Saturday, January 21, 2012

trading

There's been some talk lately about trades gone wrong. Trading is one of the best aspects of blogging, well for me anyway. You can walk into any card shop and see boxes upon boxes of base cards, left discarded in lieu of the hits from the box. Most people I've run into at the local shop could care less about anything that doesn't have a signature or a piece of something in it. Thats what makes this community great, we all seem to care about the cards themselves. players or teams we like, or even the odd stuff like guys who won awards in their careers, guys from our hometowns or even something as silly as a pitcher holding a bat. I've always felt that we're the true collectors. The ones that appreciate the effort that goes into making a card set. Not just who signed what or what piece is in what low numbered card. Those are great too but surely not our focus. Where am I going with this?

There are no rules persay about trading here. Though we do all follow an unwritten 'code' of sorts that maintains an order of balance in the blogging world. More or less it's just morals and knowing that if someone send you something, usually you send something in return. It's just good manners. About the part above though, no where else that I've been to, can I send someone a stack of base cards and that person be completely happy with what they have found in their mail box. Cards they may have needed for a set or simply just their favorite team, filling in team sets or player collections. It's incredible really and truly is an example of "one man's trash is another man's (or woman's) treasure. Not that base cards are trash. In fact any set put out by Topps before 1995 is nothing BUT base cards and we were all happy with that. I'm merely referring to the guys who think base cards are a "waste of their time" and leave them in a box to rot at that local shop.

Back to the trading front though, I've run off on a tangent for too long here and I hope you're still with me.

Community. That's what it all boils down to. Trading is a wonderful experience and again, the best part of blogging. I haven't been burned in a trade and I do feel for those that have. I would like anyone who has ever felt that they have gotten the short end of the stick by me in a trade to please let me know. I'll do what I can to make it right. That or if you were expecting a package from me and it never came, I'd also like to know that as well. I've sent everything out that I've promised but sometimes things do get lost in the mail, you just never know. This is an open letter for anyone who may have felt wrongly about a trade we've done either recently or the past. I love blogging and love trading even more, so I'd really hate to risk any wrongdoing of fellow traders by sending an inadequate package of cards. There is obviously a certain level of trust associated with trading with essentially, strangers. Thankfully I don't feel anyone is out to screw anyone over around here but sometimes trades just go wrong.

9 comments:

  1. Well said. After I thought bout it I looked at my dupe boxes and realized without trading, they would probably be landfill at the moment. I love that I can trade off stuff that I don't want to get stuff I do want AND help someone else out at the same time. Topps (nor anyone else) is never going to put out a set exclusively for me or anyone else, so trading with others expands the hobby.

    I am one of those that has been burned in a trade and you know what I don't care. Like I said earlier the cards I sent were going to be landfill if I couldn't trade them and I'm not going to lose sleep over the $3 it took to ship them. If I can trade 6 of my cards that I don't want for 1 that I do, I consider that a great deal. We need to take business and value out of this hobby (at least when it comes to trades) and remember why we started in the first place. It's fun.

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  2. Ted, you're 100% on the money with this post.

    Johnny also makes a lot of great points on his comments as well.

    I too worry about people not getting cards/not getting what they feel is an equitable return for what they sent me.

    There would be nothing worse for me than to have my reputation and my blog trashed for one trade gone wrong. I welcome any comments my way as well regarding this.

    By the way Ted, I have an extra Adam Lind auto if you are interested...drop me a line if you are and I'll send it your way.

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  3. I've been burned once, not by you, and honestly, I figured it just came with the territory. With as much shipping with as many different people you have transactions with, eventually you'll meet someone who doesn't fulfill his or her end of the deal, for whatever reason.

    I have also not always been Johnny-on-the-spot myself. Sometimes life gets in the way, but what I like about this "community" is that as long as the lines of communication are open, everyone seems to be patient about it.

    The being said, there have been a few trades where I felt I got the short end, and there have been others where I felt like I CLEARLY came out on top. It seems like there really is kind of a balance in the blogging universe with this.

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  4. I agree as well. I'm with Johnny when it comes to getting rid of cards I don't want. So I don't ever feel shorted when I've gotten cards I wanted back. I've felt like I've shorted other people, not on purpose, but that just happens with a blind trade.

    And I try to keep records on who I've got trades with but it wouldn't surprise me if I had forgotten somebody as well so if that happens I just hope they contact me to make it right.

    My wife is continually amazed at how many great cards I get from other traders. All at the cost of a couple of bucks. And a couple have sent other things just as thrown in's. Hats, Flags, stickers for the kids, ect. Just truly a great community of people.

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  5. I agree with everyone else. When I send stuff out to others 90% of the time it was stuff I didn't want anyway so if a return package never comes there is no big deal. The one time I felt I got burned was when I sent a vintage Unitas to another blogger and got shafted. I thought maybe it was just a mishap and when he contacted me about another trade I sent him some stuff and again no return package. He had the nerve to contact me about a 3rd trade. I told him that I would gladly trade with him once he even things up. Still haven't seen that package.

    Ted - Need your address. I have a card for you.

    Jeff - I mailed a long overdue package to you this afternoon.

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  6. Ted, I'd honestly be shocked if anyone felt like you'd shafted them, as you're one of the more generous traders out there. Honestly, I've been worried that I shafted *you* on our last deal because what you sent me was so awesome and unexpected. Here's hopin' that isn't the case!

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