Some of these newcomers are saying that they've been gone for a decade or more. What is it that causes people to come back to our hobby after being gone for so long??
I left the hobby for extended periods of time on multiple occasions. I'm back for good now. I turn 47 next month, and love this hobby as much now as I did when I first starting ripping packs at the age of 8.
What is it? Why am I in the hobby full time again, with no sign of slowing down? I'm sure that part of it was surfing the net a few years back, and finding one man's opinion of the hobby (and his team) and thinking to myself that I could do what he does.
Maybe it's the thrill of the hunt? Finding cards like the '64 Mantle below....
Maybe it's the appreciation of the history of sport that I get when I pick up cards like #1 from the '73 Topps set...
Maybe it's the joy of receiving a card in the mail that I never expected....
Maybe it's a card featuring players from my favorite team, pieces of their legacy with the club...
Maybe it's sitting down at card shows and shooting the breeze with a dealer, or a fellow collector.
Maybe it's relaxing in front of my computer screen after a really crappy day at work and immersing myself in the joy of other collectors triumphs. Seeing what people have added to their collections, and enjoying the knowledge that there is another collector out there who has done right by them. That person could be somebody that I've come to know well during my time writing about Blue Jays, serial numbered cards, vintage sets, and the annual rite of passage that is putting together the Topps flagship set.
Maybe it's knowing (or hoping in my case) that my writing has allowed someone else to sit down and enjoy one or all of the points I've outlined above.
I am thankful that I am a part of this great hobby. It, like everything else we know on this planet, isn't perfect.
Am I preaching to all of you out there who read my blog? No.
This is a reminder to myself of why I do this. It's not just the cardboard that does it for me, it's the experiences that I see every day in the blogosphere that make this hobby so damn great.
Keep writing, and keep reading.....Robert
Well said, Robert! Great post.
ReplyDeleteYep. The card blogging community has made collecting a lot more fun, even for this non-trader.
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
ReplyDeleteThe one thing that kills me is how many stories are the same: how if the internet didn't exist, there would be all of these collectors, wandering around by themselves, talking to themselves about cards, convinced they were the only one who did this. The internet showed how common this hobby really still is.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Robert. I WILL keep reading. And writing. And collecting.
ReplyDeleteGreat read. Well said
ReplyDeleteTotally with you on this, Robert. I mean, I'm 42, and I came back to the hobby after leaving when I was EIGHTEEN. Thanks to finding all these blogs and the great folks who write them, I'm not planning on going anywhere!
ReplyDelete