So we are wrapping up another year and its time for our annual non-sport card collector's poll. This year I have made the questions a bit more specific to try to find out how Card Talk members may have adjusted their collecting to current and emerging hobby threads. If the choices are not exact, pick the one closest to your answer. Please try to leave a comment after voting regarding your own experiences in the past year and your thoughts on the future of our hobby. It may help card makers to figure out what we s collectors really want them to produce. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all.

Question:
Do you expect to spend more money or less money on non-sport cards in 2019 than you did in 2018?

Choices:
I expect to spend more.
I expect to spend less.
I expect to spend about the same.

Question:
Which choice best describes the type of cards you mainly purchased in 2018?

Choices:
I mainly bought cards from big franchise titles.
I mainly bought cards of newer and smaller titles.
I had a pretty even mix of big franchise tiltles and smaller titles.
I don't focus on card titles, but buy products that appeal to me.

Question:
Have you participated in a Kickstarter card project in 2018?

Choices:
Yes.
No.
No, but I have in prior years.

Question:
Have you purchased any e-Packs in 2018?

Choices:
Yes, many.
Yes, just a few.
No, I have no interest in e-Packs.
No, but I might in the future.

Question:
Did you buy or sell cards through COMC in 2018?

Choices:
Yes, I buy.
Yes, I sell.
Yes, I have bought and sold.
No, never used it.
No, but I might in the future.

Question:
From which source did you obtain most of the non-sport cards you purchased in 2018?

Choices:
Through retail stores selling retail products.
Through hobby dealers/stores selling hobby products.
Through e-Bay and other internet outlets.
Direct sells from card manufacturers.
Trades or sales between card collectors.

Question:
Have you sold non-sport cards in 2018?

Choices:
Yes, I sell regularily all the time.
Yes, I sold off some of my collection.
Yes, I sold off a lot of my collection.
No, I don't sell my cards.

Question:
Are you actively trying to collect any cards older than 10 years of age or vintage issues?

Choices:
Yes, I an collecting vintage cards.
Yes, I am still looking for some cards over 10 years old.
No, I am not searching for any cards older than 10 years.
No, I am only interested in current cards of the last 2 years.

Question:
Finally, what is your premium hit of choice?

Choices:
Autographs.
Sketches.
Relics.
Other.

 

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Raven,

I will definitely be spending less as the plummeting value of the pound has made the cost of buying rise dramatically .

This time last year I bought three cases of different releases in black Friday sales but only one case this year.

Add to that the almost blanket charging of customs fees plus Royal Mail charges on anything from outside the EU ( and those will be attracting charges soon ) and it's not a great time to be a UK buyer.

The only good thing is that I am getting more international buyers of cards I sell because of the favourable exchange rates for them.

I say I am buying less next year but the Upper Deck X-Files set has my attention. I think the insanity of a 300 card base set and 100 stickers intrigues me as a set I could work on for a while, so I could end up sinking some money there.

Getting a Twin Peaks collection together from Rittenhouse has been interesting. I would like them to go back to at least getting close to the lower level chase a little easier. The 1 in 2 to 5 boxes- 9 to 27 card insert sets stings the average collector.

ALL I bought were sketch cards, and not too many of those.

Some good questions here. I always try to avoid the one about am I going to spend more or less next year on cards. Hell, I don't know what I'm going to spend next week on cards.

1 Dont know depends what comes up
2 choice 4
3 No
4 Have dabbled mainly in daily packs
5 Yes I have purchased from COMC
6 E Bay and other internet outlets
7 No I dont sell cards will trade
8 Yes still looking for cards over 10 years
9 as i mainly collect Inkworks Promo Cards it will be other

Hi Raven,

I agree with Don. It's tough to predict how much I'll be buying because it depends on my income which varies month-to-month (irregular hours). When I have extra money, I do spend a little of it on cards.

I'm not a collector who goes after everything of one franchise or subject. I'm a "Star Wars" fan but have cards from only a scattering of sets across the decades (weighted toward the 70's-80's stuff, some SW Galaxy and Widevision, and not much else more recent than that).

I've bought a couple of cards from COMC through Ebay. I might consider selling extras through them at some point in the future.

I buy some stuff on Ebay, but this year, I got into trading again for the first time in years. The thing about trading is that you can often find something you've been looking for that hasn't been on Ebay. It's a case of something being uncommon-rare but not particularly valuable. A collector might refuse to sell a rare card at the going rate (lots of cool promos that go for about $5-10) but he or she would seriously consider trading for something else that's rare, not often on Ebay, but not particularly valuable. You can also trade straight across for the rare and more valuable (the card you both got for $5 back in the old days but is now worth $25-50).

I didn't sell any cards this year but keep my ears open for a good place to sell. I was one of the members who thinks Card talk should have a selling section since it has one for trading. My brother thinks I should get my own website going. It would be part oddball promo photo gallery and a place to sell extras.

Most of what I buy is over 10 years old but not more than say 30 years old although I will pick up singles to complete old sets.

It was a toss-up for me to pick between autographs and sketches. I don't really go after either, having just a few of both. I liked the Topps 75th autographs because they were mostly celebrities I knew about (I liked finding Richard Kiel in the box bought at a show). Some sketches artfully capture an expression of a character; others don't seem to know what they're trying to do. I'm an old guy. I still like holograms, 3D cards, refractors, and motion cards.

Jess

All of my set purchases this year have been from small, independent companies. The sets from the Pernas (always) and several Kickstarters from RR Parks, Space 2 from Viceroy and Krampus from Attic Cards. Also really looking forward to the Iconic Literature set from Iconic Creations. With the exception of the RR Parks set, all of these were sketch sets.

I did purchase a few autograph cards from Ebay to fill in some holes in a Doctor Who set. Oh, and I bought a Chaney Legacy pack from MNS Cards at Con this year.

I expect to do much the same in 2019 - focus on independent producers that put out sketch sets of subjects I’m really interested in.

I continued to sell off my collection this year, still have a couple of hundred cards left. Only bought a handful of cards this year, mostly the original 1977 star wars cards.

Next year I will continue to collect vintage star wars cards and might pick up the odd auto of any celeb that takes my fancy, whilst selling off the rest of the cards I dont want to keep.

For my part I do expect to spend more money on non-sport cards in 2019 only because I think I hit an all time low this past year. I just didn't buy a lot. I kept pace with my GoT autographs in May and got some Star Trek TOS autos later on. I sampled a total of about 6 boxes the entire year. If you don't do Star Wars, it eliminates a bunch of releases right there.

I did pick up a Holy Grail autograph from a 17 year old set that made me quite happy. So I am still looking for some older cards. I did not, and would not sell any non-sport cards, but I have been downsizing other collectibles because the magic has gone, but the piles remain.

I buy hobby boxes and individual cards from hobby dealers, with an occasional eBay purchase. No interest in the newer, trendy ways to purchase. Autographs are still the most popular hit, but a fine quality sketch is satisfying to own.

Next year I am looking forward to a new GoT set, UD Bond, the Twilight Zone and hopefully some new titles not disclosed yet. There are always gaps to fill and autos to chase.

Just bumping the thread. Only 34 voters, only 9 that would leave comments. How about being heard. Vote, if you don't want to post. If not a member, how about joining Card Talk for 2019? Happy New Year to all.

Luckily for me there a few people at work that I get to talk about hobby stuff with, but they don’t have an interest in signing up for multiple online hobby accounts so Card Talk misses the cut. They’ll take a look every so often, but don’t want to take the time to sign-up and make comments and replies. That must be a common occurrence since I notice over 50 guests online from time to time. I feel that’s unfortunate because I bet there’s a bunch of interesting points of view out there, but I understand it because I haven’t signed on to YouTube to like, subscribe, and comment while watching some of those videos.

One thing that my hobby buddies like to point out to me is that a lot is that people don’t like to read long posts (like most of mine are guilty of) and polls. Not sure if that’s why there has been only 34 and 9 responses. For me, I have thinking about these 2 questions for a while ...

“Did you buy or sell cards through COMC in 2018?” and “Have you sold non-sport cards in 2018?”

I have bought cards from COMC’s eBay’s count and have sold and traded a few of my cards, but I wouldn’t consider it selling off some of my collection.

quote:

Originally posted by Heroes For Hire:
I feel that’s unfortunate because I bet there’s a bunch of interesting points of view out there

I totally agree with this point, and I also think you'd get a very different response to this poll depending on where it was posted/asked.

quote:

Originally posted by Heroes For Hire:
“Have you sold non-sport cards in 2018?”

and have sold and traded a few of my cards, but I wouldn’t consider it selling off some of my collection.

I agree on this point too, none of the answers here fit for me. I've sold a few cards here and there. Mainly because the opportunity came up, or it was super simple to move stuff from ePack to COMC and sell it.

I was also unclear if the following question/answer :"From which source did you obtain most of the non-sport cards you purchased in 2018? / Direct sells from card manufacturers." was meant to include ePack. I don't recall how I responded on that.

quote:

Originally posted by webjon:
I was also unclear if the following question/answer :"From which source did you obtain most of the non-sport cards you purchased in 2018? / Direct sells from card manufacturers." was meant to include ePack. I don't recall how I responded on that.

Yeah sorry, it's hard to word a poll question with all possible options and clarity comes and goes.

But for that "direct sale", I meant it to include purchases like ePacks, TOPPS Now, Perna, Kickstarter projects, anything where the sale flowed thru the maker without a middleman. If you are a dealer or if you could go right to the manufacturer's website to order, that would also fit there. Purchases off COMC would fall in the "eBay and other internet outlets" choice. "Trades or sales between card collectors" was meant to be in-person or by personal communication, not via COMC or anything with ePacks via UD, but I can see where someone might be confused there too. I can't adjust the questions without losing all the votes, so the comments are really helpful to improve the meaning.

I don't get not liking long posts especially when they're informative. My brother says some of my emails are too long. Hey, some things have to be explained.

quote:

Originally posted by Heroes For Hire:
Luckily for me there a few people at work that I get to talk about hobby stuff with, but they don’t have an interest in signing up for multiple online hobby accounts so Card Talk misses the cut. They’ll take a look every so often, but don’t want to take the time to sign-up and make comments and replies. That must be a common occurrence since I notice over 50 guests online from time to time. I feel that’s unfortunate because I bet there’s a bunch of interesting points of view out there, but I understand it because I haven’t signed on to YouTube to like, subscribe, and comment while watching some of those videos.

One thing that my hobby buddies like to point out to me is that a lot is that people don’t like to read long posts (like most of mine are guilty of) and polls. Not sure if that’s why there has been only 34 and 9 responses. For me, I have thinking about these 2 questions for a while ...

“Did you buy or sell cards through COMC in 2018?” and “Have you sold non-sport cards in 2018?”

I have bought cards from COMC’s eBay’s count and have sold and traded a few of my cards, but I wouldn’t consider it selling off some of my collection.

quote:

Originally posted by catskilleagle:
I don't get not liking long posts especially when they're informative. My brother says some of my emails are too long. Hey, some things have to be explained.

[/QUOTE]

It's a fine line. Say too little and you risk being misunderstood. Say too much and you risk sounding pompous. Factual posts are shorter and simpler, opinion pieces usually run longer because they have more passion.

For the other, I no longer send personal emails to my friends. A single email never seems to resolve anything. There is always another question or a reply that causes another question. So it's a chain of emails that are required, some times over days, before the matter is sufficiently settled.

I tell friends to phone me or I'll phone them. If they can't find the time to make or take calls, I guess we're not really friends.

Yeah, even with emoticons, something is lost in a text or email. I have a friend who uses emails for work but would still rather talk directly to someone whether it's personal or business, being clear worth the extra expense in either case. We communicate with facial expressions and other body language as well and the importance of that can't be underestimated (thinking of the "Seinfeld" episode in which Uncle Leo's eyebrows were drawn-on at unfortunate angles leading to miscommunication). My baby niece has finally mastered rolling her eyes at authority. She wasn't doing it right last year, which was funny.

quote:

Originally posted by Raven:

quote:

Originally posted by catskilleagle:
I don't get not liking long posts especially when they're informative. My brother says some of my emails are too long. Hey, some things have to be explained.

It's a fine line. Say too little and you risk being misunderstood. Say too much and you risk sounding pompous. Factual posts are shorter and simpler, opinion pieces usually run longer because they have more passion.

For the other, I no longer send personal emails to my friends. A single email never seems to resolve anything. There is always another question or a reply that causes another question. So it's a chain of emails that are required, some times over days, before the matter is sufficiently settled.

I tell friends to phone me or I'll phone them. If they can't find the time to make or take calls, I guess we're not really friends. [/QUOTE]

Nice poll. Thanks Raven.

1) I expect to spend less or about the same.
2) I don't focus on card titles, but buy products that appeal me.
3) No. I don't know what Kickstarter card project are, sorry.
4) No, I really have NO interest in e-Packs !
5) No, I never used COMC.
6) Mainly through e-Bay and other internet outlets, and few by trades between card collectors.
7) No, I don't sell my cards. (I'm just trying to sell my dupes, to make some money.)
8) Yes, I am still looking for some cards over 10 years old because they are part of the subjects of what I collect.
9) I'm interested by Autographs cards, Relic (Costume and Prop) and several Promo cards that I'm looking for.

Actually, there aren't many new collections that interest me (0 in big franchise titles).
The e-Packs either. I prefer to have in real, packs and cards.
So I continue trying to complete my started collections.

1. Expect to spend about the same.
2. Had a mix. Just has to catch my eye, except for Game of Thrones, that is a must.
3. No
4. Only purchased epacks once, 2016 Marvel Masterpieces
5. Bought a few cards maybe 10 years ago, haven't since. Looks like they might be in trouble.
6. Really is a mix. Pick up some things at the Philly show, trade with some people on-line, stuff I get from group breaks.
7. Sold a few on ebay, not a lot.
8. yes
9. Sketches

I expect to spend about the same this year, but my focus is moving more to vintage sets. So, I may not be able to fill some of those holes on my want lists for newer stuff, but can spend more time exploring 60s and 70s sets. Not sure how I feel about UD taking over the Bond franchise, as this is always on my want lists. Also intrigued by the upcoming X-Files release, but the size of the set is somewhat daunting. Should be interesting to see how that goes over with collectors.

Hoping to trade (preferably) or sell some of my extras in the coming year, as they are taking up lots of valuable space.