Hypothetical situations within in Card Collecting

 Often reality gets in the way of the hypothetical and that's a shame because our hypotheticals are generally better then the reality we face as humans.  In this case I examine the case of the hypothetical trader and what is going through their mind.

The hypothetical trader often finds himself thinking about which trades to execute and why he should make them.  I have discussed this issue in the past but too many of these traders have to win a trade.  Winning a trade is great and often the goal of these people, however winning a trade should not be your primary goal.  Your goal should be to advance your collection in the way that benefits YOUR collection.  If your collection would benefit, you should do the trade or buy the cards, no questions asked.  Regardless if it is just a tie or not, if it helps you, you should do it.

Many card collectors find themselves struggling to get going because they aren't aware of the best methods.  These collectors will find that experience and going through the motions will benefit them the best.  No collector woke up and was an expert from day one, if that were the case it wouldn't be nearly as interesting or fun.  The same is true in life, if humans never had any struggles would ever really grow and develop?  Once again card collecting is parallel to our lives and the way in which we live them.   

Debate amongst the Community

 Often debates are a healthy way of solving issues, other times debates aren't all they are cracked up to be. I'll let you be the judge of if this debate is solving issues.  The community currently has a long struggle with determining the best way to value the rarest cards.

The saying goes "value is what the highest bidder is willing to pay for it."  This is the first side of the debate at hand the value of the rarest cards.  Many people will never be able to afford the top cards that go for $20,000+ routinely, and that means some people won't be able to complete their collections.  This sounds like a problem for middle class people and an opportunity for the upper class people who are able to afford these cards.  It's truly resembling the US economy and how it works, and it's pretty much the way in which we have accepted these things working.

The second side of the debate takes a much different view on the concept of value.  The second side views more value more so as what the average person can afford.  It's looking out for the smaller fish in the big pond, so to say.  It's not really resembling the US economy but rather a socialist one such as China.  This is more so looking for younger people looking to get into the hobby, because often younger people are going to have less money then those who are retired.  

Which side do you think is the best for the community at hand?  Does it depend on your situation yourself? 

Comparing the Experienced vs the Rookie Collector

 Comparing two different collectors in the way they operate can be a useful exercise.  Many people will want to be more experienced as opposed to being a new collector.  Experienced collectors are more likely to turn profits and experience more substantial collections.  The new collectors are more likely to lose money and get swindled when trading.  What else separates the two?  

The experienced collector is more likely to go for particular cards as opposed to whole sets or cases.  The reason being, they already have an abundance of sets and cases, they are now looking for that one card to help improve their collection's worth.  The new collector is generally looking to "spread" the wealth and acquire lots of cards at the expense of having some of them may not be as valuable.  There is nothing wrong with this particularly, but it does help decide who makes more money from collecting.  

Another key thing that separates the two is the willingness to trade.  In my experiences, many people who are newer traders are going to be less likely to deal unless they are winning the trade entirely.  They don't feel confident in their abilities to not lose the deal and some even feel they must win outright in order to consider it.  This is the wrong way to go about it!  Traders should go for deals that make sense for their collections, not just trying to win.  There is a major difference between the two despite some outsiders saying otherwise.    

Problems with Topps and their Marketing

 I have been very complementary of Topps and their business practices on this blog, even devoting an entire pillar post to it.  However, being complementary does not exclude one from also being critical at the same time.  I'm critical of Topps and the way they market to their target audience.

Kids today aren't aware of baseball cards generally unless they have a parent expose them at an early age.  This is Topp's issue because as these older people start to age out of it or pass away, there will be no next generation to keep companies like Topps in business.  Marketing to kids is something that the sport as a whole struggles with and this is puzzling to me given the NBA and NFL's general success in doing so.  Why can't baseball reach kids in the same ways?  Topps must some of these failures and learn something from them.  

1. Kids first and foremost need to see the advertisements so putting ads on the History Channel isn't going to help their cause.

2. Kids need to be engaged by the commercial.  Think lots of colors, quick cuts, make the sport of baseball and collecting cards exciting.  

3. Build a easy to recognize brand.

If Topps followed these three simple steps, they would be in a much better position then they currently are.  Their refusal to branch beyond older people is not a strategy that is going to bring them much success in the future.  The problem is now in their hands.    

Inspiration to Keep Going!

 Many readers ask where I get the inspiration to keep collecting cards.  They struggle to see how you can keep motivated particularly when you are operating with such razor thing margins to turning a profit.  These thin margins are even further compounded by the pandemic meaning people had less money to spend on hobbies like baseball cards.  This post focuses on finding the inspiration to keep going.

Many people struggle to stay grounded in the hobby when they first start and overcoming that is simple.  Taking time off isn't the worst thing in the world and if you aren't enjoying the hobby it's perfectly fine to get out.  But for the people who need inspiration, it's important to keep focused on what keeps you going.  If it's to make money, you have to work for it.  Nothing comes easy in life and money is certainly included in that.  If it's to collect the most cards, go to all the auctions, look at all the websites, find that hidden gem.    

At the end of the day like many things in life, you can't have somebody else want it for you.  You have to want it for yourself!  Saying you will do something is not actually doing something as many people have yet to understand.  There are a lot of life lessons to be learned from baseball and a life long of memories to be made as well.  It's up to you if you want to learn and reach for those memories.   

Taking a Deeper Look at Myself

 In searching for somebody to profile, I discovered that there aren't really any famous collectors with much to write about.  So I thought I would ahead and pull the unprecedented step of profiling myself.  Doing so can be a difficult thing to do, because accurately portraying yourself can be one of the most difficult things to do.

As I have mentioned before, I collected as kid, but stopped in my teens.  The hustle and bustle of teen life generally isn't too conductive to slower paced things and I would place card collecting in that category.  As time passed and I got into my early adult life, I got more in the hobby.  I primarily focus on rookie cards as generally they have pretty good value both now and in the future.  Some of my prized possessions are rookie cards such as 2010 Stephen Strasburg which was a very highly touted card as it was coming into the scene.  

I grow older and my tastes change.  Over the past couple of years, I've gained a new found appreciation for older cards.  Mostly cards from the 80's and 90's, getting these cards is interesting for me because although I was not alive during this area, it's still a great era in baseball history.  I'm sure my tastes will continue to change and evolve as time goes on.  The same is true in life and the more I think about it, the more life and card collecting go hand and hand.    

The following is a picture of me at one of my first baseball games.  

Interview with an Experienced Card Collecter

 For this post I have conducted a short interview with an experienced card collector who has asked to remain nameless.  His answers showed that despite perception the hobby is dying, this hasn't lost the most committed and they remain steadfast on continuing to complete their collection.  This is their story.

Q: How long have you been card collecting?

A: I started card collecting when I was 12 years old in 1984, it was a pastime that my late father passed down to me.  It's much different from what it was back then.

Q: How has card collecting changed over your nearly 40 years in the game?

A: The more things change, the more they stay the same is a famous quote and I believe it applies here.  When I was a kid and trading at the local hangouts, it's not much different then when I attend a auction or a convention.  There is a little bit of being a kid in everybody and collecting brings me back to my childhood if that makes sense.

Q:  What advice do you give to new card collectors?

A: Collect everything!  It is impossible to know when values of certain cards are going to change, and these changes can happen long after the playing career of any given card is over.  Don't be afraid to trade if it furthers your collection.  Many new collectors get in the habit of having to "win" every trade.  Don't think like this, think if it gets you closer to getting what YOU want, do it!