Curse you, Upper Deck!

[davebo]

It's fine with me I was just checking with you.

Yes, they could hire those regional people, but then they would have more expenses to cover if they did that. I am pretty sure that if it were a viable solution these companies would have already crossed that path. It's just not that easy.

And you can't blame this entirely on the companies either. Some of the blame has to go to the athletes. They have contracts they should be upholding. However, I would have to believe that in the middle of a season, the last thing an athlete wants to worry about is signing cards. You have to respect that. Their career and commitment should be to the football, baseball or basketball team they play for. Not a card company.

[davebo]

The entire industry is just so out of whack. I used to travel the card show circuit with my father obtainiing autographs on photos, balls, posters, cards etc. It was fun. But it was fun because the prices were reasonable. Nowadays, these athletes demand so much money. I wouldn't be surprised if they have in their contract a clause that pays them more for signing on-card then it does for signing a sheet of stickers. It is out of control.

[Zerokruel]

Originally Posted by beaverman3001

First profit motives which is a given/obvious answer. Second would be demand. I guess there could be other reasons, but I think these are two we would both easily agree on. And demand can branch off into its own reasons (variety, covering price ranges, etc).

Profit and demand however does not dictate that quality must suffer tremendously.

My question to everyone discussing things in this thread, would you buy this?



I'm guessing not, so why does our opinion change on something just because it is on a piece of cardboard?

Thank you for the reply. The biggest reason for change was the outcry for selection. I stood behind a card counter selling wax for years and talking to distributors all the time. The companies were trying to meet the demand of the public while trying to get a head of the hobby. In doing so, things like stickers and redemptions were made. Were they acceptable? No, however companies were still trying to meet the demands of the consumers. They can give 500 cards to a player to sign, and hope to get them all back. Truth was, players were not sending all the cards back. Players were keeping the cards and or giving them to family. Stickers were issued because players wouldn't hand them out and could sign and send back easily.

The market today sucks in general. I don't like how it is. But a lot would have to change. The consumers would have to change their outlook on products and they really want. Companies need to fix their issues, and the market needs to bounce back.

[beaverman3001]

Originally Posted by Zerokruel

Thank you for the reply. The biggest reason for change was the outcry for selection. I stood behind a card counter selling wax for years and talking to distributors all the time. The companies were trying to meet the demand of the public while trying to get a head of the hobby. In doing so, things like stickers and redemptions were made. Were they acceptable? No, however companies were still trying to meet the demands of the consumers. They can give 500 cards to a player to sign, and hope to get them all back. Truth was, players were not sending all the cards back. Players were keeping the cards and or giving them to family. Stickers were issued because players wouldn't hand them out and could sign and send back easily.

The market today sucks in general. I don't like how it is. But a lot would have to change. The consumers would have to change their outlook on products and they really want. Companies need to fix their issues, and the market needs to bounce back.

I definitely understand the demand for variety, but at some point you should draw a line or you just lead to massive amounts of saturation. If you look at the current market for just 1990s inserts, the prices can be staggering, yet there is no autograph or piece of material. These cards were truly rare and still sought after. How many Nick Markakis autographs does the market really demand? As long as people pull the same thing in every product year after year, the market will never rebound to how it once was.

[Zerokruel]

Originally Posted by beaverman3001

I definitely understand the demand for variety, but at some point you should draw a line or you just lead to massive amounts of saturation. If you look at the current market for just 1990s inserts, the prices can be staggering, yet there is no autograph or piece of material. These cards were truly rare and still sought after. How many Nick Markakis autographs does the market really demand? As long as people pull the same thing in every product year after year, the market will never rebound to how it once was.

Completely agree. Those inserts from the 90's went through a rough patch themselves, and there are still a bunch of inserts that are trash - and that would be like common jersey card today. The saturation is amazing today. I miss the set building of the 90's and how the hobby was just a little more "pure". I don't know if the market will ever rebound. Honestly, the way we keep looking for new thrills and it seems like no matter what comes out we get desensitized want something better.