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I might not have been chosen by Topps to participate in their blogger roundtable (and really, who can blame them for not picking me), but that doesn’t mean I don’t have opinions! And lucky you, here they are!
1. How long have you been collecting? What are your favorite players, teams, sets, etc. to collect? Which card in your collection means the most to you and why?
My first card was a 1987 Topps Cincinnati Reds Team Leader card that was given to me by my father. To this day, that’s still my favorite card – I’ve posted on my reasons why so I won’t rehash those here though I encourage you to check out that linked post if you haven't already. I tend to be a set collector first, a Barry Larkin collector second, and a Reds team collector third.
2. In the time that you have been collecting, what is your favorite story, memory, experience, etc?
The Topps Reds Leader card mentioned above gives me the happiest memories. My most exciting pack I’ve ever opened happened when I was in Florida with my family on vacation. I stumbled across a little card shop near my hotel and bought a few packs of cards – one of which yielded a Hank Aaron autograph (on card). My biggest regret? Selling that card on eBay.
3. What are the effects on the hobby of major card companies moving toward exclusivity deals with sports leagues? Given that this could be the direction that the industry is headed, what should card companies do to continue to provide a quality product to collectors.
First, this question is a little condescending coming from Topps – after all, they are one of the companies that have worked to sign these exclusive deals. The industry isn’t heading that way – the companies are driving the industry to exclusivity. Rant aside, I think exclusivity isn’t great but it isn’t as bad as many others might suggest. As long as companies are forced to produce sets in different price ranges, there will always be something for everyone. Admittedly, if Topps is the only company producing baseball cards it will be a lousy collecting year if I happen to not like that particular year’s base set design…but it won’t be the end of the world nor the end of my collecting!
4. Pick a timeframe- 5, 10, or 20 years. In that timeframe, what has been the single best and worst development in the hobby?
In the last 20 years, I think the best development in the hobby is the opening lines of communication. In the first few years, it was magazines like Beckett and Tuff Stuff that got information out to collectors. Now, it’s the internet (and specifically, blogs) that provide me with more information about all the different sets that are released. In a close second, I think the excitement per pack has gone up a lot in the last twenty years. Seriously, open up a pack of 1990 Topps and then open up a pack of 2010 Topps and tell me which pack was more exciting. 2010 will win hands down every single time (unless perhaps if you find one of those Frank Thomas no name error cards)!
5. What are your thoughts on prospecting? Do you do it personally? Why? Has the clamoring to find the next big rookie affected the quality of products, either positively or negatively?
I don’t prospect nor do I ever plan on prospecting. I’m a set collector first – which means I’m more interested in getting every card of a certain set rather than every copy of a single card of a single player. The only prospecting I’ve ever done is sending in my copy (from my complete set) of Ichiro’s rookie card for grading.
6. We are collecting tangible products in an increasingly intangible world. As our lives move more and more online, what will the effects on the industry be? Will the next generation of kids be as excited about collecting cards as we are? How should the major card companies respond?
First, I doubt the next generation of kids will be excited about card collecting like we are – but I wasn’t as excited about card collecting as a kid as I am now. Unless sets go back to being 25 cents a pack for 20 cards, it’s too hard for kids to actually complete any sets via collecting. If the goal of Topps (and other card companies) is to “train” new people to become card collectors, there needs to be a good, entry level set that doesn’t feel “cheap” or “kiddie.”
7. How has new media changed the way you collect? How should the major card companies utilize new media to connect with their consumer base? How can new media change and/or revitalize the hobby?
I blog (obviously, you are reading my blog currently) – so I get most of my information from the blogs. I’m not likely to engage with card companies on Twitter, Facebook, or any of the other social medias mostly because I don’t want to “spam” up social media with corporate posts. I think Topps could stand to improve their website in a number of ways, most notably by introducing a sortable checklist system (that is accurate) for all Topps sets (past, present, and future – as much as possible). Ideally, I’d love to be able to print off (or download as an Excel spreadsheet) a list of all cards in a given set, or cards of a certain player, in order to more easily keep track of my collections.
8. How has the recent rise in counterfeits and scams affected the way you collect? What advice would you give the major card companies to help combat this?
Counterfeits haven’t bothered me much because I don’t buy much of what people would bother faking. After all, what’s the value in faking a 1998 Barry Larkin card? Also, most of the newer purchases I make are unopened packs or boxes – things that are much harder to fake (or at least I hope they are).
9. The poor economy has affected all of us in recent years. In what ways would you like to see card companies respond to provide interesting, affordable products for collectors?
If relics and autographs are truly what drive up the cost of sets, I think many collectors would be fine with them being eliminated. In fact, I’d like to see relic/game used cards go back to being something rare (and thus, more valuable I might add). I don’t buy boxes for the relics or other hits – I buy for the sets (and in the case of sets like Allen & Ginter, for the crazy inserts as well).
10. We've done autographs. We've done just about every kind of relic/game used product you can think of. What's next? Where do we go from here?
I’m guessing that the pendulum is about to swing back towards the “classic” side of collecting. The late 90s and early 00s were clearly the crazy days of card design and I think things leveled off later in the last decade. Given that trend, if I had to guess, I’d say things will continue trending to the classic side (thick card stock, old time inspired sets, etc.). In time, a set will be released with lots of foil or shine and wow collectors all over again, just like the sets in the mid-90s did after years of sets like 1991 dark, thin, drab cardstock Topps.
11. If you could say one thing-anything- to Topps and know that the CEO will read it, what would you say?
As a set collector, I’d like all sets under $125 a box to be designed with the set collector considered. At the very least, make each set have a multiple of 9 number of cards in it. I can’t express how frustrating a 100 card set is… 11 full binder pages and then one more page for card #100. Such a waste!
1. How long have you been collecting? What are your favorite players, teams, sets, etc. to collect? Which card in your collection means the most to you and why?
My first card was a 1987 Topps Cincinnati Reds Team Leader card that was given to me by my father. To this day, that’s still my favorite card – I’ve posted on my reasons why so I won’t rehash those here though I encourage you to check out that linked post if you haven't already. I tend to be a set collector first, a Barry Larkin collector second, and a Reds team collector third.
2. In the time that you have been collecting, what is your favorite story, memory, experience, etc?
The Topps Reds Leader card mentioned above gives me the happiest memories. My most exciting pack I’ve ever opened happened when I was in Florida with my family on vacation. I stumbled across a little card shop near my hotel and bought a few packs of cards – one of which yielded a Hank Aaron autograph (on card). My biggest regret? Selling that card on eBay.
3. What are the effects on the hobby of major card companies moving toward exclusivity deals with sports leagues? Given that this could be the direction that the industry is headed, what should card companies do to continue to provide a quality product to collectors.
First, this question is a little condescending coming from Topps – after all, they are one of the companies that have worked to sign these exclusive deals. The industry isn’t heading that way – the companies are driving the industry to exclusivity. Rant aside, I think exclusivity isn’t great but it isn’t as bad as many others might suggest. As long as companies are forced to produce sets in different price ranges, there will always be something for everyone. Admittedly, if Topps is the only company producing baseball cards it will be a lousy collecting year if I happen to not like that particular year’s base set design…but it won’t be the end of the world nor the end of my collecting!
4. Pick a timeframe- 5, 10, or 20 years. In that timeframe, what has been the single best and worst development in the hobby?
In the last 20 years, I think the best development in the hobby is the opening lines of communication. In the first few years, it was magazines like Beckett and Tuff Stuff that got information out to collectors. Now, it’s the internet (and specifically, blogs) that provide me with more information about all the different sets that are released. In a close second, I think the excitement per pack has gone up a lot in the last twenty years. Seriously, open up a pack of 1990 Topps and then open up a pack of 2010 Topps and tell me which pack was more exciting. 2010 will win hands down every single time (unless perhaps if you find one of those Frank Thomas no name error cards)!
5. What are your thoughts on prospecting? Do you do it personally? Why? Has the clamoring to find the next big rookie affected the quality of products, either positively or negatively?
I don’t prospect nor do I ever plan on prospecting. I’m a set collector first – which means I’m more interested in getting every card of a certain set rather than every copy of a single card of a single player. The only prospecting I’ve ever done is sending in my copy (from my complete set) of Ichiro’s rookie card for grading.
6. We are collecting tangible products in an increasingly intangible world. As our lives move more and more online, what will the effects on the industry be? Will the next generation of kids be as excited about collecting cards as we are? How should the major card companies respond?
First, I doubt the next generation of kids will be excited about card collecting like we are – but I wasn’t as excited about card collecting as a kid as I am now. Unless sets go back to being 25 cents a pack for 20 cards, it’s too hard for kids to actually complete any sets via collecting. If the goal of Topps (and other card companies) is to “train” new people to become card collectors, there needs to be a good, entry level set that doesn’t feel “cheap” or “kiddie.”
7. How has new media changed the way you collect? How should the major card companies utilize new media to connect with their consumer base? How can new media change and/or revitalize the hobby?
I blog (obviously, you are reading my blog currently) – so I get most of my information from the blogs. I’m not likely to engage with card companies on Twitter, Facebook, or any of the other social medias mostly because I don’t want to “spam” up social media with corporate posts. I think Topps could stand to improve their website in a number of ways, most notably by introducing a sortable checklist system (that is accurate) for all Topps sets (past, present, and future – as much as possible). Ideally, I’d love to be able to print off (or download as an Excel spreadsheet) a list of all cards in a given set, or cards of a certain player, in order to more easily keep track of my collections.
8. How has the recent rise in counterfeits and scams affected the way you collect? What advice would you give the major card companies to help combat this?
Counterfeits haven’t bothered me much because I don’t buy much of what people would bother faking. After all, what’s the value in faking a 1998 Barry Larkin card? Also, most of the newer purchases I make are unopened packs or boxes – things that are much harder to fake (or at least I hope they are).
9. The poor economy has affected all of us in recent years. In what ways would you like to see card companies respond to provide interesting, affordable products for collectors?
If relics and autographs are truly what drive up the cost of sets, I think many collectors would be fine with them being eliminated. In fact, I’d like to see relic/game used cards go back to being something rare (and thus, more valuable I might add). I don’t buy boxes for the relics or other hits – I buy for the sets (and in the case of sets like Allen & Ginter, for the crazy inserts as well).
10. We've done autographs. We've done just about every kind of relic/game used product you can think of. What's next? Where do we go from here?
I’m guessing that the pendulum is about to swing back towards the “classic” side of collecting. The late 90s and early 00s were clearly the crazy days of card design and I think things leveled off later in the last decade. Given that trend, if I had to guess, I’d say things will continue trending to the classic side (thick card stock, old time inspired sets, etc.). In time, a set will be released with lots of foil or shine and wow collectors all over again, just like the sets in the mid-90s did after years of sets like 1991 dark, thin, drab cardstock Topps.
11. If you could say one thing-anything- to Topps and know that the CEO will read it, what would you say?
As a set collector, I’d like all sets under $125 a box to be designed with the set collector considered. At the very least, make each set have a multiple of 9 number of cards in it. I can’t express how frustrating a 100 card set is… 11 full binder pages and then one more page for card #100. Such a waste!
Comments
How high did the Ichiro grade?
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