Depressing

[ls7plus]

Originally Posted by mechanicalman

While I don't collect modern, I can understand this sentiment completely. I can imagine that if you took your son to a Reds game and Joey Votto winked at your boy on the on-deck circle and then cracked 2 HRs, you'd have more allegiance for him that you would any Mantle, Williams, or Ruth (all flawed characters in their own right.)

When it comes to the modern/vintage debate, I try to separate the players from the cards. While I think modern players can spark passion, I personally, do not appreciate the cards. If I love Mike Trout, for example, which of his 100 rookie cards do I pursue? Should I go after the "Cognac Diamond Anniversary" edition or maybe the "Super Refractor with Bedazzled Edges 1/1" edition that looks like it was designed by an 8th grade girl? Having grown up in the 80s when there was just one base card of a rookie (yes, way overproduced), I am used to simplicity. I just can't wrap my head around the incredibly complex system of manufactured rarity that drives the modern market.

Don't get me wrong. I'm glad the modern market exists even if I don't participate in it. I would never begrudge anyone who does. It's just not for me, and that's a function of the cards, not the players.

Hi, Sam. From a sheer numbers standpoint, the many, many, many different "rookie" cards cannot do anything but cause a fragmentation of demand in the future. That means, of course, great difficulty in achieving any significant appreciation in value of any given example.

Best always,

Larry