How to save the hobby
by Mike Wittman
Baseball cards have been
around for a while. Obviously, the hobby picked up in the 50s, when more than
one brand started producing cards to go with bubble gum. However, I, being 14,
am not old enough for all that. I started about 7 years ago, picking up singles
and cheapo 1990 packs at my local card store. I remember going to a show and
getting some $1 grab bags of crappo 1990 commons, which I still have in a
showbox over my bookcase. However, my collecting picked up when my grandfather
picked up a box of 1999 UD MVP for a steep $50 for my birthday. I busted it, and
got an Abraham O. Nunez auto. I was THRILLED.
Around that same time, I started collecting TTM, and was so happy when all my
successes came in. That was in 2000 or so. I went to my card store and saw packs
of 2000 SP signature, only $17, but too expensive for me, on the counter. One
auto per pack, WOW! I never got any of that product.
Now, it is 2004. The average retail price of a hobby pack is probably about $5.
I, myself, haven't bought a hobby pack for a year, I think. I see people paying
$300, $500, $1000 at a card shop and think "wow, I could never do that". I found
eBay which has been great for me, especially as I begin to collect Rocco
Baldelli, but I miss packs. So I buy retail. Lots and lots of retail. In fact,
if I saved the retail money from the last two months, I could've bought some
nice hobby from DACW. But, I continue on buying retail.
That is the perspective of a 14 year old collector. I feel that the hobby is
slipping out of reach to kids, and that corrective measures can be made, by the
companies, but also by us, collectors. However, to correctly judge this, you
need to see the world not as a collector, but as a newbie. THE HOBBY NEEDS TO
GET AND RETAIN NEW COLLECTORS TO STAY ALIVE. I DO NOT SEE NEW COLLECTORS BEING
BROUGHT IN AS MUCH ANYMOREI know someone named "John" (real name not used,
for privacy's sake). John is about my age, and he loves baseball. I do a fantasy
baseball league with him, and he really enjoys it. He also collects a few
baseball cards. He has probably never been in a card store in his life, and
probably gets his packs from a local CVS. John likes Jason Schmidt, his top
fantasy pitcher, and asked me to get an auto for him. He will pay $10-$14 for
it. John has never read a Beckett in his life, has no clue what BV is, and
doesn't know what an insert is. John, like everyone in "Baah-stin", is a Red Sox
fan. He tells me, with the same excitement that I would have if I pulled a GU,
that he was thrilled because he got a pack with a Manny, Nomar, and Pedro common
in the same pack. He tells me that he once got a Sosa and a McGwire in the same
pack, and he left it on a table and he thinks his cleaning lady took it. He is
as mad as I would be if I had lost an autograph.
The difference in opinion between people who know the hobby and people who don't
are astounding. Newbies would not even contemplate buying a pack for above $3,
so they go to retail stores, and get moderately lucky. That's OK with them,
because they don't find hobby packs, or Becketts. They are just mild collectors,
and value to them is the players on the card. CARD COMPANIES NEED TO ADDRESS
THE FACT THAT A GOOD CHUNK OF THEIR BUYERS ARE LOW DOLLAR KIDS, WHO DONT KNOW
MUCH ABOUT THE HOBBY. Upper Deck took a good step at this, with retail only
products like Diamond Collection, and the best kid-friendly product in a while,
PowerUp. The retail only product allows kids to play fantasy games with their
cards, with the winner getting to meet Ken Griffey. Perfect. This is just what
the hobby needs.
What the hobby doesn't need are people like this one dealer I saw at a show. I
still am not really taken seriously around here at shows, because of my age, but
this guy took the cake. I go through his stuff, and we start talking about great
pulls, and he says he pulled a Ulysses Grant cut sig, and traded it for 5
Mantles. Whatever. I pull out a 2004 Skybox autographics Kerry Wood auto /134 or
something, and ask the price. The guy says "$150". My jaw almost dropped to the
floor. I tried to contain myself from shouting "MORON! IT SELLS FOR $30 ON
EBAY!!!!" and I walked away. As I was leaving, the guy said "Don't be
disappointed, unnumbered Piazzas go for $400!". This was OK (kinda) for the guy
to do this to me, as I was experienced and knew that that price was crap.
However, what the guy did to others really was astounding to me. A 9 year old
went up to his table, looked around and pulled out an auto he liked. Not sure
what it was. Anyway, I hear the kid ask "how much." The guy, without even
blinking, said "I can let you have it for $80". This was to a 9 year old.
I think it was an auto that goes for about $30-$40 ebay, and BV around there.
Dude, this is a KID with $30 at most in his pocket! These guys are the ones that
wreck the hobby.
Same show, different dealer. Same aged kid walks up, picks up a Todd Helton GU,
asks for the price. $5 is marked on it. Dealer says $3. Kid hands him a $5.
Dealer says "I'll give you this (Jim Thome GU) with the Helton for the $5". Kid
walks away happy as ever, and I would've been too. He got a great deal! This is
what dealers and card shop owners can do MAKE IT EASY FOR NEWCOMERS AND LOW $
CUSTOMERS TO GET GOOD CARDS. THEY WILL START BUYING PACKS, AND THEN THEY ARE
COLLECTORS. That guy probably made that kid have the best collection in his
age bracket, for only a $5 note.
One more thing, and then I'll wrap it up. With all the thousands of products,
newbies are confused. To get newbies in, they need to know about the hobby.
Here's what you can do to save the hobby. MAKE SURE EVERYONE YOU KNOW THAT
HAS EVEN AN INTEREST IN COLLECTING KNOWS HOW TO DO IT, SO THEY CAN START
EXPERIENCING OUR HOBBY TOO. You can explain it to them, or, if you need
help, give them a copy of my Guide to collecting. Ask your card dealer to put
out a free guide to collecting of some sort in their store, so newbies can know
how it's done. The hobby can only get stronger with each new collector, whether
they spend $10 a year or $10,000. Emphasis should be put on retail,
friendliness, and education. If we work hard, we will be able to enjoy this
hobby for years to come.