This hobby is not fun. Come here to vent or rant!

[jthomas541]

This hobby is not fun.

I am not a regular forum user, but got back into the hobby like many people did during the start of the pandemic. I collected during my childhood, during peak-junk-wax, from 1990-1996 or so. Then came high school, college, work, marriage, dogs, mortgage, kids, and all that other stuff that leaves little discretionary income for putting into photos of professional athletes.

I actually want to collect these cards, however:

This hobby is not fun.

I can't go to a store on a random trip to pick up a gallon of milk and get a few packs of cards to open. If they have anything, I can only buy 1 pack.

This hobby is not fun.

I can go lineup at Target on Friday morning at 8am, but if I don't get there before 4am, there isn't enough stock for me to get a mega box of Select football which are just being flipped.

This hobby is not fun.

"Just go to your LCS or buy something on Blowout." $75 for a 2020 Topps Chrome Jumbo pack? $170 for a mega box of 2020 Bowman? GTFOH.

This hobby is not fun.

This is worse than junk wax. At least then you could buy all you wanted and have worthless photos of professional athletes. Flippers, "investors", bots, and the rest have ruined this hobby in the hopes of hitting a jackpot. Is the next Trout or Lebron in every single release?

This hobby is not fun.

I know, I know - supply and demand. When does it end?

This hobby is not fun.

[ThoseBackPages]

old cards are fun

[Nung2019]

It is fun if you have been in and are selling cards for a lot of money right now

[BBases31]

The only not fun part of this to me is the monumental amount of scumbags and petty people. I almost never encounter people like this in the rest of my life besides this hobby

[Wade Mulroy]

Seems like there are a lot of unhappy people in this industry. The obvious choice is to ditch the hobby that is causing grief and use that time/money/energy towards something that is more enjoyable. Pretty simple.

[jthomas541]

Originally Posted by Nung2019

It is fun if you have been in and are selling cards for a lot of money right now

I guess that's true, but pay-to-play isn't fun for anyone who would enjoy the hobby and can't afford the insane prices right now.

[Fizroy]

I have enjoyed buying singles. Always have. With all the increased popularity, people have been digging through their old shoeboxes and listing cards I have not seen in years trying to make a few bucks. Specifically cards of players I PC.

[griffan15]

Originally Posted by Nung2019

It is fun if you have been in and are selling cards for a lot of money right now

Yeah, I feel bad for people who got into this at the start of the pandemic and thought this was going to be easy money.

They probably flipped a few cards and thought this was the new gold rush.

Newsflash for the guys who bought in late, the rest of us bought in years ago for pennies, so it only looks easy now. But for the YEARS that led up to this point, not many people made money in cards.

[jthomas541]

Originally Posted by BBases31

The only not fun part of this to me is the monumental amount of scumbags and petty people. I almost never encounter people like this in the rest of my life besides this hobby

True.

[jthomas541]

Originally Posted by griffan15

Yeah, I feel bad for people who got into this at the start of the pandemic and thought this was going to be easy money.

They probably flipped a few cards and thought this was the new gold rush.

Newsflash for the guys who bought in late, the rest of us bought in years ago for pennies, so it only looks easy now. But for the YEARS that led up to this point, not many people made money in cards.

I don't feel bad for people who got into this for "easy money". There is no such thing as "easy money", and if that's why you are in it, you aren't in it as a hobby, but as a way to make a profit. Hobbies are not for profit. They are for fun.

[PSA2Pac]

Having the time of my life.

Gotta evolve or adjust your perspective.

[UCCF]

Originally Posted by Wade Mulroy

Seems like there are a lot of unhappy people in this industry. The obvious choice is to ditch the hobby that is causing grief and use that time/money/energy towards something that is more enjoyable. Pretty simple.

Yeah I don't get that part. People who are miserable, why keep doing something that makes you miserable? Take some time off, check back in a while, see if some of the misery-inducing things have gone away.

No one is holding a gun to anyone's head telling them that they have to buy and sell cards (at least I assume not).

[codered]

Buy singles with the money you planned on using to open boxes. Let the idiots that like to burn money open up boxes. You name the player you can find affordable cards for that player. Sure they might not be the cards that get you 1000’s of likes on instagram but who cares what other people think about your cards. The hobby is definitely fun and if you can’t enjoy it you shouldn’t be doing it.

- collect what you like (not what others tell you to like)
- collect what you can afford
- have fun, if you aren’t having fun you shouldn’t be doing it

If you work with those rules you’ll be okay

[Dbacksbaseball]

Originally Posted by jthomas541

This hobby is not fun.

I am not a regular forum user, but got back into the hobby like many people did during the start of the pandemic.
So Did Many others, causing the entire industry to go bonkers

I collected during my childhood, during peak-junk-wax, from 1990-1996 or so. Then came high school, college, work, marriage, dogs, mortgage, kids, and all that other stuff that leaves little discretionary income for putting into photos of professional athletes.
Yup, this isn't uncommon


I can't go to a store on a random trip to pick up a gallon of milk and get a few packs of cards to open. If they have anything, I can only buy 1 pack.

You still find cards on your grocery runs? 1 Pack? I dont find any! Good for you!


I can go lineup at Target on Friday morning at 8am, but if I don't get there before 4am, there isn't enough stock for me to get a mega box of Select football which are just being flipped.

I mean above it sounds like your an adult with a life, so you shouldnt be waiting in lane at target on Fridays. But why does it have to be a select mega box. If your collecting....be happy with what you get a retail prices...thats going to end soon one way or another

"Just go to your LCS or buy something on Blowout." $75 for a 2020 Topps Chrome Jumbo pack? $170 for a mega box of 2020 Bowman? GTFOH.

Yea prices are nuts. But there are many, many ways to make a buck in the hobby right now, and then use that money towards other singles you want, or overpriced wax. I mean if you have the discretionary income to invest $1000 in a marquee player today, you will have $1200 in a month--just the way the market is right now

I know, I know - supply and demand. When does it end?

Truthfully, probably not til another recession, or the 'dumb' money starts to move out. Could be a long while

As the guy above me said- If you are miserable, walk away from it. Entitlement is so rampant in this industry.

There are guys on here who busted hundreds of thousands of dollars in wax pre-2019 that cant even get it anymore from distributors. Yet you showed up last year, with everyone else who had no interest in cards, and want the same treatment guys were getting back when hobby boxes wouldn't instantly shoot up 50%, and the hot rookie base card sold for 50 cents instead of $50 at release. Need to think a little on that.......because to anyone around more then a year or two its comical.

[PSA2Pac]

Originally Posted by BBases31

The only not fun part of this to me is the monumental amount of scumbags and petty people. I almost never encounter people like this in the rest of my life besides this hobby

Truth. Hobby is filled with a bunch of holier-than-thou, disgruntled/entitled humans.

Originally Posted by Wade Mulroy

Seems like there are a lot of unhappy people in this industry. The obvious choice is to ditch the hobby that is causing grief and use that time/money/energy towards something that is more enjoyable. Pretty simple.

Couldn't agree more.

Every day the same people wake up and log onto BO to display their misery. Like clockwork.

[keenejd]

stop calling it a hobby

[TheAntiCard]

Originally Posted by BBases31

The only not fun part of this to me is the monumental amount of scumbags and petty people. I almost never encounter people like this in the rest of my life besides this hobby

You need to get out more. There are scumbags and petty people everywhere. Or maybe I hang out at the wrong places.

[Dbacksbaseball]

Originally Posted by keenejd

stop calling it a hobby

This as well.

[AstrosFan17]

Originally Posted by Nung2019

It is fun if you have been in and are selling cards for a lot of money right now

No, no it's not. Making money does not equal fun.

[MiamiMarlinsFan]

I would recommend finding a new hobby. I’m having a great time. I buy singles though. Over the last few years I’ve come to realize that wax rippers are the most unhappy people here. I feel bad for you guys, but maybe just adjust your hobby habits for a few years then go back to wax ripping...? Is it fair? No, but I’m not sure if there’s any other options besides leave or adapt.

[AstrosFan17]

Originally Posted by jthomas541

I don't feel bad for people who got into this for "easy money". There is no such thing as "easy money", and if that's why you are in it, you aren't in it as a hobby, but as a way to make a profit. Hobbies are not for profit. They are for fun.

This, exactly. If your first thought when discussing the hobby is about money then you're in it for the wrong reasons and part of the problem.

[dfenno]

Originally Posted by Fizroy

I have enjoyed buying singles. Always have. With all the increased popularity, people have been digging through their old shoeboxes and listing cards I have not seen in years trying to make a few bucks. Specifically cards of players I PC.

This is what makes it fun for me - buying singles. I think about what card I would like to pull from a pack (usually a numbered parallel) and then go buy that rather than buy wax. I do like to buy a blaster or two every year and that's been harder recently. It has made me check out Topps.com occasionally and I've found the offerings on there to be quite strong and affordable. They are limited to one or two boxes usually and sell out fast, but it replaces the retail I previously bought. Get on Houdini's mailing list and he'll let you know when there's a good offering. People will usually post on here about it as well.

[BlowoutBuzz]

(The hobby is about more than opening current-year wax.)

[BBases31]

Originally Posted by TheAntiCard

You need to get out more. There are scumbags and petty people everywhere. Or maybe I hang out at the wrong places.

I get out too much but also exist in a very different world than most here(no marriage or kids, live in a big city, travel alot). There are loads of nice and good people out there

[BeastMode27]

Rise in wax caused me to stop opening which has been great! Single prices have caused me to focus on what I really want to keep or add for the long term. The tough part is moving the stuff you don’t want. It is all very time consuming so try not to get burnt out by taking short breaks. Pandemic revealed long term collection plans which I am grateful for.