Depressing

[ullmandds]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

The mania surrounding the Otani autographs in the new Topps Heritage set is instructive. A ton of mania out of the box to get these cards and get on eBay. People who were asking $75,000 a month ago. If someone paid that they are a sorry sorry guy, because they are now a few thousand last time I checked. This is just people buying a lottery ticket.
Manufactured scarcity. Signing in different ink colors and then trying to say a certain color is more valuable. Cmon. That’s nuts.

I must say I agree with much of this. I do not think you can compare a rare backed tobacco or Carmel card that was produced in small numbers because of supply and demand in that era to manufactured errors and rarities of the modern day. Drum, uzit, kotton, virginia extra...smaller niche brands likley ordered and distributed many fewer cards in the first place place...therefore fewer survive and they are rare. Brown old mills, lennox, red crofts candy... perhaps these occurred as sample runs with whatever ink was available who knows. Today they are rare and desirable.

Compare this to a bunch of executives sitting in a board meeting deciding they are going to “create” this variation or that variation. Smart yes! But in my opinion comparing these to vintage is apples to oranges.

I have not collected modern since 1991 and have made no effort to follow... there are just too many issues...and way too many cards that will remain in new condition.

What can I say the hobby has changed and I have not changed with it. Hopefully these manufactured rarities will maintain their desirability more than their beanie baby counterpart over time.