Collecting Philosophy, Opinions Wanted

[redlight93]

I'm 26 and have been a hockey fan since I was old enough to know what hockey was. I've played my whole life, and collected cards very seriously until about the time I went to college. Once college started. I sold my collection and more or less lost interest in collecting.

For some reason, on a whim, last year after nearly a decade away from collecting I decided to buy a box of cards and see if I was interested at getting "back in the game". I had a great time, opened several boxes and packs over a few month time frame, and even made some trades here on the board. However, I stopped sometime over the summer and havent touched a pack since May.

My question is, why do you collect? I have been having a hard time keeping interested simply because of the economical factor. packs and boxes can be very expensive, and even on breaks where you come out solid on the book value, you couldnt even come close to breaking even if you were to sell the cards. I have no problem spending some money to enjoy this great hobby, but at the same time i dont want to spend hundreds a month on boxes, only to have the cards sell for $1 on ebay.

Any thoughts on this, what do

[RGM81]

Why? Why not?

It's fun, it's enjoyable, and it's way to deepen one's connection to this great game that we all love so much. Everybody has "their thing" that they spend their money on - some people collect superhero memorabilia, some people collect antique jewelry, some people like shoes - for me, this is "my thing."

[habscards]

I do agree with you that you are wasting your money most of the time buying boxes. Just say that you spend $100 on a box of cards and then think of what $100 can get you on ebay or here in the buying section. Now I love to bust boxes because you can always find that needle in a haystack and whatever hits that you pull you could most likely trade them on here for cards that either you like(PC) or other tradebate. I like to open a box and write down what all of the hits were. Then I will make some trades with those cards and look at all of the cards that box got me. In my head I come out ahead everytime.

[Wingsfan-13]

Somthing about that thrill of the box break, it's really my only form of gambling. You have the chance at that monster pull. As long as you dont expect it all the time. And dont break boxes if your gonna continually break down how much the box was and the value of each card in it. Your paying for the entertainment of cracking. My love of the hobby is helped imensly by the boards as well. We all enjoy this hobby and help one another out. I really dont know if I would have collected this long if it wasnt for this comunity! And finally, my knowledge of hockey is better thanks to the actual cards themselves and the discussions here on the message boards. Ultimatley do it if you enjoy it and it makes you happy!

[agold2121]

I ask myself this question all the time. Why do I collect cards and autos of regular people who are good at playing a game? Every time I ask I get the same answer:

I don't know.

[Pheebs888]

I collect for many reasons, I love the gamble of a box break, I love the fact that I can do this hobby in the comfort of my home and as I can't do sports anymore due to multiple injuries this is as close to the game as I can get and finally, what I prefer over everything else I think is the interaction with the community. The trading, the chatting, I have a great time on here and that's all because I collect :)

[zunato]

If I don't spend my extra money on something my wife will take it.

[30ranfordfan]

Love the thrill of the Chase? Like the 'gambling' aspect of it? Another way to follow along with a game I love playing / watching?

For all the years I've been doing it, I'm not really sure. Probably some combination of the three 'questions' I put above.

One thing I really like about the hobby - You can spend as much, or as little money as you want, and can still have fun with it. I enjoy the box break, but I agree - It's expensive. UD Series 1 costs me around $70 per box. I wanted to put together a base set of it too, so I was alright with busting a few boxes.

I generally don't go the route of busting boxes, unless I plan to do a set - It's too expensive. For the cost of a box of something like SPA or SPx, I could spend that same money on singles (eBay, or here) and get a way bigger bang for my buck - As it would be all cards that I wanted.

[charvey9]

My collecting history is very similar to your own. I was fan of all sports and collected cards up to and through most of college as finances allowed. I've always enjoyed collecting cards. Although I do love hockey and do love the Detroit Red Wings, that is only part of the reason why I've continued to collect hockey cards. I compare the pack/box breaking component of our hobby to gambling. I figure I continue to bust stuff for the same reason some people sit at a slot machine for hours. Although you don't normally "win" there is always a chance you'll get that big "hit".

I believe the enjoyment you get from day dreaming about what you are going to pull is part of what you get for your money, of course the other part is the enjoyment you get when you actually hit something big. At least with card collecting, as opposed to straight up gambling, you are always left with something for the money you've shelled out. I think the collecting side of the hobby is different for everyone. There could be any number of reasons why a person decides to keep pieces of cardboard with a person's picture on them. My personal reasons for collecting Lidstrom cards include the admiration/appreciation of having something unique and it simply gives me something to do. With long work hours and an odd schedule I really need something I can enjoy from home, and collecting helps me fill the time. Agreeing with the post above, if my money was not spent on cards it would be spent on video games, bronco parts, or some other hobby I could enjoy from home. It is the whole experience that you pay for, and if adding all that up is not satisfying enough for the money you've spent....then this isn't the hobby for you.

I made a some decisions a few years ago that definately contributed to my overall hobby experience and gave more satisfaction with my own personal collection.

First, set a budget and decide how much you are willing to spend. Of course, it can be flexible depending on your personal circumstances and how well you do in the hobby. Personally, I roll any return I get from my cards back in to my card budget so when I get a good pull it helps fund my addiction.

Next, take your budget in to conisderation and decide exactly what you want. It may sound simple, but I learned the hobby can be overwhelming when you consider all player/team/set/variation options there are to choose from. Do you want to have all the cards of a single player/team? Are you a set builder? Do you only want patch cards? Do you only like breaking boxes? You get the idea. It is surprising how creating a specific collecting goal can revitalize your interest in the hobby.

Being a Red Wing fan left me with a large and expensive number of collecting options. I became frustrated with trying to collect all my favorite player's cards (Yzerman, Lidstrom, Draper, Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Lindsay, Howe) on my budget. Owning a bunch of base, inserts, and basic jersey cards was not very satisfying. Although Yzerman was my favorite player growing up, I evaluated my options and decided I could get much more for my money collecting Lidstrom. To narrow it down even further I decided I only wanted 2 color jersey/patch cards and hard autos from UD or ITG. Immediately, although the rate at which I acquired cards went down, the quality of my collection went up. Lidstrom quickly became my favorite all-time player and I'm proud to have a one of the most specific and unique player collections I've seen.

Hope that helps!

[afholmes87]

I was the same way, I was really into collecting when I was younger, sold my stuff probably 6 or 7 years ago as I really wasn't into it anymore, but have recently come back. I know buying boxes is expensive, but I really enjoy it, I spend what I can afford, which some weeks is quite a bit, and others is nothing. I know a lot of people don't like to break boxes because they can get the cards they want here or on ebay for a fraction of the price it costs for a box, but I don't really like to do that. I get more enjoyment out of breaking a box and trading or using the money from sales of cards from that box to buy cards for my PC(the fact that I've been blessed with solid luck so far on almost every box I've bought since I've gotten back into the hobby hasn't hurt either). Another huge part of it for me is its nice to get something in the mail that isn't a bill or junk mail. I used to think along the same lines as Parisechuk, wondering why I collected cards of people that were good at a sport, granted a sport that I love, but a sport none the less and never really came up with a good answer other than the fact that it's something fun to do, its something to do on those weeknights when I get home from class or work and can't go out to the bar, go to a game or concert, or need a break from studying.