Wow, so many similar sentiments from folks sharing this hobby. I too have ventured in and out of the hobby since the early 1970’s. When the 1990’s bubble burst, I left the hobby saying I would never be back due mainly to the value crash resultant from overproduction of garbage products. When I rejoined collecting some 10 years later, I blundered naively into trading cards from current year sets in an effort to finish some of my 1990’s incomplete sets.
More than once I fell victim to those folks who offer a fist full of commons for a rare numbered RC or even an autograph RC. Today, I laugh reflecting upon my past folly realizing in our vastly changed hobby that with few exceptions, you can simply just pay pennies on the dollar for most cards more than a year or two old. It has become somewhat a challenge to truly trade book value for book value.
This is the essence of what I believe drive folks from the hobby. Go into most hobby stores, if you can find one, and wait just minutes for someone to walk through the door or call on the phone trying to sell their cards. Unless some rare, hot rookie is offered, most replies these potential sellers receive is a polite no thank you.
Sure value is a consideration but not the sole focus for me because I enjoy the chase making sets. I learned long ago that I will not hit the lottery opening packs. Sure, some collectors due garner great pulls, and we need this to happen to keep the excitement alive. However, realistically, will the cards contained within any average collection ever garner a pay-day that returns the gross funds spent in our pursuit of our cardboard picture cards? I think not.
