Anyone else feel the same way?

[ullmandds]

I had really slowed down in my purchasing the last few years as my focus is pretty narrow these days. I have been casually checking out Auctions the last few years but have not been terribly aggressive in anyway.

But I totally feel the same way! To me the essence of the hobby has been forever bastardised.

So I have returned to my childhood collecting Ways...I now have a binder of Yankees and a binder of Hall of Famer‘s. Im happy!

[Peter_Spaeth]

While I wait I am working on expanding my 80s and 90s rookies down to the next level of not quite good enough for the Hall lol. Not too worried on these purchases. Rolen (well maybe some day), Edmonds, Cone, players of that ilk.

I haven't lost enthusiasm for cards yet. But my hatred of the fraudsters, and honestly to some extent my bad feelings towards some of the people who defended them for years, have if anything grown.

I still think one can separate cards from the fraudsters, though it's not easy.

[MULLINS5]

Opposite for me. Since the scandal I've ditched graded, gone raw, and have a lot more fun (and money). Bought a bunch of unikeep binders and pages.

[todeen]

Originally Posted by MULLINS5

Opposite for me. Since the scandal I've ditched graded, gone raw, and have a lot more fun (and money). Bought a bunch of unikeep binders and pages.

I never got into graded cards. Bought raw, still by raw. I did kind of follow authenticated autographs. But for 10 years I have heard that fraud is rampant in this sector. I followed the hall of shame blog. Best advice has always been buy from your trusted local dealer. So the news to me hasn't been earth shattering.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[frankbmd]

The name of this is thread could appropriately changed to

ENNUI?

Starting to downsize in preparation for my RIP condolence thread, but don’t get your hopes up. I may be around for twenty more years.

[jammin0511]

Although I'm certainly upset with all of the scandalous activity that is being exposed in the hobby, I am what you might consider a "low end" collector; most of the cards I'm after are not really worth altering. For the most part, I actively avoid graded cards in general, let alone "gem mint" cards, so my collecting habits are essentially unaffected. However, the high end cards that I have always drooled over but could never afford seem much less appealing now. I'm sure if I was, shall we say, of higher economic status, my collection would be much different and my outlook on the hobby would be greatly affected.

[egri]

I've become a lot more cautious, (Earlier this year I passed on a card I needed for my project because it was authenticated by JSA. When other collectors I asked didn't feel comfortable with it, I let it go.) but I am still very involved and still check here/eBay/Mickey's/SCN frequently for new listings.

[chalupacollects]

Just utilizing BST for the most part...

[Yankees1964]

I have also stopped. I have not lost interest but instead shifted to working on a 91 Desert Shield set. I never bought from PWCC. I am more of an in person buyer at shows and on Net54 but many times I end up with a card that at one time went through PWCC. I'm actually waiting, maybe dreaming, for when there is a comprehensive list of altered cards that will be out there.

[CurtisFlood]

Originally Posted by Yankees1964

I have also stopped. I have not lost interest but instead shifted to working on a 91 Desert Shield set. I never bought from PWCC. I am more of an in person buyer at shows and on Net54 but many times I end up with a card that at one time went through PWCC. I'm actually waiting, maybe dreaming, for when there is a comprehensive list of altered cards that will be out there.

You do know they counterfeited those too don't you? If the pineapple is outside the border the card is quite possibly one of the fakes. Good luck with that set though. I've seen one that was minus the Chipper Jones Rookie, but felt the seller wanted full blown retail so I couldn't make a deal with him.

[Jim65]

No it hasn't. Being almost exclusively a Mets collector, I already own most every Mets card, outside of some of the true rarities. The scandal hasn't affected me at all.

[oldjudge]

No

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by jammin0511

Although I'm certainly upset with all of the scandalous activity that is being exposed in the hobby, I am what you might consider a "low end" collector; most of the cards I'm after are not really worth altering. For the most part, I actively avoid graded cards in general, let alone "gem mint" cards, so my collecting habits are essentially unaffected. However, the high end cards that I have always drooled over but could never afford seem much less appealing now. I'm sure if I was, shall we say, of higher economic status, my collection would be much different and my outlook on the hobby would be greatly affected.

+1. My enthusiasm for the way I collect has not dampened; if anything I feel vindicated, like I instinctively chose the right path. I still collect like a twelve year old me when it comes to older cards: perfectly happy with stuff from the dollar box (aka low grade cards) because I get to have more of them and they can be in my easily-enjoyed binders instead of in boxes of slabs. The vast majority of my slabbed cards are those I submitted myself, so no doubts about them. I am very much looking forward to the National.

[packs]

I guess the most surprising thing to me is that this many people collect high grade cards at all. My 1's and 2's are still looking pretty sweet and I'm not losing sleep over any of them.

Why don't you guys buy cards that look 100 years old instead?

[Snapolit1]

Originally Posted by packs

I guess the most surprising thing to me is that this many people collect high grade cards at all. My 1's and 2's are still looking pretty sweet and I'm not losing sleep over any of them.

Why don't you guys buy cards that look 100 years old instead?

Because for many collectors there is a rush having something that the best available, 1 of 1 or 1 or 2. Makes it seem extra amazing. Not limited to cards at all. Talk to a comic book collector or someone who collects beany babies, humells, or anything else.

[bbsports]

Listen guys, I understand how you all feel and you have every right to be down about this hobby. This is still a great hobby and just because there are a few real bad apples that have committed fraud, should we punish all the honest dealers in this hobby? Absolutely not! I have doing cards for 55 years, 40 of them as a dealer, and I am always careful of what I purchase whether it is privately or on line because I resell to the general public. If I get hurt, the customer gets hurt. People still go to baseball games, even though some players try to get an "edge" by taking drugs. Well, you don't ban collecting cards and going to card shows because some of these cheaters that are hurting the hobby. Hopefully the ones that have been cheating for years, most will get caught & this pass by. However it will take time. Don't give up on this great hobby yet.

[Yankees1964]

Originally Posted by bbsports

Listen guys, I understand how you all feel and you have every right to be down about this hobby. This is still a great hobby and just because there are a few real bad apples that have committed fraud, should we punish all the honest dealers in this hobby? Absolutely not! I have doing cards for 55 years, 40 of them as a dealer, and I am always careful of what I purchase whether it is privately or on line because I resell to the general public. If I get hurt, the customer gets hurt. People still go to baseball games, even though some players try to get an "edge" by taking drugs. Well, you don't ban collecting cards and going to card shows because some of these cheaters that are hurting the hobby. Hopefully the ones that have been cheating for years, most will get caught & this pass by. However it will take time. Don't give up on this great hobby yet.

Bill, this will make me support guys like you Don and others even more. I can't give up on this hobby, I am too old and need something to keep my mind off of reality . I am just going to concentrate all my buying from guys I know at Philly and White Plains and auction houses I trust (LOTG, Sterling).

[Donscards]

Originally Posted by bbsports

Listen guys, I understand how you all feel and you have every right to be down about this hobby. This is still a great hobby and just because there are a few real bad apples that have committed fraud, should we punish all the honest dealers in this hobby? Absolutely not! I have doing cards for 55 years, 40 of them as a dealer, and I am always careful of what I purchase whether it is privately or on line because I resell to the general public. If I get hurt, the customer gets hurt. People still go to baseball games, even though some players try to get an "edge" by taking drugs. Well, you don't ban collecting cards and going to card shows because some of these cheaters that are hurting the hobby. Hopefully the ones that have been cheating for years, most will get caught & this pass by. However it will take time. Don't give up on this great hobby yet.

Well said---I agree with you on the hobby and business. With all the graded cards in this hobby, it is a very small percentage of altered cards out there. Yes, it is bad what these guys have done and there are a lot more people doing this than we have mentioned. But I also have been selling cards for a long time and look forward to a Great National. I still am buying cards strong and if anybody wants to sell me cards, just let me know.

[dabigyankeeman]

Over the years I have bought a lot of graded cards mainly to verify that they are authentic and not counterfeits, and then popped them out of their slabs and put them raw into sheets in albums. The last couple of years I have left them in their slabs again mainly for authenticity in case I want to sell them down the road. I dont get into the super-expensive stuff, and for me I am not going to let this scandal take away the fantastic enjoyment I get out of collecting. I think that except for a small bunch of really intense collectors, this whole thing in time will blow over anyway.

[bnorth]

I haven't really changed much but my focus. I have been on a Wade Boggs bat kick for a while now thanks to Sean(JoeDfan). Also got into Eddie Mathews because Sean and I teamed up on a group of bats and I got the Eddie Mathews. Then I realized how great he was as a player so been adding some of his cards to my hoard.

Really need to greatly reduce the insane size of my collection that I have accumulated over the last 35 years. I am a hoarder and a procrastinator so not much has changed there.

Since day one I have considered PSA a scam. I have avoided PWCC and several other scammers for years. So this latest little bump in the road has had little to no affect on me or my collecting at all.