2023-24 Upper Deck Hockey Forum

I've always wanted to go to a large show with some empty super monster boxes, find a garbage can, park myself in a folding chair and have people give me their "throwaways" while I fill up the super monster boxes.

The hobby as far as I am concerned is ruined, but I can't seem to let go of it.  The concept of card values is staggering.

I was at the Toronto Card Show back in the fall, and one dealer had a Josph Woll YG graded 10 card selling for $1000.  When I saw that perceived value of that card I almost, like had a baby.  In.  Sane.  If he gets 10% of that he should call that a good day.

It's going to be absolutely fascinating to see the price point for future non-Bedard releases.

Extended Series is going to be insane since it will have Bedard's Canvas Young Gun, but then what are the prices going to be for next year :

- are they going to stay at $400+ a box since this is the new benchmark

- drop back down to $150 and basically have everyone admit, 'yeah we were gouging, whatcha gonna do about it?'

Why is it ruined?

Most of us have found ways to pivot to other eras or categories and still have fun with those.

Hopefully you are able to find alternative areas other than new release unopened material that you can enjoy. 

Mark 👍 

I absolutely hate the breaker approach that the base cards are worthless and don't count. I participated in a few breaks from a local shop when I first got back into the hobby, and never again. Paying to maybe get a card or two? Insane. This past week has been especially frustrating. Seeing insta accounts where shops have been ripping product for a few days and have dozens of Bedard YGs in the background... why would I buy a box from you? The odds of me getting that card have been totally skewed.

Anyways... this is in danger of being a totally scatterbrained rant, so I'll just say, yes. The new format and price hike from last season, to this season's Series 1, and again to Series 2 is not healthy for the hobby.

That observation isn't the card collecting hobby. That is the card collecting business.

I have had to alter what I collect and when I collect it. I buy less and less packs off the shelves and may be done with that (I should be). Most of what I acquire is opened product either from someone local looking to dump what they don't want or at an auction. Auctions are hit and miss and a lot of that lately has been too high.

I still think current product prices will drop and I can then buy some of that, but when?

Many hours of my (late 70's - early 80's) childhood were spent sorting my Topps cards and listening to the Mariners on the radio.  I think that if 1 of those 2 ways to spend my time were unavailable to me, the other one wouldn't have happened.  I don't buy new packs....with all the variations, etc. it's too complicated 4 me.  But, there is hope.  I just scanned and found, for example, that you can buy 3 packs of Topps - 48 cards for about $10 at Walmart or Amazon or somewhere.  $.25 a card, probably affordable to most kids....or there parents.

One of the previous posts remarked (IMO correctly) that what we see described in this thread is the baseball card BUSINESS in operation.  I call it "investing" in the baseball card LOTTERY.  I have nothing against reasonable gambling and that is what we see here....the bet (buy the cards), the anticipation (pull the cards), the win or lose ($ cards, no $ cards).

The real scary thing here is the kids (like the 9 YO described above)who buy into the lottery play.  But, you know (hope) that he didn't come up with that line of thinking himself.

Collect or gamble?  Bet on sports?..No way!!!! :)  To each his own.....Protect your children.

As a COLLECTOR I also have never likded the Investment "lottery" business approach to the trading card "hobby" rather more aptly named "industry".. It  saddens me enouigh when I read a random forum post or blog post about someone "tossing" cards out. At the very least toss them into the RECYCLING bin. If you aren't going to take the time to try to gift them to some kid or organization.that finds someone who wants them. 

Card collecting to me is the same as what the NCAA has done with NIL - money is ruining it.

This happened in the 80s and 90s.  (opening boxes and throwing away cards not wanted).    The thing then was   1.  price was not that high.  2.  Not that many doing it.   So, you did not see it happening most of the time.   

Back then we had card clubs.  We would get together and trade cards and to have fun.  (When I said we that was the dads or moms and their kids).   One guy now and then would bring a box and give each kid a pack or two.  The deal was he would trade a pack of cards for one card out that of the pack cards.   Yes he got the inserts and good ones, but the kids were happy and though it was a great trade.   He though it showed them you should be willing to give also.  

That is what mattered back then having fun.