Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

Results 1 to 5 of 5
  1. #1




    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Posts
    3,771
    SCF Rewards
    17,219
    Blog Entries
    21
    Country
    Twitter: @yazfan71

    7 steps of acceptance in the hobby.

    Well, I started this as a reply to an article that I had read on here & I didn't want to seem like I was hijacking the very well written article, so I decided to just make this it's own separate thread.

    Now, I can only speak from my experiences & my love of the hobby, so that is what I will use as a primary example to address some of the issues I've seen that others have with the hobby. (A.K.A.-The ramblings of an old man!)

    Counterfeit or fake cards...I have to agree with many that the industry "dropped the ball" when it comes to the verification process on game used memorabilia used in their cards. But I believe that even those cards have their place in the hobby. To be honest, I don't see much difference between those and some of the "home-made" cards that are out there now. As a single player collector, I would still want that card even if the swatch is fake. I can remember a few decades ago when there was a big uproar over counterfeit 1963 Topps Pete Rose RC's. A substantial amount of these cards were discovered, & rather than destroying them, they were stamped as being counterfeit. At the time, I knew several collectors of Rose cards that were chomping at the bit to find one to add to their collections.

    Serial numbering...We have all seen these auctions & I will use Yastrzemski as my example. 2008 Upper Deck Heroes Carl Yastrzemski Red #8/249 His Jersey Number! 1/1! Now we all know this is not a true 1/1, but to some collectors this does mean something. Personally I love getting a serial numbered card of Yaz that is #8/whatever & some will go out of their way to get these. As far as true 1/1's are concerned, in my opinion the market has been flooded with these as well, but this is not a bad thing. Yes, it means that I will never own 1 of every Yaz card out there since there are 1129 1/1's & counting, but this is ok with me. I wouldn't want to own them all as that would take that "magic" away from another collector. I have my 1 & I am very happy with that.

    Parallels...This could almost go hand in hand with the serial numbering as pretty much all of them anymore are either actually serial numbered or the production numbers get released anyway. Pretty much every set released these days has a parallel of it & some more than 1. What sets these apart from serial numbers is that this is not a newer concept. Topps made these in the late 50's with the Venezuelan's & the O-Pee-Chee's of the 60's. Post Cereal's had Canadian issues & Jell-O parallels. In the 70's it was the discs which had nearly a dozen different variations depending on the year & Hostess had their regular & Twinkee releases. I'm pretty sure the same was true with the old tobacco cards with different backs, but without doing the research I won't swear to it. Like I said, I'm only going with my experiences.

    The price guide...Love or hate it, this alone forever changed the hobby for everyone involved in it. I got my first one in 1985, it was the yearly almanac, & I can honestly say after looking through it the first time I loved & hated it. I loved it because it made me aware of cards that I would have never known existed living in the small town I was in at that time. It also made me sick to my stomach when it listed the price of the '55 Topps Killebrew RC that I had given away as a gift to a friend a few years earlier. This was the first time I didn't think of card collecting as a hobby. It had taken that away from me in an instant & changed the way I traded. I also don't recall ever getting any more shoeboxes full of cards from any of the neighbors cleaning out their attics or kids' rooms after that. I did however talk to that old friend of mine last year for the first time in over 20 years & he still has that card...So that made me feel good about that decision to know the card still survives & I have to wonder, would it still if not for the price guide?

    The internet...The killer of the LCS, maybe, but the overproduction of the late 80's & early 90's didn't help either. Now, while I do feel bad for the owners & patrons of LCS that closed due to the internet, it did give collectors everywhere access to practically any & all cards. It also knocked the price guide loose of the stranglehold it had over the hobby. It opened up trading again for those of us in small towns that were hours away from LCS & card shows. This is by far the single greatest tool used in assisting the hobbyist today.

    Lottery winners...We've all seen them & many of us have dealt with them in one way or another. For a player collector like myself, when I see one with a card I would love to have, I can never understand why they would part with their prize. But I also know however, if it weren't for them I would never even see some of these cards, let alone save up for the chance to buy one. The last box or pack of cards I bought was the 2005 Upper Deck Sweet Spot Classics when they first came out. My wife wanted to put the set together but I wanted a Yaz auto from that set. Out of the roughly 2 1/2 boxes that we bought that day at the LCS, my wife finished the base set, but I never hit my lottery back then. I will forever be thankful that these collectors aren't like me!

    What everyone has to realize is that there are many ways to enjoy this hobby that may be different from the way that you collect. You just need to find the best way to approach the hobby to meet your collecting goals. This hobby has changed so much over the years, & depending on what & how you collect determines whether or not you feel these items are good or bad. I have been fortunate enough to have shared my love for this hobby with my wife & our 3 children over the years & I look forward to introducing my grandkids to it as well in the next few years. Thanks for your time!

  2. #2






    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Age
    44
    Posts
    25,355
    SCF Rewards
    36,527
    Blog Entries
    35
    Country
    Montreal Canadiens Toronto Blue Jays New England Patriots
    Twitter: @KarineHains See Pheebs8882's Items on eBay

    Thanks for the entry, published here: https://www.sportscardforum.com/artic...-in-the-hobby/

  3. #3




    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Age
    46
    Posts
    1,113
    SCF Rewards
    850
    Country
    See helmsbr's Items on eBay

    I liked this post

  4. #4





    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Posts
    2,316
    SCF Rewards
    1,101
    Transferred Feedback
    Freaks (181)
    Country

    Great article and very true key points to the hobby. I agree with them 150%.

  5. #5
    BANNED



    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Posts
    1,651
    Blog Entries
    27
    Country
    See ajk0565's Items on eBay

    nice article

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
SCF Sponsors


About SCF

    Sports Card Forum provides sports and non-sports card collectors a safe place to discuss, buy, sell and trade.

    SCF maintains tools that will allow collectors to manage their collections online, information about what is happening with the hobby, as well as providing robust data to send out for Autographs through the mail.

Follow SCF on