?

No one is simply asking for more baseball cards. But most of us understand that competition between different baseball card companies will ultimately be better for the collector.

 

[Zambrano38]

With less Zambrano cards released every year, I just buy less. Lately, I have been focusing more on my game used memorabilia collection with the lack of cards out there to buy.

 

[011873]

Anything we post here is just wasting time because the leagues and companies have no clue whats going on with collectors. Afterall, we are "only" the people who keep them going.

There should be three companies, Topps, UD and DLP each making 12-15 sets per.
Topps is known for their prospect, low end and retro products.
UD is known for their high-crazy high end stuff.
DLP is known for their multitude of $5 level products up to super high end with a few prospects products thrown in.

As long as this can be maintained, there is no reason NOT to have these three companies making cards.

Im sorry if you are a player collector. You have to know you will never ever get all the cards from your player. Its been this way since 1997. No one in the world can ever have every card of a current player no matter how much cash they have.

 

[bouwob]

I am a firm believer that any company that can afford to buy in should be able to manufacture licensed cards.

With that I think that each company should only be able to produce 3 sets a year. This would make them think twice about what they put out and allow smaller companies to deteriorate the bigger companies that feel no need for quality cards.

This would hopefully give us more choices and completely eliminate the companies that release sets that only have parallels as inserts. Does anyone other than me miss the sets that had 40 different insert cards that all looked different? I bet the 90's collectors will all agree with me on this 1.

 

[Viking4Alpha]

I just can't get worked up over any of this. If they make it, I might buy it. If they don't, I won't lose any sleep.

BINGO.

 

[uniquebaseballcards]

<shutter>I'm trying to think what innovative things can be done to a man's picture on a piece of cardboard...but I can't quite get there </shutter>

Sorry if I was too deep earlier, but what exactly has competition produced that's been so good again?

Sometimes cards are taken too seriously.

There is little incentive for companies to be innovative, etc to "earn" a dollar because too many collectors will compulsively buy EVERYTHING and ANYTHING.

More isn't better, better is better.

So innovation isn't important, but beter is better...what?

No one is simply asking for more baseball cards. But most of us understand that competition between different baseball card companies will ultimately be better for the collector.

 

[Adamsince1981]

<shutter>I'm trying to think what innovative things can be done to a man's picture on a piece of cardboard...but I can't quite get there </shutter>

Sorry if I was too deep earlier, but what exactly has competition produced that's been so good again?

Sometimes cards are taken too seriously.

There is little incentive for companies to be innovative, etc to "earn" a dollar because too many collectors will compulsively buy EVERYTHING and ANYTHING.

More isn't better, better is better.

So innovation isn't important, but beter is better...what?

No one is simply asking for more baseball cards. But most of us understand that competition between different baseball card companies will ultimately be better for the collector.

Hint: It is what everyone asks for when they ask why no one will make inserts like they did in the '90's.

That being said, the GU & Auto guys will tell you that thanks to competition there are logomen, Barellels, bat knobs, cuts, and so on....

 

[Adamsince1981]

Anything we post here is just wasting time because the leagues and companies have no clue whats going on with collectors. Afterall, we are "only" the people who keep them going.

There should be three companies, Topps, UD and DLP each making 12-15 sets per.
Topps is known for their prospect, low end and retro products.
UD is known for their high-crazy high end stuff.
DLP is known for their multitude of $5 level products up to super high end with a few prospects products thrown in.

As long as this can be maintained, there is no reason NOT to have these three companies making cards.

Im sorry if you are a player collector. You have to know you will never ever get all the cards from your player. Its been this way since 1997. No one in the world can ever have every card of a current player no matter how much cash they have.

I'd give my left nut to be CEO of Topps....

 

[uniquebaseballcards]

I definitely see what you're saying. But inserts are designed, some designs are certainly better than others, but competition isn't responsible for this. There were plenty of issues and manufacturers in the '00s, but that didn't lead to better design - from what you're saying it led to worse design.

Gluing GU and cuts on cards isn't particularly innovative - interesting perhaps - but even if someone did think these ideas innovative, they first happened a long time ago in the hobby. These ideas would've happened with or without competition because they're simple things to do to cards, and other types of collectibles already do these types of things (numbering, autographs, etc).

There really hasn't been very much true innovation, mostly because we're only talking about cardboard.

<shutter>I'm trying to think what innovative things can be done to a man's picture on a piece of cardboard...but I can't quite get there </shutter>

Sorry if I was too deep earlier, but what exactly has competition produced that's been so good again?

Sometimes cards are taken too seriously.

Hint: It is what everyone asks for when they ask why no one will make inserts like they did in the '90's.

That being said, the GU & Auto guys will tell you that thanks to competition there are logomen, Barellels, bat knobs, cuts, and so on....

 

[Adamsince1981]

I definitely see what you're saying. But inserts are designed, some designs are certainly better than others, but competition isn't responsible for this. There were plenty of issues and manufacturers in the '00s, but that didn't lead to better design - from what you're saying it led to worse design.

Gluing GU and cuts on cards isn't particularly innovative - interesting perhaps - but even if someone did think these ideas innovative, they first happened a long time ago in the hobby. These ideas would've happened with or without competition because they're simple things to do to cards, and other types of collectibles already do these types of things (numbering, autographs, etc).

There really hasn't been very much true innovation, mostly because we're only talking about cardboard.

<shutter>I'm trying to think what innovative things can be done to a man's picture on a piece of cardboard...but I can't quite get there </shutter>

Sorry if I was too deep earlier, but what exactly has competition produced that's been so good again?

Sometimes cards are taken too seriously.

Hint: It is what everyone asks for when they ask why no one will make inserts like they did in the '90's.

That being said, the GU & Auto guys will tell you that thanks to competition there are logomen, Barellels, bat knobs, cuts, and so on....

This isn't innovation, but you can already see Topps not trying.

When the 2010 Topps Heritage Singles hit, I thought to myself I love the look of the card, I like Tulos pose...I'm going to go for the Rainbow.

reg
chrome
ref
Black ref
gold ref
superfractor

NO NO, Topps decided this was enough...

reg
chrome
ref
Black ref


blah

 

[miguelcabrera]

I selected in the crapper.

I still collect all the time, but there are very few cards I buy that were made after 2005.

I selected in the Crapper as well. Also, I'm buying less.

I'm selling off a huge chunk of my collection on Sunday and will be buying very little for the foreseeable future.

I'll always collect, but I'm not going to send any money Topps' way and I'm not thrilled about the idea of buying unlicensed, no logo-showing cards from UD.

Really, after I buy every 2010 UD Tulo that shows the logo's; my collecting habits will be down to looking for Tulo parallels out of 07 and 08 UD Masterpieces. Sad, considering my past involvement in the hobby.

Is the Tulo super and UD premier logo being sold?

 

[Adamsince1981]

I selected in the crapper.

I still collect all the time, but there are very few cards I buy that were made after 2005.

I selected in the Crapper as well. Also, I'm buying less.

I'm selling off a huge chunk of my collection on Sunday and will be buying very little for the foreseeable future.

I'll always collect, but I'm not going to send any money Topps' way and I'm not thrilled about the idea of buying unlicensed, no logo-showing cards from UD.

Really, after I buy every 2010 UD Tulo that shows the logo's; my collecting habits will be down to looking for Tulo parallels out of 07 and 08 UD Masterpieces. Sad, considering my past involvement in the hobby.

Is the Tulo super and UD premier logo being sold?

I don't think so, did the auction end?