Collecting Cards No Longer for Kids

[mikesilvia]

By Kevin Lee aka gosens151911

Back in the ‘70s to ‘90s one of the most popular activities of choice for kids was collecting sports cards. The majority of card packs that existed only cost at most a buck or two at most and had very few, or no, autos and jerseys. It was an easy hobby, [...]

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[stevenhsu]

Yes i totally agree with that.
Back in the 90's years, packs are easily affordable for kids ,
busting out a jordan hologram or inserts, even common cards are mostly exciting.

The states behind the cards are always been read again and again just to recognize the player.

However, packs have increase into dollars, which is not affordable anymore for kids.
Mostly when i bust boxes, the commons are being thrown into boxes are given to kids.
It's kind of sad to have made the hobby into this kind.

Sometimes i just wonder if collections can be built without using so much money, but with full interest and passions.

[pyonir]

"3. Complexity of the Hobby"

No doubt about that one. Having been away from the hobby for over 10 years, I'm still trying to learn bits and pieces as I go along. One of the hardest things to get used to is acronyms like GU, PC, etc. I'm figuring them out...slowly but surely.

[gatorboymike]

That's all right and true, but it's not really telling us anything we didn't already know. Here are some questions I'd like to see answered:

Is there really high demand among kids for sports cards that isn't being addressed?
If so, what could be done to address it?
If not, would it be advantageous to the hobby overall to increase kids' participation?
And if it is advantageous, how could it be made profitable to the card manufacturers? Because if it's not profitable for the manufacturers to market cards for kids, they just won't do it.

[booyahlaw]

I think the companies do make affordable sets for set builders or children, I believe the problem is more that these sets are not the ones that kids are interested in purchasing. Less face it, children today are smart and can access the internet just as well (or better in my case) as adults. If you were a kid, and saw all the different cards out there, which ones would you want a pack of? The one with only base cards, or the one that has a card going for $1k on ebay? I find experience in the hobby as a kid different from how the hobby is today. If I was a kid in today's market, I wouldn't want the Topps or UD base sets, I would want the high end stuff--I just wasn't faced with that choice as a kid because I only had a few options to choose from.

[tyude2]

I'm a kid, (I say this every time I hear something like) by that I don't mean like a teenager, I mean I'm barely old enough to even be allowed on this site (I think the age is 13), I have 7 hobby boxes coming in today that I bought with MY money, not my parents. (I had been saving up from chores and lawn work in the neighborhood for a long time) But I collect Devin Thomas, and UK. So I obviously don't go for the big time money cards.

[pootshwan]

I believe the card manufacturer's know exactly what they're doing. There are still sets to keep a kids interest in the hobby (Topps, UD, Bowman etc.) These are all affordable packs kids can buy. Obviously kids want to open UD Black, Exquisite, Premier, Ultimate, Topps Sterling, etc. but they can't afford it. But here's the thing: when I was a kid collecting cards in the early 1990's there were packs that I never got to open because they were just too expensive too. 1990 Leaf was always way out of my reach, then when Topps Finest and Donruss Elite came out that was way over what I could afford. I was DYING to open these 'higher end' packs but I couldn't afford it. It's the same kind of situation now.

I knew once I got older I would have a job and more money to buy more expensive products, and sure enough in 1996 SPX was released. I remember each pack costing something like $12 for 3 cards. This was just an obnoxious price back then (but because I grew up with the craving to open up higher end products as a kid) when I was finally financially able to afford the packs I bought them and didn't think twice. That's all card manufacturers are doing, they're making the high end products even MORE desirable now than they were in the 90's. This generation of kid collectors are yearning to get their hands on those high end products that garuntee X amount of autographs per pack. So when they become financially able to buy higher products 10 years from now, they will not think twice and buy it.

Contrary to popular belief the manufacturers aren't idiots. They completely understand if they get a kid interested in cards they will have a customer for then next 60+ years. If they get a 45 year old interested they will only have that customer for 25 years or so.

Steve

[bosoulja82]

does anyone know why ud, topps,panini dont advertise at all? when some of my friends come over and they see my collections they are simply amazed how far cards have come. i would think that advertising would benefit the companies. does anyone know why they dont?

[youngnex]

does anyone know why ud, topps,panini dont advertise at all? when some of my friends come over and they see my collections they are simply amazed how far cards have come. i would think that advertising would benefit the companies. does anyone know why they dont?

This def happens to me, EVERYTIME......

I think its something that pulling a hit.... should always be a surprised. I think advertising may either mess up the game, or it will make cards even more expensive. They def promote it, with their advertising publisher file. I dont know if you seen it. But, it shows examples of the cards and ect. But usually the people that see them are people like us.

[andrewhoya]

I'm a kid, (I say this every time I hear something like) by that I don't mean like a teenager, I mean I'm barely old enough to even be allowed on this site (I think the age is 13), I have 7 hobby boxes coming in today that I bought with MY money, not my parents. (I had been saving up from chores and lawn work in the neighborhood for a long time) But I collect Devin Thomas, and UK. So I obviously don't go for the big time money cards.

I'm with you- I'm also a young teen, or "kid"... Almost all my money I earn goes towards cards.

I also agree with the article. I focus on mostly just trying to collect the "normal" sets: 2008 Topps, 2007 Upper Deck, etc. I don't go for any of the 2008 Stadium Club Top Seat (made that up, BTW). Those seem just way too complex. I DO trade on here for base cards I need, but it is sooooo hard, as most people just want GU, autos, etc. I, hopefully, will be collecting for the rest of my life.