Wow, great, great article, this is what we need, 100% I think though bullet point #5 should be moved up to #1, this is going to be a big problem. I wish both companies could get licensing, pay the non exclusive fee, and compete.
I don't have any answers from the production side, but I've started using TAG exclusively for heading things for the PC precisely because of the transparency and trust issues with PSA. The reports you get from TAG should be industry standard... and I bet it will be in near-ish future.
I haven't fully made the jump for stuff in grading to sell, but I'm slowly working in that direction. Hopefully others will too.
I'm all for taking the path less followed. TAG's transparency and digital fingerprint for grading is a huge plus which should be the industry standard. The lack of market liquidity and resale value is the major problem that their ownership team has to solve.
For sure. I'm hopeful those get solved naturally over time as people get more exposure to their slabs and the reports that come with them. But I also hope that TAG doesn't just sit around and wait for it to happen naturally.
Great article. Wasn't Topps Total basically the answer to question #4? 990 cards, while time-consuming to produce, were cheap enough for the average fan to collect without breaking the bank.
Topps Total had a lot of the qualities I'm referring too, but it no longer exists as a product, and it never had the hobby appeal that other release have. Today Stadium Club seem to align the closest but the price tag continue to driver higher every year. I would be a fan of both Stadium Club and Topps Finest getting a collector based focus and rebranded as an exclusive releases designed for collectors, not for breaking culture.
Understood. One of my major problems with the hobby's current status is the negativity. We try to steer clear from it in our articles, but you nailed everything on the head. There has to be some governing before it's no longer a fun hobby.
We're all collecting cardboard, learning about players, prospects and teams, and just reconnecting with our childhood in many cases. While there are many people investing big-boy dollars, that just lends itself to screaming and hollering if there is underhandedness suspected, which I understand.
But most of us -- I'd say the majority of us -- are just ripping packs and having fun. Everything you laid out is absolute truth. The powers that be -- unfortunately -- see $$$ more than nostalgia. But we have to find the happiness where we can.
Wow, great, great article, this is what we need, 100% I think though bullet point #5 should be moved up to #1, this is going to be a big problem. I wish both companies could get licensing, pay the non exclusive fee, and compete.
I don't have any answers from the production side, but I've started using TAG exclusively for heading things for the PC precisely because of the transparency and trust issues with PSA. The reports you get from TAG should be industry standard... and I bet it will be in near-ish future.
I haven't fully made the jump for stuff in grading to sell, but I'm slowly working in that direction. Hopefully others will too.
I'm all for taking the path less followed. TAG's transparency and digital fingerprint for grading is a huge plus which should be the industry standard. The lack of market liquidity and resale value is the major problem that their ownership team has to solve.
For sure. I'm hopeful those get solved naturally over time as people get more exposure to their slabs and the reports that come with them. But I also hope that TAG doesn't just sit around and wait for it to happen naturally.
Great article. Wasn't Topps Total basically the answer to question #4? 990 cards, while time-consuming to produce, were cheap enough for the average fan to collect without breaking the bank.
Topps Total had a lot of the qualities I'm referring too, but it no longer exists as a product, and it never had the hobby appeal that other release have. Today Stadium Club seem to align the closest but the price tag continue to driver higher every year. I would be a fan of both Stadium Club and Topps Finest getting a collector based focus and rebranded as an exclusive releases designed for collectors, not for breaking culture.
That would be great for Topps Stadium Club. I'm very photo centric when it comes to collecting, and ai usually focus on stadium club.
My nom for Best Hobby Article of the Year -- This article had so many great lines, it's tough to pick out one. But here's my fave:
"Cards are printed like grocery receipts, then graded like fine art. Make it make sense."
Well done, and congrats on your rising Substack success!
Wow thanks for the kind feedback. I almost didn't publish this because I hate ranting like the old guy at the end of the bar.
Understood. One of my major problems with the hobby's current status is the negativity. We try to steer clear from it in our articles, but you nailed everything on the head. There has to be some governing before it's no longer a fun hobby.
We're all collecting cardboard, learning about players, prospects and teams, and just reconnecting with our childhood in many cases. While there are many people investing big-boy dollars, that just lends itself to screaming and hollering if there is underhandedness suspected, which I understand.
But most of us -- I'd say the majority of us -- are just ripping packs and having fun. Everything you laid out is absolute truth. The powers that be -- unfortunately -- see $$$ more than nostalgia. But we have to find the happiness where we can.