Curious if anyone else feels this way.

[Fastbird]

I was a big collector, pack buster, box breaking teen back in the early and mid 90's. Good selection of products, decent inserts, big variety.

Today, it's a different story. GREAT selection of products, but, and this is where my ambivalent feelings come into play, very poor variety. Now let me explain.

All of the sets and inserts I primarily see have a major flaw to me. That being the same card is used OVER AND OVER AND OVER, but called different. Ten versions of the same card in different colors and different serial numbered amounts. Jersey/Auto cards with three different serial numbered sets (#/5, #/10, #/25, etc.). A serial numbered 1/1 that's nothing more than the same card of a different serialed set, the ONLY difference being a 1/1 stamp.

Am I the only one who says big freaking whoop to this? I want to see a TRUE 1/1, not a carbon copy with a price driving serial number. I want to see multiple DIFFERENT insert sets, not 3-5 parallel sets of the same autograph or jersey card. Do the card companies not have any initiative anymore?

Am I the only one who feels this way or am I being old school about it?

[ekalbnz]

I would love to see more insert sets and less parallels personally.

[jjjackson32977]

its all MARKETING...but it is currently being exploited to the point of elimination imo


playoff prestige started doing SP variations...i used to colelct those until Panini took over and made it confusing as all hell

topps does the SP thing now too with variantions of the players in different poses..

u mean like that? because those are not 'numbered' per say

i know what you mean though...its gotten out of hand

[player fly]

you are right OP. It looks like it will never be the same as the 90's.

[Fastbird]

The "SP Variations" is a cheap ploy to me. Better than ten different colored versions of the same card though.

I think the thing that really gets me the most is the 1/1 that's a carbon copy with a different serial stamp. That's a very cheap 1/1 to me. Why not do a truly unique 1/1 and go all out on it? Show some innovation.

I guess I just miss the good old days. 93 Sp. RC's were in foil, clean base set, and the (at the time) holy grail, All Pro's die cut insert set. Translated to today, there'd be one RC per box, it would be available in Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum foil. Base cards would have 10 different refractor colors to include camo, pink camo, and probably a pikachu pattern on one too. EVERYTHING would be serial numbered, and each color would have a sub-serial number set with PRIME or something like that stamped on it.

I think it just cheapens the industry and makes things confusing as hell.

Give me a set of basic cards, RC's being special in some manner. Perhaps 1-2 parallels of the base set. Go all out, and make all Auto's and Jersey cards (and combination) inserts, low serial numbered, and special with NO parallels or carbon copied with different serial numbered sets. Just ONE set. And then TRUE and UNIQUE 1/1's. Simple, not confusing, well executed.

[MarshallCutler6]

I like autos and jerseys in products, I think it's cool to be able to get one, but I do agree they are vastly overproducing everything. One card is numbered 1/1, but then there's another of the exact same card, also numbered 1/1, except the foil is a different color. I agree that it is stupid.