Is this a pointless hobby?

I guess it all depends on how you collect as well. If you go crazy on boxes and cases and never pull anything you like or anything that has value then maybe it is a pointless hobby. Like many mentioend above it's no more pointless than most hobbies. I know people that spend hours every few days playnig videos games. When I was younger myself and my friends would drink every weekend. Sure it was fun but that can also be classified as a waste of money since we did it every weekend.

My girlfriend just said to me last night that I could be spending my money and my time on a lot of things that she considers worse than collecting cards.
 
The friends I've made here don't make it pointless.
There's lots to learn about business by being in this hobby - markup, conversion rates, other economic conditions that affect value.

If you get enjoyment out of it, it's not pointless.
 
pmc336699 said:
I was going through a similar situation a while back. I decided to refocus my habits a little bit to keep me interested. I'm no longer trying to get one of every single Gaborik card produced. As was stated before...How many jerseys and autos of the same guy do I really need? UD has severely over saturated the GU/auto market for most players. Now I just pick up pieces that are rare, and that catch my eye.
Click to expand...

This is a big point as well. I refocused my Iginla collection a few times to make it more enjoyable for me. Upper Deck DOES saturate the market so it came less and less fun to buy everything. Now I try to get higher end cards and cards that I really like. With the 08-09 releases so far I have added ONE card to my Iginla collection.
 
If a person is collecting only for the sake of having things, then yes I would say it is rather pointless for them. For me, I enjoy it greatly. I like getting autographs and game-used cards and rookies and parallels and inserts. My pick-ups get looked at on a regular basis, and not just the ones in my display case. I leaf through the Price & Gorges collections at least once a week. Like many Canadiens fans I have a very strong and personal affinity for my team. I don't go so far as to refer to the goalie as "Jesus Price" as others may, but collecting my hockey favourites, past and present, is simply an outgrowth of that affinity. It's not as if I have any other means of getting Saku Koivu's signature, being that I'm way out here in Halifax and both times the Habs were here he didn't make the trip. As long as the hobby brings joy to a person, there is a point and purpose to it.
 
Yes, most hobbies are in many ways pointless. The important thing, as many have said already, is that you are enjoying yourself. If you are getting to the point that your newly acquired cards are not providing satisfaction, it may be time to thin down the collection, and really just spend the money on sth that really stands out.

I know from my own experience, there are many many cards I at one point would have liked to have, and upon receiving it, ends up in a count box for 'keeps' sake. On the other end of the spectrum, there are some cards I jump and down about, even months after acquiring it, and I still like showing them off to some buddies, or looking at them. Those are the cards that are really worth your money. Jerseys, patches, autographs, sure, they are nice because they are apart of the game that I am so passionate about, but if they don't matter to you, don't let them.

Sometimes, I am more happy with a certain base card than a jersey, regardless of the so called 'market' value. It's a representation of hockey, again, as long as you're having some fun, it's all good.
 
newfiecomicguy1 said:
Instead we sit in a chair and stare at a monitor:D Its funny how this hobby has changed from a very social thing (trading, card show, card shops) to most of it being down online from our houses.
Click to expand...

That is exactly what we are trying to change - to bring the social aspect back into the hobby (locally of course) through trade nights and encouraging people to trade with each other.

The hobby for me grew into a store but the best part of the hobby is the people. The more in the store the better. The $$$ actually are meaningless without the fun. I would hope the hobby would be meaningless to most people without the fun as well.

As for pointless - GET USED TO IT! Going to work is pointless somedays... LOL But we still do it.
 
Last edited:
I feel him big time. I used to be one of those types to buy every single product that came out, but I would just go around the next minute and trade it for something and then I would just keep on trading with no meaning whatsoever. So, last year I took some time off and thought, why am I in the hobby in the first place?

Then I took some time to focus solely on my personal collection and a couple of sets. It gives me more meaning and enjoyment since I know I won't just turn around and trade every card I receive in the mail.

I am one of those types that looks at my cards a lot b/c I am proud of my collection since it is one of my only true possessions. I enjoy organizing my photo bucket as well. Sure, I miss busting wax since there is always fun in that, but it took too much of a hit to my wallet and I don't feel I gained much in spending 1000's of dollars every year. There is more joy in trading for a card I actually want and will cherish..

So, is the hobby meaningless to me? Not at all. It gives me a release from the everyday stresses of life and gives me a sense of enjoyment that only a few things in my life can match..
 
Pointless but fun. I often look at my cards, I love looking through my cards. Like Joe said - the chase is, more often than not, the best part.
 
Card collecting is a simple hobby, it is always what you make of it, there will always be a prettier patch then yours, and as long as your ego can handle that you will enjoy this hobby and Scott is right most of the conversations in his store are about Hockey but not always about the Hobby, pretty simple if you can't enjoy the hobby than get out, the beauty of it is there is usually plenty of people willing to take some cards off your hands LOL
 
You friend is right, and I have thought that many a time. The actual act of spending large sums of money on a card and putting it a box "for later" is stupid at best. For me, the friendships are immeasurable and so is the thrill of the hunt. Lord knows I'd never shoot an animal or cheat on my wife, so card are my vice.
 
[Chakhae1 wrote.

So, is the hobby meaningless to me? Not at all. It gives me a release from the everyday stresses of life and gives me a sense of enjoyment that only a few things in my life can match..[/QUOTE]

Very well stated.

Dan.
 
Last edited:
to quote a wise man, "hobbies cost money, interests are free"

for some people I think it is more about the community & interaction rather than the cards themselves. I can see his point however if you compared card collecting to say car collecting. At least with a car it has a useful purpose :)
 
I think the main reason why i collect cards is that i can go to my mailbox and open it without beeing afraid that there are only bills inside. :D

Sounds like a joke but it is true.
 
Whether or not something has a point is entirely subjective. What's pointless to one is fun for another.

Technically anything we do in life is pointless other than eating, breathing and exercising. Now you made me go all philosophical on you!
 
One day, God willing - I hope to have some kids. If so, I'll pass my cards along and they'll be their problem then, once I'm not around anymore. Sell them, throw them away - whatever. It's up to them. I have these thoughts of bringing my imaginary kids into the hobby with me someday & using this as something we can bond over. So technically, I'm engaging in a hobby now - based on kids that I may or may not have one day. :)

In the meantime, it sure is fun.

Also, while I don't drag the cards out and look at them in person very often, I do find myself browsing photobucket at work quite a bit when I'm bored. Helps get me thru the day.
 
No hobby is pointless if you find enjoyment in it. Hell, even if it costs you a bundle, when you get home from work and opening a few bubbles makes you forget the BS from the job then it's worth it. It is even moreso if you can share it with a partner, child or sibling and people in your family share in the experience. As stated, the chase is often the better part of the experience than the card itself. Thank goodness for most the chase never ends.

If you fail to find pleasure in any hobby it is time to stop, but that hobby will not be labeled pointless for anyone but you and those that feel that same way.
 
Costs shouldn't come into play when considering whether or not this hobby is a waste of time. If you are in it to make money, then yes, it probably is a waste of your time, unless you own a shop, but if you are a collector simply because you enjoy cards/collecting, then I don't see it as a waste of time...unless it takes priority over more important things.
 
I disagree.. i am always going through my boxes and looking at my cards. It may be a few months but if I am sitting down and watching TV, i grab a box and go through them...

Maybe its me but it keeps me sober lol..
 
99goals said:
I disagree.. i am always going through my boxes and looking at my cards. It may be a few months but if I am sitting down and watching TV, i grab a box and go through them...

Maybe its me but it keeps me sober lol..
Click to expand...

lol...my spending habits in the past were a little bit on the crazy side and it was like it was a drug so ya. at least no physical harm was done lol
 

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
389,485
Messages
2,232,984
Members
4,146
Latest member
E_Thom_Tech
Back
Top