Does Anyone Still Just Collect Cards?

[Republicaninmass]

Guess there aren't many holier than thou.

I'd like to know, if families that are " well taken care of", have ever felt they were put on the back burner because of their loved one's collecting. Sometime the time spent away from family would have been much better than them being monetarily taken care of. Also, probably having the forethought and written plan when you croak may also be wise. Since it's bad enough to get rid of all the other crap you've accumulated, cards just add more to the to-do list

[jingram058]

Originally Posted by Republicaninmass

Guess there aren't many holier than thou.

I'd like to know, if families that are " well taken care of", have ever felt they were put on the back burner because of their loved one's collecting. Sometime the time spent away from family would have been much better than them being monetarily taken care of. Also, probably having the forethought and written plan when you croak may also be wise. Since it's bad enough to get rid of all the other crap you've accumulated, cards just add more to the to-do list

There are a vast majority on this forum far holier than me. I'm just a humble little old raw cards collector. Just look at the $5 Goudey I picked up in the post above. Did you know that Woody English was an AAGPBL manager when his playing days were over? I didn't. Do you have any idea why it has a blank back? I still don't know why. Or why it was punched by what looks like a railroad conductor's ticket punch.

[brianp-beme]

Originally Posted by jingram058

There are a vast majority on this forum far holier than me. I'm just a humble little old raw cards collector. Just look at the $5 Goudey I picked up in the post above. Did you know that Woody English was an AAGPBL manager when his playing days were over? I didn't. Do you have any idea why it has a blank back? I still don't know why. Or why it was punched by what looks like a railroad conductor's ticket punch.

Nice 1934 Goudey. I have a feeling, as it appears to have a fairly rough and uneven back, that it had a thin layer of its back removed many decades ago, and just aged itself over time to look like that is how it came off the printing press. Several types of punches are seen on older cards, and for many sets this is assumed to be redemption punches. I don't remember seeing that many punched Goudey cards, so it might just be a kid with access to a punch that wanted to make the card a little more see-through.

All just guesses though.

Brian

[Snapolit1]

Like a lot of people on the board, I’ve busted my ass my whole life, working like a dog, nights, weekends, etc, and now I am at the point where this hobby brings me a lot of joy and it’s about me doing something for me, not for family, not for friends, etc. and it feels good to “indulge” and do something for me. Do I like collecting rare things in nice condition, yep. I like beautiful preserved cards over a bunch or dog eared cards in a rubber band. I like nice photos better than one’s that are ripped. I like holding stuff in my hands that are one of a kind and I’ve never seen another. I like sometimes having the nicest graded copy of something. I don’t need to touch an old card to enjoy owning it.

No one type of a collector is more of a collector
Or a better collector than anyone else. People need to move on from the idea there is some pure true collector.

Make yourself happy. Stop worrying what others are doing. Hobby has a big tent.

[Republicaninmass]

Lots of dealers out there who fit the narrative of single or divorced. Its a cruel hobby that can consume you. I wish my son showed more interest, alack, he seems to like coins and Pokémon more.


Don't let it take time away from loved ones, and try not to leave them with boxes of $5 cards and auction house won't take.

I don't think anyone's last wish would be... they bid one increment more to win a card.

Anyone can find balance. It doesn't matter whether it is a hobby or a job. Some, allow their job to take time away from loved ones.

I will say, without the advent of ebay, people who "just collect" would have never seen, nor been able to find a great many number of difficult cards. Even 1952 topps hugh numbers are/were scare at shows and those are "easy"!

[Mike D.]

It is fun when it still happens. Not pre-war, but my brother, who's in his 40's, recently bought some lots of the "less than big name" players he was a fan of as a kid off eBay. 140+ card lots of Julio Franco cards with lots of oddballs, for example. I think it cost him less than $10 delivered, which is pretty good for a bit of fun considering you can't buy a fast food lunch for that anymore.

I wrote an article a while back on the different types of collectors.

[raulus]

Originally Posted by Mike D.

I wrote an article a while back on the different types of collectors.

Fun read.

It does seem to leave out some of us. For example, I found myself not really falling into any of the groups described, although I suppose I’m kinda sorta sometimes in some of these groups. It almost seemed like the article suggested that there’s a pure play collector who cares not one whit about value, a la Jingram, and then a whole bunch of different investors, who take different approaches to their hold period and focus.

Personally, I collect what I like, and I collect it because it brings me joy. Value is definitely secondary. But because so much of my personal fortune is tied up in cardboard, I can’t be completely agnostic as to value. At the same time, I certainly don’t buy it because I expect it to go up in value. And when I buy, I generally plan to hold it for decades. If investing for a return was important to me, I probably would have sold everything about a year or two ago.

But with so much invested, barring a really strong run from my more traditional investments, it will almost certainly be a part of the value that funds some portion of my retirement. The value also matters because of not having to be on the receiving end of grief from my wife. She’s convinced that I’m going to lose my shirt, and it helps with our relationship that it hasn’t happened yet.

[Gorditadogg]

Originally Posted by Mike D.

It is fun when it still happens. Not pre-war, but my brother, who's in his 40's, recently bought some lots of the "less than big name" players he was a fan of as a kid off eBay. 140+ card lots of Julio Franco cards with lots of oddballs, for example. I think it cost him less than $10 delivered, which is pretty good for a bit of fun considering you can't buy a fast food lunch for that anymore.



I wrote an article a while back on the different types of collectors.

Mike, that was an enjoyable read. You nailed a bunch of types. I think you missed a bunch, though, too.

How about the guy that goes back to collect all the cards from when he was a kid, to maybe relive his joy when he first discovered baseball.

What about the collectors who like cards from the turn of the 20th century and before, in order to appreciate what baseball, and our country, was like back then.

Or those who find obscure and under-appreciated corners of the hobby and focus on them, in order to make them better known for the rest of us.

There are collectors who focus on their favorite player, or their favorite team. Some goofy guys even focus on error cards.

There's a lot of us out there, and the great thing about it is there is a card for every collector.

Sent from my SM-S906U using Tapatalk

[Casey2296]

Originally Posted by Republicaninmass

Lots of dealers out there who fit the narrative of single or divorced. Its a cruel hobby that can consume you. I wish my son showed more interest, alack, he seems to like coins and Pokémon more.


Don't let it take time away from loved ones, and try not to leave them with boxes of $5 cards and auction house won't take.

I don't think anyone's last wish would be... they bid one increment more to win a card.

Anyone can find balance. It doesn't matter whether it is a hobby or a job. Some, allow their job to take time away from loved ones.

I will say, without the advent of ebay, people who "just collect" would have never seen, nor been able to find a great many number of difficult cards. Even 1952 topps hugh numbers are/were scare at shows and those are "easy"!

Well said Ted,
My goal is to leave 4 suitcases full of mostly significant cards that will sell quickly at auction.

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

Like a lot of people on the board, I’ve busted my ass my whole life, working like a dog, nights, weekends, etc, and now I am at the point where this hobby brings me a lot of joy and it’s about me doing something for me, not for family, not for friends, etc. and it feels good to “indulge” and do something for me. Do I like collecting rare things in nice condition, yep. I like beautiful preserved cards over a bunch or dog eared cards in a rubber band. I like nice photos better than one’s that are ripped. I like holding stuff in my hands that are one of a kind and I’ve never seen another. I like sometimes having the nicest graded copy of something. I don’t need to touch an old card to enjoy owning it.

No one type of a collector is more of a collector
Or a better collector than anyone else. People need to move on from the idea there is some pure true collector.

Make yourself happy. Stop worrying what others are doing. Hobby has a big tent.

[theshowandme]

I must be doing things wrong

[LEHR]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

Like a lot of people on the board, I’ve busted my ass my whole life, working like a dog, nights, weekends, etc, and now I am at the point where this hobby brings me a lot of joy and it’s about me doing something for me, not for family, not for friends, etc. and it feels good to “indulge” and do something for me. Do I like collecting rare things in nice condition, yep. I like beautiful preserved cards over a bunch or dog eared cards in a rubber band. I like nice photos better than one’s that are ripped. I like holding stuff in my hands that are one of a kind and I’ve never seen another. I like sometimes having the nicest graded copy of something. I don’t need to touch an old card to enjoy owning it.

No one type of a collector is more of a collector
Or a better collector than anyone else. People need to move on from the idea there is some pure true collector.

Make yourself happy. Stop worrying what others are doing. Hobby has a big tent.

Well said! I'm in the same camp as you but everyone should just collect what makes them happy.

[G1911]

Here's my Woody, which I got back when I was a kid at a local show as my first '34 Goudey. I remember General Alvin Crowder (a pretty darn good stat line for a totally forgotten player) was my first Goudey card from the 1933 set. He's seen some rough days, and unfortunately this one has a normally printed back instead of a blank reverse.

[jingram058]

Originally Posted by G1911

Here's my Woody, which I got back when I was a kid at a local show as my first '34 Goudey. I remember General Alvin Crowder (a pretty darn good stat line for a totally forgotten player) was my first Goudey card from the 1933 set. He's seen some rough days, and unfortunately this one has a normally printed back instead of a blank reverse.

That is an awesome Woody English, sir. With the backstory, I would rather have it than one in pristine condition, because the story is truly priceless.

[BRoberts]

Originally Posted by jingram058

There are a vast majority on this forum far holier than me. I'm just a humble little old raw cards collector. Just look at the $5 Goudey I picked up in the post above. Did you know that Woody English was an AAGPBL manager when his playing days were over? I didn't. Do you have any idea why it has a blank back? I still don't know why. Or why it was punched by what looks like a railroad conductor's ticket punch.

That's twice that you mentioned price when describing a card in your portfolio. It would be nice if so-called "collectors" weren't so focused on money.

[jingram058]

Originally Posted by BRoberts

That's twice that you mentioned price when describing a card in your portfolio. It would be nice if so-called "collectors" weren't so focused on money.

Quite right; $5 is a lot of money.

[Snapolit1]

Originally Posted by jingram058

Quite right; $5 is a lot of money.

If you honestly consider $5 to be a lot of money, well yes, it's going to be very difficult and very frustrating to be a collector of vintage baseball cards. Unfortunately $5 doesn’t buy you a coffee anymore in a lot of places.

[jingram058]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

If you honestly consider $5 to be a lot of money, well yes, it's going to be very difficult and very frustrating to be a collector of vintage baseball cards. Unfortunately $5 doesn’t buy you a coffee anymore in a lot of places.

I don't. I just didn't know how to respond to the statement above. That's part of my frustration with forums in general.

[kcohen]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

If you honestly consider $5 to be a lot of money, well yes, it's going to be very difficult and very frustrating to be a collector of vintage baseball cards. Unfortunately $5 doesn’t buy you a coffee anymore in a lot of places.

I think James’ meaning was pretty obvious, or should have been. I believe he was seeking a delicate way to respond to what was a bit of a cheap shot.

[Snapolit1]

Originally Posted by kcohen

I think James’ meaning was pretty obvious, or should have been. I believe he was seeking a delicate way to respond to what was a bit of a cheap shot.

I've had friends who really struggled financially. People's lives can take sudden bad turns, particularly for heath reasons. I have no idea what people's situations are. Glad to hear he was just making a point.

[jingram058]

Originally Posted by BRoberts

That's twice that you mentioned price when describing a card in your portfolio. It would be nice if so-called "collectors" weren't so focused on money.

Yes, I very much consider myself a collector, going all the way back to an entire 1967 Topps set put together entirely from wax packs (with the help of family and friends). I have been in and out of this hobby since. It's a hobby with me, nothing more. I love my Goudeys, Play Balls, tobacco and candy cards, Cobb, Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, full sets, etc, as much as anyone but it's quite literally a hobby with me and not an investment. I very much like reading the history, and when I find someone interesting I get their card(s), and anything goes, even beaters. The card matters more to me than condition. I don't know how else to say it.

[G1911]

Originally Posted by BRoberts

That's twice that you mentioned price when describing a card in your portfolio. It would be nice if so-called "collectors" weren't so focused on money.

It is fairly obvious that being happy with a cool $5 card is a little different from being focused on money, and the guy is just happy with a cool card. Would you find it appropriate for the 'just collectors' to come do this crap to your money graded thread you made to compete?