Editor’s Note: In nearly 35 years as an ardent collector and hobby enthusiast I’ve noted a couple things. First, the card companies care very little about the individual as it pertains to their specific needs. Customer service? A rarity at any of the major companies generally and historically speaking. Accountability? Not often. In fact, I’ve long held that card companies only care about collectors in the aggregate. If a product sells well or is lauded by collectors well then an a few upset customers with a legitimate problem here or there doesn’t really matter.
It’s the bottom line, right? And I’ve also noted that those who deal with the collecting public INDIVIDUALLY, not collectively, seem to be annoyed by the word “Hello,’ long before the collector has the ability to even ask for help.
Secondly and making these overriding problems even more difficult to resolve is the fact that there is very little open criticism in hobby media. It makes sense when you think about it. If you’re one of the major publications (defunct or active) would you want to piss off your biggest advertisers by pointing out their glaring faults?
So, when an article like the one today that calls card makers on to the carpet for what is becoming a major issue with redemptions I applaud. We need more of this, more criticism, complaint, ire, etc. to inspire change.
The recession has created some dark times for card makers and they need the public to LOVE their items, both now and forever. They need to go the extra mile to put value in these boxes of expensive paper they want us to buy.
Perhaps blogs like the one below are the best way to send a message. Congrats on a great story, Sports Collectors Daily.
