Give the LCS a Shot

Contributor: John McTaggart

In my years, I’ve had a lot of cards pass through my paws. 

Some real head-turners, others just plain forgettable, but regardless of the value or significance in the hobby, each one played a part in my journey in one way or another.

And the older I get, and the longer I’m in the hobby seriously, the more I have come to appreciate the journey.

I think back to the early days when my brother and I pooled together money to buy a lone box of 1986 Donruss baseball. Or the days when we scrambled to find 1990 Upper Deck hockey or 1989 Upper Deck baseball, searching for Federov or Griffey.

Looking back, I literally remember conversations at shows, specific deals made, and cards that we were so proud to place carefully into the homemade showcase in the early days.

I remember the moment we got our first ’86 Fleer Jordan and Barkley (my favorite player). I remember the first Gretzky rookie, and the SP Jeter rookies that came and went show after show.

And I made friends back then in the hobby that are still important people in my life to this day. 

So, why am I acting all nostalgic and sentimental today?

Simple. 

I’m afraid we’re losing this vital facet of the hobby to impersonal, electronic transactions. 

I’ve sold cards this week online to people I don’t know at all, had no conversations about the hobby with, and have literally no connection to whatsoever. 

It’s a business for me, so I am grateful for every single deal, don’t get me wrong.

And I understand this is the way of the world now in the hobby, and truthfully, I love how the world has opened up to dealers and collectors alike. It has undoubtedly changed the game, and I enjoy it.

That said, I do miss the interactions and the conversations that were once commonplace in the hobby. 

It’s become so transactional now that we focus on the products far more than the people in the hobby. I’m kinda sad to see this happen.

So I ask each of you, spend more time at your LCS. 

Spend more time going to local card shows.

Meet people who share the same passion you have for the hobby.

You’ll be so glad you did.