Why is there so little interest in vintage card on HI?

[newfiecomicguy1]

Why is there so little interest in vintage cards from HI members? I love vintage and I wish more people here shared my passion. Its sad because I find myself spending less time here because I really don't care much for all the new stuff.

So why is there so little interest in vintage cards? Is it because people find them boring and they would rather collect GU and autographs? Is it the "out of sight out of mind" idea? Is it that collectors would rather collect current players who they see play and on highlight reels every night. Is it due to the age of HI collectors? Why?

 

[kmitchel]

I don't think it has anything to do with age, seeing as I'm fairly close to you in age.

My lack of interest in vintage is that I didn't see them play. I know Bobby Orr is a great player, but I never had the chance to see him play, and don't have the connection that I do to someone like Harold Snepsts or Stan Smyl or Trevor Linden.

 

[hextall27]

A big reason why Vintage is not as popular online in my opinion is that where older cards are so condition sensitive it's hard to make a purchase or trade just by viewing a scan.

 

[newfiecomicguy1]

kmitchel at this point I would almost consider Snepst to be vintage haha.

Hextall27, there is a lot more to the hobby then buying and selling. There is very little of anything vintage on here. Show and tell, latest pickups, stories etc... Besides with the quality of scanners and cameras now condition shouldn't be a big problem.

I don't hate modern however I would love to see a lot more vintage discussed, shown etc. There is nothing wrong with people collecting modern cards, people should collect what they enjoy. I am just wondering why there is such a big gap in the hobby. Why are there so many modern collectors and so few vinatge collectors on here?

Thanks for your honest imput guys.

 

[bamlinden]

I agree with Kevin - I never saw them play, so my attachment to them is not as strong.

I am also curious as to the age range of people on the site. Not to generalize, but I'm betting that there are quite a few people here in their 20's and 30's. Vintage to them might be 1990 Pro Set. The people who are really into the stuff from the 50's, 60's and 70's might not be as abundant on the site. Just a wild guess.

I for one like to look at a lot of the vintage stuff, but I don't collect it anymore so I don't have the stories or show-and-tell that would go along with it.

Maybe there are unique, "outside the box" ways of getting more people to check out the vintage stuff. This is a great avenue to do that. It's just a matter of getting the word out.

Brett

 

[bidds55]

I think it's a case of not knowing, or understanding vintage for most collectors. Personally, I find vintage cards very cool to look at, and there are some that I plan to eventually pick up. I also recognize there's only so much money and time to go around, and I think for most collectors these days, they pick one or two players to collect, and those 1 or 2 players will have as many or more cards produced in a year, as someone like Bobby Orr, Maurice Richard, or Bobby Hull had in their entire career. So sometimes people have to choose, do I spend my time and money going after someone I can watch play tonight, and cheer for, or do I go after someone who was unquestionably great, but who I have no opportunity to watch (at least not live), and who I may never have actually seen play (again, at least not live).
A lot of us grew up on 80's OPC, which gave way to the glossy cardboard, and holograms of Pro Set, and Upper Deck. I think for collectors who experienced that transition first hand, we can see the beauty of vintage, but again, there's only so much time, and so much money to go around.

 

[snowrider]

So why is there so little interest in vintage cards?

Speaking just for myself it comes down to this...I've always enjoyed hockey, but there was never a source of hockey cards for me, or anyone who would have traded hockey in the neighborhood. So while I could catch an NHL game once in a while growing up on TV it wasn't until the Avs arrived in Colorado that I got an interest (and a nearby source for hockey cards) to get into the hobby.

So, while the players names are familiar from the years prior I never had enough attachment or opportunity to pursue the cards when they would have been more affordable. I'm sure I passed by many a box of "vintage" at yard sales in my youth...

 

[bigzippy]

I am slowly getting into vintage but it takes time to pick what set, what brand and what kind of condition cards I wanted to go for. Then I had to reserch what would be the expensive cards in the set and how much it would all cost in reality. I settled on parkhurst 61 but even though now I know what set im collecting but now I want the best condition so in all I have only picked up 11 in 6months.

 

[99goals]

I have started to get into Vintage after finding a Mickey Mantle in a box lot that I got a few years ago. I liked it because there is so much history and knowing what the value is based on condition.

However someone said it right. You never know what you are going to get. I have made some purchases online through ebay and was dissappointed in what i got condition wise.

Also the efforts to put vintage in new products has probably steered some folks away from vintage since they think the new vintage is the way to go.

I have tried to visit the vintage sections but no one ever goes there or posts anything that interests me.

but i would love to restart my leafs collection going back to the early days. I finally landed a beautiful mint condition King Clancy card which is the highlight of my vintage.

But it always a treat to find people who throw these vintage cards in lots for me...