My favorite decade that I have lived in, as a whole, is the 1980s, easily. I've written about this several times. Here is one that sums it up best. Still, it can't top the '70s when it comes to cards. The '70s will always be my favorite decade for cards. This is the reason why I think I should be done with '80s cards by now. It's been nearly 40 years since that decade ended. You're not the '70s! Why am I still collecting your cards? Well, that's because there are so many of them. Even though the '80s produced the first set that didn't impress me (1982 Donruss), the first set I didn't like (1986 Donruss) and the first set I didn't really get (1987 Topps), there was still so much to like. That's why I'm still trying to put the bow on 1983 Donruss, 1985 Donruss and 1987 Fleer right now. And it's also why I just accepted a whole shoebox full of 1989 Score from Bru of Remember The Astrodome . Lordy, what have I d...
In 2025, the hobby started trying to kick me out at every turn. I'm sure it probably started before 2025, but I didn't really notice until this year. And it's not going to succeed. Because I make the rules when it comes to my hobby. Let others play their pretend games, collect their fantasy role-playing products, act like cards are worth more because they're sealed in plastic, claim that 1/1 was not planted into their video break in front of thousands of subscribers. I will collect the way I always do and treat the hobby as I did in 1982. But I know that I am a have-not in this current scenario. I see it when I visit a card store, a card show, an empty card aisle or an online site offering their latest high-end come-on with an annoying pop-up ad. The hobby -- thanks, Fanatics -- isn't as generous as it once was, because it's a business to too many people. And business for people today is not about give-and-take. It's about take-and-take. It's abo...