Hobby related UNPOPULAR OPINION(s)?

[Avalanchefan21]

Never thought of that from the seller stand point so that completely makes sense....


I agree it should be should be optional for certain cards... it just sucks having to wait a bit longer

 

[gomaz]

2) People complaining about scotch tape or dirty cases.....
To each their own, but the first thing I do when I get a Luongo card is throw away whatever its in, and put it in my brand new case, then cover, and put away. It's that simple and I never think the case or a bit of tape is a game breaker

3) I like patch cards better than Auto's! No reason why, just more appealing to me!

I'm with you on both of these

2) unless the cards I buy arrive in brand new sparkly holders, they go in the garbage anyway. My scissors are sharp enough to cut through painters tape and scotch tape.

3) Me too! I'm not a big fan of auto only cards. I collect several patch/mem sets and zero auto sets. Patches (at least the ones I colelct) hit me in the feels waaaay more than an auto'd card.

 

[MR.M's Cards]

1) Graded cards are stupid. So here's my biggest issue....
Putting a premium on a "10" means that not every copy is perfect right? So then someone pulls a card with a fuzzy corner and demands a replacement!

Doesn't this undermine the whole premise of grading? Like the whole point is that some cards are good, some are bad! I have zero graded cards in my collection.

Pair that with getting a 9, cracking it, and resub for 10???? What a farce!

2) People complaining about scotch tape or dirty cases.....
To each their own, but the first thing I do when I get a Luongo card is throw away whatever its in, and put it in my brand new case, then cover, and put away. It's that simple and I never think the case or a bit of tape is a game breaker

3) I like patch cards better than Auto's! No reason why, just more appealing to me!

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Greg Brown]

I don't buy anything graded unless its the only version of the card I can track down. I have broken a few cards out of slabs way back when.

I wish athletes would have legible autographs! scribble smear dot dash isn't my cup of tea. /get off my lawn

 

[SNobles]

Some really great points so far. I know I am in the minority on these 2 points:

1. I like parallels. With that said, I would like them to have more different then just the font colour and numbering. Example: Like OPC Platinum, Dislike Artifacts

2. I would prefer products to have more technology cards vs autos and game used. I much prefer a cool insert (Glow shift, Colour shift, PMG) vs a basic GU or AU.

 

[Tachyon]

1. My LCS owner told me a few years ago that there is not a Junk Wax Era coming, there is a Junk Slab Era coming. Way too much graded crap out there. So many grading companies popping up everywhere because there is a lot more cards being graded as there are so many more collectors out there, not just in sports. I do like the grading system for vintage. I like the authentication of autographs.

2. Never had a Jumbo card in my collection, I do not know how to fit it in. As for Minis, I love mini cards and always have! Not really sure why I actually seem to like them more than a regular sized card for the most part. I can also fit them into my collection.

3. I Do not understand the insane hype around Bedard and it hurts knowing I am basically out-priced on buying any 23-24 release contianing a Bedard rookie. I Did however show a Bedard in my OPC break the other day because it is an attractive looking card and totally took me by surprise when pulling it. There was another huge hit in that box. But other than pulling a Bedard I am over the Bedard craze before it began.

Autographed cards are so abundant now, patches seem to be getting less attention (it seems like that to me at least). I love nasty patches and crazy pieces like stick, glove, pad etc.

I will throw this one out there.... I am GOING to be annoyed that Chicago Blackhawks easily make for some of the best patches out there and I am going to hate that mixed in with Bedardmania.... I just know it's gonna irk me somehow seeing his patch cards going for insane money.

 

[gobuffalo2331]

The whole push to grade the last 5 years was so foolish. Complete nonsense that people are spending a lot to grade cheap cards. Makes zero sense. I will always look back laugh at people grading base cards during the pandemic.

 

[BlindThomen]

Some really great points so far. I know I am in the minority on these 2 points:

1. I like parallels. With that said, I would like them to have more different then just the font colour and numbering. Example: Like OPC Platinum, Dislike Artifacts

2. I would prefer products to have more technology cards vs autos and game used. I much prefer a cool insert (Glow shift, Colour shift, PMG) vs a basic GU or AU.

I'll gladly second these! I'm actually happy UD has really toned down the jersey and auto content. Used to be in every set every year which made the whole thing not worthwhile.

- Sauli

 

[odjickfan]

I'll gladly second these! I'm actually happy UD has really toned down the jersey and auto content. Used to be in every set every year which made the whole thing not worthwhile.

- Sauli

In my opinion, there was an excess of common jerseys and sticker autos made at some point. But, I miss premium subsets like Stick & Jersey from ITG. There were some awesome pieces on those.

 

[Avalanchefan21]

Great stuff here in this thread!

Wonder if we'll see a resurgence at some point of the game used cards being more popular. I just see UD being as cheap as possible if that happens but with autos being more and more illegible and the case hits becoming crazy #d cards/rookies/etc... maybe the market is ready for a game used boom, its so cool (always has been) to think that THIS actual piece of the jersey is something that play X wore in an actual game!!

 

[Triple B]

1. Box breaking post 2020 is a fool's errand. Singles is where it's at.

2. I feel sorry for anyone who bought Conor Bedard's Young Guns card for anything more than $500.

3. Grading breathed life into a stagnant hobby. It definitely was overdone during the pandemic (grading base cards was as idiotic as it got), but like it or not, it does have its place in the hobby.

 

[Modojr]

Licenced ITG cards were amazing!

True story.

I like my graded RCs, however, I definitely think grading anything and everything is absurd. I see some stuff in my ebay searches and think "Don't think you're going to get that price friend".

I don't like the transition from "Authentic Game Used" to "Player Worn" on the backs of cards. That really takes a lot of steam out of some modern cards I like.

I can't get behind unlicensed cards. They feel incomplete even with stellar memorabilia and autos.

 

[eishelges]

I am completely crazy … I do open all slabbed cards as I don’t like graded cards

Thank you for your thoughts great reading here!

Greetings
Helge

 

[creasecollector]

Group Breaking led the hobby down a dark path....

No hate to GB's or people who partake, as I totally understand the appeal, but the hit-based nature of products now seem to cater to group breaking since they've arrived on the scene and progressively gained in popularity. The practice of joining GB's and quickly discarding everything not deemed "valuable" enough has led to a shift in the hobby that I don't know we can ever stuff back into the bottle - something that this hobby was naively shielded from for a long time.

The gambling/hit-based appeal to the hobby for some just isn't for me. And that is totally okay if you are one that enjoys this aspect of the hobby, but it's just something i've noticed.

I miss "old school" collecting/collectors. Not sure if this is based on nostalgic factors or what, but maybe that's just me.

Looking forward to hearing some opinions on this.

 

[katoy2j]

Group Breaking led the hobby down a dark path....

No hate to GB's or people who partake, as I totally understand the appeal, but the hit-based nature of products now seem to cater to group breaking since they've arrived on the scene and progressively gained in popularity. The practice of joining GB's and quickly discarding everything not deemed "valuable" enough has led to a shift in the hobby that I don't know we can ever stuff back into the bottle - something that this hobby was naively shielded from for a long time.

The gambling/hit-based appeal to the hobby for some just isn't for me. And that is totally okay if you are one that enjoys this aspect of the hobby, but it's just something i've noticed.

I miss "old school" collecting/collectors. Not sure if this is based on nostalgic factors or what, but maybe that's just me.

Looking forward to hearing some opinions on this.

Actually I think group breaking saved the hobby. In 2015-16 and 2016-17 you had probably the two biggest prospects since 2005-06 with Crosby and Ovechkin. McDavid and Matthews boxes were going below MSRP. I remember buying boxes of 2015-16 Champs hockey for 30.00 US a box. The hobby was eroding and it wasn't going to survive with the same group of collectors for the last 20 years as they would simply eventually lose interest or pass away. Kids had zero interest in cards. Group breaks made things interesting for younger people who have no interest in putting sets together and allowed them to be a part of a community for a relatively low investment. It's sort of the equivalent of a lotto scratch ticket. They are horrible investments but are relatively inexpensive and provide a level of entertainment. There are far more products opened by "group breaks" than there are products opened by collectors. The collectors group can only get so big because you can't collect everything. Maybe OPC and Flagship but after that nobody really collected many of the other sets. How could the hobby survive in that environment?

Group breaks brought so many new and young people to the hobby because they could get in inexpensively. 10 or 20 dollars at a time. Sure maybe they didn't hit anything but they got an hours worth of entertainment and a rush of a chase.

"Old school" was never going to survive. A lot of that crowd is in their 40's and after. They pretty much collected cards when they were kids. Probably lost interest at some point and came back around the mid 2000's when they had more disposable income. Then after a few years they moved on with their lives and did something different. Cards were originally a way to sell bubblegum. Most early 90's cards were garbage but were less than a dollar a pack. Tough for any business to survive on that model. We want things to cater to how it used to be but the reality is we are now just old people yelling at clouds. I can't blame the shift either when I hear the arguments. Why would someone want 700 cards of mostly scrub players and to hold onto that for eternity?

 

[Triple B]

Actually I think group breaking saved the hobby. In 2015-16 and 2016-17 you had probably the two biggest prospects since 2005-06 with Crosby and Ovechkin. McDavid and Matthews boxes were going below MSRP. I remember buying boxes of 2015-16 Champs hockey for 30.00 US a box. The hobby was eroding and it wasn't going to survive with the same group of collectors for the last 20 years as they would simply eventually lose interest or pass away. Kids had zero interest in cards. Group breaks made things interesting for younger people who have no interest in putting sets together and allowed them to be a part of a community for a relatively low investment. It's sort of the equivalent of a lotto scratch ticket. They are horrible investments but are relatively inexpensive and provide a level of entertainment. There are far more products opened by "group breaks" than there are products opened by collectors. The collectors group can only get so big because you can't collect everything. Maybe OPC and Flagship but after that nobody really collected many of the other sets. How could the hobby survive in that environment?

Group breaks brought so many new and young people to the hobby because they could get in inexpensively. 10 or 20 dollars at a time. Sure maybe they didn't hit anything but they got an hours worth of entertainment and a rush of a chase.

"Old school" was never going to survive. A lot of that crowd is in their 40's and after. They pretty much collected cards when they were kids. Probably lost interest at some point and came back around the mid 2000's when they had more disposable income. Then after a few years they moved on with their lives and did something different. Cards were originally a way to sell bubblegum. Most early 90's cards were garbage but were less than a dollar a pack. Tough for any business to survive on that model. We want things to cater to how it used to be but the reality is we are now just old people yelling at clouds. I can't blame the shift either when I hear the arguments. Why would someone want 700 cards of mostly scrub players and to hold onto that for eternity?

Unfortunately, you are correct.

Breaking has been the boom the hobby needed. It took the baton from grading and has brought collectors to the hobby in record numbers and post-pandemic at that.

The problem is that the demand for boxes by breakers has created higher production numbers, higher odds and even higher price points. It has also added more parallels that make little to no sense (anyone seen Panini's Snake Skin Refractors? Brutal).

"Collectors" will jump all over me for saying this, but people who put sets together or who chase low end RCs aren't the backbone of the hobby any longer. I have limited my show experiences to the Expo and The National because I don't find the Peli crowd, "influencer" crowd or table after table of bag holders appealing.

I am glad for this change and the interest it has created because now I'm getting prices for cards that are unheard of. Landing cards at a decent price is difficult and only attainable with help or by grading and flipping to generate hobby dollars.

 

[katoy2j]

I agree the value is not really there anymore but that pretty much exists with almost everything over time. Houses, restaurants, vacations all provided better value 20 years ago. It's just the way the World works. I can live with these things because they exist everywhere. What turned me off more than anything was the awful customer service and terrible quality control. If you mess up as a company, own up to it and fix it. Upper Deck decided it was better to just use excuses like the product is over a year old instead of offering to make it right for errors they made. No problem, I'll just walk away if that's how I'm valued as a customer. I used to buy 6 figures of Upper Deck products a year, most of which I would just keep as an investment and sell in the future. I had most of my stuff already preordered for this season and I sold 20 cases worth of series 2 so I did extremely well but next year I won't bother. It wasn't the breakers that turned me off it was their customer service.

 

[weasel-king]

I am a player collector, and I am so over all the parallels. I'm talking to you OPC Platinum, Allure, Artifacts, and others. I get why it is done. I know it. It's easy (and cheaper) to add another foil color than source a whole new photo or some up with a new subset name. I get it. I really do.

But it kills my motivation when I:
-pull up numbern9ne's awesome checklist for 2022-23 Allure
-do my Cntl-F on my player
-see 25 cards for my player
-realize it is for basically 2 photos (12 base plus parallels and plate, 11 variations of Color Flow)

(and bonus negatives for knowing he probably has an auto or two that will be released in 25-26 Allure or something)

I don't know what's worse, having unnumbered parallels, or having parallels numbered to 100, 85, 65, 50, and 35. C'mon, do we really need all of those?

 

[Avalanchefan21]

Ok I got one....


For me it's about having the complete set, not the "hunt"
Thank you

 

[Avalanchefan21]

- Presidents Choice is actually good (minus the cards w/ a paintbrush photo)
- mem cards > autos
- too many garbage parallels/tech/manufactured patch cards
- 95% of UD products aren't even "fun" to open anymore