gen alpha is all about skibidi, us zoomers are always yapping about how species collecting is goated & peak… and about our situationships with nonfindable cards
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I would suggest giving other card shows a shot, especially local ones, to see if the atmosphere feels better for you. Personally, they aren’t quite for me because I deal with anxiety and the sheer number of options becomes overwhelming, which usually results in me only buying cards for my niece. While shows are great for finding cheap raw binder copies or giving a younger family member a fun experience as some sellers give kids great deals. I found out after my first show recently that the environment just isn’t for me. If you do go, I’d recommend avoiding vendors who deal mostly in sealed product since they are running a strict business and need to recoup high costs however, in reality, even people online expect trades or deals heavily in their favor. That is just the environment of today’s hobby compared to how it used to be, and I wouldn’t expect it to change.
I’m as cynical and grumpy as it comes, and quite often revel in how much everyone else is annoying and in the wrong all the time.
I also realise it’s very unhealthy to think that way and i need to live and let live or i’ll die by 50.
Card shows are filled with all the people under the sun, and in those intense, sometimes pressured environments - things can feel a lot more extreme and can spike emotions a lot more, especially when money is involved.
I agree, there are a lot of the “lolol Brokie doesn’t want my ETB or Mega Charizard” people around that have appeared recently, but y’know what - I’ve been around for years before them, and i’ll be around for years after. Give them the old ignore and go talk to someone who has more of your vibe. In fact it’s quite funny listening to them try and out-bro each other, and sell each other their mini-tins.
Things may be slightly easier for me as i don’t really care about opening packs, so the need to find sealed stuff isn’t high, i’d much rather pull 300 cards out of a binder 1 by 1 to try and find something i like in good condition.
ps. 6 7 skibidi toilet rizz
I actually went to a card show today as well. I like to find the smaller sized local shows to attend. I only go there though to offload very cheap niche cards ($1 - $5 japanese promos/holos/exs). I don’t have the time or energy to try and sell them on my own and shipping would be terrible along with fees or possible return expenses since they are all raw and vary condition wise.
The higher the value on the cards, the more selective I am in choosing who I sell to.
When it comes to buying however, I’m 100% picky on who I want to give my money to. Most experinces I’ve had were decent, some less than ideal, but in the end if I’m buying a card from them and can work out a deal or do decent trades to where its acceptable for both parties involved, I’m happy to make a deal work!
If a vendor is surrounded by gambling games for packs/cards, I avoid them, if a vendor is doesn’t have any prices listed on their cards, I avoid them, if a vendor wont move closer to market price since they bought too high, I’ll avoid them.
If you set up some boundaries and rules for yourself before going to an event, its a way better experience. I usually try to go with one of my friends who just started collecting a few months back, so I’ve been having fun negotiating on his behalf. My best tip is find a solo vendor at a local show as they are likely just vending for fun and the experience.
The only thing that caught me off guard today was overhearing a guys deal go down, when they agreed on price, the buyer asked “the guard is real, not fake, right?” Then the seller didn’t know how to answer except by saying there is a name on the guard.
Other than that, I used to be highly against going to shows, but my opinion has softened now that I know how to navigate them.
I went to my first card show early this year. Admittedly it was a local, but a lot of interstate tables showed up.
I expected high prices, I expected hustle.
And while I found some of that, overall it was great. Full of honest enthusiasts, prices negotiable and a relaxed, friendly and nice day.
I’ll go again. Cheer up mate, maybe your looking through the wrong pair of glasses?