What is the ONE thing you hate most about the current state of the hobby?

[petMonster]

Has anyone mentioned the overabundance of redemptions?!?!?! I also like Topps-opoly but seriusly, redemptions are like the national debt... the hobby is handing out IOUs :benson:

I know it's all about business and logistics but I hate redemptions and sticker autos.

I probably stand alone on this but I don't mind redemptions. Yeah it sucks to wait for anything that you would rather have now, but as long as the company offers to make good on it (or at least offer a comparable item) then it's not like they are robbing you of a hit. If you don't want to wait for the card, then sell the redemption...it's not like nobody is willing to buy them.

If anything, for a set builder like me it adds an extra element of difficulty to building a set. I'm not satisfied pulling 2 rookie redemption cards (out of 10 possible), redeeming those 2 rookies, and then buying the remaining 8 rookies on eBay. Nope...I NEED all 10 redemption cards in addition to the rookies in order for my set to be complete.

Also, sticker autos get a bad wrap too. I agree it's more desirable to have a card that is hard signed, but is an auto sticker really that bad? I mean, did the player not still have to touch that sticker in some way to actually sign it? If anything, stickers help preserve the high grade condition of cards. I don't think most players who hard-sign actual cards really consider that collectors might want to send the cards in to Beckett for grading and so they handle the cards a little too rough sometimes. I've pulled a lot of Goudey Graphs and Goodwin autos with corner damage right out of the pack, but that's more rare with sticker autos I've pulled.

 

[petMonster]

My without-a-doubt, hands-down, absolute #1 problem with the hobby is the lack of fresh and creative "designsmanship" on the part of the card manufacturers. Anybody in the hobby can look at a 1981 and a 1982 Topps card and tell you which is which because the designs of the cards changed significantly over the course of 1 or 2 years back then. Now, you can't tell the difference between a 2006 and a 2007 Bowman without flipping it around and looking at the date on the bottom. It's like the previous years design is the template for the new year's design and they make a minor variation and say "wallah!" C'MON!!! PUT SOME THOUGHT INTO IT!!! My theory is that each manufacturer has way too many releases in a given year so instead of being able to devote a lot of attention to a few releases, they devote little attention to a ton of releases. Hire some artists who are also collectors themselves and come up with some fresh new (but attractive) designs! And if you need to cut the number of annual releases down by 50% or more, then do it!

The heritage crap is the most obvious sign of the lack of creativity by these companies. In making the heritage releases an annual thing, they've basically said "We're fresh out of new ideas, so we're just gonna repackage some old crap with new players and shove it down your throats year after year." It's getting so bad I wouldn't be surprised if they are set to release a 2012-design Topps Heritage in January 2013. Please stop buying it and they will stop making it!!! If you really want a 1983 design card, go buy a box of 1983 Topps!!!

There have been a handful of attractive, original designs lately (UD Masterpieces and Museum Collection both come to mind), but these types of sets seem to be short-lived lately and are the exception and not the rule.

 

[Bob Loblaw]

Guess I misunderstood what you were trying to say. Thought you were trying to argue there were a ton of products made back then too geared towards prospecting.


Sent from my DROID RAZR using Sports Cards by Freedom Card Board.com

WIth the advent of technology, baseball has changed towards prospecting. In the 70s and 80s, rarely did the big club care about what some kid was doing down in low A or high A. Now, the organization has a huge focus on them -- the Internet has helped tremendously with the rapid flow of information. AS such, the hobby has changed as well.

Yes, the 21st century has brought "prospecting" to the forefront. However, it was around in the last 20 years of the 20th century, just not to this scale, because of the lack of the technology to bring both the emphasis on prospects and the ability to obtain those baseball cards.

 

[uniquebaseballcards]

WIth the advent of technology, baseball has changed towards prospecting. In the 70s and 80s, rarely did the big club care about what some kid was doing down in low A or high A. Now, the organization has a huge focus on them -- the Internet has helped tremendously with the rapid flow of information. AS such, the hobby has changed as well.

Yes, the 21st century has brought "prospecting" to the forefront. However, it was around in the last 20 years of the 20th century, just not to this scale, because of the lack of the technology to bring both the emphasis on prospects and the ability to obtain those baseball cards.

While information about minor-league and pre-minor league players is much more available because of technology, I'm not so sure if the number of people (percentage-wise) interested in pre-MLB players have grown significantly as a result, especially compared to MLB players.

Technology (especially eBay) has enabled people to sell and sell quickly - this is what helped prospecting most.

 

[jbhofmann]

While information about minor-league and pre-minor league players is much more available because of technology, I'm not so sure if the number of people (percentage-wise) interested in pre-MLB players have grown significantly as a result, especially compared to MLB players.

Technology (especially eBay) has enabled people to sell and sell quickly - this is what helped prospecting most.

I'd tend to disagree. When listening to local sports talk, I hear Billy Hamilton and Cingrani mentioned all the time. Growing up, I can't remember anyone spending time discussing Reds prospects. On a national level people can't spend time on it because nobody cares about the prospect unless they are from that market.

 

[Bob Loblaw]

While information about minor-league and pre-minor league players is much more available because of technology, I'm not so sure if the number of people (percentage-wise) interested in pre-MLB players have grown significantly as a result, especially compared to MLB players.


Technology (especially eBay) has enabled people to sell and sell quickly - this is what helped prospecting most.

I respectfully disagree. eBay, obviously, is great, but I am sure that without MILB.TV or Baseballamerica.com or any other technology, it's hard to follow minor leaguers. I have always been a fan of Phillies, major and minor. However, living in South Florida in the 80s, I had NO knowledge of anything that was happening in Maine or Scranton Wilkes Barre (AAA), Reading (AA), Clearwater (A), and the other lower minor league areas. NONE. I couldn't follow the teams at all, and therefore, was not interested in the players.

With the aforementioned sites, as well as blogs and commentary boards, one can actually watch a player develop on a daily basis.

FOr example, if Jesse Biddle had a rookie card, great, I'd collect it but I wouldnt know how he did until months later. Now, I can log onto MiLB.tv and literally watch or listen to his game, as well as follow the rest of the team.

A second example - I used to coach little league. We used to use minor league uniforms. Some of the teams I coached, before we changed to major league unis, were the Storm (Lake Eisinore), the Bats, the Threshers (Clearwater), the Raptors (Ogden), and a few more I can't remember. One of my players started following the STorm online and ordered stuff from their store (I did too). ONLY because he was on the Storm did he start following a team thousands of miles away, and it was capable only because of technology.

 

[MOFNY]

My without-a-doubt, hands-down, absolute #1 problem with the hobby is the lack of fresh and creative "designsmanship" on the part of the card manufacturers. Anybody in the hobby can look at a 1981 and a 1982 Topps card and tell you which is which because the designs of the cards changed significantly over the course of 1 or 2 years back then. Now, you can't tell the difference between a 2006 and a 2007 Bowman without flipping it around and looking at the date on the bottom. It's like the previous years design is the template for the new year's design and they make a minor variation and say "wallah!" C'MON!!! PUT SOME THOUGHT INTO IT!!! My theory is that each manufacturer has way too many releases in a given year so instead of being able to devote a lot of attention to a few releases, they devote little attention to a ton of releases. Hire some artists who are also collectors themselves and come up with some fresh new (but attractive) designs! And if you need to cut the number of annual releases down by 50% or more, then do it!

The heritage crap is the most obvious sign of the lack of creativity by these companies. In making the heritage releases an annual thing, they've basically said "We're fresh out of new ideas, so we're just gonna repackage some old crap with new players and shove it down your throats year after year." It's getting so bad I wouldn't be surprised if they are set to release a 2012-design Topps Heritage in January 2013. Please stop buying it and they will stop making it!!! If you really want a 1983 design card, go buy a box of 1983 Topps!!!

There have been a handful of attractive, original designs lately (UD Masterpieces and Museum Collection both come to mind), but these types of sets seem to be short-lived lately and are the exception and not the rule.

I do enjoy the modern art aspect of cards. Give me some artistically intricate designed cards! And I don't mean sketch cards either.

 

[uniquebaseballcards]

I'd tend to disagree. When listening to local sports talk, I hear Billy Hamilton and Cingrani mentioned all the time. Growing up, I can't remember anyone spending time discussing Reds prospects. On a national level people can't spend time on it because nobody cares about the prospect unless they are from that market.

Yes, radio is old technology though! I tend to think the extra online resources are great, but still am unsure whether increased information just raises awareness, it may not be overall increasing interest.

 

[nappyd]

Honestly just wish it was more kid-friendly or that there was more youth involved. Surprisingly I think my nephew is in to football cards but its pretty rare when I hear about a kid collecting

Definitely this, and how expensive packs are compared to what stuff can resell for. That alone makes it feel like, even with the exclusive contracts, there's too much supply and not enough demand.

"We're getting back to making cards for kids," Topps vice president Warren Friss says. "We've got to build back our base and it's not going to come from adult collectors -- it's going to come by building back the kids."

That was from an espn.com article a few years back. Clearly they've gotten away from trying to target kids in favor of casebreakers, but not keeping the basic retail products more affordable for kids to get multiple packs and want to complete a set.

 

[Ty Hope]

Lots of great points. Bumping once to get some more!

 

[predatorkj]

Last two posts nailed it. 99 cent packs are fun. 200 dollar packs are a business and you better deliver or you will hear from us. Does anyone here buy a new 300 dollar tv and then not complain when it doesn't work?

Kevin

I agree but then again, with the $300 tv, it's a different animal. Everyone in our hobby should know damn well that a box or pack you pay $*** amount for may not(and most often times does not) yield a break even or profitable return. The problem is, people are buying a lot of stuff these days with the sole intention of making money on it and not collecting a damn thing. Or they may even be buying stuff to turn around and sell to use the profits to buy stuff they collect. There are just too damn many people selling. Way too many people worried about what they can get. I mean, yeah you can dabble. But when you have to bust a box in hopes of getting money out of it so you can use it to further your own collection, why not just save up money and buy your collection outright instead of gambling and losing your ass trying to do so? And IMO, selling to further your collection isn't the worst of the two issues. So there being sort of an issue with it just makes the other issue(busting soley to sell) look even sillier.

That's why people have issues. They keep trying to do something that these products are not intended for. They see it happen with a couple of products here or there, or they get lucky a few times, and when success does not continue they get pissed. Oh well. You're gambling with that pack or box. You're not with the tv. The television should work. If it doesn't, you can return it and get another one and consider it a freak accident. Cry to somebody about a box you purchased from Topps not being worth what you paid and they'll say "And the problem is...?".

 

[jbjints]

This thread should be a sticky. The thread is one of the best threads I have ever read.

 

[RiceLynnEvans75]

It's probably already been said but I'd say the one thing I can't stand are the people that buy a pack/box/case/whatever for X amount of money and then complain that they didn't get their "money back". Last I knew, that wasn't the purpose of the trading cards anyway. If you want to guarantee your money back, go trade in 5 twenty dollar bills at the bank for 1 one hundred dollar bill. Otherwise, you knew the risk going in so be pissed at yourself for making the decision in the first place. Personal responsibility is unheard of these days.

 

[jbjints]

It's probably already been said but I'd say the one thing I can't stand are the people that buy a pack/box/case/whatever for X amount of money and then complain that they didn't get their "money back". Last I knew, that wasn't the purpose of the trading cards anyway. If you want to guarantee your money back, go trade in 5 twenty dollar bills at the bank for 1 one hundred dollar bill. Otherwise, you knew the risk going in so be pissed at yourself for making the decision in the first place. Personal responsibility is unheard of these days.

Oh I could not agree more. I was in my first box break the other day and yeah the pulls weren't great and there were quite a few complaints but that is the way the cookie crumbles. I didn't score big but it was fun and I will do it again and again. If every pull was a hit where is the fun?

 

[rsmath]

here's one that hit me after reading another thread a moment ago - wrapper redemptions. Why even release the product if you are going to have to offer a wrapper redemption to force the busting of product? How about not designing
the product half-***ed or put your value-added stuff in packs to help get the product to deliver better value for the cost of the box/blaster, etc?

 

[George_Calfas]

I hate the lack of local card shows. It was nice to walk around tables, window shop, built sets, and talk to fellow collectors. Now eBay is our place to window shop and USPS reaps the benefits of our collecting.

 

[RiceLynnEvans75]

I hate the lack of local card shows. It was nice to walk around tables, window shop, built sets, and talk to fellow collectors. Now eBay is our place to window shop and USPS reaps the benefits of our collecting.

I've always wondered how much USPS makes in a day due to ebay sales.

 

[uniquebaseballcards]

I hate the lack of local card shows. It was nice to walk around tables, window shop, built sets, and talk to fellow collectors. Now eBay is our place to window shop and USPS reaps the benefits of our collecting.

...and eBay, and PayPal!

 

[matfanofold]

Right now I hate the fact that Felix Sterling Chrome Blue Refractor autos /150 are selling like hotcakes in the $20 - $30 range but I can not get a whiff on a lot of 6 Valiant Blue /99 auto cards for $19.99 on the lot, or the lot of 5 Orange /25 I have for $29.99... Nothin against LEAF or Valiant but the demand and value delta is just incredible.

Shameless plug, I'd sell both lots to anyone here for $40 right now

 

[CatdaddysCards]

Uneducated buyers, sellers and traders.