Bridging the Analog to Digital Knowledge Gap

The information/knowledge gap between existing vs. new members of the sports card hobby is wider than some may think, primarily because the hobby has changed so much since the introduction of the internet and digital technology. Gone are the days of Beckett mags and LCS live auctions. Now we have sooo many more ways to connect with other collectors and to learn about cards, so exchanging these little pieces of cardboard has gotten wayyyy more complicated. 

I’m a quintessential WASPy dude who collected in the 80’s and early 90s. First job was at 14 at a card shop in my hometown Phoenix, AZ (Umpire’s Choice). When they’d hand me my paycheck, I’d hand it right back to cash in for some of that sweet sweet junk wax. Then as we all did, I paused the hobby when I hit puberty and started liking girls. That and  playing baseball every day of the year didn’t leave much time or energy for cards. Luckily my parents had extra room in the garage to store my old collection in the dry Arizona air. They nagged me over the years to clear it out, but eventually succumbed and held those babies for 20+ years. Then during Covid, as we all did, I dug through that old cardboard, which reignited my passion for the hobby.

Once I got back in, it took about 2 years to really learn how the hobby had changed since the introduction of the internet and digital technology. Boy was that a journey. Let’s save y’all some time…here are a couple examples of how things have changed:

• Price comping

  • Old: Beckett magazine

  • New: eBay, price aggregation tools (Card Ladder, Market Movers, etc.)

  • Whereas we used to wait a month for updated comps in the Beckett mag, now we get real-time data about sales from all over the world.

• Card distribution

  • Old: Local card shops (LCS), card shows, Mayyyybe QVC

  • New: LCS, DTC via web, Retail (Target, Walmart, etc.), Breaks (PYT & PYP, variations), card shows, trade nights, DMs (Facebook, IG, etc.), Social Media (TikTok, IG, etc.)

    • Regional distributors are the new drug cartels and LCS are the new dealers

  • We used to have one option to buy cards, now there are infinite options, and sellers know this. The big LCS online distributors (Steel City, Dave & Adam’s, etc.) know this and charge stupid 2nd-hand prices for wax. And smaller LCSs use those inflated prices as their baseline, screwing regular collectors across the board.

• Community engagement

  • Old: In-person at LCSs and shows

  • New: Online (chat rooms during breaks, comments on social posts, etc.), IRL (LCSs, card shows, trade nights, FanaticsFest

  • IRL was the only way to connect with other collectors back in the day. Now we can all hang out from the comfort of our couches.

• Community reach

  • Old: Whoever you met in-person

  • New: The world is our oyster

  • Connecting with other collectors is the best part of the hobby. Now, we can connect with collectors all over the world, not just in our local scene. More people to get to know, and more ways to buy/sell/trade.

• 24/7 cycle

  • Old: 9-5; Shop and show hours

  • New: 24/7 around the globe. No off-hours.

  • Like everything these days, the internet and our phones/computers allow us to engage with the hobby anywhere, any time. 

• Breaking

  • Old: Didn’t exist

  • New: Own’s 70% of distribution. Social, YT, Whatnot, Fanatics Live

  • Breaking is a key addition to the hobby in the digital age, no doubt. It gives folks access to cards they may not have been able to get their hands on, whether because of access or cost. Getting to grab your team in a PYT for a tenth of the price of a box is an amazing benefit of breaking. Breaking brings the community together, even if for a small while. And breaking promotes the cards and hobby on a 24/7 basis.

  • The thought of paying someone else to rip a box for you would have been laughable back in the day. Ripping packs yourself is the most fun part, so why would you leave it to someone else? Because it’s quick and easy. A little too quick and easy. Be careful y’all.

  • It’s also addictive as hell. Be careful. Seriously.

• Live rips

  • Old: Didn’t know about the cards before holding/seeing them in-person

  • New: Multitude of ways to see cards being ripped before buying

  • We used to go into ripping pretty much blind. Now we can watch our fellow collectors’ experience to help gauge buying opps for ourselves.

• Parallels, SSPs, and Inserts

  • Old: One version of each card. Few inserts. No parallels.

  • New: Ever-growing checklists with more and more numbered parallels

  • This is the key to the new junkwax era. Yes there are limited numbered cards with pretty designs that are worth more than base cards, but even those /399s are going to be watered down relics soon enough. Low-numbered parallels and rare cards are what will matter when all is said and done.

• Bots

  • Old: lol

  • New: AI agents (aka bots) buying all the wax and sniping all the auctions, leaving the average collector with very little chance to buy wax at release at release pricing.

  • As AI agents continue to take over the internet, manufacturers are using 

• Slab/Mystery Packs

  • Old: Some dealers had these, but they were a tiny portion of the hobby.

  • New: Repackers buy up all the inventory early at card shows for 90%+ comp, more than regular collectors would pay. They’re working for larger buyers not at the show. They bring all this new inventory to their employer, who turns around the puts this inventory into mystery packs at varying costs, turning the ripping experience from boxes and packs to individual cards. Be sure to trust your repacker before buying from them.

• Lack of manufacturer competition

  • Old: Topps, Donruss, Fleer, Upper Deck, Leaf, etc.

  • New: Mostly Fanatics brands. Sorry Panini. UD with hockey, Leaf with unlicensed, but limited competition within each sport.

  • Competition drives value and innovation. Let’s hope Rubin and co. keep innovating on cards and fan engagement even though their competition is a blip on their radar. 10xing the hobby still needs to be a fair deal for every segment of the community.

This all makes sense to me since I learned by living through it, so if you have any questions about anything above, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m happy to share my knowledge and experience with any collector trying to catch up. Just hit me up at xennial@xennialcards.com and we’ll chat. There are no stupid questions.

Did I miss anything? If so, leave a comment with your thoughts.

It can be tough out there folks, but that complexity can make the hobby experience so much bigger and more fun. You just need to know how to navigate these crazy new times. Let’s grow this thing together!

Thanks y’all,

Craig/Xennial