Modern can be fun. I've opened four boxes of Heritage this year because I love the design and enjoy the rips.
OK, one was hobby and three were WalMart but still. I'm enjoying assembling a base set from scratch, trading with friends to fill in gaps, etc. I don't really care about the lotto results; if I pull a good insert I'd probably just trade it away. I've only ever pulled one good insert:
I probably spent $1K on cards that year, so I won't make a dime on it, ever. But I had a hell of a lot of fun busting all the packs that year.
There is definitely a modern autograph market. Just depends on the price. I wouldn't pay $3K for an Ohtani signed card but that's just because I won't pay that for nearly any signed card, but I'd definitely buy and have bought modern signed cards of players I admire:
One of my want list items for the National is an Ichiro signed card. The thrill of owning something that a baseball god signed is there regardless of whether it was signed in 1910 or 2010.
I paid $0.50 for this Bud Selig:
probably overpaid...