State of the hobby/State of the forum thoughts and question

[bmp8878]

Originally Posted by kukocitb

It seems like the wrong threads keep getting posted in. People used to share the pick ups but no one comments. I still try to but it stinks when there are little to no comments. I know a lot of people are in this hobby to make money but I am in it to have fun and meet great people. Ran into a TON of BO people at the national. It was awesome. Less hate would be great.

[Melo715]

Originally Posted by kukocitb

It seems like the wrong threads keep getting posted in. People used to share the pick ups but no one comments. I still try to but it stinks when there are little to no comments. I know a lot of people are in this hobby to make money but I am in it to have fun and meet great people. Ran into a TON of BO people at the national. It was awesome. Less hate would be great.

Couldn't agree more with this. I PC Melo and while I agree he's a polarizing player that's not everyone's favorite I rarely post or share my pick-ups including what I feel is a jaw dropping Exquisite collection. I cringe at the thought of the comments if I actually did a PC thread.

I'd vote for a pre/post Panini B/S/T separation as well.

Shout out to some of the great members we do have (OP included). I've learned a lot and seen some pretty cool cardboard over the years since I've joined!

[kukocitb]

Originally Posted by bmp8878

Originally Posted by Melo715

Couldn't agree more with this. I PC Melo and while I agree he's a polarizing player that's not everyone's favorite I rarely post or share my pick-ups including what I feel is a jaw dropping Exquisite collection. I cringe at the thought of the comments if I actually did a PC thread.

I'd vote for a pre/post Panini B/S/T separation as well.

Shout out to some of the great members we do have (OP included). I've learned a lot and seen some pretty cool cardboard over the years since I've joined!

I ramble a lot so i appreciate both of you pointing out some good points of my post! LOL

[rogermaris]

Originally Posted by yankeesfan24

For me, this is purely a hobby where I sell cards to put the funds back into my collection. Unfortunately, I am seeing less and less of that.

Are you me?

[daxwills]

I try to stay positive, joke around, I really like the poverty mail day thread so I have someplace to put my mail days compared to y'all getting mj autos and logo man every week lol. But yeah the super negative argumentative members are annoying as is the "I'm only in this for the flip/money" types.

[hoopstaj]

Originally Posted by kukocitb

It seems like the wrong threads keep getting posted in. People used to share the pick ups but no one comments. I still try to but it stinks when there are little to no comments. I know a lot of people are in this hobby to make money but I am in it to have fun and meet great people. Ran into a TON of BO people at the national. It was awesome. Less hate would be great.

I agree with this so much. I PC Ty Lawson and sometimes Kobe. I'm a small fish in this big pond. I can't afford Jordan 90's inserts, or the hot new RPA's or multiple case breaks. I started collecting because I love basketball and it was something fun me and my dad could do. I've stopped posting my Lawson maildays because it just seems no one really cares. I get it, it's very niche collecting Lawson but I feel a lot of people on these forums collect smaller guys also. Not fishing for comments but it makes me not want to share.

Also seems to be a lot of pointless hate on here.

[SanAntonioSpurs]

There is a lot of negativity on this board and I think most of it has to do with people just looking for attention. Several members who used to post insightful stuff and good info now just troll other members and make posts just to get reactions out of people.

One of my favorite parts of the hobby is seeing peoples maildays, but people are getting to where they don't even post them anymore. I still enjoy the hobby overall and try to help people with their collections when I can, but good people in the hobby are becoming harder and harder to find.

[HenryLee]

It's funny that people are blaming the flippers. From the market standpoint, flipping only creates more liquidity which is good for everyone. The National won't be possible without active flipping since all the dealers can be defined as flippers. Lazy, greedy and monopoly card manufacturer is doing much more harm to the hobby than flippers.


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[TWard]

I haven't read many of the responses on here but I believe one reason why it's not reflected here as much as it possibly could be is that there are so many different avenues today, namely Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. A lot of collectors would just prefer to use those sites instead of on a message board. You also gotta take into account that a lot of people may not even know this site exists. I had been back in the hobby for a couple of years when I just happened to stumble onto this site and then registered.

Another thing I've noticed is that there is a A LOT of league discussion on here (like the Kyrie Irving traded thread). A debate between who's the better player or where a player could possibly go will, for whatever reason, get a crap ton of responses while maildays and the like will be lucky to reach 2 pages. It is what it is.

I will say though that I think our hobby is thriving. I saw a lot of young collectors at the National and a lot of corporate folks were doing stuff just for the kids, which made me happy. The rise of Aaron Judge helped the baseball market a ton and brought new eyes on the hobby, while the basketball market has also thrived due to the international love that comes with it; football was helped a lot last year with the rises of Dak and Zeke, who just so happened to be on the most recognizable football team in America. Hopefully the trend will continue.

[chris_ac]

I'm here. When you see my PC up for sale, it means I've passed. I'm about as true of a collector as you will ever find. I've watched baseball, basketball, football, and hockey cards continuously since the mid 90s. My LCS has been opened as long as I've collected and he tells me repeatedly he's never met a card collector like me. He even talks about me to people walking in the door like I'm not even sitting on the stool in front of him.

Unfortunately I've never met a single member of this forum in-person, but my health allows essentially for zero travel at this point. It definitely would be nice to meet and greet other collectors of this hobby, but even my LCS unfortunately never found interest in trade nights, etc. Facebook groups are sounding tempting at times or maybe join twitter or instagram, but usually hesitate.

I agree with some sentiment stated here. Too many seem to start a player PC only to flip in the short term. As for the Panini exclusive and the large half of 90s era enthusiasts, I don't mind either way and have always adapted to what's being released.

Too many people take for granted the life they have. Being healthy allows for so many things to accomplish freely. I was born without that opportunity from the beginning. Your social lives, jobs/careers, families with kids, partying, playing sports, all of it was never an option. Limiting interaction was the best way to prolong my health even though I graduated from public school unlike most with my disease.

This hobby is the only thing keeping me from depression in a sense and new cards are a vital part of my lifeblood at this point. I enjoy this forum to share what I can get, and everyone's a perfect stranger to me, but this forum is the only outlet for me. I stopped bothering with Beckett even.

League talk doesn't bother me much. I echo the my favorite player is better than yours smack talk that goes on. We even bicker over perfect sabermetrics to agree with our side of the argument lol. We all want our favs to play well and accomplish things. We all have varying collections based on our economic situations. Not everyone is capable of building Jordan mega PCs, but just because we choose not to, shouldn't mean we should be left out of the hobby. With all the types of cards made, there is more than enough to slice and collect within means and still share with passion and humility. Showoff threads and player PC threads are the best part of the forum and should always chug along even with little fanfare. Showing my cards to my parents doesn't work

[Deadshot]

I don't bother with the debates, but there are a place for them - as long as they're civil. That hardly seems to be the case though.

I felt like there was a decent push awhile ago to separate the hobby and league talk aspects. I'd personally like to see them kept together. I don't think there's enough activity on the forum to necessitate splitting it up anyway.

Also, I feel like a lot of the people who have lobbied for more hobby talk are not always very active in perpetuating the hobby talk that currently exists. I've created threads before to try and generate some chatter and they died a quick, quiet death. It doesn't hurt my feelings at all, but I just found it odd. In one of them, I was trying to give props to Panini for something they did well, and before long the negativity surfaced. It only takes one.

Sometimes you just have to sandwich the bad news/room for improvement inside of something positive. I know that's cliche as can be, but you really do have a big influence on any environment you walk into or even better, have power over.

There are a number of members here who do a great job promoting the hobby. One on the front page right now is an interesting thread from TWard. I feel like he does a great job initiating hobby talk on a frequent basis (and in more than one forum as well).

I suppose I'm rambling here, but perhaps we could create some initiatives that get people working together. I've got a few "stalled" projects on my desktop right now. One of them, I wanted to create a history/comprehensive guide to pre-Panini logomans. Maybe we could come up with topics and form research teams to work together and promote the hobby in this way. Yeah, that sounds nerdy...but still.

[SPauthentic84]

Im really surprised at all this feedback. This is great. Hopefully some good comes from it.

To those who say there are less collectors, I wonder if you went to the National or on IG (and from what I hear, facebook)?

It seems the hobby is strong if you saw the crowds in Chicago. Also, many people who use to be active with great collections are more active on IG for one reason or another.

[goehring9]

Great thread and some interesting responses, many of which I agree with.
I'll admit to not posting anywhere near as much as I'd like, for fear of negative comments cascading into the post. If I don't know something that's "obvious" then it' seems like I'm not welcome.

I'm a collector, not an investor. I Love the Lakers and by extension love the cards I collect of them. I don't care to argue - and most =of it IS arguing- about the greatest or most expensive or best flip or any of that junk. Just cards- that's why I'm here.

Just starting this thread is a great start to a positive improvement, imo.
We can all do a little more- reply to those mail days of someone other than Kobe... be civil, agree to disagree... and try to act as if the person on the other end generally cares about the hobby, which they quite often Do.

[SHoCKBiZZLE]

I've seen a lot less trading and mainly only selling/buying in the B/S/T section. So I go in there less and less. I've tried Instagram but I mainly see younger collectors calling each other out for "scamming" on "razzes" so that has turned me off of that and bit. I used to love the 24 hour trades at hobby kings. That's something that I felt brought excitement to trading. Just random thoughts from my point of view

[ThoseBackPages]

Originally Posted by SPauthentic84

Im really surprised at all this feedback. This is great. Hopefully some good comes from it.

To those who say there are less collectors, I wonder if you went to the National or on IG (and from what I hear, facebook)?

It seems the hobby is strong if you saw the crowds in Chicago. Also, many people who use to be active with great collections are more active on IG for one reason or another.

i guess i should have been more clear

yes, i saw plenty of collectors at the show this year (including you! lol), but what i was speaking on was mostly on here.

here is what i mean...

(these are typical threads it seems to me)

Title: AMAZING MAIL DAY!!!

Subject: Guys, i was so pumped to get this in the mail!

(insert pic of card here)

its available!


or this thread..

Title: TOTAL MOJO OF A CASE!!!

Subject: Ripped this case, and killed it, check it out!!!

(scans here)

all available.

[daxwills]

Two questions,

What is "Ig" and what does "razzes" mean?

[SPauthentic84]

Originally Posted by daxwills

Two questions,

What is "Ig" and what does "razzes" mean?

IG is instagram...I took the plunge last month...its a fun place to look at collections

[daxwills]

Originally Posted by SPauthentic84

IG is instagram...I took the plunge last month...its a fun place to look at collections

I have an instagram account that I used to put up pictures of my tattoos lol. Never occurred to me to put up collection pics.

[8collector34]

There are two things I hate as well as boycott in this hobby. First on the list are Probstein and PWCC. Too much dirt coming from them. Coming in strong second are grading companies, BGS and PSA. If everyone in the hobby would be honest, there would be absolutely no reason for these leeches to exist. Of course where there is money, there will be shady characters, but if we would all work toward a more honest system, who knows, maybe there will be no more need for these parasites.

[ThoseBackPages]

Originally Posted by 8collector34

There are two things I hate as well as boycott in this hobby. First on the list are Probstein and PWCC. Too much dirt coming from them. Coming in strong second are grading companies, BGS and PSA. If everyone in the hobby would be honest, there would be absolutely no reason for these leeches to exist. Of course where there is money, there will be shady characters, but if we would all work toward a more honest system, who knows, maybe there will be no more need for these parasites.

kumbaya indeed

[SHowley2003]

Originally Posted by hoopstaj

I agree with this so much. I PC Ty Lawson and sometimes Kobe. I'm a small fish in this big pond. I can't afford Jordan 90's inserts, or the hot new RPA's or multiple case breaks. I started collecting because I love basketball and it was something fun me and my dad could do. I've stopped posting my Lawson maildays because it just seems no one really cares. I get it, it's very niche collecting Lawson but I feel a lot of people on these forums collect smaller guys also. Not fishing for comments but it makes me not want to share.

Also seems to be a lot of pointless hate on here.

I'll be another +1 to this general sentiment about not posting pickups. This is a hobby for me. With a full-time career, a young family and commitments to a doctoral degree I have minimal time to devote. I'm on the boards a lot as a distraction when writing reports. I enjoy posting pickups but with the exception of my logoman pickups there is little feedback. So it's not worth it. I do try to post in every mailday type thread I see as I understand and appreciate the time spent in sharing.

Personally I would like to see more maildays. Maybe a new mailday thread each day or week that everyone uses. Similar to the "Gold Prizm/ Refractor" thread. Maybe "Week of 8/28/17 pickups" thread?

[the27guy]

Originally Posted by 8collector34

There are two things I hate as well as boycott in this hobby. First on the list are Probstein and PWCC. Too much dirt coming from them. Coming in strong second are grading companies, BGS and PSA. If everyone in the hobby would be honest, there would be absolutely no reason for these leeches to exist. Of course where there is money, there will be shady characters, but if we would all work toward a more honest system, who knows, maybe there will be no more need for these parasites.

Isn't it funny... we all collect differently. The consigners have become an important part of the hobby for me. I was hesitant to say this, because, I might get ripped for it.... which, ironically, is the thing that I dislike most about BO.

But that's what's great about BO too. We're all entitled to our own opinions and to collect what we like.

I personally enjoy the poverty mailday as much as the high end mail day, though I've decided that it's in my best interests generally to keep my cards to myself, or at least not show them off here. There's a lot of hate.... it's too bad. I miss the old days of all the mail days. Maybe they'll come back again.

[smalltown]

Just a few thoughts at random in response/agreement/disagreement with what is already posted.

- Summer traffic on the Basketball board always drops off. I know for myself i'm here a lot less than during the rest of the year. Other priorities.

- I agree. Not enough traffic to split the forum.

- The B/S/T has taken a huge step back from when i first joined. I did lots of deals there early but lately it just doesn't seem to be worth much attention. A lot of stuff doesn't make it to the B/S/T because people would rather shadow post it as a "pick up" or "box break" to get around rules about posting prices or bumping.

- Instagram has been a great outlet for me. And, admittedly, has pulled me away from here at times. The negativity, while there, is much easier to ignore or avoid. I find a lot more international collectors on there who love to talk cards, but language barriers have kept them off or scared them off here.

- Personally i want to post more hobby/set specific things but as mentioned they die a quick death after 5 or so responses. Maybe everyone here who is lamenting that should respond more (i know a lot of you do) and keep those discussions going

I'm sure i'll post more later

[codered]

Just a few thoughts

As tward mentioned, there are many more avenues on line to show off your collection. Message boards my seem a little archaic to younger collectors compared to instagram, etc.

While no proof of this I think group breaks have killed the box break forums. Unless you hit something major you probably won't show the break. When you break the box yourself the cards good or bad, are immediately tangible. You're probably more likely to post something you have in your hands.

BST section is a tougher one. People don't like to trade anymore and it's also incredibly hard to sell unless you're way under eBay value. Even when people are looking and asking for cards for their own PC they want to pay a less than the going rate (which is a pet peeve of mine haha if some needs to make cash quick and you offer to pay less so you can sell down the road fine haha but it's bad taste to actively search for cards you want and demand to pay less than the going rate haha but that's my bugaboo I deal with I guess lol). I think the rising cost of eBay, PayPal and postal rates have stopped people from BST at least on the lower end. It's just not worth it for people to trade another $5 card and pay another $2-$3 for shipping just to get back another $5 card. Same with selling, after PayPal takes their cut and the effort/cost into shipping, it's just now worth it I guess haha I don't know just kind of guessing.

As for arguing over players/league issues, trolls/scammers and general board shenanigans I feel like that hasn't got any better or worse over the years. It's just more prevalent now as there is less card topics being discussed.

[LincecumPC]

As with many who have already stated, the general feeling from the forums is that it is very negative. As someone who tries to steer clear of all that junk, sometimes its just really hard to avoid it and turn a blind eye to it.

The one thing that I wish was better was people being more grateful and thankful for others trying to help people with whatever it is their looking for. If I happen to stumble upon something that someone is looking for, I will drop a link or point them in the right direction. Lately, whenever I do this, people just ignore my comment and say something like "Anyone else?" I can't even tell if they even looked into it or they just straight ignored the advice altogether.

I think we also need to be careful about what the definition of a collector is. I am all for sticking to that PC you've had for years, but we shouldn't wear it like it's some sort of elitist badge that makes us sinless in the hobby. From my collecting habits, I will find good deals to help me flip towards the PC items that I wouldn't normally be able to afford. It's like working up to a PC item. Sure there are some dirty tricks that go with some people who are looking to make money, but making money in some aspects isn't a bad thing. Some of us also use it to supplement income at home.

There have been several times when I wanted to quit this hobby but I realize I can't because I do enjoy it as an outlet from everyday life. Currently I am finding joy in nostalgic items from my youth, stuff that I probably couldn't obtain back when I was a kid. The reality of the hobby is that it is tailored for adults, but there should always be a connection to our youth in some shape or form, to make it not so cutthroat.

Last thing, I wish people were consistent with how they interact online and in person. From talking to people who've met other online folk, it's like night and day in how they sound online vs how they are in person. We should all be respectful to each other like how I think most people are when face to face with someone.