2013-14 SP Athentic Discussion Thread (Merge)

[MW Connection]

I would be very happy if ARPs disappeared. The hobby is supposed to be just that - a fun, affordable pastime. When products like The Cup came along in 2005-06 with ARPs, many people began using the philosophy of 'how much can I get for this' instead of 'can I finish my set'. When money entered the picture, my enjoyment for card collecting quickly went downhill and I finally mustered the courage and will to say that 2013-14 is the last season I will be collecting cards from.

do not quit collecting man. Also, how did you make the cool maple leafs banner. What program did you use to get that rectangle design?

[Leafsman]

do not quit collecting man. Also, how did you make the cool maple leafs banner. What program did you use to get that rectangle design?

Sorry my friend, this is my 25th and final year of collecting. I started at ten years old and I feel that now, at age 35, is a nice number to stop at.

Besides, the reasons I outlined throughout this thread (cost of product, people using sale value instead of book value, etc.) have driven me from the hobby. I no longer get the enjoyment I used to get from it. I have a few miscellaneous rookie wants left, as well as 20 cards from my SP Authentic wantlist. I hope to acquire most of those before the 2013-14 SP Authentic set is released.

That said, the delays in the release of this year's SP Authentic set could extend my stay in the hobby because I know it will take time and money to get all of the key SP Authentic rookies from the set. Let me amend my original statement: The 2013-14 SP Authentic rookie set is the last group of rookies I am collecting.

As for the banner, I did not make it. Someone else made it for me.

[30ranfordfan]

Hey, and fair enough. Looking at another post of yours.... we're about the same age, and collecting just as long (well, you've got a year on me in both cases - but close enough). I've had some breaks in there... breaks that lasted years... and on both those occasions, the reason was exactly as you said: Money. It was getting too expensive, frustrated with releases that were way too similar, filled with cards that I wasn't really digging anymore.... got tired of it. I'm sure the day will hit that I'll stop again (though I can assure anyone reading this post.... I won't be one of those collectors that decides "since I'm not collecting anymore, I had better sell off everything I own". Nothing wrong with holding it, sitting on it, still enjoying it, and not regretting that you dumped it later).

Maybe it was this thread, or the "14-15 UD Products" thread, but there was some Victory bashing going on. I think you were the one that pointed "The reason people don't like victory is because it isn't worth much". You're right. I think that is a problem.... not that I think everyone needs to like Victory... but I think all collectors need to realize that how they chose to collect isn't the same as everyone else. There are different budgets, different tastes. If you don't like Victory, don't buy it. If you don't like The Cup, don't buy it. If you you can't understand why SPx wasn't scrapped years ago.... don't buy it :)

I really believe there is a middle ground between the "can I finish my set" and "how much can I get for this" though. I've had a few years were I was breaking random boxes of lots of stuff, and it was silly. I would pull l NOTHING I wanted to keep for myself, and I'd be sitting on a small stack of "traders" that I'd have a hard time trading for anything I wanted. It's a bad way to do things.

My rule for breaking wax now: Don't buy a box of anything that there isn't a reasonable chance of getting a card you actually want to own. This year (13-14) that's included UD Series 1, UD Series 2, UD Edmonton Oilers Collection, ITG Enforcers II, and ITG Decades 90s, ITG Ultimate (I did one of those holiday packs around Christmas. Great value when you go the three boxes + three redemptions). I'll be adding BTP to that list this weekend. I can honestly say that I did pull cards from all of those boxes (not each box, but I've kept cards from all those products is what I mean) that I wanted to keep for myself. Pulled lots of stuff I did not want, and have since sold or traded, but that's what I've expected.

I say there needs to be a balance though. There's only so much money one can put into this hobby (that's what it is, a hobby) so the idea that we shell out $100 or $120 for a box of cards (which is my upper limit) and keep getting back only $30 or $50 worth of cards, people should be ticked at that. Of course it's gambling, ripping wax is supposed to be fun.... when I bust a $75 box of Enforceres II and the big hit is a patch card of Glenn Cochran... I'm not upset. I'm happy. Cool looking card, it ain't going anyway. I get a few other cards I can flip to others working on the set, and hopefully make a couple of bucks back.... or maybe trade for something else I want.

But a friend of mine, I've seen lots of Trilogy or SPGU breaks this year, and they were junk. Absolutely HORRIBLE products, for the price you paid for the box. Look nice? Sure. Potential for big hits? Yup. Could you get something REALLY nice out of one of those sets? Yes you can. I warned him ahead of time, he may not like what he's pulling, but seeing the preview pics of the sets.... he really wanted to try them out, and he tried them out a few times. In both those cases, they'd be great sets at half that price. This is the kind of thing that I think collectors get bummed out about. You shell out a lot of money for a box, and get junk in return. Sets are too high prices to have a reasonable chance to build them.... so you're hoping for some cool stuff. More often than not, you don't get it.


I don't know though, maybe it's just me? The can I finish my set thing... it's still a big deal. As soon as I break a couple of boxes of UD Series 1 or Series 2.... I log in here, and quickly trade off all the stuff I don't want, and make huge dents in the sets I do. That's a big part of the fun. You're probably right, there are now a lot of collectors that don't collect like this anymore, I just don't let it bother me.

I would be very happy if ARPs disappeared. The hobby is supposed to be just that - a fun, affordable pastime. When products like The Cup came along in 2005-06 with ARPs, many people began using the philosophy of 'how much can I get for this' instead of 'can I finish my set'. When money entered the picture, my enjoyment for card collecting quickly went downhill and I finally mustered the courage and will to say that 2013-14 is the last season I will be collecting cards from.

[Leafsman]

Maybe it was this thread, or the "14-15 UD Products" thread, but there was some Victory bashing going on. I think you were the one that pointed "The reason people don't like victory is because it isn't worth much". You're right. I think that is a problem.... not that I think everyone needs to like Victory... but I think all collectors need to realize that how they chose to collect isn't the same as everyone else. There are different budgets, different tastes. If you don't like Victory, don't buy it. If you don't like The Cup, don't buy it. If you you can't understand why SPx wasn't scrapped years ago.... don't buy it :)

Maybe it was this thread, or the "14-15 UD Products" thread, but there was some Victory bashing going on. I think you were the one that pointed "The reason people don't like victory is because it isn't worth much". You're right. I think that is a problem.... not that I think everyone needs to like Victory... but I think all collectors need to realize that how they chose to collect isn't the same as everyone else. There are different budgets, different tastes. If you don't like Victory, don't buy it. If you don't like The Cup, don't buy it. If you you can't understand why SPx wasn't scrapped years ago.... don't buy it :)

It was the "14-15 UD Products" thread.

I did not say "The reason people don't like victory is because it isn't worth much"

Drewk86a posted this (and I hope that person doesn't mind me quoting them): "I have to agree with the majority of responders. The hatred of victory is $$$$ based. If box breakers and card flippers can't turn a profit they do not care about a product. It seems it all about the hits, the pulls and "Can I get my money back"."

I posted this response: "Bang on! Card collecting has gone from 'can I finish my set?' to 'I wonder how much I can get for this?'"

I was agreeing with the poster that box breakers/card flippers only care about the product if they can make a profit from it.

[MW Connection]

30ranfordfan, I really enjoyed your last post. Nice read. I am 29 and have been collecting since 1989-1990. That puts me at about 24 years. There is nothing like the hobby. Packs and cards building sets. I like to send to PSA. Beckett is too expensive for me. I just started collecting hockey 2 months ago and have had a ball with it. I actually love SPX as a product. The pricepoint is not fair. It should be 69-75 a box. Not close to 100 dollars. This has kept me from breaking any of the product. I like UD series 1 & 2. I think the value is there and tons of packs to open.

I actually am annoyed by all the group breaks and collectors just looking for something to flip. What happened to looking over all the cards from a break and sorting in player and not throwing out the base. I want to buy some boxes of 13-14 showcase because the cards look like so much fun to collect. It looks like most places are sold out and when new shipments come in it will be 130 a box. That is too much so I will move onto another product. I would like to try a case of sp authentic which now comes out in May. My point is there are always new cards and players and sets to chase. This hobby changes but it will never die and I will never quit.

[30ranfordfan]

Didn't mean to misquote.... and I wasn't quoting you trying to be negative. I agree very much with the sentiment - though it was Drewk86a's post that I was (specifically) thinking of.

Sets like Victory are not popular... people bash the idea of them coming back.... because there isn't any money in flipping them.

It was the "14-15 UD Products" thread.

I did not say "The reason people don't like victory is because it isn't worth much"

Drewk86a posted this (and I hope that person doesn't mind me quoting them): "I have to agree with the majority of responders. The hatred of victory is $$$$ based. If box breakers and card flippers can't turn a profit they do not care about a product. It seems it all about the hits, the pulls and "Can I get my money back"."

I posted this response: "Bang on! Card collecting has gone from 'can I finish my set?' to 'I wonder how much I can get for this?'"

I was agreeing with the poster that box breakers/card flippers only care about the product if they can make a profit from it.

[Leafsman]

Didn't mean to misquote.... and I wasn't quoting you trying to be negative. I agree very much with the sentiment - though it was Drewk86a's post that I was (specifically) thinking of.

Sets like Victory are not popular... people bash the idea of them coming back.... because there isn't any money in flipping them.

Yes, and that is because the philosophy within collecting has switched, as I said, from a 'collecting' to 'investment and profit' mentality.

As I said in a previous post, collecting is supposed to be a HOBBY, and NOT a profit-making venture.

If greed left this hobby, I would probably stay around the hobby longer.

Since that will not happen, it is "adios" from me once I collect all the cards on my wantlist.

[MW Connection]

Yes, and that is because the philosophy within collecting has switched, as I said, from a 'collecting' to 'investment and profit' mentality.

As I said in a previous post, collecting is supposed to be a HOBBY, and NOT a profit-making venture.

If greed left this hobby, I would probably stay around the hobby longer.

Since that will not happen, it is "adios" from me once I collect all the cards on my wantlist.

There are still many honest collectors who are not greedy like myself. Do not let some collectors ruin it for you.

[Leafsman]

There are still many honest collectors who are not greedy like myself. Do not let some collectors ruin it for you.

Yes, there are many honest collectors.

I was lucky to get a P.K. Subban Future Watch Auto a few days ago at a good price.

My problem lies in the fact that in many cases, the cards I have left on my list (Crosby, Ovechkin, etc.) are generally in the hands of 'profiteers', not 'collectors'. Therefore, acquiring these for a decent price might be difficult.

It is these few expensive wants that drive me crazy.

[atruong317]

I got word that this is delayed until Mid-June now.