[phillies816]

I'm in the same boat and the only advice I can give is to take a break and see if the interest comes back. I have been going back and forth for the last 2 weeks on this myself. I am just not enjoying myself in this hobby right now. I do enjoy the back and forth on this site but the actual cards bore me right now. I have tried to trade to spark my interest and got no joy out of it. I loved busting packs so bought a couple blasters and couldn't wait to get it over with. Seemed more like a job than a hobby. I started to sell but feel it would be a mistake til I was totally sure I was done. My plan now is to get all my cards into my Org and then put them away for awhile, maybe even til next year and see if I want back in the hobby. Best of luck with whatever you decide to do

[zeprock]

I personally cannot imagine my life without baseball cards. How sad is that? I have been collecting since 1970 and have never "taken a break". It's a hobby and it keeps me healthy. There is way too much to stress over in my life but when I sit down with a binder of cards on my lap, all that other "crap" fades away. I have many other interests and two jobs along with keeping my house up that keep me very busy but when I get some downtime, it's off to something card related. I thought about selling off my massive collection but I would miss not having them. My collecting habits have changed over the years and I went from collecting every card of every set to just collecting my favorite players cards from every set. I'll never get them all but every time I pick up one I don't already have, it's a feeling of accomplishment for me. It doesn't matter if it's a five cent card or a high end card. I need that feeling of accomplishment. My bills suck and sometimes my job sucks and my pay definitely sucks but my cards keep me happy.

[jhyde77]

I would put the cards away for a few years and not sell them. With my collection, I'll put the cards away and then a magazine article, card shop, or a new web site will inspire me want to collect again. I keep quitting and coming back and I think that's the way it will always be for me. It doesn't happen very often, but I love the thrill of buying cheap packs and pulling a decent card. Last year, I bought some '82 Donruss packs for $1 and pulled a Ripken rookie. Even though its not a high card, it was an awesome feeling to have people watching me open the pack and then pull the Ripken. Things like that keep me collecting. What else would I collect? Coins or Coke bottles? They're not as easy to trade.

[kstjst]

this is when you start dabbling in getting "vintage" cards graded, start off with the lower grades then work up to the higher ones. that would allow you to continue your interest in the hobby and still stick to where you started.

the newer products, with the exception of a few key autographs, will never hold their values...too many parallels to deal with and many memorabilia cards aren't even tied to the player on the card (a bleacher piece?!). hell, topps puts fabricated patches onto theirs! and then the cost of a box...don't get me going on that.

getting back to the point, there are still alternatives for you to enjoy the hobby...you just have to be open to it.