[oneofakindcards]

Although cards and stocks aren't alike in many (most!) ways, consider this stock analogy: would someone buy a new IPO from, say, the retail sector at $100 when historically they can clearly see that all retail IPOs starting at $100 lose 90% of their value after 1 year?

If they did, it's because they either don't know about historical trends, or are looking to make $ off people who don't know historical trends. Few, if any (rational) people pony up real money in our hobby expecting a near-complete loss!

A big problem in the hobby is that people don't know about trends and would be buying retail IPOs from people gladly selling to them.

You can literally pull any/all that information from those sights (most useful when using a combination). All you have to do is look up the information yourself. You don't need to see what draft cards from 2002 have done. No one does. We need to see individual pricing. If we are looking at what 2002 draft cards have done historically it would be inaccurate and irrelevant because people invest in singke players. You can find whatever information you need quite easily. If you aren't willing to invest money in the research tools than you probably shouldn't be investing in the cards (not you personally. In general). If yougave me twenty minutes, I could tell you all you need to know about Strasburg cards. When I say all this information is available, I mean quite literally its all readily available. What do cards do in December? They all go down. There's no mystery there. The majority go up in spring too (assuming we're talking about younger, more relevant players). With tye tools currently available, anyone should be able to look at tge data and see the trends.

[jumper4d8]

Like zeprock I got my first introduction to collecting through stamps, my grandfather got me involved. When I hit about 8-9 years old I started picking up packs of cards and would trade with friends but my father eventually got mad and told me I was wasting my money and not to buy cards anymore. I didn't get back in to collecting until I was 21 in 1993 and have been collecting off and on since then. I have gone through many changes as a collector but now I focus only on my player collections and some non-sports card interests. I have been blogging for over 7 years and that has changed to and now what I post about is what I collect.

[gotopes]

And that's how it should be thought of. I bet most on here feel the same, they love the sport and this side fun that it brings. If you are here for an investment and didn't realize that was foolish 25+ years ago... then that is your fault. Speaking for myself, I bet most of us are here to enjoy, collect, and trade. The values just make sure we are all on an even field.

In the end, my boys are going to get a killer collection, a glimpse into the past through my eyes. What they choose to do with it is their decision. If they aren't baseball fans, so be it, get a few hundred dollars and go have some fun, it's not a loss. If they are into it, cool, keep the tradition alive and pass on great history, it's not a loss. I had/have so much fun doing it, it's not a loss. Bottom line, it is not a loss. Seems like you may have been into it for the wrong reasons from the get-go. I am sorry you are sour now. The few that are on here will most likely begrudgingly agree however, we will carry on. Because it's fun.

While I agree with most of this post, I've bold-typed what value means to me as someone who collects just for recreation. Pricing and value are as arbitrary as anything, but it facilitates trades with all kinds of collectors, which is a big part of what keeps me in the hobby.

Like lots of other people have said, the card companies are the casino, and the only way to ensure you don't lose out is to not play for anything other than fun. I've spent money on so many worse things than cards, and the day I open my binders or boxes and don't feel joy, I'll get out, too.

[jhyde77]

Chester, I'm kind of done too. I don't think I've spent any money on cards this year. I've been collecting off and on since '89. I've seen a lot of changes. With a lot of things I like, they start out simple and fun and then people find a way to mess it up. The changes I've seen have almost always made the hobby less fun. For me, it's mainly the lack of card shops and shows and the dozens of sets every year. The good times Ive had collecting keep me in. For example, collecting during the Braves run of the 90s, the homerun race of 98, and the Strasburg hype in 2010. It doesn't seem to be what collectors want these days, but I'm hoping the hobby will eventually become smaller in terms of sets.

[bamyanks]

I have to agree with you jhyde77. I truly miss the card shows and our local card shops. For several years, we had a LCS in a town 10 miles east of me. I worked in town, so got to visit them regularly. A group of us would make trips in to buy, trade etc. We had some good times and I really miss it.

Also, had some really good card shows too. One of them was in a city about 22 miles south of me. Always on a Sunday and most of us were regulars so we each had our own space. I tell you, the most memorable day was the day a man came in carrying a shoe box. There is no feeling better than looking at 1950's and 1960's cards. I only regret I didn't have the money just to buy the box.

I do have one LTB (local trading buddy) that I trade with. We started trading in 1993 and are still going strong. We figured out we're starting our 25th year of trading.

But I understand why this all happened but I feel in this case that change is not for the better.

Chester, I'm kind of done too. I don't think I've spent any money on cards this year. I've been collecting off and on since '89. I've seen a lot of changes. With a lot of things I like, they start out simple and fun and then people find a way to mess it up. The changes I've seen have almost always made the hobby less fun. For me, it's mainly the lack of card shops and shows and the dozens of sets every year. The good times Ive had collecting keep me in. For example, collecting during the Braves run of the 90s, the homerun race of 98, and the Strasburg hype in 2010. It doesn't seem to be what collectors want these days, but I'm hoping the hobby will eventually become smaller in terms of sets.

[jhyde77]

[quote='jhyde77' pid='2653450' dateline='1486911715']
Chester, I'm kind of done too. I don't think I've spent any money on cards this year. I've been collecting off and on since '89. I've seen a lot of changes. With a lot of things I like, they start out simple and fun and then people find a way to mess it up. The changes I've seen have almost always made the hobby less fun. For me, it's mainly the lack of card shops and shows and the dozens of sets every year. The good times Ive had collecting keep me in. For example, collecting during the Braves run of the 90s, the homerun race of 98, and the Strasburg hype in 2010. It doesn't seem to be what collectors want these days, but I'm hoping the hobby will eventually become smaller in terms of sets.
[/quote

I realized my earlier post sounded kind of depressing. Even though the hobby at this time is not ideal for how I enjoy collecting, I'm still hooked. If I visit a different city for more than a day, I can't leave without going to the card shop (if there's one in the area). If I'm in a mall and there is a card show, I can't leave without stopping to look at the tables. If I see anyone selling cards in person, I have to look and see if there's anything too good to pass up.

[kerryandbeth]

[quote='jhyde77' pid='2653450' dateline='1486911715']

[/quote

I realized my earlier post sounded kind of depressing. Even though the hobby at this time is not ideal for how I enjoy collecting, I'm still hooked. If I visit a different city for more than a day, I can't leave without going to the card shop (if there's one in the area). If I'm in a mall and there is a card show, I can't leave without stopping to look at the tables. If I see anyone selling cards in person, I have to look and see if there's anything too good to pass up.

Thanks for the clarification...I was about to throw my collection out! LOL
Seriously, there will probably be a time that all of us slow down or stop entirely, but here's hoping that fun and enjoyment of the hobby stay in the forefront.

[madamson]

Here's something else to consider regarding the hobby that some fail to recognize/admit:

With the internet, all of the sites (ebay for example) are basically a card show, 24/7/365. My belief is most shops closed as a result of the variety and convenience of online shopping. My LCS has survived this by re-allocating funds that went to sports cards into Magic/Pokemon/Yugioh. He still carries pretty much everything however in less quantity. He understands that everyone can go to online dealers and essentially get everything he has at a cheaper cost. So what he tries to do is bring back the way shops used to be run...great conversation, no high-pressure sales and being stocked with supplies of all shapes and sizes.

Now, in all fairness, he is located in a shopping mall and traffic is pretty heavy most every day.

I know this is not true for everyone, but some shops still do it the right way and keep collectors interested.

Happy Collecting!

Mark