Why is it that ...??

[VintageHky]

I've noticed society using things as an excuse not to "do things"...
"The Economy"
"Ecomonic cliff"
etc etc....

For the hobby it's "THE LOCKOUT"...
"Cards sales are effected by the Lockout"
"never going to get much interest in a xx card until the Lockout is over"
Etc etc....
Oh yeah "I'll pay ya this $$ amount only due to the lockout..."

My question or observational thoughts are..
If this is a hobby and it's only pictures of guys are cardboard,why do we allow outside factors affect our passion. Many argue their opinions on how the NHLPA and XX CARD CORP. from ruining our hobby but many are basing their purchasing practices based on this. Is it the fact that we need Mr. Maybe Superstar to do well so that we can "cash in" on his flash in the pan?
If we argue it's not about the $$ why do we alllow ourselves to make sales based on these factors? Where's the passion? Are we only fair weather hockey fans ? Yes i understand everyone's disgust with the NHL's issues;What about the REAL PASSION for THE GAME--HOCKEY !!
Yes we all collect what we want when we want and have differant passions for the game ;I understand that.
I don't see much disgust as I see boxes/cases and packs opened throughout this lockout process.
I am a diehard hockey fan and live hockey throughout the days of summer ;it's in the blood so there is never an off-season.
Sorry for my rant,stepping down from my soap box...

Opionions and comments very much appreciated as I want to try to understand...

 

[paulxing]

Well if you collect rookies, why would you buy cards now? Lockout means you can't get Nail Yakupov or whoever your team's new hype is.

 

[Jester240]

collector's like you are why things are still selling and probably you are winning more than you usually do. If it wasn't for the all the time collector nothing would be selling right now. It is the part time band wagon collectors that really drive the price up on a lot of newer items. They are excited cause the player did something on the rink. But they move on when the next player or set is new. Right now sets are new but there aren't any players doing anything.

 

[gobuffalo2331]

I couldn't agree more with the original post. I've had several people send me pretty crappy offers on very rare cards and their reasoning is "bad market", "ecomony is terrible" etc. You think I'm gonna give away my cards just because the market is bad due to the lockout? I've had a few people submit lowball offers on ebay and in the buyer comments it said "this is the best offer your gonna get in a bad market like this" lol take your cheap offer and go somewhere else. Anybody that says that too me won't get a deal done, whether I like your offer or not.

 

[SkyFire47]

we collect little pieces of cardboard. what's the point in asking why other decisions we make aren't rational?

 

[djsports]

I couldn't agree more with the original post. I've had several people send me pretty crappy offers on very rare cards and their reasoning is "bad market", "ecomony is terrible" etc. You think I'm gonna give away my cards just because the market is bad due to the lockout? I've had a few people submit lowball offers on ebay and in the buyer comments it said "this is the best offer your gonna get in a bad market like this" lol take your cheap offer and go somewhere else. Anybody that says that too me won't get a deal done, whether I like your offer or not.

I get this one all the time from one buyer on Ebay. The response I gave him seemed to shut him up. "Well if there is no interest in hockey, then why are you contacting me over and over again". End of communication with him.

I do not understand the whole economy argument. I am assuming that most of the buyers on Ebay do not have a 401K that they pour into every month...heck, cardboard may be their investment of choice.

 

[TanguayFan]

How can anybody deny that the lack of hockey has had a disastrous effect on the hobby? Whether you agree or not, we can't put our head in the sand or plug our ears and squint our eyes shut saying "LA LA LA LA".....the fact remains that the hobby is stagnant right now. There is less interest in the game, therefore there is less interest in collectibles relating to the game. With less interest in collectibles, the prices are plummeting. With prices in the crapper, fewer people are listing items. The economy has not helped either. Less disposable income means less money being spent on frivolous junk like hockey cards. Credit is being tightened, and those that may have used it in the past to buy extras, are holding off on those purchases. Also, the lockout itself has soured a lot of people who are no longer willing to support owners or players by spending money on items that put more money directly into their coffers.

To those that buy, celebrate the fact that some items are cheaper now than they have ever been, but realize that there are fewer items available to purchase. Those that sell, accept the fact that there is a very real chance that you will not receive offers in the range of what you perceive the value to be of your items. If you are not willing to wait the downturn out, then bite the bullet and sell your items for what the market is currently dictating.

 

[Tripredacus]

Lockout is a problem for the regular fan. A shop will see demand fall from most customers because most customers go with what is "hot" at the time. Right now, no one's home NHL team is playing, not in the news, no highlights, newspaper headlines, box scores. Kids aren't going to games. Kids aren't watching their parents watch games on TV. There is no real demand from the hobby's regular customers.

It doesn't effect regular collectors as much except for the rookie collector, and maybe the league book type. And regular collectors like us end up getting good deals in the lockout times, especially on old product that isn't selling due to low demand.

 

[pharmd30usp]

A shrewd buyer will choose any and all means of knocking down the price of an item they want (and often intend to flip); the reason it happens is that it often works...

 

[RGM81]

One person's perceived "excuse" is another's perceived "justification."

Some people are thoroughly angry with the NHL and the NHLPA for their lack of ability to conclude what should have been a simple negotiation of a new CBA. As such, they are using their voice as a fan and speaking with their wallets. When well-reasoned hockey people talk about the NHL's revenue pie to be divvied up shrinking from $3.3B to $2.5B, that is because disenchanted fans are using the only tools they have at their disposal to make the NHL and the PA stand up and listen. Some lifelong fans, who stuck through this nonsense in 2004-05, are fed up and they are boycotting all products. They're not buying shirts, jerseys, cards, anything to do with propping up what they see as a pair of bodies that do not care about the fans.

Myself, I haven't purchased any 2012-13 products. It's got to do with the lockout, but not because of any particular "stand" I may or may not be taking as a fan who is thoroughly disappointed with the NHL right now. Simply put, there's no value for me in them and no chance of me pulling an exciting new Habs rookie. That's not to slag Robert Mayer and Gabriel Dumont, but these are two players that I have no interest in collecting. There is the utmost potential for me to have seen the NHL debuts of Alex Galchenyuk, Brendan Gallagher, Michael Bournival, etc. But due to the lockout, no NHL licensed cards of these future young guns exist. It's a diminished landscape, and my recent re-focusing efforts of my collecting habits mean that I'm very choosy about what veteran cards I wish to pursue. In some cases, the companies themselves are limiting my desire to pursue their products. To wit:

Certified's 100-card Fabric of the Game memorabilia set (and all its parallels) contain zero Canadiens on the checklist. None. The Habs missed the playoffs, so they have no participation in the Path to the Cup set, which I like greatly and think is a fantastic idea. However, of the players I like and collect, there are very few cards to captivate my interest. In my economic situation, and in my personal preference situation, there is thus little incentive for me to buy this product by the box, regardless of how much I might like the designs, subsets, and so forth. I will purchase those singles that interest me on the secondary market.

Similar statements can be made about nearly any other product made this year. That's my perspective. That's my choice. Those folks who are continuing to bust cases and boxes and mucho wax during the lockout - I hope that you continue to enjoy this hobby in the fashion you deem appropriate for your situation. While in some venues prices and sales may be down, the genuine scarcity of some product availability -- i.e. low numbered cards from Certified -- can help drive up prices in others because those dedicated collectors are concerned they may not see another copy.

 

[gobuffalo2331]

I too have no interest in any of the 2012/2013 products. Only older stuff. I just think it's funny when the someone lowballs me an offer on a card from 1994 with a player that hasn't played in years. The older stuff has little affect of the 2013 lockout in my opinion.

 

[Triple B]

I've stopped almost completely...ALMOST. A few Lindros cards have come out that I want to add (one big one I hope to close a deal on soon) but I hardly bother with any of the stuff from this year. The dealers I usually buy from joke with me about how I don't spend with them any more but the truth is, it's no longer worth it. It has nothing to do with the lockout but everything to do with it simply not being worth it. The new stuff doesn't hold its value and for those who talk about passion, you lose passion fast when the card you just bought for $50 sells for $5 a month later.

The lockout will scare some people off. Dealers won't sell cheap and collectors won't buy for top dollar. I'm going back and getting cards I wanted as a kid or had as a kid. My last "big" purchase was a Pavel Bure Young Guns RC from 90/91. Wow. I walked away happy though, I'll tell you that.

More than the economic factor, it's tough to lay out $190 for a box of cards (check YouTube for any of the Panini Classic Signatures breaks) and see $160 go up in smoke. People talk about the love of the hobby and whatnot, but the truth is, that kinda burning makes people walk away. I've noticed this so on top of going into hobby semi-retirement, I've made the choice to buy stuff I want to keep and not to play the lottery any more. I can't justify it nor can I afford it. I don't know many who can.

There are enough years of hockey cards that you can go back and buy and it's super affordable. Unless you're like how I was and that is that you HAD to try or buy the newest shiny thing to come along. I've made my adjustments.

 

[bonnev659]

100% agree with Triple B, that is what this hobby is all about

I'm going back and getting cards I wanted as a kid or had as a kid. My last "big" purchase was a Pavel Bure Young Guns RC from 90/91. Wow. I walked away happy though, I'll tell you that.

I think with the lockout thou has effected wax ripping as he joy isn't there

 

[gobuffalo2331]

100% agree with Triple B, that is what this hobby is all about



I think with the lockout thou has effected wax ripping as he joy isn't there

I too agree..I've been collecting Hasek stuff and inserts I had when I was younger. I too am semi-retired, I pick up like 15-20 cards a year lol. I have no interest in the newer stuff for the same reasons mentioned above.

 

[odjickfan]

In my opinion, a slow year like this one, with no hockey and a small rookie class, is a nice opportunity to move and pick older cards.

I'm focusing a lot on completing sets from around 2003 or so.

Except for Forever Rivals, in which more than 50% of the cards from a break are going straight into my PC, this year products aren't doing me much.
I have much more fun completing older sets. Also, I bought an Odjick UD 90-91 autoed RC certified by PSA today, which will be among my favorite cards.
My favorite cheap break at the moment is Pacific Exclusive 02-03. Only 6000 boxes produced, an AU RC, 2 jsys, a numbered rookie parallel, and a bunch of golds and inserts for 30$ delivered.