Has Anyone Else Noticed a Decline

Leafsfan1967

Leafsfan1967

Disgruntled Leafs Fan,
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I was going through the buy/sell threads the other day, and I couldn't help but notice the decline in traffic, not only on this site, but all the sites. I run the hockey forums on another site, and I can tell you the activity of late is almost nothing. I can remember not too very long ago if you posted a sale thread on here, you'd be lucky if it stayed on the front page an hour, or two. Lately, these threads can stay on the first page for the whole night, and sometimes into the next day. Where has everyone gone?

I know we can blame the economy somewhat, but every day we see more, and more people selling off their collections, and hardly anyone is buying, unless you want to give it away. Trading has also delined a whole lot over the past months. It use to be easy to find what you were looking for, and someone to trade with, but that scenario seems to be long gone.

Is the hobby dying? Is there anything we can do to bring it back, or do we just have to make do with the few that are still here? Surely, I can't be the only one who has noticed a significant drop off in traffic? I'm a bit worried that this hobby has run it's course. I will always collect hockey cards, but it seems not everyone is feeling the same way. Too much product, and over saturation of game used, and autographed cards is to blame, I'm sure. Are people really tired of the same old crap appearing in the same old products?
 
I think the main reason we've seen a big decline recently is the lockout. Since a lot of people chase the new $$ products for the big rookies, I think some people are staying away since you won't see any of these young guys in the NHL this year if a deal doesn't get done soon. Obviously the economy, and the fact that most new stuff doesn't wow people anymore also plays a factor.
 
gobuffalo2331 said:
I think the main reason we've seen a big decline recently is the lockout. Since a lot of people chase the new $$ products for the big rookies, I think some people are staying away since you won't see any of these young guys in the NHL this year if a deal doesn't get done soon. Obviously the economy, and the fact that most new stuff doesn't wow people anymore also plays a factor.
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I agree that the lockout is not helping matters currently, but I started noticing a huge dropoff beginning months ago. It's hard to judge the summer months, as people have better things to do with their time, especially if the weather is nice. I did expect a huge upswing in activity once the kids got back into school, and the anticipation of some of the big products hitting the streets, but I"m just not seeing it right now.

Tons of long time collectors are selling off their collections. This happened to me with Mcfarlane figures. I was totally into that hobby, and then all of a sudden, I got tired of it. I got tired of looking at hundreds of these things sitting in boxes collecting dust. Cards are the only hobby I've never stopped doing. Been in it since the late 60's. When you start to see guys that have been staples in the hobby selling off their collections, it makes you wonder what's in store for the future. I don't think I'll ever stop collecting cards, but there was a time I said that about my Mcfarlane collection.

gobuffalo2331 said:
I think the decline over the summer may be due to the delay in products. I mean we went months and months and with nothing good lol. And then when these bigger products actually released they were heavy with redemptions or boring like Ultimate and the Cup did absolutely nothing for me. Also this hobby has hit a brick wall, and people months ago, and even a few years ago realized this and started selling off their stuff. I havn't chased any new stuff in years, 90% of releases are just so boring in my opinion.
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Maybe the delay is part of it? I think it's more of what you say as the hobby has hit a brick wall. People are finding other ways to spend their money. The delay doesn't affect me that much, as I can't afford to bust the Cup, Dominion, and the other high priced products. I stopped busting wax years ago, and yes I miss the thrill, but I'm much more happy dropping $100 on a bunch of nice single autos, and such for my collection, then to waste the money breaking a box that yields $20 in return for your $100. I don't want to see the hobby dwindle down to nothing, I enjoy it too much, but those that have left may never come back, and that's a shame.

itsonlycardboard said:
Ive noticed it too, and I think a lot of it has to do with the garbage the companies are putting out. It seems like its the same stuff year after year, set after set. How many different cards does one player need each season? Do we really need 137 cards of Johnny Puckshooter just because he scored 13 goals his rookie season?

I use to collect anything and everything hockey, but the fun is long gone for me too. I'm just too lazy to sell everything. I still enjoy collecting schedules, but even that has become too much of a hassle trying to get people to help out.
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Yep, I agree there is too much crap out there, and people are tired of seeing the same old, same old in every product. How many different jersey cards of player X do we need in our collections? Same goes for autos. There are a couple guys I try to collect many different autos of them, but for the most part if I get one auto of a player, I'm satisfied, and look for one of someone I don't have as my next move. I'm too lazy to sell on ebay, and besides who needs that hassle, anyways? Schedules is a nice idea, and relatively cheap, too. At least it's something different?
 
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I think the decline over the summer may be due to the delay in products. I mean we went months and months and with nothing good lol. And then when these bigger products actually released they were heavy with redemptions or boring like Ultimate and the Cup did absolutely nothing for me. Also this hobby has hit a brick wall, and people months ago, and even a few years ago realized this and started selling off their stuff. I havn't chased any new stuff in years, 90% of releases are just so boring in my opinion.
 
Ive noticed it too, and I think a lot of it has to do with the garbage the companies are putting out. It seems like its the same stuff year after year, set after set. How many different cards does one player need each season? Do we really need 137 cards of Johnny Puckshooter just because he scored 13 goals his rookie season?

I use to collect anything and everything hockey, but the fun is long gone for me too. I'm just too lazy to sell everything. I still enjoy collecting schedules, but even that has become too much of a hassle trying to get people to help out.
 
as for the boards being slow,i have noticed but i think the combination of the off season and lock out is the main reason.the decline in sales and values has been a trend for the past few years,we will probably never see the '05-'06 bubble again,and i for one am happy about it.just like the housing market here in the states,people's eyes were bigger than their brains and went in over thier heads with paying for things they really couldn't afford,speculated and have now taken a serious beating on investing in players who will never reach the lofty status they presumed.i think those are the majority of people who have thrown in the towel on the hobby.

i have been collecting cards since the '70's when i was a kid,it's in my blood and i'll never give it up.it's not a high stakes stock market for me,it's a hobby to occupy my time,enjoy reading stats on card backs and remembering memories of the the players on the front of the cards.

the hobby HAS hit it's endgame.$400-$600 packs of cards that are really just the same auto/rookie/event worn/auto's are in EVERY product and the card companies are going to have to realize they are cannabalizing each other.ITG is really the only option left for myself,as their products consistantly hit the niches that i seem to enjoy.but everyone is different.

it's time to take a step back,take a deep breath and think about what you enjoy about the hobby then go from there.the lockout may be a blessing in disguise as we might see a slow down in the flood.:cool:
 
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One thing reducing the activity is the hyper high-end products. Someone who spends 500$ on a tin of Cup only gets like 5 cards. Back in the days, the same person would have bought 4-6 mid-end boxes and end up with maybe 50 hits and inserts + a few base sets to move.

Moving 5 cards instead of 50 means 10 times less activity.
 
I have to agree with everyone on this issue. There has been a huge drop in activity in either selling/buying and/or trading on multiple site. There is truely a fundemental problem within the Hobby. I think it comes down to two fundamental problems: the card companies themselves, and Collector vs. Sellers.

Upper Deck/Panini have been putting out the same style products set after set after set all year. Then they put out boxes for $500 at the end of the year that is to expensive for the average collectors to buy. I can see with these hard economic times there are less people that are buying, but really a $500 pack with only five cards. Come on. I was glad when Panini entered the market this year because it was some compitition to Upper deck, but eventually there wasn't really a difference between the two. Atleast ITG puts out products that are wallet friendly for the most part and listens to what collectors actually want rather than mass producing the same regurgitated crap all season. I like that they have produced some products that have concept to them (Forever Rivals, and Broadstreet Bullies). If the two major card companies keep up with the way things are now the hobby is gonna go to the toilet.

My othe point it comes down to two types of people in the hobby: true collectors, and people out for a quick buck. There has been to many times that I see people openning product at my local shop just to find cards to sell rather than collect. At that point why open product if you are gonna just turn around and seell. You are just waisting your time. I see people pack searching more and more at retail outlets (Scumbags) everyday just to turn a quick buck. For me I am a true collector. Have been since the early 80's and am not going to leave. It has been easier to collect my favorite players using the internet. When I first started trading online seven years ago, my only options to get cards of my favorite players was I had to purchase on Beckett and on the bay. But trading online makes me feel like a 6 year old trading again with my friends. But what pains me the most is that my son(8) and daughter(3) are never going to get the same enjoyment and satisfaction out of the hobby that I have, because there isn't anything there for them in it. The prices are two high and there is nothing that attracts a kids attention within the hobby.
 
i think less and less people post sale threads on sites because all you get is lowball offers. I see more listings on ebay with BIN/BO so people get what they want for the cards.
 
Amsfan said:
I have to agree with everyone on this issue. There has been a huge drop in activity in either selling/buying and/or trading on multiple site. There is truely a fundemental problem within the Hobby. I think it comes down to two fundamental problems: the card companies themselves, and Collector vs. Sellers.

Upper Deck/Panini have been putting out the same style products set after set after set all year. Then they put out boxes for $500 at the end of the year that is to expensive for the average collectors to buy. I can see with these hard economic times there are less people that are buying, but really a $500 pack with only five cards. Come on. I was glad when Panini entered the market this year because it was some compitition to Upper deck, but eventually there wasn't really a difference between the two. Atleast ITG puts out products that are wallet friendly for the most part and listens to what collectors actually want rather than mass producing the same regurgitated crap all season. I like that they have produced some products that have concept to them (Forever Rivals, and Broadstreet Bullies). If the two major card companies keep up with the way things are now the hobby is gonna go to the toilet.

My othe point it comes down to two types of people in the hobby: true collectors, and people out for a quick buck. There has been to many times that I see people openning product at my local shop just to find cards to sell rather than collect. At that point why open product if you are gonna just turn around and seell. You are just waisting your time. I see people pack searching more and more at retail outlets (Scumbags) everyday just to turn a quick buck. For me I am a true collector. Have been since the early 80's and am not going to leave. It has been easier to collect my favorite players using the internet. When I first started trading online seven years ago, my only options to get cards of my favorite players was I had to purchase on Beckett and on the bay. But trading online makes me feel like a 6 year old trading again with my friends. But what pains me the most is that my son(8) and daughter(3) are never going to get the same enjoyment and satisfaction out of the hobby that I have, because there isn't anything there for them in it. The prices are two high and there is nothing that attracts a kids attention within the hobby.
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I agree what you pointed out. I would add that there are so many outlets for fans to get their hockey fix. When I was a kid I collected b/c I only saw hockey sparingly. Today 24hour sports channels, Internet, pvr, video games and fantasy leagues have pulled people away from card collecting. This generation is more interested in gadgets( as am I). So a card with patch and maybe an auto may not do it.

Also people collect for future value. I have that philosophy. I work hard and don't want to buy something that will decrease overtime. I have enough other vices that do that. I buy less and less as nothing is new or will give any value to me ( how any Gretzky autos does one need).

Lastly. Cost of living has gone up and so has collecting. Many can't see the value or use the money for other things. 3k for a case of cards is a lot for many. Add the problem of fakes, redemptions and distributors/card companies creating artificial supply issues many have left. It's not just hockey either.
 
Amsfan said:
But trading online makes me feel like a 6 year old trading again with my friends. But what pains me the most is that my son(8) and daughter(3) are never going to get the same enjoyment and satisfaction out of the hobby that I have, because there isn't anything there for them in it. The prices are two high and there is nothing that attracts a kids attention within the hobby.
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Just taking this out of your OP. If trading makes you feel like a 6 year old and happy, then trade with your kids. Get them into building sets (cheap ones like Score/OPC) Set building is great for kids, teaches them sorting and counting. My boy loves trading and cracking, not for the chase of a jersey, patch, auto, paralell, ect. Just for the fun of it and the trade afterwards. Go back to why you started collecting and you will enjoy it more. At least that is what I have found.
 
It is just a slow time right now.

The hobby slows down in the summer.

The lockout hurts the hobby and people do not care as much about hockey at the moment. If training camp was happening then lots of people would be getting into new players. Mark Scheifele was a perfect example last year. He lit it up in training camp and people wanted his cards.

Only high end products; Ultimate, Cup, Prime, Dominion have came out lately. Great cards but quality, not quantity.


eBay lets you list 500 cards for free. You get a lot more traffic on eBay looking for specific cards than in a thread which is very generic and not easy to search.
 
I'm really happy the Kings won, but these playoffs weren't to exhilarating either and that has a lot to do when you don't have big market teams like Philly/Chicago/Pittsburgh/Vancouver/Boston making the finals
 
Plus another thing is that last years rookie crop was not a very good one.

I do think that their will be a lot of sold NHLers to come out of this past year but nothing compaired to the year before.
 
I'm sure your on the right path here, but also consider huge delays in product release (sometimes months later than expected), the lockout, the only thing that killed was The Cup (over priced anyways) and Dominion (too early to tell).
Another thing that personally I am starting to hate is redemptions, seems to be one or two per box now days, and then wait another 8 weeks for a card? Thats brutal.
Lastly, I think the trades on here are becoming harder to accomplish because you've either gotta look through 90 pages of cards or the person wants an arm for a card. (People wanting to trade Upper Deck singles for Prime inserts and not expect to 'give' a bit in the deal)..... I personally hope Upper Deck sunk their shorts on the The Cup and how overpriced it is. 500+ a tin your better off going to a casino and trying 25-100 hands of blackjack....
 
For me cost is a big deal, also getting sick of the amount of people that are wanting resale lots for nothing.
You buy a case for $1500 and even with the money cards you get someone offering an insult. It becomes tiring after a while.
I will wait it out for a better time to get back into it. Will stick with the Robinson collection, but the rest will go back to collecting dust
 
nucks4cup said:
i think less and less people post sale threads on sites because all you get is lowball offers. I see more listings on ebay with BIN/BO so people get what they want for the cards.
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This. Unless you are practically giving your cards away by listing them for significantly less than eBay, likely all you're doing is wasting your time listing cards for sale on sites like HI and SCF. The market and the hobby is at the lowest point that I have ever seen in the 20+ years that I've been involved, and the dissatisfation towards just about all aspects of the hobby is at an all-time high. Costs are going up, and rate of return is going down, so sellers are tired of taking a loss on everything. This creates an increase in ridiculous expectations (hence the high BIN or starting bids that are starting to show up), which in turn drives away collectors, because they're tired of dealing with a business that seems to be no longer based in reality.
 

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