Discussion: Your Collection and The Digital Card Movement

[creasecollector]

Hello my card collecting friends,

After thinking about this for a while, I've decided to post this up for a little bit of discussion.

With the rise of Upper Deck ePack, Topps Skate, and whatever comes down the line with electronic cards, looks like they're here to stay alongside our physical cards we know and love. Say what you will about these platforms and what it brings, good or bad, it raises another topic that may interest player collectors:

Where do electronic cards stand in your PC?

I've seen some people disregard their existence completely, others go nuts (in a crazy, awesome way) in order to pickup the newest card(s) of their PC player, virtual or not, in order to complete those full rainbows. And if I recall correctly, I believe it was our very own Ryan Kesler Super Collector went as far as getting his Topps Skate cards made into physical cards. Neat!

As far as have/wantlists go, where does virtual cards stand with your collection? Does it give you a unique opportunity to 'pad the numbers', add fresh and exciting cards to your player collection who might not get as much hobby love, or do you pass them completely and take them off the wantlist, even though the cards are ready to be claimed or traded for, virtually speaking of course.

Now, I know there are traditionalists in this hobby, and that's cool. So I understand the immediate and quick response of "Well if you can't hold it, then it's not a hockey card" statement. I've felt that too. And I get that, I really do, but hear me out on this one.

For example, something that jumps out at me is the app Topps Skate, where a particular player may have many cards on that app just waiting to be had. And, to me, If someone is looking to get their name out there as the player collector, that's a lot of cards that they can potentially pickup for their collection to help expand their collection and pickup new things. I've seen a lot of collectors count and add many cards to their collection just from Topps Skate alone. It's been exciting stuff, and I love what Topps is doing on there.

I guess there are really no right or wrong answers to this kind of topic, but I think it's an important (did I mention interesting? :) ) discussion piece to have in our unique place in the hobby right now. Virtual is in !

[doniceage]

I do not have any and probably will never have any unless they come to me from someone who has them in hand. I spend too much time on the internet already when I want to unwind I like to open a box of cards and actually feel the hobby not view it thru a screen. I have no qualms about it but can you imagine walking into a cardshow and there was no cards there were just tablets on the tables for you to choose which card you wanted to add to your inventory. I display my cards in a basement along with jerseys, sticks, etc. I do not want to share clip art of the digital cards I have. They are here to stay so enjoy it if it your cup of tea. If not you can enjoy the hobby in the traditional sense.

DON

[sparty07]

I'm not a fan of anything that I have a "license" to on the internet and as soon as they decide to stop the app there goes my card

[creasecollector]

I'm not a fan of anything that I have a "license" to on the internet and as soon as they decide to stop the app there goes my card

Well, you could screenshot and save the images on your mobile device and/or your computer if you're afraid of them stopping the app.

[creasecollector]

I do not have any and probably will never have any unless they come to me from someone who has them in hand. I spend too much time on the internet already when I want to unwind I like to open a box of cards and actually feel the hobby not view it thru a screen. I have no qualms about it but can you imagine walking into a cardshow and there was no cards there were just tablets on the tables for you to choose which card you wanted to add to your inventory. I display my cards in a basement along with jerseys, sticks, etc. I do not want to share clip art of the digital cards I have. They are here to stay so enjoy it if it your cup of tea. If not you can enjoy the hobby in the traditional sense.

DON

Very true. That cardshow how example you used sounds like a nightmare! Definitely don't want it to come to that. Nope. I for one would not want to see an all-digital landscape when it comes to cards. No way. I like my physical cards too much! So I'm with you on that one.

This threads focus was more for those oddball releases (Ex. Topps Skate) that can go along with and hand-in-hand with your physical cards in your collection, if someone chooses to do so. :)

And since the virtual card thing is here to stay for the time being, there are options for player collectors to pick up a few of those digital cards if they want.

[scottkoz20]

I'm tagging @packrip.com as this is something I think they would have interest in potentially adding to or are least viewing the discussion on this thread

[87sluggo]

And if I recall correctly, I believe it was our very own Ryan Kesler Super Collector went as far as getting his Topps Skate cards made into physical cards. Neat!

You do recall correctly, sir!








I plan on getting more cards made as soon as my budget permits, not just Keslers but relics as well. Ima buy cheap jersey cards off eBay and rip em up and insert the swatches into the customs, because that sounds perfectly sane

Personally, I love Topps Skate. It's a cheap way to feed my addictions, I spend $6-12 dollars per week on insert sets from eBay so that I can get the award cards and then I trade what I don't want for the base cards that I need to complete Series 1. The fact that they're not "actual" cards is a bit of a downer, I'm from a generation that values physical possessions. Which is why I guess I get the customs made. But hey, in the end I can't take any of it with me so what does it matter if I leave behind a binder full of cards or a iPad full of "cards" right?

As far as Upper Deck ePack goes, I open my daily free pack of base cards and wait for stuff to show up on COMC.

[87sluggo]

One more thing. There's 2 Kesler print plates, an SPGU black, and Compendium singles up on ePack and I have nothing decent to trade for them. If anyone can help in exchange for $$$$ I'd sure appreciate it.

xoxoxoxox

Ed

[sedinfan]

Maybe I'm a traditionalist but I don't even consider digital only stuff to be 'cards'. I have zero interest in 'owning' anything online, can't be bothered to even keep base Compendium cards of the Sedins.

That being said, I've had fun participating in the ePack Compendium madness, trading up to acquire enough digital cards to exchange for the physical rainbows has been a blast.

[creasecollector]

You do recall correctly, sir!








I plan on getting more cards made as soon as my budget permits, not just Keslers but relics as well. Ima buy cheap jersey cards off eBay and rip em up and insert the swatches into the customs, because that sounds perfectly sane

Personally, I love Topps Skate. It's a cheap way to feed my addictions, I spend $6-12 dollars per week on insert sets from eBay so that I can get the award cards and then I trade what I don't want for the base cards that I need to complete Series 1. The fact that they're not "actual" cards is a bit of a downer, I'm from a generation that values physical possessions. Which is why I guess I get the customs made. But hey, in the end I can't take any of it with me so what does it matter if I leave behind a binder full of cards or a iPad full of "cards" right?

As far as Upper Deck ePack goes, I open my daily free pack of base cards and wait for stuff to show up on COMC.

See, I find things like this very cool. If you can use platforms like Topps Skate to trade up and earn a card, even if it's a digital one, but find a way to be creative with and by producing a real physical card, or just printing it out even. Something. Anything, really.. Then why not show it off and add it to the collection in some way, shape, or form? Some of those Topps Skate cards I've heard can be a real pain to track down, especially some of those base parallels. So why not add it in? Even if it's to your own "Digital PC Checklist" or something of the sort?

Hey, I'll be the first one to admit that my first gut-feeling towards the Topps Skate app and digital cards were not very keen on the idea, but seeing the various parallels and cards collectors can acquire - I say why not. Especially when the cards look as cool as they do. (Another reason why I think Topps should get a license to print NHL cards, but that's another story for another day, and I do think they'll be using Topps Skate as a big part of their pitch to the NHLPA if they get the chance).

If you put the effort to earn the digital card, and go above and beyond and try and turn it into a physical card, I wouldn't mind the idea of adding it my own collection. Sure, it may come with it's own invisible asterisk to some when viewing a PC, but I also find it as another avenue to explore and build around when taking into account someones personal player collection.

One recent example would be TKMullin's recent Show & Tell.

Link: https://www.sportscardforum.com/thre...itions-for-May

Kendall's monthly Fleury recap had some digital cards thrown into the mix. And you know what? I enjoyed that part, too. Seeing the cool parallels, and Topps Focus cards were something nice to see. Seeing that big Fluery stick save on a card, even a digital one, was really sweet. Plus those Head To Head Stanley Cup playoffs cards were so cool. Recent, up-to-date, and just pure sweet. Yes, I know it's not a physical thing, but can't we still enjoy them and include them with out physical cards as well, can't we? I think maybe so.

I also want to make one thing clear also: I LOVE physical cards. Always have. Always will. I understand my approach to this thread may make me look like I'm leaning all digital, which I'm definitely not. That would be an utter nightmare which I don't even wanna touch. Just all sorts of no going on there.

For the record, what UD is doing with ePack right now is the perfect mix right now in my opinion. They have their physical cards (which are so awesome trading up for one, and I love that), but they also have those middle of the road cards like the Compendium Magenta base parallels which are digital-only cards. More physical cards, all the time, with a touch of digital when appropriate and applicable. Good mix. (I wish all the cards were physical, but they're not so we need to make do and accept that).

All I'm saying is inclusion is good for the hobby, and more choices are what makes collecting fun and a taaaaaad addicting. If we add more cards to the mix, physical or digital, it gives more people more chances at collecting their favourite team, player, or set, and that at the end of the day is a very good thing.

If people are willing to drop actual money on digital cards through Topps Skate, at first glance that sounds silly. But I think on the other hand, as a collector and fans of this hobby, I think we must also ask the question: "If collectors are willing to drop money on digital-only cards, shouldn't we be taking a look into the mirror (as a hobby community) and taking it more seriously as a legit add to someone's collection?". If it's collectible, and it's proven that digital cards are, I think we need to give it an honest look.

But again, it's up to the collector to decide what to collect, and what to include in their have/want lists, so there may be some who agree with me and some who don't. And you know what? That's very much okay.

So although it might not seem like much, I have been having a blast at seeing those hardcore player collectors unafraid to add some cool new digital things to the mix alongside that physical card goodness. It looks great in your Show And Tells, it gives us something to talk about, and it may pad your PC numbers a bit if you choose to that route as well. Am I over thinking this whole thing? Yeah, probably, but that's okay. :)