Why No Trades?

[maccards44]

Not to whine but ... what's going on here?
There's like a handful of new threads in the football trading forum each day, the basketball is even worse. Are people just not trading anymore or is this a site-specific issue?
I love this site and I've met a lot of great people here over the years but I can't see the same 7 threads bumped over and over again anymore.
It's going to come off as sounding disloyal to this great place .... but is there somewhere else people are trading that I've missed?

If there's a problem here specifically maybe we have the solution too... But I think we have to first acknowledge there is a problem.

[crzy4phins]

I've noticed the same thing. I think a lot of people now are more interested in selling in order to recoup what they spent. I get that but that kind of defeats the whole purpose of collecting. I love trading for any cards on the teams I collect not just autos. Another reason I think is that a lot of people have turned away from football because of all the protests. So maybe people are doing more trading with the other sports.

[jwlawrence06]

I am always down for trading. The only frustrating thing is that everyone uses a different mechanism for displaying their cards for trade. Some use the inventory manager, some use flickr, some want you to go to an external link and look at pictures. Me personally, I keep my inventory up-to-date daily, and I would like to trade with others using the inventory manager as well. This makes it easier for me to see what they have, and lead them to the cards that I have available.

I use beckett more frequently for trades since their inventory management/trade interface is a lot easier to use, and updates based on when you've shipped/received a card via a trade.

2 proposals I would have are to update the SCF inventory/trader interface, and strongly encourage all users who are actively trading to utilize this interface. That way there is a unified front that everyone is familiar with and it'll probably increase the trading traffic.

[SuperZeke50]

Hey All,

I definitely agree with the general sentiment in this thread. Trading in general is much more difficult now than it was a few years ago. I think there's a few factors.

1st, the cost for cardboard today is ridiculous. People want to try and get their money back for what they break. It's almost impossible.
2nd, the cost of shipping has increased. Not easy to make a 1 card swap anymore when it costs nearly 3.50 for a bubble with tracking. Its not cost effective unless you do bigger lots.
3rd, it feels like there are less people in the hobby for fun and more people in the hobby to make a buck. Admittedly, I'm guilty of this sometimes too. I think we all are to an extent. It's not easy to send $100 hard earned dollars to break something and end up with junk. You feel like you need to grind every penny out of that stuff to make it worthwhile.

A perfect example of all of this is the latest Panini Football product, Panini One. $120 or more for 1 single card.... now it might be a Brady or Marino, but it could also be a James Washington or Courtland Sutton. This is a perfect example because it almost forces people to sell cards as opposed to trade them, to try and get as much money as they can.

Just my two cents. Thanks for reading.

[jplcom]

I tend to collect what is becoming a niche product - Topps Finest football - and I don't always have the latest and greatest stuff people want or people don't have the quantities I would need to justify the trade or shipping. It can be hard finding a good match based on my desire to acquire cards that have gone cold but reluctant to trade more liquid or hotter cards, wondering if I could have gotten a better deal if I waited a little longer. One time I made out like a bandit trading away a Jordan Matthews auto rookie, another time I lost out trading a Gronk auto rookie.

[NBSII]

I mirror Zekes line of thinking. Not as many team and/or player collectors. More of a gambling aspect to see if one can put in and then "win" more back than they invested.

Also I believe that it's over-production of cards makes it hard to be a team/player collector. Large numbers of base and minor inserts (What is the production of a Contenders base card - 500,000?). Even different versions of low numbers make it impossible for someone when there is 10 different types of cards numbered out/5. Everyone has already or know they can get for cheap, base and minor inserts, so no need to trade.

Trying to prove, of too many player cards produced point, using the SCF inventory manager:
Both QB's:
Tom Brady, draft pick #199 in sixth round of 2000 draft: 138 cards (6 - 1/1's) from draft year of 2000
Luke Falk, draft pick #199 in sixth round f 2018 draft:566 cards (144 1/1's) from draft year of 2018 (to date)

So there is more 1/1's version produced of Luke Falk rookie year than total versions of Tom Brady rookie year cards.

Heck even trying to collect Emmitt Smith, there are 200-330 new cards each year and he has been retired for 14 years.

My 2 cents.

[vikesfan40]

People don't really make offers on here either. Like if I am going to trade cards in my collection I expect some PC stuff for those cards. Yet people will either just say look through my tradelist with 2000 cards and no pictures or send me to a photo bucket and have me go through 2000 pictures of cards. I always look at it that if your going to trade, tell them person with the card you want what you have to offer them. Or send them to a trade list thats organized and easy to search through. And if you know you don't have anything to trade for, don't tell someone to look through a tradelist. That annoys me but that might be more of a me annoyance.

[krunchtyme]

I love you guys.... it's hard, we all think our cards are the best! Bit name one person in the world who will pay $3.75 for 2007 Tony hunt reftactor... come on. It's a. 07 cent card. At best.

Some guys are very specific on the few cards they need for a 120000 card set and won't trade for anything else.

I'm guilty too. We all want the most we can get for a card we paid $1 for....

In short. I agree with all of you on various issues, we just need to keep trying. And have fun... btw....I'm looking for cowboys, refractors and rookies of Tony Romo, jason Witten, drew brees, and a few others....

Thanks for the fun.

[maccards44]

So do you guys think collecting itself is down?

I agree with all the reasons given but I don't get why all of them have made trading drop off so dramatically. Yes postage costs more and yes cards cost more but IF (big if on purpose - I'm not sure) people are still buying busting as much wax now as they were in the recent past and still getting cards they don't necessarily collect, why aren't they more motivated to get something they actually collect for them? I guess the biggest change I see is that unlike before -- now, nobody wants to trade FOR James Washington or Courtland Sutton -- to use the examples from post #4 whereas a few years ago you could find a Broncos or Steeler fan who would be willing to take those players in a trade. You aren't going to get the hottest player in the world for them like Mayfield or Mahomes but you could do similar players for similar players. Now, those people just aren't on here. Do they not exist anymore? Have they gone somewhere else? OR are they all only looking for (insert hot player) or bust?

[doniceage]

If you guys have any suggestions on things that could make this site better feel free to chime in. One rule I suggest is this it is easily implemented. If so there is no reason why Scott or the staff will not make it happen. I concur with the reasons above that folks just want to recoup their dollars, shipping cost has played a factor in trading, and so many other options with social media.
@matt_curren @krunchtyme @vikesfan40 @NBSII @jplcom @SuperZeke50 @crzy4phins @jwlawrence06

DON