Today in UD Redemption News...

SPA this year just got slightly more interesting thanks to this nugget I found in Blowout's case sells sheet.

Per the product info from 2009 SP Authentic Football, there will be redemptions for an ENTIRE rookie patch auto set. Similar, im guessing, to the whole letter set redemptions from baseball, this could be ridiculous.

Now, I dont think this is the first time they have done something like this, as I remember it from past years, but this could be a really good idea to bring back for a strong rookie class. The redemption easily brings $2000-3000 in cash value, as you could easily redeem it and sell the pieces or sell the thing unredeemed.

For me, as a HUGE SPA fan, its nice to see things like this added, though it is just one miniscule part of an already awesome product each year.

One More Hilarious FJM Article Before I Get Back To Cards

http://deadspin.com/5360509/expository-writing

So funny.

SCU Now On Facebook!

For all of you facebookers, I have decided its time to get an official facebook page up for SCU. Ill be using it mostly to post site stuff, so be sure to add SCU as a friend to get updates.

Here is the link to the profile page.

Ill try to get some stuff up on the page in the next few days, right now its looking kind of blank. Hopefully it can be a cool way to connect much like Twitter.

Blowout Cards Is Going Nuts With 9/9/09

Normally I wouldnt pimp anything like this, but after this morning, it looks like 9/9/09 is shaping up to be a pretty crazy day at BlowoutCards.com. So far we have had SP Game Used Basketball boxes go for $9.99 (9 of them, of course), as well as 2008 Topps Series 1 Baseball go for $9.99, with more to come. Im hoping for a chance to buy Exquisite at maybe $99.99 as a finale, though im not sure what they have in store.

They have a special page dedicated to the sale, be sure to keep checking Twitter and their Site for the sales as they happen. As of now, the deals go EXTREMELY fast, so you have to be quick. I missed both of the first ones and I was waiting.

Just thought Id pass it along.

Shameless Plug: The SCU Store Is Now Open

Taking a page from Fire Joe Morgan, I have put a few designs in the SCU store. There were minimal options, so I did my best.

Im not expecting to sell much, if any, it was mostly just for me and a few people who have asked for the shirts to wear around the shows and at shops (yes, I couldnt believe it either).

All this stuff will come from cafe press, and a percentage of the money will go to the site.

If you have image designing skills, and want to design a cool shirt, Ill put it in there. I may even be able to send you some stuff for your trouble.

Thanks!

I Didnt Know The Jags Had New Uniforms

When you see this picture what do you think?



I think Joey Harrington and the Oregon Ducks, but thats just me. Color me very disappointed that an NFL team would choose to wear this crap. Then again, if it were an Upper Deck produced affair, I totally would have loved it, right?

Ok, Now Its Official With Favre

I have posted a futher expose on my opinions of the Favre signing on the UD Blog, be sure to check it out. I am definitely not going to hail the Vikings as Super Bowl favorites now that Favre has signed, thats a given. I mean, they dont wear purple for fun, right? Its from choking all these years.

Either way, Favre is definitely an improvement over what we have, but dont place your bets until he actually makes it onto the field. Who knows with our luck.

You can check out my full reaction here.

Sometimes Things Just Fall Into Place...

Earlier this week, my comissions came through from work and I found myself with a few extra dollars. Thanks to good work performances, I got an extra $500 amex gift card due to my winning a contest, which has provided me with an opportunity to get some cards I was eyeing. I wanted to get a Peterson SPA, but due to eBay gift card policies, I was only able to get a $200 card with the amex, leaving $300 to use at my disposal other places online.

First, I wanted to use part of the money to get some wax that I knew I would never spend actual money on. So, I bought 2 boxes of 2008 SPA, a product I was not able to buy at release because of lack of disposable income. Blowout will be shipping them to me, and I will be breaking them here next week. Then, I went to the local shop and spent the other 100 on a box of Philadelphia and a few cards I had won on the auction board. Per my usual luck I pulled a Mario Williams auto and two crap jerseys that I gave to a fan at the store.

With the other 200 I had to spend on eBay, I bought a 2009 Philadelphia Adrian Peterson National Chilcle Mini auto that should be numbered to five and a few Percy Harvin cards I liked. The card I bought is a redemption, but after seeing that he had signed all of his Black cards, I thought there may be a chance that the card would be in stock. Luckily, I was right, and the card should be shipped soon.

So, for my 500 bucks, I ended up with 2 Harvin autos, 3 boxes, and a ridiculously great looking and low numbered Peterson auto. Too bad I couldnt get the SPA, but she will be mine. Oh yes... She will be mine.

How Does Collecting Cards Relate To Clutter?

Im posting this because I have wondered about a lot of things lately. In fact, most of it has been spurred by things my wife and I have seen on TV, mainly from the shows "Clean House" and "Obsessed." Both shows concentrate heavily on hoarding, the practice of keeping massive amounts of unneeded stuff with very little or no value. From what I have gathered, most of the time these items normally clutter the house to the point of imposing on the lifestyle of the individual, something I see a lot of in this hobby.

See, the question I have is in regards to the relationship that hoarding has to collecting as a hobby, versus collecting as a way to fill some sort of emptiness within ourselves. Ill admit, I have collected many, many different things over the course of my life. If I were asked casually, I would automatically refer to those things as hobbies, but looking back on things, it may be more complicated than that. I am now starting to realize that my obsession with accumulation may have actually been a way to fill holes left by a lack of acceptance from peers, emotional trauma caused by many years of dealing with my Diabetes, or maybe even problems stemming from other parts of my life.

The differences I see are that my collection is a source of pride that does provide me with many feelings of pride and happiness. To me, that is a sure counterpoint to this whole discussion. However, from what I have seen, pride is a pretty common thing for hoarders. That fact alone makes me question my own motives in this hobby, why I do the things I do. More importantly, how much of my collection is entertainment and how much of it is actually a way to fill the spaces in between?

Another question I have is how people relate to this if they focus more on accumulation instead of quality of the cards. You see videos on Youtube from people documenting rooms full of cards, many in large boxes, obstructing basements and cluttering houses. How much of this type of collecting is actually a good thing? Are the boxes filled with virtually worthless pieces of cardboard a matter of perpetuating a hobby or is it a matter of mental instability? What if those things are not worthless at all? Is that any different?

Because I know that set and player super collectors dominate the Card Blogger Network, Im curious to see what people have to say. Where do you fit in with this? Do you feel the sets you collect play some sort of an unconscious role in your psyche? How much has it impeded on your life?

The reason I am discussing this, is that many people dont see why we collect, something we have deal with from family and friends alike. Oddly, collectors in general are thought of as nerdy, hermit-like, socially awkward, and lonely people, and yet we still show off the hundreds of sets we own without seeing the root of the issue. Is it the chicken or the egg? Do we collect because we personify the stereotypes, or do we personify the stereotypes because we collect?

Yes, you may be proud of your collection, as I am, but how does that relate to why you feel the need to be a super collector of a certain set or player? I freely admit that after watching these shows and doing some research, my collecting is definitely a way deal with the anxiety of my life. I understand that others may feel differently, but Im sure when you actually go through it, you may know what I am talking about.

Listen, im not saying collecting is unhealthy, and I am not saying that you should stop. Im just curious if others have seen the same correlations I have.

This Is Awesome - Thank You Harry Douglas

Just read this at NFL.com re the Rookie Symposium:

"The 250-plus players at the symposium are getting a non-stop dose of information from league and union officials, psychologists, NFL security as well as current and former players. The one piece of advice that seems to have really resonated was offered by Falcons wide receiver Harry Douglas as part of a wide-ranging panel discussion Sunday night.

Douglas told a packed ballroom audience that some of the biggest transitions from college to the pros is keeping hangers-on at a distance and being mindful of money. As an example, he tugged at the gaudy earrings in each lobe and told players that even though it looked like he was sporting major blingage he actually bought the faux jewelry at “Claire’s in the mall.”

He later confirmed that the earrings are fake diamonds, but because he plays in the NFL people think they’re authentic."

Some players just have their head on straight. Obviously, Chad Ochostinko needs to take heed and stop being such a jackass.

Although this quote could be taken out of context, it says a lot. There are a lot of players in the NFL who come from very underprivileged backgrounds, and they are very succeptable to "the life." However, some people realize that success in the NFL is fleeting, and they are the ones that dont have problems keeping money in perspective. Harry Douglas may or may not be one of those people, but the idea stands.

SCU On Twitter

I hate that people talk about Twitter like its a fucking life choice, but I figured that I might as well get with the times.

Follow me on Twitter, a place where I can be even more annoying than I already am. If you have an account as a blogger, let me know so I can follow.

Completely Off Topic: I Love Movie Trailers

I want to go off topic here, because I spent the morning talking about this topic with a friend. After seeing the new Star Trek movie on Tuesday night, I actually could not remember a time where an epic movie trailer had delivered on the hype. Then I started the discussion and we came up with a few examples of where this was true and where this wasn’t true. It turned into a discussion of our top movie trailers of all time and their relation to the greatness of the actual movie.

Here are a few favorites of mine.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre Remake (Top one on the list)

Holy god, I saw this trailer and thought it was brilliantly done. I couldn’t think of a more frightening way to do it, and the use of the camera exposures as a device for showing the fear of the characters was pants peeingly scary. The movie, on the other hand, was mediocre at best. Too bad.

Cloverfield Teaser Trailer (Top One On This List)

I went to see Transformers a few years ago, and amidst the previews, this "clip" was shown. No title, just what happened in the trailer. Within minutes of going home, I was on the internet scouring wiki for info on the movie. When I found out it was JJ Abrams, I spent the next months playing the ARG to accompany everything. It was a good movie, not as good as the trailer, but good. Waiting on a sequel.

Spider-man Banned WTC Trailer (Search Youtube)

I was watching a movie with my friend that we werent aware had this trailer attached. When I saw it, I almost stood up and clapped. It was later banned from theatres after 9/11, but it was sooooo well done. I am all about creating a mini movie for a trailer, and this was a prime example. On top of all of that, the movie was as good as the trailer, and has made me a Spider-geek for life.

Star Trek Trailer 2 (first one on the list)

This trailer was so masterfully edited that the music just made it that much better. JJ Abrams is the quintessential genius in Hollywood, and I will be first in line for any of his movies as long as he continues to pump out trailers like this. I was so excited for this movie after seeing this that I actually tried to get a copy of the music through "artificial" means.

The Watchmen Teaser Trailer

Again, more awesome music for epic trailers. The song in the Watchmen trailer was a B-side to a Smashing Pumpkins single that I had never heard, but like many geeks it was our favorite song of the moment after seeing this trailer. It was so good, that I think it raised my expectations for a movie about a book that should never have been produced.

It seems as though the trailer has become an art in itself lately and these movies, though recent, have been the cream of the trailer crop.

Whoa.

UD = RAZOR? Officially? Glad someone put some meat to the rumor.

Thank you Mario!

Today, My Childhood Comes To Life - Version 4.0

Today is going to be awesome. Wolverine hits the box office, and I already have my tickets. Oddly enough, I am actually going watch everyone in the film but the title character. Personally, as a complete and utter dork, I have loved the X-Men since I first started watching the show as a little kid. Then, as I got into comics, X-Men became a huge favorite of mine. How could you not love normal people who get super powers? Its the same reason I love heroes, you put yourself in the universe you are watching.

One of my favorite X-Men has always been Gambit. I loved the style, I loved the mannerisms, and I LOVED his powers. Despite wearing pink and purple, he was just a suave son of a bitch with a badass way to beat the living hell out of you. Obviously, since I could never live up to that, he was my guy. I liked Wolverine, but didnt love him the way my friends did. To them Wolvie was the man, to me he was just an overhyped fan favorite, the Derek Jeter of the X-Men.

As my love for the X-Men grew, people like Deadpool (another personal fave), Blob, Maverick (Agent Zero in the film), and Emma Frost became very familiar to me, and Sabretooth was a villian we all hated from the cartoon. Because of this, I am very excited to see how they are portrayed on screen, especially because I am a big fan of Liev Schrieber and Ryan Reynolds. Too bad Deadpool is getting the hack treatment, hopefully it wont be too bad. What's funny is that I have the entire Wolverine Origin story from when they did it a few years ago in the comics, and I really didnt like it all that much. Hopefully this movie will be much better. It looks that way.

Based on the Movie, Rittenhouse has put out their typical set of movie cards with autos. I am really digging the set, especially this ridiculous Gambit card signed by Taylor Kitsch. If you get it, I will pay you for it.



H/T Trader's cracks

Ok, Please Stop Emailing Me

Yes, yes, by now if you havent figured out that it was april fools today, you are a poop. If you took me seriously, well I have a video you would LOVE to see. Either way, I am not going to be a pawn for Upper Deck, nor would they want my services even if I did want to be one.

So, please stop being sad. Everything will be okay. In the words of the prophet Barney Stinson, "When I get sad, I stop being sad and be awesome again. True story." So gents, suit up and be legendary.

Also, stop emailing me. My box is full.

Thats what she said.

Thank you.

I Dont Go Off Topic Very Often, But This Was Pretty Interesting

Im sure a lot of you have seen this video before, there are actually quite a few versions of it, but I think its worth posting here. I think the subject matter is pretty interesting, and though some of it is alarmist in nature, it holds a lot of water here on the net. Plus, the technical presentation of the info is pretty cool too.

New Feature: Product Value Review

I once saw this concept on a message board and thought that it would be a great “feature” for the content of SportsCardsUncensored. Have you ever wondered exactly what the return value of a purchase of cards is? Have you ever really wanted to see a breakdown of Beckett’s Inflated Value vs. Ebay Real Value of a random case of cards? Have you ever wanted to see if a certain product was worth a large investment of your own money? If you answered yes to any of these questions then you should love this new feature.

The new feature is heavily dependant on the “collective” readership of SCU. Here is what happens. We sell 50 “shares” in a case (think of it as an investment) in order to purchase the case. Then we break the case on video (just like we do for our group breaks posted on here and on YouTube). After the break, I will list all of the cards from the break on Ebay and sell them (7 day auctions with no reserve…have to push the free market idea). After all of the sales have been finalized (delivered to customer via tracking, etc.) we will then do a breakdown in 2 ways.

First, we will do a breakdown of sale value vs. purchase value. In other words how much of your original investment could you expect to get back if you were to sell all of the cards (assuming that the case is an indication of an “average” case).

Second, we will do a breakdown of “Beckett” book value vs. Ebay sale value. What percentage of the Beckett value can you expect to actually get out of your cards? Hopefully this will give some concrete evidence of how disconnected “book” can be for collectors.

Finally, the best part about the feature. After taking all of the expenses (case cost, paypal fees, ebay fees, shipping fees) and subtracting them from the income (share income, sale income) the money left over will then be refunded to each “share” holder. Of course if the sale values are very good (think a huge hit, etc.) then there is a chance each share holder could make a profit. However, odds are that we could expect to make roughly 50% of our money back at a minimum (hopefully). I will be keeping a spreadsheet of all income/expenses that would be emailed out to each “share” holder in the interest of transparency.

For example say we have $32 per share. That is a total income of $1533 (1600-1.34 per share Paypal Fees). We buy a case of Exquisite from Blowout or some other dealer at $1475. We then sell the cards on Ebay and get $1000 profit (sales – fees and shipping cost). So 1533-1475 = 58 + 1000 = $1058/50 = $21.16 per share refunded to shareholders.

Obviously this is not a money making adventure for participants, but rather it is a chance for the readership of SCU to come together to hopefully see some sweet cards pulled and to help educate the wider collecting world of the value of certain products (while of course continuing to debunk the “Gospel of Beckett Values”).

Up first will be a case of 2008 Upper Deck Exquisite. Look for the official “shareholder” sign-up tomorrow at some time. It will be a lot of work for me, but I think well worth it to continue educating the collecting world. Plus at worst I figure we maybe lose $15 per share on a product like Exquisite so it is a great starter.

Let me know what you all think.

P.S. If anyone wanted to design a sweet banner for this feature it would be greatly appreciated (I am not artistically gifted and so it would just look horrible if I did it).

Missing the Signs - A Response To Wax Heaven

Mario, sadly, has finally jumped on the train with the rest of the "UD is going downhill in baseball" gang. Im glad he is getting it now, it will save him a lot of heartache in the future. Its disheartening that UD is starting to alienate even their biggest fans, like Mario, especially without regard for even trying. Here is what he wrote about the newest previews for UD 2009 Baseball products (my response is in between the paragraphs):

Take a look at the images below. You are gazing into previews for 2009 ‘X’, Spectrum, SPx, Icon, and a Piece of History. I have to say this right now before my head explodes: FIRE WHOEVER IS IN CHARGE OF DESIGNS!

Dude, obviously the pics are similar because the sets werent that good to begin with. I know you love SPx but the product has been on its way out since bowman chrome started doing their thang. Now that Bowman Chrome has all the RCs in a set more than a year ahead of SPX, this set becomes about the autos on the checklist. The bad part is, despite the fact that BC is beating them to the punch, the product is still filled with "40 man" RCs or the guys who have already made their debuts on the roster. Trust me, those guys cant carry a $20 per pack set. 

On the other side, we all know X and Piece of History are just ridiculous products. They are just bad on all sides. Did you really think UD would waste their time on these?

Not counting the good showing of U.D’s flagship brand, you are looking at three brands with almost identical designs and two which look like Update versions of 2008 products. Where did the creativity go? You are fucking Upper Deck for Christ’s sake, you can do a lot better than this. Don’t believe me? Buy a box of ‘08 Ultimate Collection or ‘07 Sweet Spot.

Wow, did you really put Ultimate Collection in this category? Cmon man! Ultimate 2008 was one of the most lame, boring, and unimaginitive products of the year! Every box had the same thing in it, and if you were lucky you got Grif, Jeter, or Ripken. If you didnt, you were fucked. In my mind, the set was only the jersey signed autos and one or two other subsets. It was beyond uncreative. 

Sweet Spot 07 was just as awful as UC, mainly because of the crapfest checklist, the high price, and all the fucking parallels of those signature cards. Purple and Green stitching on a baseball is supposed to make this more appealing? Fuck that. On top of all that you had those eye sore RC helmet cards which were again just the "40 man" RCs of the year. Hell, wasnt Delmon Young in there too? I would not support the idea that 07 Sweet Spot was a high point for UD. 

Please don’t take this as anything more than constructive criticism. It’s almost 4 in the morning and here I am staring at your 2009 designs in Photoshop wondering how you could possibly let something like this happen to your company. Right now is not a good time to get complacent, look no further than your basketball department for proof.

I agree 100%, UD should never have let this happen. But it has everything to do with set structure, not set design.

You guys know Topps’ flagship and Heritage completely took you to school. With no Masterpieces or Sweet Spot slated for 2009 it’s starting to look like an unfair fight. Please, for the love of the Hobby… get this train back on track before it’s too late. I have been supporting you guys since the beginning of Wax Heaven but I cannot hold my tongue any longer.

Topps and Topps  Heritage are completely different types of products than those you are comparing them to. Sweet Spot is pretty much high end for baseball, much like the grossly out dated SPx, and so to compare it with the two lowest end products of the year is way too off base. Personally, I liked 09 UD better than 09 Topps because its a better design and a better set structure to do well with baseball collectors. The problem is that it doesnt have a Topps logo on it. This is the same reason why UD destroys topps in Basketball and usually in Football - they made the playing field for those sports and therefore hold the exclusives and the set structures to make themselves better. 

Mario, I dont mean this post in a destructive way, I just think you are approaching it in the wrong fashion. I know that you love UD, I do too, but the fact is that UD is about to only have FB as its only sport because they dont have the tools or the contract to compete in BB and BKB. Its sad that they have to go, but, alas, thus is the nature of the beast.

Here is the article on Wax Heaven, go check it out.

How To Drive A New Card Blog

On the verge of 100,000 hits, and the one year anniversary of SCU, I thought I would give a little back to the community. When I started this blog, at first I was too arrogant to think that I would have to drive traffic to the site. I thought through linking message board sigs and youtube vids, that people would just come and check it out. Then, when they came, they would stay due to awesomeness. Yeah, that was a pipe dream.

See, a lot of questions I get from new bloggers ask how they should start their site so that people will come. Ill tell you, its a long time and a lot of work that you will have to put up with. People criticize Mario, Chris, and others because they get stuff from the card companies, but if you saw how much work they have put into their sites, maybe you would think twice about complaining.

The first thing you should consider is a good title for the blog, I know, no brainer. Since there is already about 300 "cardboard" titled blogs out there, you might want to try something new unless you are poking fun at that fact. Make yours stand out because otherwise, it will get lost in the evergrowing fray. Avoid titles that contain words like "Mania," "Mayhem," "Addict," or something like that because most people will just judge your blog according to title. My first few blogs on other subjects all had variations of those words, and I realized that I just sounded like a tool when I couldnt deliver. Ill be the first to admit, my blog title sucks, but the initials form a cool acronym like a university (an unintended benefit). Sorry if I am criticizing your up and running blog's title, Im just trying to help.

Next, you may want to buy a .com, because its that much easier to remember than XXXX.blogspot.com. Its just one of those things that isnt the end all and be all of Card blogging, but it can help. Plus, its like 10 bucks a year, and its cool to have a .com. Just dont go making it your first and last name. Blogger can load to a go-daddy .com site pretty easily, so that may influence the next decision.

Blogger and Wordpress are probably the two most popular blogging engines out there. From my experience, Blogger is much easier to use, but has a ton less features than Wordpress. If you have never run a site before, you may want to go with Blogger, because even I chose wordpress at one point, and all it did was confuse me. Then again I am a loser at computer knowledge and at life, so dont take my word for it. If you like the look of Mario and Dave's blog, send them an email and ask them what they think of wordpress.

Once you actually start it up, there is are a few rules that you need to abide by in order to drive traffic to your site. First, post at least once per day. If you want a blog that gets a lot of visitors, post a lot, because it puts you at the top of a lot of link lists, and it gives your readers something to check back for. Secondly, if you are going to post once per day, make sure its relevant content. Originally, it will be easy to think of topics because you havent covered anything. However, to pull stuff out of your ass, three times a day, 365 days a year, is really fucking tough. Trust me. Third, dont copy another blog's shit unless you are prepared to link. It is a huge turn off, and though you may sound like you know what you are doing, people talk, and you will not make friends quickly that way.

Another important thing you have to remember, is that design of your blog makes a huge difference. If the layout is too complicated or too weird, people wont come back once they visit, and wont stay long when they come. If you look at mine, Mario's, Dayf's, and others, they are very simple designs with a simple layout. There is not a lot of stuff on the page besides the text. We also have pretty noticible banners at the top, and though mine went through some changes, it was always there and bold. Contact Paul at Sports. Cards. Life. and see if he can make you one, he is really good at it, and he is a really nice guy. He made mine and I couldnt be happier. Offer him some stuff for his services too, you know, as something for the effort.

After you have a few posts under your belt, start sending those emails. Send them to every single blogger that has a link list on the side. Try to penetrate non-card blog sites, as they have a lot more traffic, and can help you in finding people who wouldnt normally come. If you find someone that will add you to their site, be sure to return the favor, because those bloggers you are emailing function on the same thing you do. Then, when you post, you will be updated on their lists as well. Thats also where your catchy title comes in, because if yours sucks, they wont add you, or if they do, people wont click. Also, participate in the blog bat arounds, not even a contest. There is no reason not to, and its a free link that will get you traffic from people who wouldnt normally see your site. It gives you a showcase to display your skills, and people are very interested in those.

You may also want to submit to sites that have a lot of sports blogs as a community like Ballhype, Yardbarker, and stuff like that. They wont get you much traffic, but they will help somewhat. Also, get yourself a sitecounter so you can gauge your visitors and how many you are getting per day. Make sure you also have a few RSS buttons from google and yahoo so that visitors can add you to their feeds that they read daily.

As you move through the weeks on your blog, link your older posts as they come up in the topics you discuss, and also dont be shy with shamelessly plugging other sites. The more you help other people, the more they will help you back. Even if they are cold hearted assholes like myself, a link always warms my fuzzies.

I would say, from my personal spying on other people's sitemeters, that using blogger's picture uploads is a good way to get traffic. When you add your pics to the site that way, google links to them, and people search and come to your site when they find your image on the engine. I know a lot of sites that get most of their hits that way.

If you find something that everyone would enjoy, a good breaking story, something like that, go on a message board and link it. Sites like blowout cards forums and freedom card board will get you a lot of visitors if a link is interesting enough for people to click. This also means having your site in your signature on those boards so people can see the credibility before they click. Be sure to remember that everyone on a message board usually thinks that message boards are the best source for info, while bloggers think blogs are. Regardless of the truth, dont be aloof.

A big plus is commenting on other sites. The comments should automatically link to your site, but dont pimp it like a site whore. Contribute insightful things, and dont, under any circumstances, act like JC. Its a huge turn off and we see right through it. The more good comments you leave, the more people will click on your name, and come to your site.

A hugely important thing is to have a personal contact on your page. Give your readers a way to contact you so that if they have a question or a comment, there is a place to send it. Constructive criticism is key, so that is the avenue to accept it.

Lastly, controversy sells. If you have a gripe, write about it. People say all day long that my Beckett posts drive them nuts, but those days have the biggest traffic because people want to see what the comments are, or the like. Be sure to give commentary, and people will come. If you have constant "card of the day" type posts because you cant think of something to write about, we know you got nothin and I, for one, will stop coming. If you want to do card of the day, keep it off the main blog and create a link.

Thats about it, if I think of others, ill be sure to add them. If you have a suggestion, dont be afraid to comment.

A Comment On First World Versus Second World

I will say that over the last few days and weeks, there has really been some nasty sentiment towards my fellow 2nd worlders and anyone who doesnt subscribe to a quantity over quality way of thinking. It seems that people have the idea that if you are not set collecting, or collecting the way they do, you arent as real of a collector as they are. I consider the people writing these posts to be my friends, and I know they were not trying to take stabs at any particular person. The problem is, it’s the sentiment that I really dislike, and I really want to take some time and address it for the 8th time on here. Again, I am not calling anyone out specifically, and mostly I am just referencing the posts for the discussion.

Before I go into this, I want people to understand that not every apple is a good apple. Anywhere there is money to be made, there will be people who take advantage of the situation. Those people suck, and I am not in any way condoning what they do. However, that A) doesn’t mean they arent out there, and B) doesn’t mean that some of them don’t really understand that what they are doing sucks.

Now, back when I first mentioned that most collectors were set up into first world and second world (first being the set collecting, retail and low end buying, mostly baseball collectors, and second being the high end buying, high end busting, jersey and auto lovers, mostly from Football and Baksetball), I said that each had their own merits. That is exactly the truth. I dont try to insuate that people arent at my level of collecting because they are first worlders. Yet, post after post from first world bloggers over the last year took that buffer I try to exude and disregarded it. That is crap. There is no hierarchy of collectors, you are not more of a collector because you go after sets rather than autos and jerseys.

Guys, believe it or not, the second world is the place where the hobby is headed or already is. Modern set collectors, though prevalent on the blogs, are not the majority of the people I see at shows, they are not the people I see on the boards, and they are definitely not the people I see at the five or so shops I visit in my area each month. As I have said before, there is nothing wrong with being a first world set collector until you start thinking that you are the right way to do things and all who do it differently are wrong or lesser of a collector.

To have the idea that its wrong to embrace the new world of collecting is really too bad. Yes, it isnt 1994 anymore, and yes things have changed, but that doesnt mean things arent just as good as they once were. Also, to say that collecting revenue is directly related to the invent of high end and super high end is a farce. As I said before, there are a lot of things that contribute to the way of the world, and the rising cost of boxes is not necessarily the only reason things are taking a turn for the worse.

I will be the first one to say that my viewpoints are not widely accepted, and I will not hesitate to agree with people who think that I talk way more game than I have. So dont think I am speaking for anyone but me. I just dont like the way people are looking at things, and I think that this blog is a perfect soapbox for that. Thats all I was hoping to accomplish.