Answering Readers' Questions

 

Jennifer:  What kind of collector are you?

Elliptical Man:  I'm a star gazer, so I like getting cards of the better players.  I have frankensets for football, basketball, and hockey.  I'm working on team pages for MLB.  Multi-sport athletes and quirky trivia interest me.  I'm not a set builder or a hard-core player collector.     

Alicia:  How do you feel about the direction the hobby is going?

Elliptical Man:  Not too enthused.  Too many "high end" cards that aren't worth it, too many designs that ignore the important stuff, too many ho cards.  The breakers and flippers are fucking everybody over.  I appreciate the generosity of bloggers, but all my other card sources have me feeling disappointed lately.     

Lais:  Are you a card snob? 

Elliptical Man:  Yes and no.  I tend to like a lot of cards that are considered low-end.  But I can be finicky when trading for or buying singles.  Damages, player name hard to read or not on the front, no team logo, ho cards are examples of cards that I usually steer away from.  

 

Abby:  Why don't you collect soccer cards?

Elliptical Man:  I don't follow it enough.  I follow the USMNT in World Cup qualifying and then the Cup itself.  Same with the USWNT.  Very little other than that.  I might follow the Wave since they have you and Alex.  We'll see.  

   

Julianne:  Are you a TTM guy?  An autograph chaser?

Elliptical Man:  Not really.  Auto cards are nice if I get them, but I'm not going out of my way for them.  I don't think I've ever traded for an auto card.  I sent one card out for a TTM auto and it's not looking like I'll get it back.  I didn't really know what to say in my note and I think I came off like an idiot.  So no hard feelings toward the player, who's now retired and works in media.  

   

Mary Louise:  Do you have any dream cards?  

Elliptical Man:  Not really.  There are always cards I would target if money wasn't an issue though.  For baseball, I'd go to 1957 (first year of standard size) and pick between Ted Williams, Hank Aaron, and Willie Mays.  I don't know much about basketball cards, but maybe Kareem when he was known as Lew Alcindor, or Doc's RC.  Football - probably the Jim Brown pink Cadillac card or an early Joe Namath.  Hockey would be early career Bobby Orr or Gordie Howe. 

Catherine:  Will you be my groupie tonight?

Elliptical Man:  OMG!  This isn't that kind of blog, Cat.