It has been awhile since I've posted on these boards. I used to be on here FREQUENTLY, and when I say frequently, I mean it. I had thousands of posts before the renovation (how long ago was that?). So let me come back into the world by getting this off of my chest.
Wow, I am frustrated.
I must start by saying that I am a freshman in college, on a college kid's budget. You know, paying for meals every day. Paying for a bus pass every month. Books. Supplies. More books.
To put it simply, I rarely have money for frivolous fun anymore. I used to get my allowance and spend it on packs of cards from the convenience store down the street. Not anymore.
But I digress.
I have recently started back into the hobby one Ebay purchase at a time, and good lord, I've noticed a huge change. I'm sure you've seen the same thing, but it's much more dramatic for someone who has taken a "break" like I have.
Where's the fun?
I remember buying packs of Topps Total baseball and jumping around the house because I got the first Arod Yankees card. I remember that feeling when after hundreds of packs, I got a DIONER NAVARRO bat card. I had no idea who he was, but it didn't matter. It was a piece of a bat. Right in front of me. I could feel it.
Now, as I cruise the boards and watch box breaks on Youtube, I am DISGUSTED. This Topps Five Star product exemplifies EVERYTHING that is wrong with the hobby, and I cannot believe where things are headed. It scares me, because my little brother is just starting to collect.
You're telling me that Topps can get away with selling this absolute CRAP. How can they justify putting players like Brett Lawrie and Dan Uggla (just two examples of the many) in a product with a $500 sticker on it? Redemptions? Jerseys with ONE color? Frankly, I would be infuriated if I had spent all that money and walked away with a Clayton Kershaw auto and a Will Clark auto.
And with NICKED corners? Unfathomable.
What makes me the most upset is that for me, the kid on a college budget, there's no other options. Either I summon incredulous amounts of money to purchase products with no upside or I head on down to Walmart and get packs of Topps football with 1/5000 odds of getting anything decent.
Products like Five Star have devalued all the things card collecting is supposed to be about, and I'm not exaggerating. My dad always tells me about pulling his first Walter Payton card, and he still shows me it. And since I have seen both sides of the industry change, I can sympathize with his feelings.
But my brother, who is nine years old, says "where's the autograph?".
He has seen Ebay. He has seen these Youtube box breaks. He has seen enough to understand that the ONLY thing that holds any value anymore is the serial number and the patch.
Throw the commons away. They don't matter anymore.
Cards of the "stars" are a dime a dozen now. Why? Because people want the refractors and the autograph books and the 1/1s and the logos. And they won't be satisfied until they get them. Because Topps has shown us that those are the most prized hobby possessions.
I'm not taking a shot at ANY of you. I still collect, and I'm guilty of the things I speak about at times. But as my brother starts to collect and I start to see that without wads of cash, nothing of value can be had, I am sickened.
A hobby that used to be so giving is taking back from us.
Slow down. Stay away from Five Star and take pride in your collection. Take pride in the simple things.
I know business comes first, but can it still be fun? I'm talking to you, Topps.
Wow, I am frustrated.
I must start by saying that I am a freshman in college, on a college kid's budget. You know, paying for meals every day. Paying for a bus pass every month. Books. Supplies. More books.
To put it simply, I rarely have money for frivolous fun anymore. I used to get my allowance and spend it on packs of cards from the convenience store down the street. Not anymore.
But I digress.
I have recently started back into the hobby one Ebay purchase at a time, and good lord, I've noticed a huge change. I'm sure you've seen the same thing, but it's much more dramatic for someone who has taken a "break" like I have.
Where's the fun?
I remember buying packs of Topps Total baseball and jumping around the house because I got the first Arod Yankees card. I remember that feeling when after hundreds of packs, I got a DIONER NAVARRO bat card. I had no idea who he was, but it didn't matter. It was a piece of a bat. Right in front of me. I could feel it.
Now, as I cruise the boards and watch box breaks on Youtube, I am DISGUSTED. This Topps Five Star product exemplifies EVERYTHING that is wrong with the hobby, and I cannot believe where things are headed. It scares me, because my little brother is just starting to collect.
You're telling me that Topps can get away with selling this absolute CRAP. How can they justify putting players like Brett Lawrie and Dan Uggla (just two examples of the many) in a product with a $500 sticker on it? Redemptions? Jerseys with ONE color? Frankly, I would be infuriated if I had spent all that money and walked away with a Clayton Kershaw auto and a Will Clark auto.
And with NICKED corners? Unfathomable.
What makes me the most upset is that for me, the kid on a college budget, there's no other options. Either I summon incredulous amounts of money to purchase products with no upside or I head on down to Walmart and get packs of Topps football with 1/5000 odds of getting anything decent.
Products like Five Star have devalued all the things card collecting is supposed to be about, and I'm not exaggerating. My dad always tells me about pulling his first Walter Payton card, and he still shows me it. And since I have seen both sides of the industry change, I can sympathize with his feelings.
But my brother, who is nine years old, says "where's the autograph?".
He has seen Ebay. He has seen these Youtube box breaks. He has seen enough to understand that the ONLY thing that holds any value anymore is the serial number and the patch.
Throw the commons away. They don't matter anymore.
Cards of the "stars" are a dime a dozen now. Why? Because people want the refractors and the autograph books and the 1/1s and the logos. And they won't be satisfied until they get them. Because Topps has shown us that those are the most prized hobby possessions.
I'm not taking a shot at ANY of you. I still collect, and I'm guilty of the things I speak about at times. But as my brother starts to collect and I start to see that without wads of cash, nothing of value can be had, I am sickened.
A hobby that used to be so giving is taking back from us.
Slow down. Stay away from Five Star and take pride in your collection. Take pride in the simple things.
I know business comes first, but can it still be fun? I'm talking to you, Topps.
