Don't people like cards?

[MatthewAlan8]

I know why so many people buy boxes of Bowman Chrome and sell them...but what is the fun in that? Bowman is the most boring product out there. Doesn't ANYBODY like to collect cards for themselves anymore? At least Allen & Ginter was interesting even though they are not close to worth $100+ a box. Bowman Chrome is BORING. Why people pay so much money for minor leaguers who have yet to do anything but be hyped up is beyond me. 99% of those kids will never amount to anything.

Being on a card collecting website, I'm sure I'm going to get a lot of bad responses but it really doesn't matter because I won't be checking it so say what you want haha. Card collecting used to be fun, now all people do is try to strike it rich. Guess what? It's not going to happen.

[frozenntimesports]

I like cards. I have a small collection. I sell what I don't want so I'm not spending so much. I don't plan to strike it rich, but only a simple-minded person would shut a door before he looks into it. I hope you enjoy working for the man, I don't plan to forever.

[go_steelers07]

if there are not the "case breakers" case breakers of the world..... (who do try to make a profit)........ there wouldn't be any collecters at all. sometimes trying to make money isn't fun at all.

[phil]

i never did collect cards. if i wasn't in it as a business i'd never look at them. guess i'm a no-funner.

[corjac]

Wait a second, you mean I'm not going to get rich doing this? Spending hours opening and sorting and selling cards is such a glamorous way to pass the time. However, finally someone brilliant enough to tell me I'm not going to get rich doing this comes along. From the bottom of my heart Matthew, I thank you for pointing this out.

[mwheeler27]

I am a collector. In fact, I haven't sold any cards since I don't know when.

I like to buy all kinds of cards from the cool, low-end stuff, to the highly sought after, high-end stuff. The amazing thing is, I like to speculate too. But, and this is a big but, no matter how much a card is worth, or how much it increases in value, I can't seem to part with it.

I have a ton of Arod rookie cards from UD SP. I even have a few cases of 1994 UD SP baseball stashed away, and can't make myself sell them. Another fact is, that if I ever find more cases of this for sale, I will pay almost any reasonable price for it as if I don't already have enough. It's a disease of mine that I happen to truly enjoy. I just have to keep moving into a bigger house every now and then and make sure I insure well against a fire. LOL

[Rabbit]

I went from collecting as a kid, to collecting to an unhealthy extent (an addiction like anything else), to out of the hobby for four-five years (college), to introducing my wife to the hobby, to collecting to a VERY unhealthy extent, to selling to support the habit...and now I sell for a living and don't really collect at all.

There are two reasons for the way I am now, really.

1. I see so much of the stuff and I have the ability to buy basically whatever I want, and so the desire is no longer there. A Nolan Ryan Auto? Woo, BFD. I can have a dozen if I want them. Then what? The ability to have what you want usually kills your desire to have it. For me, anyway. My wife is the only exception to that rule. Man, do I ever love that woman.

But I digress...

2. I saw the unhealthy and downright pathetic way that hockey collectors player-collect, and it made me sick. I knew a woman who was obsessed with getting a 100% completion on her player (including 1/1s), with the intention of meeting him in person and giving it to him. For what? How exactly is that supposed to turn out, in her head? What is he supposed to do or say that makes all that time, effort and expense worthwhile? She spends hours online every night chasing down every last card of that player...for what?


I collect a player I knew in college. I knew most of the athletes at one of the biggest sports universities in the world (most of you already know what my alma mater is, I would imagine), and this guy was remarkable...in his stupidity.

I knew a lot of stupid athletes, but I didn't know anyone else who was dumb enough to walk down to the front of the class during an exam (in a room of 60+ people), steal the answer key from the prof's desk, copy down all the answers, turn in his paper, and think that not one person in the class was going to rat on him.

The kicker? He still failed the test. He wasn't bright enough to realize that there was a "Test A" and a "Test B" and that if he had "Test B," he needed to fill in the "Test B" answers from the key.

The guy is a complete and utter imbecile.

I have the most amazing player collection of a basketball player that I have ever seen (think significant portions of the print run on several of his key cards, logomans, 1/1s, etc). It costs me next-to-nothing because he's not much better at basketball than he is academically.

[Rabbit]

BTW, you *can* get rich doing this. Just takes intelligence, knowledge and discipline.

And discipline.

Did I mention discipline?

[frozenntimesports]

2. I saw the unhealthy and downright pathetic way that hockey collectors player-collect, and it made me sick. I knew a woman who was obsessed with getting a 100% completion on her player (including 1/1s), with the intention of meeting him in person and giving it to him. For what? How exactly is that supposed to turn out, in her head? What is he supposed to do or say that makes all that time, effort and expense worthwhile? She spends hours online every night chasing down every last card of that player...for what?

Most hockey collectors are not like this. They are loyal, and they collect their teams, and sometimes they spend too much, but to group them all like that is ignorant at best.

I gave up the completion idea back when 1/1's came out. I collect Jose Theodore, who I played against in the juniors, Peter Forsberg, who I thought was cool in the early 90s, and Jason Blake, who made the Islanders cool again in the early aughts.

I had a complete Forsberg collection going until 1996 when I started my Junior year of college and then they started coming too fast.

Why do you insist on categorizing everyone? Do you enjoy dropping bombs?

And the other thing I find puzzling is that if you really were a scout for the OHL, this woman who collected all the cards of this one player struck you as sick, out of all the crazy things fans in the OHL are known to do?

So I guess now I have to ask. If you were an OHL scout, you should know about Barry Keck, Jim Kutkowski, and Mikael Padelford. They all should know about those guys. Why don't you tell the rest of the message board about these interesting players who were once OHL prospects?

[Rabbit]

Most hockey collectors are not like this. They are loyal, and they collect their teams, and sometimes they spend too much, but to group them all like that is ignorant at best.

I base my opinion on people who post on forums. Given that, my view is as blindingly accurate as it could be. If you judged things by everyone who buys hockey cards, yeah, they aren't all pathetic. But most of the player-collectors I have interacted with are, without a doubt.

Maybe instead of hockey collectors, I should say player collectors. Maybe I don't notice team collectors, or maybe team collectors just aren't as insane as player collectors. I don't know.


I gave up the completion idea back when 1/1's came out. I collect Jose Theodore, who I played against in the juniors,


I am probably the only Avs fan in the world who understands the logic behind the JoeTed trade, thought it was a good trade at the time and still thinks it was a good trade.

I also like JoeTed, but that's completely unrelated. He's a headcase, and his game has slipped significantly. His size and the crackdown on equipment size has required him to rely on reflexes and positioning, and neither are what they used to be. But I think it's mostly a mental thing in his case, and I love the guy.


Peter Forsberg, who I thought was cool in the early 90s, and Jason Blake, who made the Islanders cool again in the early aughts.

I had a complete Forsberg collection going until 1996 when I started my Junior year of college and then they started coming too fast.

Doesn't sound like you're what I am talking about.


Why do you insist on categorizing everyone? Do you enjoy dropping bombs?

Enh, it's not that I like dropping bombs, I am just a blunt person and I have absolutely no interest in political correctness. If my honesty and bluntness bothers you, well, you aren't the first one. I'd rather people know the real me and decide whether or not to like me based on me than to sugar coat everything and pretend that people aren't as pathetic as they are.


And the other thing I find puzzling is that if you really were a scout for the OHL, this woman who collected all the cards of this one player struck you as sick, out of all the crazy things fans in the OHL are known to do?

Enh, I didn't see anything really pathetic out of OHL fans, in all honesty. I mean, there are the people who follow their team on every road trip, there's the 400lb guy who wears the jersey with eighty autos on it and the hat with all the pins, and all the puck bunnies...but they don't dedicate their lives and finances to one moment with someone they don't know, who in all honesty is going to be completely creeped out by that person and their effort.

But whatever.


So I guess now I have to ask. If you were an OHL scout, you should know about Barry Keck, Jim Kutkowski, and Mikael Padelford. They all should know about those guys. Why don't you tell the rest of the message board about these interesting players who were once OHL prospects?

Jim Kutkowski was awful. Bad skater, stone hands, dumb as a rock. Didn't appear on too many teams' radar because of rumors of various acts performed on sheep and other various farm animals. Once got the crap beat out of him by an opposing fan after a game...said fan was a 10 year old girl...in a wheelchair. I hear he's got a glass eye, a peg leg and a comb-over these days. Real winner, that guy.

[j_b_77]

Just before Nolan Ryan threw his fifth,sixth and his seventh no-hitters, I started an "obsessive" player collection of him. After his last no no, guess who was a couple grand richer????<-----------
You CAN make money doing this, but its so much more fun to not in my opinion.:)

[thekramers5]

I agree with Corjac - thanks MatthewAlan for enlightening me! I was considering giving up my VP job to shoot for an even bigger income ripping and flipping.

As for Rabbit's responses...

"I see so much of the stuff and I have the ability to buy basically whatever I want, and so the desire is no longer there. A Nolan Ryan Auto? Woo, BFD. I can have a dozen if I want them. Then what? The ability to have what you want usually kills your desire to have it. For me, anyway." Wow - I could own nearly everything (outside of cards) I want as well, but I still treasure and enjoy everything I buy for me, my wife and my 3 boys. But, I still enjoy and appreciate the collection I do have and the cards I decide to keep when ripping.

"I have the most amazing player collection of a basketball player that I have ever seen (think significant portions of the print run on several of his key cards, logomans, 1/1s, etc)." So, you rag on player collectors, yet have one of the most "amazing collections" of a "complete and utter imbecile".

I base my opinion on people who post on forums. Given that, my view is as blindingly accurate as it could be. If you judged things by everyone who buys hockey cards, yeah, they aren't all pathetic. But most of the player-collectors I have interacted with are, without a doubt. Beginning to make more sense - HAS to be referring to the other board. Again, generalizations based on a few interactions (IMHO). Sounds like one half-bent lady has formed this particular opinion.

I am just a blunt person and I have absolutely no interest in political correctness. If my honesty and bluntness bothers you, well, you aren't the first one. I'd rather people know the real me and decide whether or not to like me based on me than to sugar coat everything and pretend that people aren't as pathetic as they are. Tone, attitude, self-indulgence, bitterness - starting to ring a bell. Perhaps people who exercise PC and show an outward care/concern for other peoples' feelings ARE showing you who they are - selfless, empathetic, humble and caring people. Don't confuse bluntness and being unequivocally opinionated as a strength ... believe me, it's not. It is NOT TOUGH AT ALL to walk around and say and do what you please without regards to anything or anybody else. No strength or machismo in that whatsoever...

Just my .02.

[Rabbit]

As for Rabbit's responses...

"I see so much of the stuff and I have the ability to buy basically whatever I want, and so the desire is no longer there. A Nolan Ryan Auto? Woo, BFD. I can have a dozen if I want them. Then what? The ability to have what you want usually kills your desire to have it. For me, anyway." Wow - I could own nearly everything (outside of cards) I want as well, but I still treasure and enjoy everything I buy for me, my wife and my 3 boys. But, I still enjoy and appreciate the collection I do have and the cards I decide to keep when ripping.

Good for you. I don't. Newsflash...we aren't the same person.


"I have the most amazing player collection of a basketball player that I have ever seen (think significant portions of the print run on several of his key cards, logomans, 1/1s, etc)." So, you rag on player collectors, yet have one of the most "amazing collections" of a "complete and utter imbecile".


What's your point? I buy the ones that pop up on eBay, and I don't spend much at all. The only reason I got the logoman is because my wife bought it for me for my birthday. Had it been me, I never would have spent more than $50 on a card that I didn't intend to flip for profit short-term. I told her I didn't want it, but she bought it for me anyway.

And the fact that he is an imbecile is exactly why I collect him. I have never understood the idea behind collecting a star player. There is no originality in that, and you pay through the nose when the player featured on the front is arbitrary at best.


I base my opinion on people who post on forums. Given that, my view is as blindingly accurate as it could be. If you judged things by everyone who buys hockey cards, yeah, they aren't all pathetic. But most of the player-collectors I have interacted with are, without a doubt. Beginning to make more sense - HAS to be referring to the other board.


THE other board? There's just one other board now?

I've been to pretty much every other board there is. There are three pretty strong hockey boards, and they tend to be nothing more than support groups for OCD player collectors.



Again, generalizations based on a few interactions (IMHO).


A few? As if there aren't hundreds and hundreds of player collectors who post constantly.

"I just stole an 04-05 Ultimate Jarome Iginla Auto #ed/75 for only $90!"
"This Adam Graves patch was numbered to five, and I lost the last one to another Graves collector, so I was thrilled to get this one for only $175!!"

All day, everyday.



Sounds like one half-bent lady has formed this particular opinion.

Huh? You lost me here.



I am just a blunt person and I have absolutely no interest in political correctness. If my honesty and bluntness bothers you, well, you aren't the first one. I'd rather people know the real me and decide whether or not to like me based on me than to sugar coat everything and pretend that people aren't as pathetic as they are. Tone, attitude, self-indulgence, bitterness - starting to ring a bell.


No bitterness at all. Self-indulgence? I'm not the one spending a fortune on autographs of a guy who doesn't give two turds about me.



Perhaps people who exercise PC and show an outward care/concern for other peoples' feelings ARE showing you who they are - selfless, empathetic, humble and caring people.


Or they are being fake so that people will like them.

You'd be hard pressed to find someone more selfless, empathetic and caring than I am (obviously, humility is not something I value). I am just not interested in tiptoeing around people, and people aren't interested in tiptoeing around me. Look at your post. Not exactly the nicest, most polite response, and I have never been anything but nice, polite and supportive to you.


Don't confuse bluntness and being unequivocally opinionated as a strength ... believe me, it's not.


And if that were what I am doing, then you'd have a point. It's not, so you don't.


It is NOT TOUGH AT ALL to walk around and say and do what you please without regards to anything or anybody else. No strength or machismo in that whatsoever...


Toughness has nothing to do with it. Efficiency and relevance are what I am all about. If you want an internet tough guy, go talk to BamBam. I just don't understand the point of sugar coating turds. You apparently do. That's your thing. We're different people.

Now, see, you got all in a huff and insulted me, and I did nothing of the sort to you or anyone else in this thread. Yet, you seem to feel justified in making assumptions about me, criticizing me, and I didn't do that to you. Seems to me that you might want to make sure your house isn't made of glass before you start chucking rocks.

Show me respect, you get respect in return and there's no problem. Simple as that. The people who show me respect and don't take it personally when I make an observation of a group don't seem to have any problem with me here or anywhere else.

Enough of the thread hijack. There have been enough threads about me. Get this one back on topic.

[mwheeler27]

Rabbit,

You asked for it. The majority of the people on this board will agree with TK. How can you say you didn't offend anyone if people are getting offended? Over and over again you insinuate that you don't understand something, but others understand it quite perfectly. It sounds like you have opened a can of worms that you cannot put the lid back on. Oh wait, I bet you won't get this one either. "ehh", "huh", "you lost me here", "what's your point"...Give me a break.

Matt

[Rabbit]

You asked for it.

Asked for what?


The majority of the people on this board will agree with TK.

Assuming that you're right, what's your point?

What, you're only allowed to express the same opinion that everyone else has?

This is a messageboard. People express their opinions. Seems like a lot of people here can't stand it when people have a different opinion.

If Kramer wants to spend 99% of his income on his player collection, that's fine with me. That's his choice. If he wants to look down on me for collecting an imbecile, that's fine. You don't see me whining about his opinion or telling him he's an a-hole for thinking what he does. So why is it okay for you/he to do it to me for having the opinion that I do?

How can you say you didn't offend anyone if people are getting offended?

I didn't say I didn't offend anyone. I said that I didn't insult anyone, and I didn't.

[mwheeler27]

You don't see me whining about his opinion or telling him he's an a-hole for thinking what he does. So why is it okay for you/he to do it to me for having the opinion that I do?

Neither one of us called you an a-hole. Perhaps you should re-read our posts.

I didn't say I didn't offend anyone. I said that I didn't insult anyone, and I didn't.

I base my opinion on people who post on forums. If you judged things by everyone who buys hockey cards, yeah, they aren't all pathetic. But most of the player-collectors I have interacted with are, without a doubt.

Sounds to me like you are not only offending people who post on forums such as this one, but you are attacking/INSULTING those that are "player-collectors" as I have quoted you. I'm not sure what your definition of insult is, but by every dictionary that has ever been printed, your words here are insulting to at least a few people if not many, many more.

[andrew13]

the guy is just an idiot troll. ignore him, don't feed him, and eventually he'll go away out of boredom. since the staal thread, i've skipped everything he's written on here.

and i'm a collector and don't sell (yet). i have about 150 hockey autos, and just about every derek boogaard and high end george parros card made. this year, i'll be tracking down every carcillo card.

[frozenntimesports]

Jim Kutkowski was awful. Bad skater, stone hands, dumb as a rock. Didn't appear on too many teams' radar because of rumors of various acts performed on sheep and other various farm animals. Once got the crap beat out of him by an opposing fan after a game...said fan was a 10 year old girl...in a wheelchair. I hear he's got a glass eye, a peg leg and a comb-over these days. Real winner, that guy.

Actually I was a decent skater, pretty smart, but I had stone hands and was a pest in the mid-America conference. I don't know a whole lot about the various acts :D you spoke of, but I did have a job mucking out stalls. I never had a fan bother me, but I did get Patrick Marleau to drop his gloves once, the highlight of my career.

As for Harvey Keck, he was the Sidd Finch of hockey. If you were an OHL scout, that one should have been obvious, and Mike Padelford was a teammate of mine in college who decided to go to Europe rather than play in the OHL.

Amazing a true hockey guy didn't know who Harvey Keck was. That's amazing.

[thekramers5]

Just to be up front, I have only collected one player in my life - LaDainian Tomlinson. I currently have about $20,000 worth of his cards (really not that many, but includes 2 of his best RCs in the world). Every card of his that I have ever bought cost me just short of $5,000 (I bought a ton of all his stuff during 2001, including 15 each of SP Authentic, Leaf R&S, and both Chromes). However, including the cards I still have, I have sold over $15,000. Therefore, all cards I still have are free and I have pocketed an extra $10,000+.

Why do I collect LT? Three reasons,

(a) he went to my college - TCU.
(b) my mom and I saw every one of his home college games, and she died from breast cancer right before he played his first NFL game. She absolutely could not wait for his NFL career to start.
(c) everybody agrees that in some amazing way he is a better PERSON than he is a FOOTBALL PLAYER.

On to the fun stuff...

Newsflash...we aren't the same person.
Not even close.

Then what? The ability to have what you want usually kills your desire to have it.
Apologies - but this brings one thought to mind - high school girls.

I have never understood the idea behind collecting a star player. There is no originality in that, and you pay through the nose when the player featured on the front is arbitrary at best.
See above - hasn't been too bad for me. Also, because you can't relate to the person who collects a star player (and have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA why they collect that person (again, see above), "they" must be looney.

If Kramer wants to spend 99% of his income on his player collection, that's fine with me. That's his choice.
What gave you any clue that (a) I am even a player collector - until noted above and (b) that I spend a significant amount of money on that player? I MAY spend about $700 a year on a unique card or two, but that is less than 0.5% of my income. You probably assumed that since I responded I had to have felt personally attacked. NO - not the case. You have an amazing ability to tick people off that you haven't attacked - that takes a unique skill.

Assuming that you're right, what's your point? What, you're only allowed to express the same opinion that everyone else has? This is a messageboard. People express their opinions. Seems like a lot of people here can't stand it when people have a different opinion.
The point that you can't see is that there is NEVER anybody on your side when these things happen. Doesn't that make you scratch your head? People don't have a problem with opinions - even your "bully" is agreed with most of the time. I love a reasonable debate, when there is merit to both sides. Again, why are you always at the bottom of the dogpile?

THE other board? There's just one other board now?
You exhibit the maturity of the members of the BMB (maybe less?) - you knew (should have known) that and everybody else who read knew what I was referring to.

I've been to pretty much every other board there is. A few? As if there aren't hundreds and hundreds of player collectors who post constantly.
Damn, what the hell do you do with your llife anyway?

All day, everyday.
Again, do you sleep? Are you employed? And why are you spending so much time on boards that drive you crazy?

Huh? You lost me here.
The lady YOU kept referring to in your player collecting tirade - remember, the one who was going to give the player the cards?

No bitterness at all. Self-indulgence? I'm not the one spending a fortune on autographs of a guy who doesn't give two turds about me.
Okay - self-centered a better word for you?

Or they are being fake so that people will like them.
Most people don't fit this category - those with low self-esteem do. Again, I have no idea what you do for a living, but my guess is you have no clue how to act to get up the ladder in the corporate world (I'm referring to Senior Management, not head fry guy at Wendy's). Yes, you have to weed out the weak performers, but people with your attitude, apparent beliefs and approach hit a ceiling pretty early.

You'd be hard pressed to find someone more selfless, empathetic and caring than I am.
Who is it that you bless by showing this side of your personality?

Toughness has nothing to do with it. Efficiency and relevance are what I am all about.
Your attitude gets you SHORT-TERM efficiency and relevance, but you're too blind to see or understand the long-term ramifications because you're so busy puffing your chest out and patting yourself on the back (again, the post for the stupid computer game you were basically bragging about your approach). Efficient - countless extra posts and time because of your approach. Relevance - most of the threads you post to veer off-topic because of you. I would bet that translates to the rest of your life as well (expected response - "Enh? That would be a good point if it was true, but it's not."

I just don't understand the point of sugar coating turds. You apparently do. That's your thing.
Not my cup of tea or approach either - but give me one of those people ANY DAY over your bull in a china shop approach.

Now, see, you got all in a huff and insulted me.
Show me one time in the original post where I insulted you...please.

Seems to me that you might want to make sure your house isn't made of glass before you start chucking rocks.
I'm an open book - what do you want to know about me and my life (present, past and expected future)?

Show me respect, you get respect in return and there's no problem. Simple as that.
You probably don't realize it, but you subliminally hit the nail on the head. You feel you have to be shown respect first before you return the respect. However, from what I've seen, the only people you will show respect to are those that agree with you. Again, self-centeredness.

The people who show me respect and don't take it personally when I make an observation of a group don't seem to have any problem with me here or anywhere else.
From what little I've seen, you run into people who have a problem with you every time you "show yourself". For the record, I don't take anything you say personally - you could even start attacking ME personally and it would have no effect. You simply seem like the type of person who leaves a trail of carnage, doesn't care about that fact, and thinks it is the other person's issue. Maybe that's why people go against you, I guess we feel like we can get you to see the light because it's not your world and we're not here visiting. It is so obvious to us that you are clueless about your approach.

Enough of the thread hijack. There have been enough threads about me. Get this one back on topic.
Any idea why so many threads end up about you? Oh yeah, it's "their" issue.

[buzta1]

I've never bought a single card. I only purchase packs or boxes. I don't do it to get rich, more for the thrill of box breaking. I don't sell any of my pulls coz when I think about it, if I was to try to make money off of it, I would've just kept the money I spent to get the box. I enjoy collectin RC and Auto's, everyone has their own special way of collecting, that's what makes the hobby so cool, no two person collect the same way.

[otmack2o]

I think this thread is the one that brought the site down! lol

[j_b_77]

Too funny OT. Probably was huh. "Other Board member overload" I think is what they call it.