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Brandon75
Posts: 134
Joined: Sep 2020
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| Friday, September 8, 2023 12:09 PM | |
Well it's been a fun 1 1/2 years having this shop. We have met some really cool people including a few from this site. What im about to some may or may not agree with but this is how I feel about this hobby.
When we opened H & H we opened for collector's and kids. True collector's are a are slowly fading away and that is a very sad thing for this hobby. We have a ton of kids in the hobby but they are being taught by idiots on youtube. They are being taught to have no connection with these cards the only important connection is $$$$. Because of that this hobby will crash and crash hard for that very reason sooner or later. I for one cannot wait for that day. This hobby needs true collector's not people only looking at $$$$
I am a collector at heart and I will continue to help kids and collector's when I can. Kids need to learn the fun of building sets and collecting their favorite team or player. Its time for this hobby to return to real collector's and let the youtubers and flippers go ruining something else.
We will be staying open until the end of October. Thank you to everyone that has come by or gave us kind words.
It was fun while it lasted!
Brandon and Michelle
H & H Hobby
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supergajit
Posts: 438
Joined: Feb 2021
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| Friday, September 8, 2023 12:14 PM | |
Bummer. Too many people just look at things and have their first thought be 'How much can I get for this?' Collecting should be fun and if you happen to make a few bucks making someone else's collection better, that's a bonus.
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avsbruins65
Posts: 2,062
Joined: Sep 2008
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| Friday, September 8, 2023 12:20 PM | |
Have to agree with you statements on the hobby and collectors. Go to a card show and the kids are like this is worth this or that. A card is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.
Sorry to hear about your store closing, it is a rough time competing with the internet for buyers. Wish you all the luck in your future.
Mark
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Trying to acquire one card for every for every set, insert, parralle, minor, euro, team issue, oddball etc sets produced for Hockey. Been an interesting project.
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sandyrusty
Posts: 4,508
Joined: Dec 2014
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| Friday, September 8, 2023 12:24 PM | |
Sorry to hear these sad news. I agree with you even though many won't. Eventually people will no longer be willing to buy something just because of its perceived value (because of card grading companies, ebay, Beckett, etc) and not for the right reason which is as a hobby. Real collectors (those who keep it as a hobby) won't pay the prices being asked for all those gimmick cards. Those who have them in their possession will eventually find out the price they paid is not what others are willing to pay. It may be a year, two years, five years but eventually it will crash once more. Can't wait.
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Bruno -------- Check my Profile page to see my 2023 Goals and my Lists of sets near completion (5 cards or less) or sets getting close (less than 100 cards missing and 75% complete). https://www.tcdb.com/Forum.cfm/Page/B/ID/0/?MODE=VIEW&ThreadID=25745&C=0
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budler
Posts: 1,985
Joined: Dec 2017
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| Friday, September 8, 2023 12:27 PM | |
Yes!!! It is a sad day hearing that. I did have my fingers crossed and hoping you could keep it going.
It is just not the hobby we all have known for years.
Thanks for all of your help in my collection.
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dettigersmlb
Posts: 364
Joined: Dec 2019
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| Friday, September 8, 2023 12:47 PM | |
I can relate...I am seeing this more and more of this with kids in the Midwest at card shows. While set up at shows I will have kids come to me and ask if I am buying. My answer is, "Depends, is it something I can move today as I am not looking for inventory unless its a great deal for me...?" Without this approach the next thing out of their mouth when I inquire about a card that I am interested in is, "Will you trade up?" That is always a no go and I tell them that I am not interested in Trade Up Challanges. I didn't enter this hobby to make money, but I always bought what I liked and in turn I sometimes bought a card because it was a great deal or a good investment. Don't get me wrong, I will make people great deals when purchasing cards from me and occasionally I will trade straight up, but I am not about to feed into the I want it now / give me, give me, give me.
Next was the time when people were buying out all the product in retails stores. Yes, think about how much that blaster box costs today...you can thank these individuals!
Don't get me started on people who have addictions to buying sports cards / gambling, hoping to hit the big hit card in the product...its nuts!
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FreehanSolo
Posts: 1,012
Joined: Nov 2017
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| Friday, September 8, 2023 1:00 PM | |
Brandon and Michelle,
I'm sorry that circumstances are such that it makes the most sense for you to close your shop. Your description of the current state of the hobby is spot on. I'm sad to know that the type of folks that would benefit from hanging out in your shop will have to miss out, and I hope at some point things change enough that you can re-open.
Thanks for providing a destination for collectors while you could and good luck on your future endeavors!
--Dennis
p.s. I may be sending more cards for you via Brian soon 
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Kins35
Posts: 1
Joined: Sep 2023
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| Friday, September 8, 2023 1:34 PM | |
I couldn't have said it better myself. Good luck in the future, and happy collecting!
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MoP80
Posts: 8
Joined: Jul 2023
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| Friday, September 8, 2023 1:56 PM | |
I'd like to acknowledge the fact that you took a risk and went through the massive undertaking of creating a business and running it for 1 1/2 years. Impressive. I share your observations about the current state of our sports card community; it is definitely interesting. I started collecting cards in the 70's and stayed pretty active into the 90's. From the '90s till now I've been in and out several times; ebbing and flowing with the family, kids, profession, and life event waves. With this most recent dive back into the hobby, I have definitely noticed a shift in things. The "gambling", speculative investing motif is much stronger than what I've noticed in the past. It's always been there, but it does seem much larger now. It reminds me of the "Day Trading" craze that went on back in the 90's and 2000s. My only hope is that some of these young's who are coming into the hobby from this speculative, flipping, "day trading" angle, get enough exposure to what the hobby is actually all about that it keeps them involved as a collector in the long term.
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C2Cigars
Posts: 10,950
Joined: Oct 2014
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| Friday, September 8, 2023 2:01 PM | |
I blame the card companies, more than the flippers. They're the ones manufacturing "scarcity" and putting all these inserts in the product. All just to boost sales. 1/1s, 1 per blaster, 1 per case, SP, SSP, SSSP, bounties, achievements, etc.
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Someday my cards may double in value and then be worth half of what I paid for them.
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