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It’s been about a month since the National — and I’ve been having the Post-National Blues.
I just diagnosed myself. It’s not a real thing, but it certainly feels that way when I see friends and collectors posting about all of their new pickups.
And I smash that like button and give a little collector cheer from my side of the screen.
Then I buy nothing.
I look at cards online, but the excitement, joy and community I feel when I am at the National just isn’t the same right now.
This has happened to me for many years. Not all of them. But this year seems to be hitting a little harder.
I bought more cards than I normally do this year while I was at the National. But I don’t think that has anything to do with it. I also haven’t touched those cards since I got back. They’ve been sitting in a pile waiting for me to catalog them.
The National is great and unlike so many other places because it puts you in the room with other collectors. There is so much discourse these days about value and record-breaking prices and the price of wax.
There isn’t a lot of commentary about actual collecting on social media — at least that I am seeing.
But at the National, while there are repackers buying tables at 80 percent of comps, there are also people who will text me or run over to my booth to show me their newest pickups.
Not because they got it for a steal. Not because they’re going to resell it for a profit.
Because of the joy having this card in their collection brings them.
I think that’s something that is very much missing in the hobby right now.
The content I’m being fed on social media has been about value and profit.
But I want the content that is about the collection. I want to see the collection of the relief pitcher who grew up in your hometown or the collection of the second-string quarterback. I want to see the collection of the superstar you’ve been hoarding since the first moment they put on your favorite team’s jersey.
The Post-National Blues makes me nostalgic for the days of collecting for fun.
There are so many of us who still do it, but it feels like the noise is drowning out more of us every day.
I am cognizant of the fact that I work in the industry and a focus of my job is looking at values of cards.
But I’m also looking at your PC and mine.
I want to hear about your latest pickup, the card that cost you $2 but felt priceless in your binder.
There needs to be a Collector's Space. I don't know where that place is, or if it's a place we must create. Our online feeds are similar, and all the glory is on the 1 of 1 pull, but never on the guy who completes that odd set. The best conversations I have with "collectors" is during trades on TCDB. I try to list any and every oddball thing I come across, and it just warms my heart when some random Dolphins fan tells me how excited he is to get that 20 stripe Irving Fryar, or the American Gladiator cards, or that random topps cards of that one guy they saw play in AAA (that one is me).
I know for me, collecting has had to evolve over the years. It was simple when I started, I like Kirby Puckett, I'm going to collect EVERY Kirby Puckett card. Now, its more complicated, but can also be more rewarding too. Now days, I think figuring out what my collection can be is just as rewarding as actually completing it.
Perhaps because I have an unruly amount of wants for my collection, it has shielded me from pursing the big dollar cards, because I can buy 200 dime cards for$20 and knock off a ton of wants, or spend $20 on one Joe Mauer card and knock off 1 card from my wants.
With age comes a little wisdom though, and I now try to focus on collections that are reasonable and bring joy and nostalgia. I collect players I've seen play in person. I have one page collections for each season of a few sports. Olympic medal winners (USA!) Diamond Kings. Perhaps the weirdest is the schedule collection, where I try to find a card with a photo from every game of the season. I haven't found a complete season yet, but was one game short for a Vikings season.
Thanks for this article, and to finally get around to answering your question, I recently got a 2024 Prestige Alma Maters card with George Kittle, TJ Hockenson, and Sam LaPorta representing the Hawkeyes and Tight End U!
Great post. I've worked at a card shop now for a couple years and there are far more "sellers", "flippers", "investors", call it what you want...than ever before. Almost on a daily basis, I am sharing my thoughts from the collector-driven mindset (I like to champion that viewpoint) - and I feel like I get a lot of people enjoying and appreciating. It's something like this.....
I'm grateful that my years (decades) in the hobby has got me to a point where I can sit back and enjoy. I don't feel the pressure to have to buy, buy, buy, or even cater to the expectations of others. I don't get frustrated by the changes that we have seen with collecting...it's something I just have to navigate. In the end, the hobby is there for me when I need it, and I can place it aside for periods of time as well. I know it will always be there. This is not a sprint or a contest.
I call the shots on how I want to enjoy the hobby. And while I don't share as much of it as I once used to online, I know that there are people out there that genuinely enjoy the collecting component of this amazing cardboard chase. I love that I can share some moments with them - it always gives me a big boost of positive energy.
I look for the positive people in this hobby world - they are out there. They are the glue. And if a person can push past the noise and realize that this is about having fun, relaxing and just enjoying the ride...you'll have an absolute blast.
I can count on one hand the number of cards I've added to my collection this year...but I have countless memories that mean more than anything. I am a very lucky person.
I appreciate your words and enjoy your approach to the hobby. Keep up the great work. Have a good one.