Sue Mee didn't characterize anything as being true or important. He only suggested collectors can find better art for their money, however the collector may interpret "better". Anyone who argues that you can't find better illustrations for 2K than Wacky sketch cards is ill informed. The whole reason sketch cards got hot was because card collectors began to fancy themselves as art collectors. The problem was they didn't know anything about collecting art. So they tried to apply their card collecting expertise, which doesn't jive with art collecting. Dilettantes like Brad say Jay Lynch is one of the most important artists of our time. Jay is a good cartoonist. But to anyone educated in 20th century illustration that is an incredibly naive statement that reveals the tunnel vision some collectors have for Wacky Packs.
"The whole reason sketch cards got hot was because card collectors began to fancy themselves as art collectors. The problem was..."
Is that really why sketch cards "got hot"? And, even if you're right - what's the problem?
I thought sketch cards got hot because a few people were willing to pay a LOT of money for them. I think that's the same reason why Saunders originals "got hot". I think that's much of the reason any collectible tends to get hot. Before those few people were willing to pay big bucks, Saunders originals sold for a couple hundred bucks apiece.
In general I just think, well... if someone starts telling you why you're naive to like what you like, it's time to thank them for their wisdom and walk away from them. That's the rule for me, anyway. I'll happily listen to a someone share their passion and why they love something, but when they want to dismiss my own, and what I love - no thanks. I suspect you don't have a lot of patience for someone telling you you're naive, and in fact get angry when someone pats you on your head because you don't have the proper and relevant knowledge to have a valid opinion about something.
"Dilettantes like Brad say Jay Lynch is one of the most important artists of our time."
Does he say that? I'd be surprised if he did, but he could well-be the most important artist of our time TO BRAD, and be correct.
More accurately, I'd suspect that Brad loves Wacky Packages and thinks that Jay is one of the most important WACKY artists of our time, and he enjoys the opportunity and access to Jay, and that makes collecting the sketch cards an enjoyable extension of his HOBBY. And worthy of his time and money. Whether or not he receives endorsement from the educated and savvy art world thinkers. Maybe Brad doesn't need to have those folks telling him he's correct to like what he likes. Maybe you do need that affirmation to feel good about your tastes and opinions. Either way, I figure you guys are both swell, as long as you're having fun.
Maybe the sketch collectors are naive... or maybe you just didn't consider their approach is different than yours. That, too, could be described as a problem of tunnel vision. It's easy to dismiss Brad as a dilettante, when he has differing opinions. Much harder to consider that his opinions have real value, even if they're not shared by you, and the vast knowledge that informs your opinions.
But what do I know? Like you, I consider myself well-informed on some things and I suppose I'm a dilettante about many many others. In the context of collecting, I'm just a dude who is passionate about old trash. Which is, most people feel, pretty weird. I actually think it's pretty weird, but I still enjoy it. Even if there are "better ways" to spend my time and money.
