I'm a firm believer that there's no wrong way to hobby as long as you aren't doing anything illegal. It's one of my hobby mantras. I got started young because of my love of sports. Growing up in New York City and in Topps backyard probably was a catalyst as well. The way I hobby obviously has changed through the years and the hobby itself has also changed drastically through those same years.
I often get asked what I collect or PC, the answer to that question is Jackie Robinson and Hall of Fame graded rookie cards from all Sports. Those are cards that I have an attachment to and a desire to acquire more of. I know very well that I will not own every Jackie ever made or every Hall of Fame rookie card but seeing both of those collections grow is fun.
Recently while attending the 2024 National in Cleveland Ohio, I headed for the basement level to meet a few friends and take a break and chat. Like many of the spots at the event, tables became trading tables and collectors young and old (but mostly young) displayed there inventories and we're wheeling and dealing. While I'm more of a buyer and seller myself these days, trading does bring back the nostalgia of my young collecting days. So while relaxing and chatting with friends I was still able to observe and hear what was occurring at these trade tables around us and I noticed a trend. Pardon me for generalizing but what I observed was it seemed the older type collectors seem more connected to their inventories from how or why they acquired a card and more contemplative when someone offered a potential trade. There appeared to be more of an attachment or vested interest in the cards. Again I apologize for the generalization but I also noticed with the younger set, their inventory seem to be more just the comps of the card and a vessel to the next deal. There's no “did you see what they did llast night or this week?” Or “he's my favorite player” or “it's my favorite team”. More often I heard things like “I just got that 20 minutes ago” or "I want it but these cards comp for 50 more dollars. What else can you add? There seemed to be a lack of attachment to their cards. It was like day trading but instead of stocks it was cardboard and chromium. No crimes are being committed here but I'd be lying if I said the non-attachment across an entire inventory didn't bother me somewhat. In subsequent conversations I had with collectors and friends some mentioned that they view that type of activity as a different type of hobby, almost as a separate entity completely. As someone who has an office full of cards it also strikes me funny that some collector’s collections can fit in a small box they carry around. To each their own as they say. I'll close with a mantra I've also adopted “Hobby your way”
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