As a 35 year old, my first memories of cards included going to the corner store and buying 87 topps wax packs of baseball and football (I remember being excited after finding a Bo Jackson 'Future Stars' card of which I still have today - although a little roughed up). As a young kid I didn't care, or even understand, about equating a card with a monetary value. I simply loved the designs and photos of my favorite players (dale murphy at the time). By the early 90's when I was in middle school, kids were trading and buying inserts, scouring the becket price guides like wall street investors. It slowly evolved into valuing the cards because of their...um...value. I remember the 1989 upper deck set that I got for Xmas and watching the Griffey climb in value each month in my becket magazines.
I stopped collecting around 1998. Years later when I got back into the hobby I was amazed at the amount of 'products' that were available, but It just wasn't the same. Kids just don't collect cards as we used to. I recall walking through any major retail store and seeing rack packs and boxes lining the toy section. Now they are put aside next to the cash registers just about anywhere you go. Baseball card promotions could be found everywhere (gas stations, grocery stores, fast food restaurants, cereal boxes, etc.).
These days packs retail packs are priced beyond belief base cards are, for the most part, thrown aside like the wrapper itself as collectors desperately look for a hit.
I believe kids will always collect tangible stuff. But these days with video games, electronics, smart phones, I can understand why cardboard doesn't look as appealing, especially since it cost so much. Also, as scary as it is, more and more kids don't even know who Mickey Mantle was, let alone guys like Mays and Koufax. I am a teacher so I see it first hand every day.
As for me, I collect what I like and treat it only as a hobby. Should that hobby die off (much like stamp collecting) then the silver lining will be cheaper cards that I am looking for.
|