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

[Austin]

I miss the fair, licensed competition between multiple companies: Topps, Fleer, Donruss/Leaf, Score and Upper Deck.
Having only Topps with team logos sucks.
Collecting inthe '80s and the first couple years of the '90s was awesome.
Sure there were a million sets, but you could just buy what you wanted because there was choice.
Building sets in the '80s, by buying $12 wax boxes of 36 packs with 540 cards, then trading with your friends, was so much fun.
Kids nowadays will never have that experience.

 

[Brewer Andy]

Exactly. Not only his prices but just the service and the person too. Sometimes I could maybe get a box of cards a few dollars cheaper online or from someone else but I'd rather pay him the extra few dollars because of his service, his honesty and he's such a good guy. Besides, for the most part, it all evens out in the end because he might have something for a few dollars more one week but then another product a few dollars cheaper another week.

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

I guess your side conversation reminds me that I also miss brick and mortar shops and the fact that making the trip to one was a special day. The nearest to me was "The Card Lady". That's all we knew her as. She was an elderly retired woman who's husband ran an archery shop and she sold cards in one corner of the shop until her business overtook his! She was a sweet lady and loved to just sit and talk cards and baseball. There were several others I frequented at various points in my life with several other really great guys and dealers who genuinely loved their business and their customers. When there was no internet and most magazines were black and white, it was sweet just to go and see some amazing cards in person, sitting under a glass case and dream

 

[21ccl]

I wish that the 80's and 90's stuff would go up in prices.

 

[Mario1975]

Yeah Andy it really makes the hobby so much more enjoyable having a local hobby shop with a great owner. I mean it's just a totally different experience. Just great to go there, find out what new or old boxes he got in, and shoot the breeze for a little while with him and the other regular customers who pop in. Really am lucky.

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

 

[rsmath]

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

yep, Bret Michaels is going to probably die before I get my redemption and Topps will probably ream me with a D-lister celeb!

other things I hate (not mentioned that I can recall in this thread) - the validity of relics (and sometimes autos) considering that Topps should be able to obtain the material from the MLB directly thru MLB authenticated or supposedly has a representative to witness athlete signings so there is no excuse for any questionable sigs.

foil stamping of names on recent years topps base cards - makes it hard to read without light glint (or looking at the reverse side) and I'm surprised Topps hasn't quit the practice after that failed design issue for a year or two of their releases.

 

[thefatguy]

XXXXing swear filters

 

[notjomommasclint]

The lack of love for second year cards.
Base cards being utterly ignored.
Exclusive contracts.
Steal threads.
Prospectors saying players are too old.
The overall speculation/prospecting hyping aspect.

 

[matfanofold]

Honestly, all the complaining (warranted or not).

It seems much of the hobby today is all about XXXXXing, complaining, and whining to varying degrees of validation. When I started collecting, everyone just enjoyed the hobby.

 

[AmishDave]

Sense of entitlement by some collector's and a lot of the young ones that do collect, having mommy & daddy's pocketbook to play with. I'm shocked at some of the YT vid's and these kids getting what they're getting. Sure, there may be jobs, but I'd be stunned if they actually were working.

 

[MantMaris]

Honestly, all the complaining (warranted or not).

It seems much of the hobby today is all about XXXXXing, complaining, and whining to varying degrees of validation. When I started collecting, everyone just enjoyed the hobby.

When you redeem a card that has a sale value of possibly $600 - $800 and you get sent a $200 auto to take its place, you have the right to XXXXX some.

 

[uniquebaseballcards]

When you redeem a card that has a sale value of possibly $600 - $800 and you get sent a $200 auto to take its place, you have the right to XXXXX some.

^^^ When the hobby becomes more about $ than cards!

The hobby has really socialized many people, so I'm not picking on anyone specifically here.

 

[MantMaris]

^^^ When the hobby becomes more about $ than cards!

The hobby has really socialized many people, so I'm not picking on anyone specifically here.

So I shouldn't want what I redeemed? So I should just be happy if they send me a box 1988 commons? I want similar, fair value. OH THE HORROR.

 

[gt2590]

From the manufacturers: With the Monopoly, too many of the sets look alike and have the same basic elements.

From the customers: The hobby has become more like the lottery with ALOT of folks just looking for the Monster hit and pretty much ignoring the rest of the contents.

 

[Brewer Andy]

So I shouldn't want what I redeemed? So I should just be happy if they send me a box 1988 commons? I want similar, fair value. OH THE HORROR.

Forget fair value I'd be angry on principle of not getting what I was "promised"

 

[BBCgalaxee]

No competition...

Way too many $50 & higher packs...

Way too many retro products....

Too many prospect products....

Products that sky rocket despite being nothing special (bowplat, tc, fin)

 

[matfanofold]

So I shouldn't want what I redeemed? So I should just be happy if they send me a box 1988 commons? I want similar, fair value. OH THE HORROR.

Just to be clear, my original statment about all the XXXXXing and complaining (*warranted or not) was not to say that legitimate gripes are not abundent. But thats the point, legitimate complaints and XXXXXing are abundent. Add to this all the nit picking, bickering, and unwarrented complaining (yes, there is that too..) and the hobby is now full of it. Pun intended. Regardless how or why, it's a hobby full of complaints. And this is the thing I most dislike...

 

[Austin]

Honestly, all the complaining (warranted or not).
It seems much of the hobby today is all about XXXXXing, complaining, and whining to varying degrees of validation.
When I started collecting, everyone just enjoyed the hobby.

It just seemed that way because there was no internet in the '80s and early '90s for people to whine and complain anonymously.
Most people don't complain to strangers in public, so in those days before the internet, the only complaining you'd read were letters to the editor in magazines.

 

[uniquebaseballcards]

Just to be clear, my original statment about all the XXXXXing and complaining (*warranted or not) was not to say that legitimate gripes are not abundent. But thats the point, legitimate complaints and XXXXXing are abundent. Add to this all the nit picking, bickering, and unwarrented complaining (yes, there is that too..) and the hobby is now full of it. Pun intended. Regardless how or why, it's a hobby full of complaints. And this is the thing I most dislike...

Complaints exist because the hobby is too COMPLICATED. Its the "price" one must pay for turning a kid's hobby into an adult one.

 

[bigalbert]

This hobby has become a glorified form of gambling.

 

[schmidtfan20]

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