Sports Card Addiction Is Slowly Coming Out of the Shadows Article

[parkplace33]

Very interesting article from Sports Collectors Daily about Card Addiction:

https://www.sportscollectorsdaily.co...f-the-shadows/

I thought the article (and videos) were well done. While most of the article was about modern cards, I have (sadly) seen this in the vintage area as well. Examples over the last few years are collectors who hide purchases/cards from family members, not knowing what they own, and racking up debt to buy cards.

I love cards, don't get me wrong, but I can definitely see how this can be a slippery slope for some collectors. And I do worry that with sports gambling, this "gambling" mentality will be more prevalent in the card community.

[packs]

I don't feel like this happens to "collectors". I feel like this is only a problem for "gamblers" who find their attention momentarily on sports cards. I'd be willing to "bet" the same people who are "addicted" to sports cards have had other fads they were similarly addicted to in the past.

[toledo_mudhen]

On a different note - I'm pretty sure that my need for "vintage" sports cards has driven my career over the last 30 years or so.

Whenever, I found that I needed more "cash" for cards - I simply got a better job.

[ALBB]

interesting article..

I think many collectors are " somewhat addicted" to hobby,,,but can get their " fix or relief" ..just by going to this here Net 54 site, or ebay, or local card show... just to satisfy that " collecting urge "

Probably worse if your a guy whos got the " bug"..and has big money avail. for purchases .... I could see lots of unwise purchases, over spending , etc..

[packs]

I feel like a lot of people on this board: I love baseball cards more than anyone in the world.

I would never go into debt for them. I think the only people who would are people who would go into debt for a million other things too. They aren't collectors.

[Snapolit1]

Originally Posted by packs

I don't feel like this happens to "collectors". I feel like this is only a problem for "gamblers" who find their attention momentarily on sports cards. I'd be willing to "bet" the same people who are "addicted" to sports cards have had other fads they were similarly addicted to in the past.

I disagree. I am sure they are guys who have been checking ebay while their wife is in labor or during their daughter's dance recital to see if that rare Polar Bear back they have been chasing has been listed by any chance. Or even at a funeral home.

You can be obesssed chasing money and you can be obsessed just chasing things.

[packs]

I don't think browsing is a sign of addiction. People who like to watch Texas Hold Em aren't gambling because they're watching.

[raulus]

Originally Posted by packs

I don't think browsing is a sign of addiction. People who like to watch Texas Hold Em aren't gambling because they're watching.

Allow me to suggest that if your mere browsing is interfering with your ability to enjoy and be present for every other aspect of your life, then it's probably gone too far.

[packs]

Originally Posted by raulus

Allow me to suggest that if your mere browsing is interfering with your ability to enjoy and be present for every other aspect of your life, then it's probably gone too far.

No disrespect but I think you're talking about having a phone at all and not baseball cards.

[Snapolit1]

People can spend their hours/days/months/years doing whatever they want. Always worth keeping in mind that that obscure card you've been chasing for 11 years probably will mean very little if anything to folks 2 minutes after you die. Will be sold by someone who likely will have a small fraction, if any, of the feelings you have for said piece of cardboard. So if you are buy now to flip, or buying now to hoard until someone else eventually sells, I don't see the big difference. Fulfilling some kind of psychological need. I don't see one as being better or more impressive than the other. I hope my kids are impressed someday with the goodies I leave them. And I hope they turn around and sell it all and use it to travel and do cool stuff.

[brianp-beme]

Originally Posted by packs

I don't think browsing is a sign of addiction. People who like to watch Texas Hold Em aren't gambling because they're watching.

Though I imagine people have figured out a way to gamble on the outcome of Texas Hold Em tournament broadcasts.

Brian

[G1911]

Racking up debt to buy cards is a bad thing? The boards advice was to go take out loans from the bank and to empty my 401K to buy more cards!

[x2drich2000]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

I disagree. I am sure they are guys who have been checking ebay while their wife is in labor or during their daughter's dance recital to see if that rare Polar Bear back they have been chasing has been listed by any chance. Or even at a funeral home.

You can be obesssed chasing money and you can be obsessed just chasing things.

100% agree with this. Addiction comes in many different forms. Addiction doesn't mean just ripping packs looking for the big hit. It also doesn't need to be expensive or financially draining. It could be a shopping addition by winning cards, browsing auctions/ebay, or even this site. It is just a need to be doing something with an adverse effect.

[packs]

Originally Posted by x2drich2000

100% agree with this. Addiction comes in many different forms. Addiction doesn't mean just ripping packs looking for the big hit. It also doesn't need to be expensive or financially draining. It could be a shopping addition by winning cards, browsing auctions/ebay, or even this site. It is just a need to be doing something with an adverse effect.

I would call that obsession and not addiction. And I think as collectors we can all relate to obsession. When I buy a Ruth I've been eying for a long time I feel a sense of relief for my obsession. But I don't feel an immediate need to buy another one. I have been satisfied, which I think is the difference.

[todeen]

I think we are really cutting hairs by trying to define obsession and addiction. My wife would say they are synonymous and I still have a stupid hobby regardless of semantics.

I am a Latter-day Saint, or Mormon, and we talk about pornography addiction in our church a lot. One thing that they have published in the past is that members need to recognize there are occasional users, casual users, and everyday users. Everyday users would be those that fit the societal stereotypical definition of addicted. Occasional users would be viewing porn maybe once a month; and casual users might be once a week. I think this type of thinking would be similar to people who only smoke at bars. For some reason, when they are in that setting they choose to have a cigarette. But someone addicted to cigarettes will need one at a certain time each day. I knew a man who got down to one cigarette a day but couldn't stop because he needed it to go poop. If he didn't smoke on the toilet he got constipated.

[raulus]

Originally Posted by todeen

I knew a man who got down to one cigarette a day but couldn't stop because he needed it to go poop. If he didn't smoke on the toilet he got constipated.

Sounds like it's for medicinal purposes, which I'm pretty sure is permitted.

[ClementeFanOh]

I read the article and every post afterward. The article itself states that
sports card purchasing doesn't meet the parameters/definition of "addiction",
which was my initial feeling upon reading the first post. Lots of people do
unwise/unproductive/counterproductive things repeatedly- but does that
make the behavior "addictive"? No. My wife likes to unwind after work by
watching an hour of game shows. She does that almost every weeknight,
but I've not been tempted to call it an addiction. There's no financial cost
there, so how about folks who burn money on "toys" and underuse them?
RVs, boats, premium watches/jewelry, the list goes on, and they eventually
realize it's wasted money. But is it an addiction?

There seems to be a societal trend to try to classify/quantify almost every
behavior with some sort of clinical nomenclature. Bad choices don't always,
or even often, equate to addiction. My 2 pennies... Trent King

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by todeen

If he didn't smoke on the toilet he got constipated.

That's a really $h*tty problem to have.

He should try some Activia...it helps you poop



or maybe he prefers dry cereal:



Thanks, you've been a great audience. Enjoy Cheap Trick.

[steve B]

I like Rons idea, yeah, even the office workers. Looking at collecting long term,You never know who might become famous.

Imagine being down about pulling a card of Bill whatsis name, that kid who seems to live in the film room even though we don't pay him.
Then years later realizing thats the rookie card of a now famous coach.

I think that could be loads of fun.

[todeen]

Ron's idea isn't bad. Topps is doing something similar with their living set, with a new release every week. Each player will only appear once per uniform. So Griffey Jr could appear three times. They did no inserts or parallels until just this year. So collectors got grumpy about that because now people will increase print runs just trying to get the parallels.

[todeen]

Please, no one wants a card of KRog. They want a plate..... with a three piece dark chicken combo on it.



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