Hobby burnout, fatigue, boredom? Anyone else feeling it? 

When companies squeeze every dollar out of it, they squeeze the fun out too...

Yes, I'm feeling it Neo, I'm pulling out. Wax also is getting to expensive. Selling all my collection now on ebay as I'm commenting on this. Have a great day everyone.

Never get tired of value box hunting. Turned $10 into $119 . Fresh boxes always fun to go through

Maybe now’s a good time to sit back and appreciate the collections we’ve built for ourselves. Can certainly understand the burnout. Keep your head up and have some fun :) things get easier

You've picked up a lot of nice things lately. I think that happens sometimes. We run out of things to chase and we know it's going to take something bigger than the things we've picked up recently to really get the juices flowing. When I'm in that space, I try to make a big sale. Sort of cleanses the palate.

I’m not burned out (never go to shows) but I have noticed prices dropping for a lot of the cards I’m wanting. This period before the National has always been a great time for me to pick things up on the cheap.

My theory is..the less money you actually have..the more fun the hobby is.

My 23rd show. Best plan is to not have a plan. Just go and enjoy. Buy stuff that jumps out at you. Take in the events. Meet people.

Hobbies are supposed to be fun not a daily grind . Just because you’re aren’t chasing anything doesn’t mean you have hobby burnout in my opinion Myself I haven’t been wanting to put a lot of money in cards just have other things going on . I’ve found a lot of enjoyment in buying base rookie cards and HOF relics really cheap stuff but fun to look for

51 years old, been collecting since the mid 80s. Not to sound Cliche, but sport/nonsport cards are indeed an escape from reality. I guess being a collector of multiple sets and not getting sucked into flipping, repacking, fomo, etc… has given me always something to look forward to, just got 4 1968 Topps Baseball Psa 8’s in the mail for my 68 set, cool stuff

Mahomes won another Super Bowl, Connor McDavid lost, Celtics won the snoozefest of a finals and nobody cared, baseball rookies of the post few years have disappointed (Jrod, carroll, Holliday etc.) underwhelming nba draft. Its been a rough time for sure. These boxes have no business being as expensive as they are.

Felt it in 1995, again in 2006 and yet again in 2021

I'm 43. I've been collecting baseball nonstop since 1986. The only longtime friends I have in the hobby are the dealers/store owners themselves. I've seen hundreds of people spend crazy amounts of money and go to every show then just one day they're gone.

NOT having a gameplan or list could actually make for a fun show. My last National I had a specific list...And it felt like a scavenger hunt. I probably passed up a lot of interesting stuff And good deals because I was really just zoned in on my list. Nice to just go in open minded. Have fun!

I was feeling the same way, but now that we are less than two weeks out, I am getting into prep mode and getting excited for it. My drive to participate in the hobby in general ebbs and flows throughout the year so I just ride the waves

I'm totally burnt out. 10 year bender I've been on with this full force. I need a break. Been auctioning off all my inventory for weeks now. My goal is to get rid of all of it and start over. It's gotten outta control. I just have tons of shit that I could care less about sitting around. I know prices are down, but I'm cashing out. I'll take my money and double it elsewhere

I feel you! I keep telling myself that once I start to feel that fatigue it’s likely everyone else is also feeling it. I’m trying to zag while others are zigging but I think I just need to take a step back for a week or so so I can come back with more vigor

If chrome was better priced the hobby would be buzzing about it..wax prices are just too much with the cost of living being trash

I don’t know if you read all your comments Neo but I have been a loyal follower for sometime now. I love your content and anytime you have purchased a 90’s inserts either a refractor or even a dunk n go nuts Vince Carter, you seem very excited. I would suggest look into collecting 90’s inserts from your favorite player. I never get bored chasing Jordan inserts from the 90’s.

As a collector of niche sports like WNBA, we're just getting started!

Part of it is the overproduction of new products. Nothing is special if everything is special. When a rookie has 2000 different cards it’s redundant. I would like to chase Wemby I have a few but the population is growing so much what is the point.

I bet not having a plan or specific chase turns out great for you, as you’ll explore and trip across some really cool cards to pickup. Also FYI, Fanatics Fest is 3 weeks after the National, not 2. Make sure you don’t show up a week early! :)

More people feel more burnout when more is required of them. You make videos and you are relied upon in this hobby so your burnout will hit harder due to expectations by the masses and expectations on yourself to keep up. I found the safest way out of hobby burn out is to make it OK. The more you fight it , the harder the burn out. Just relax and know that it will pass if you let it :) If there were a therapy recommendation, maybe relax on videos , digging for topics to keep uploads relevant, etc. Take care my man

I really don’t ever go with a CHASE in mind I got to have fun hangout meet people and yea buy stuff THINGS ARE NATIONAL FLOOR ARE WAY OVERPRICED FOR THE MOST PART …

Oddly, NEO, while I am in the same burnout path, it also has to do with the rest of the world and not just the hobby. My job is deliberately running me into the ground, and we have two vain octogenarians running for President and I can't escape either of them. When I have 5-15 minutes, its either spent with content creators such as yourself or on eBay looking at cards. It's no one's fault, but everything feels forced and very repetitious.

I am going just hoping to be surprised by something and to see what deals there are and what gets dropped that week. Fanatics/Topps has to drop something.

When I go to a card show with nothing to look for is when I find something I can't leave without. It will surprise you what you overlook because it's not on your list.

Use to collect football once a year. And not every year. If the itch spilled over I grabbed some baseball. These days that overfill goes to Magic, Star Wars, Marvel, pop culture. Now I know I’m just not cut out for 52 weeks of the hobby.

I’m paying strong for your collection at 25% comps.

This is my first year back in the hobby since the 90's and just assumed this was common summer lull. Definitely feeling pretty meh about the product releases. Decided to spend more time with my sons on their Pokemon collection for the summer.

The 2020 NFL Class is really the only thing that continues to get me hyped right now.

The price increase in Topps Chrome put a damper on things for me. Out of everything, I mainly collect that and Bowman. 40 bucks for a blaster box on Chrome is just too high.

You read my mind. Im not burned out but have taken a break from attending shows since Chantilly in june. I’m selling off a few things, deciding what id like to get signed and getting my cards together for trade night. This will be my 4th (Baltimore 2010, Cleveland 2018, AC 2022). Can’t wait!

Topps/Fanatics is pushing me out of collecting sports cards just like Panini has. Finest was introduced yesterday for pre-order at $249+sales tax for ONLY 60 cards. That’s over $4 per card. Even the blasters are $40. I believe my sport card buying is coming to an end. It was good while it lasted.

Been feeling burnt out for about 2 years. Actually got into comics, which was refreshing. Been Wemby hunting a fair amount this year though. Can’t wait for 23-24 products to end, and maybe scoop some Wemby’s on the way down. If didn’t have such a massive collection, and I’d walk for a while for sure.

I'm definitely losing interest in ripping, but that just might be a natural progression as a lifelong collector.

Yes, I feel it too. That’s the market speaking to us. It means that now should be a good time to buy when everyone is losing interest.

I agree, but online, Pokemon seems to keep on going up. I'm finding I can't handle the huge amount of cards and boxes I have to deal with.

I've been burned out for at least the past year or two. Between prices, quality and all the scams it's just not what it used to be, not even close.

This year overall has been a burnout for me. I mostly stopped buying but have sold off a few items which is nice. A lot of my funds have been going elsewhere such as buying a house, saving for my wedding, vacations and other hobbies (books and board games mostly). All of those have taken precedent over cards and collectibles. I am planning on buying some boxes of the new MTG set Bloomburrow that comes out soon.

this is me. I haven't bought any hobby boxes for 2 months, a couple singles only. Haven't paid too much attention to social media. I think when the new soccer/nfl/nba seasons start I'll get interested again.

Connor Bedard fatigue with 10000000 rookie cards

Ziggy in the thumbnail...nice

Burnout is happening for sure. My sales are down 50% in the last 45 days. My $400 sales weekends barely crack $100 now. I have been asking myself what is important for a while now. And cards are pretty far down on that list. I have been putting more hours into my full time job while I can because the constuction trades can crash at any moment.

Totally agree with you. A little on the “meh” side as well, but always thinking about the hobby still. I recently moved a lot of bulk to free up capital for some pieces I have been wanting for a while. And I am in the process of putting my 2016-2023 Donruss Optic football complete set run into binders for my viewing pleasure. Always good to have little hobby projects going to keep it fresh.

5 part mini series.. selling off my entire collection!! Bring the views!

I'll be honest - I considered getting into content creation but I always felt like it would make the hobby I love feel like an occupation. Could it potentially fund my collection and be fun at times? Yes, of course. At the end of the day if I HAD to go to The National or I HAD to post a video on the topic of the day I would probably not enjoy sports cards. At times I'm jealous of your platform but I put myself in your shoes and I don't think I would have lasted a year. I went through hobby fatigue a year ago but re-evaluated, cut down and started having fun again. Hopefully you are able to do the same while creating content!

In 2019 I would love stopping by Walmart to buy cards. I did it a few times in the following years but havent bought boxes to open since the overprinting. Buy singles but they are still watered down.

Im not even going this year. Chicago is my hometown, so when the National is in Rosemont, I’ll go. I wouldn’t say I have “burnout” but I am SO MUCH MORE selective in what I buy. Last year I picked up a lot of 80’s Star Basketball cards including an 84 MJ #101 & a few other Jordans from Star. This year, the prices on those have gone up so much, I doubt I’d find any deals. As far as the other players I collect, like Devin Hester, DJ Moore or Walter Payton, I acquired many of the formers 1/1s & Paytons rookie in a PSA 8. You are correct though, modern NFL doesn’t have the same juice it did the past several years. CJ stroud is pretty much the only qb worth going for, and for the most part his cards are already priced out. Richardson, and the rest of the young guys don’t do anything for me, either. Add to the fact that the Panini to Fanatics transition has caused all modern NBA & NFL cards to become devoid of autos for the key rookies and stars, there seems to be an obvious lull

Switch it up. Keep it fresh. I changed from comics to original art and it's fun again.

No plan and a really short list. If I see something that would be put into core PC, may add it. If not, no big deal. I've always enjoyed just looking around at all the stuff you just don't see show up online. I'm expecting stupidly high prices, and I couldn't care less about any of the sandwich company NFL trash from the last decade, so that makes it even easier.

Selling everything now and making a list of what I want to buy back in two years

I feel very similar. I already have set plans, badge pre-ordered, and stuff booked so I will still go, but I am not feeling great about the trip like I was say 6 months ago. Part of it is valuing money more than Cards right now, not wanting to add more physical stuff to my living space, and not feeling that confident in the market maintaining or going up (I assume it is still going down a bit more given interest and pop counts). NBA is the main thing I am interested in and NBA sealed product is insane right now, the mix of no Wemby autos in current product plus so many redemptions and just the overall expected value relative to price makes it demoralizing to buy stuff right now. But there is a good chance since this is my first National and I am there the whole time that I probably will find some kind of basketball box to open just for the experience. Either hope for a Wemby parallel or case hit or some kind of 2023 product, or go back to maybe 2020 and try for Ant stuff while hoping to dodge redemptions. For singles, I would like a Lebron Topps Chrome rookie, Jordan rookie, Curry rookie, etc but I also don't feel like spending the requisite money on that stuff right now, not to mention those cards are always available one click away on eBay. I just got done selling a ton of my Anthony Edwards PC at the Dallas Card Show when the Wolves vs Nuggets series was taking place after his price surge, so it seems dumb to just go buy back the same stuff I sold a few months ago. If there is something really unique for either Ant of KG, that is probably what I am on the hunt for.

💯

I’m 100% there too and I blame 2024 Topps Chrome. I’m letting that product really bother me for some reason. Overprinted and overpriced to the max this year and has my main PC’s first rookies in it too. National is 2 hours away from me and for once I have zero interest in going.

Yes

I don't think were going to bounce back this time around. Price corrections are going to hit every market in due time. Were not done yet with the decline.

my collection I’m happy with… when I got to shows I let a card come to me.. i dont have a list of cards to look for…. I have most of what I want… I buy now at shows things I did not know I wanted…. I buy 2 or 3 cards at big shows.. the chantilly and philly show.. so still buy about a dozen cards a year…. they are mostly about 1k or more a card...

I think many people are feeling the same. I expect this will continue too. The hobby is very transient community. People hibernated in the hobby for seasons at a time. I also think you are right about Football is NOT what it was. Too many people doing the same. I have been selling all spring into the summer. I think Fanatics Fest will be awesome! Good choice.

I don't have a sense of urgency for anything. I will always be able to find a Randy Jonson Mariners auto (what I seem to be looking for the most right now) so just waiting for an auction that stays where I want it to. Losing a ton of auctions which leads me to believe that I have 0 FOMO. Would like some Cade Cunningham before the season. Also a Jared Goff Prizm Silver. Won't be terribly bummed if it doesn't happen. Just chillin with what I have and staying vigilant with the resources I have dedicated to cards. Not sure if that answers the overall question.

Given that the show is local to you, that might be a small portion of the mindset change too. Instead of the ‘travelling days’ to/from Chicago or Atlantic City plus all those travelling costs involved, you have a little more time AND money in your pocket (plus replace the ‘getting used to another city’ vs ‘familiarity with everything in your area’…. I imagine even just being able to drive home and sleep/wake up in your own bed each day will be a bigger deal mentally than you imagine) so you’re not needing to do the ‘I travelled distance X and spent amount Y just to be here, so I need to buy something’.

Hey Neo, maybe sometimes having no plan can be a great plan, especially when you have the giant candy store events coming up with the National and Fanatics…

Yep getting burned on bowman chrome the past 2-3 years has left a bad taste in my mouth. Im probably going to sit it out until the companies stop charging these insane prices for boxes. It's not fun to get slaughtered on every product. You want to enjoy the hobby and get the itch to rip but everytime you get rekt. Even if you buy singles the prices just go down a few months later. It's not fun right now to collect or buy and grade.

I was in May but have been buying heavy with what I feel is the bottom of the market.

It's called "Purple Swirly Shiny Disco Balls Fatigue"

There comes a point where you obtain most of the grails on your list and the ones that are left you tend to see prices trending down over all so you don't feel the urgency you normally would. Everything ultra modern is pump and dump and anything worth having has HOF pricing baked in before the product even drops. We also seem to be in this phase within the hobby where it's not cool to have the same stuff everyone does because it doesn't feel special enough. A couple years back I made a decision to stop chasing what everyone else was and focus on cards that had great eye appeal to me. Back in 2009 ish I was also probably one of the only people who collected base Rc logo stuff when the it crowd was into the shiny Chrome 1st stuff of course Chrome got stupid expensive and everyone started chasing paper base when 2011 Update came out and that was a big trend for several years now everyone is back to hating paper base and any new product really for the reason I stated that nobody wants what everyone has it's always the chase to be better and have the lowest #'d stuff which for most has become financially unattainable so the overall trend is mehhh.

Unlike the Pokemon motto, you can't catch them all. At some point in life, you have to be content with what you have and not continually chase something flashy or new. After a real bad year of Pokemon releases, I'm largely out of that space. I'm still working on a few vintage team sets and Hank Aaron's, and looking at singles for Jackson Chourio as they come out, but the end is near. Telling myself no new binders, no more sealed fire liabilities, and focus on things my son can either enjoy or sell for actual cash when he's older.

I go through cycles of interest in sports cards.

Yes, the dull days of summer...actually, I have been buying odds and ends lately. The thing is I have a limited budget for the Nationals and I am slowly eating away at that. At the same time, I am taking a good look at the cards I truly want. This is what I do when I have reached the overstimulation of the hobby chase, or in my case as well, limited funding. One thing I have done in the past during a lull time is I end up buying cards that were great deals but I didn't really need. We all been there done that... Hope I get a chance to say hello Rob... Be a Blessing!!!

You need to switch it up just like with everything else in life

Buying Fox & Curry……maybe even a DeRozan now too. 🤷‍♂️

Hi Neo

This is totally happening to me. I find myself finishing second on my auction bids a lot. The 20-30 cards for sale in my store do not seem to be generating much interest. I am starting to not listen to all of my subscribed content hobbyists on you tube. Just seems like the sports card universe is on tilt a little

I'm not in a hurry to buy anything, money is tight and getting tighter. To many cards out there in so called investor hands. Hopefully I will buy some stuff next year.

I'm buying singles. Yamamoto, Ohtani, and Jackson Chourio. Buying some topps series 2 fanatics blasters.

I'm still hunting some bargain singles but hard no on a lot of wax this year. I have cut my wax spending 75%. The enjoyment for the value is less than ever. Fanatics calling to give me a box of chrome baseball at $200? 🤡

I do feel sports card burnout , been buying vintage Pokémon lol

Just start selling off your collection little by little and you'll see how great it feels to have the cash instead of the card/comic

I'm surprised a long awaited Lebron auto isn't on the chase list this year NEO. With his prices being down and new autos coming Topps, his older autos will probably be higher in demand later when all the new shiny autos come out.

I just collect Pokémon and if anything, I'm feeling it financially. I'm a degenerate pack ripper. Love the thrill of the hunt. I do buy singles sometimes too but usually for cards that are from OOP sets. If it's a chase I can buy packs for at MSRP, I'm gonna try my chances at pulling it. That said, while it's no different from how Pokémon usually drops sets every recent generation, I feel a bit overwhelmed. Twilight came out a month ago and we have a two month break from then til Shrouded Fable drops next month. But then that other set will be out in September (the name escapes me rn) and I barely ripped any of the sets in a reasonable amount since 151. I had an easier time keeping up with Sword and Shield. For some reason but this gen is harder. Maybe our dollar isn't going as far as it used to and my money's getting eaten up with bills and necessities? I dunno. Feels bad, man. I never try to keep up with the Joneses but it's nice to at least feel like you're in the mix. Now I feel like I'm being left in the dust.

Sounds like you are just being more selective on what you buy which is understandable considering the prices on boxes and you taking your two trips

I shifted to marvel for a break

It isn't you. Much like the collectibles market, there are ups and downs to enjoyment and participation. At some point, we all need a reset; and given the amount of crap being thrown at up-- drama, big news, wants and desires, 17420375930530358 different variations of the same card, etc-- it's bound to pile up. That's how I see it, at least. I hope you have fun at the national!

Im not burnt-out but then again if i made videos and was ingrained as deep as you are id def be burnt. How could you not get burnt out? You have to be putting in way more time and effort than most people spend on there hobby.

America needs Zack Hample.

Problem is everything product is expensive, manufacturers overprinting to the moon, we already have a lot of what we realistically want if we’ve been at it a few years now, value keeps dropping over time, fun just kinda being sucked out of it. Neo you should try and pivot to sports memorabilia for a change here and there. At least zagging here and there keeps my interest.

Few thoughts... At least 1/week in my shop "I'm getting out of the hobby" At least 1/week in my shop ... same guy shows up... *buys box/singles* This is the typical lull before the national. No sports. People go outside. Shows are slower. Cardboard just isn't on the top of mindshare right now. The pre-national football hype is different this year.... bc any and everyone is looking to dump/sell their football inventory AT the national. Trade nights gonna be 98% modern football.

I been collecting for over 30 years. So No

Old stuff rules new stuff drools. As long as there are cards from the 90s, I'm all set. Have fun at the show!

More expensive and less quality. No game worns no on card autos. Prizm quality awful.

I’m super tired of it. I do still enjoy buying singles, but new releases that are way overpriced don’t excite me

I feel like you do the same video every year around this time.

I think you might have just got c***blocked after that major X-Men 1 purchase possibly?

UD hockey products are turning for worst. Nothing compared To 2004 -2015

Fanatics Sucks. Baseball Sucks. Lack of Zeal Sucks

why do you need a plan for the national? just go, hang out with the guys you only get to see a few times a year and have fun. certainly youll come across a ton of stuff that catches your eye, especially since youll be in cavs/indians country... as far as the burnout factor goes, i find my interest in the hobby kinda waxes and wanes every few days lately. if i go a few days without selling something on comc i get pretty meh. then ill have a flurry of sales on there and im fired up to buy more again. youve probably been thinking about the hobby every day for like, what, a decade straight now? maybe take some time off after these 2 events if youre losing interest. idk how that would affect your youtube channel but presumably everybody will still be here when you get back. also maybe just buy some stuff for fun that you like without being hyper focused on getting the absolute best price and recent comps and stuff like that. something that brings you joy. doesnt have to be expensive. maybe im projecting here, but you seem like a pretty nerdy/dorky/numbers type guy (takes one to know one). so you probably look at this hobby like i do and its more like part hobby/part investment/part income stream. that can suck the fun out of it too. at least for me it can anyway. for example, when i first learned to play poker it was a shitton of fun and i couldnt wait to play. as i got better/played more/had better results, it became much more like a part time job as opposed to a hobby and i really lost pretty much all of the joy in it.

I have to say, you've become soooo negative. I used to enjoy watching your videos. Fun stuff with box breaks and cards coming in from PSA. Even when it was just a general topic, it was more of a fun nature. Now it's just negative blah every video. Another topic about something wrong, some bad direction something's going, stuff like this with negative sentiment. I guess as it always goes, youtubers always end up negative, it's good for the views and likes.

If I chased new and/or expensive stuff, I would've been done with it long ago. I just want cards, and there are a lot of cheap ones. And if Im spending bigger bucks, it better be older cards