My childhood collecting heyday was in the mass production era of the late 80’s and early 90’s. Valuation-wise, As Beckett will tell us, cards from this era are notoriously unwanted by dealers due to abundance. Case in point: I’ve firsthand witnessed several local card shops unintentionally break the hearts of wannabe sellers by declaring such cards worthless. With this being … [Read more...] about The Forgotten Fraternity of Sports Card Collecting
Responsibility for Pack Searching: On Retailers or Manufacturers?
I was admittedly both overwhelmed and flattered by the amount of replies to a recent article on card searching, and wanted to summarize some of your comments while also proposing steps that might be taken to thwart the practice. With this being said, there were a small number of individuals who self-confessed to searching and/or saw no problems in doing so. Regardless of … [Read more...] about Responsibility for Pack Searching: On Retailers or Manufacturers?
Pack Searching: Is It Time for a ‘Store Registry’?
Akin to any card collector lured by the thrill of a pull, I too find myself – on occasion – picking up a pack or two of retail product knowing the odds heavily stacked against me. Still, there’s something fun about buying lower priced packs solely for the sake of it, great pictures to look at later that day or as needed distractions at work (I have a habit of putting favorite … [Read more...] about Pack Searching: Is It Time for a ‘Store Registry’?
Good Hobbies Gone Bad: The Curious Case of Sports Card Déjà Vu’
About 25 years ago – an era of Bash Brothers baseball, Dream Team basketball, and a Russian exodus to the NHL - I walked away from an industry I loved. Gregg Jefferies, Shawn Kemp and Eric Lindros cards looked at me in disappointing fashion, forgotten friends left at a bus stop of wax pack memories. This exit was a dramatic decision. I was privileged to informally apprentice in … [Read more...] about Good Hobbies Gone Bad: The Curious Case of Sports Card Déjà Vu’