Crazy escalation in card prices, or is it just me?
 

About a month and a half ago, there was a Home Run Baker card with Howe’s stamp that came up on an online auction. I missed it by the $2.50 next bid, but have no idea how high the winner might have wanted to go.

The card just listed on eBay as a buy it now at more than 4X what he won it for a month and a half ago.

Anybody else have any investments (they think) that have appreciated so much in such a short time?

Just because they are asking four times what they paid for it doesn't mean cards prices have escalated. Heck, they may know that you are trying to put the collection back together and think you will pay whatever they ask for their card.

David

To me a Buy It Now price always means Never Buy This Card.

Some are reasonable. Most are not. I see a Jim Thorpe Sports King that I was the underbidder on thru Hunt Auctions. I am pretty sure I am the only one who has made an offer on the card. It is marked up quite a bit.

I'm not invested, but wouldn't that be P2020? Lol

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I have seen cards bought from major auction houses immediately listed for two to three times more on eBay and then go unsold for months or years.

I guess people don't realize that a lot of us watch the same auctions.

Crazy prices
 

It does seem that prices or over bidding has gone up in the last month. Was recently watching some exhibit lots that had seen the prices double or triple. Eddie Watikus portrait for $51.00 ? In excellent condition ungraded not even Mint. This seems to be just the opposite of the 2008 recession where cards could be purchased at a fair or discounted level. Im doing a lot of watching at this point not going to get caught up in the bidding madness. Might be time to sell😁!
Brett

Gretzky 1979 OPC RC PSA 5 sold for $2,600 USD today.

I was astounded the other night when I sat down and ran a bunch of card prices on PSA's site. Across the board increases anywhere from 10% up to 300%. The major postwar RCs in particular seem to be on fire in just about any grade. A PSA 3 Aaron RC is now a $1700-$2000 card.

I agree on Aaron, but I think he was/is undervalued. I just don't know what changed. 52 May's as well.


Do people feel.once they pass their cards might get a spike? I'm always the cynic when it comes to crazy run ups on anything!

I think more people are entering the hobby. There is no other explanation for the crazy spike in such a short period of time. This is different than the "buying group".

There are so many people coming in it is crazy.


Last year I started posting my wrestling cards on Twitter. I get direct messages all of the time from new collectors looking for advice or just asking general questions. In the comment sections you see so many people saying I want in.

All one needs to do is follow Gary V and read the comments on his tweets and all of this makes sense.

Everyday when I check completed sales I am just floored watching what were $20 cards sell for $60 or $40 cards go for $100. It is all over the place.

I get the feeling that many in the hobby do not do this but I check completed sales multiple times a day. Every day and one would have to be blind not see the incredible move higher across the hobby.

It isn't going to stop anytime soon. I know you like me sub to PSA and probably got the email that showed how much their submission volume went up in the past few months. The hobby has never been stronger during the time I have been collecting and submitting cards.

Unopened, graded, raw, autographs, non sport, soccer, basketball, 80's baseball, wrestling, boxing you name it prices are on the move.

This is terrific

This feels like 06-07 when everyone was going crazy over caramel cards. I do think, however, that you’re seeing people come into the hobby who are now accepting cards as a form of alternative asset. It is part euphoria and also part structural. I do think it’s a good sign that you’re seeing people flock to the hobby but in any asset class super inflated prices over a short period of time are never a good thing!

It seems like a very weird flip...a guy with 18 feedback buying what should be your Baker. Sounds like someone knows you pay a premium and maybe also wanted to hide who he was with an alternate ebay ID. Conspiracy theories abound. I would suspect a nefarious flipper from the net54 collective.

I do wonder what the approved level of markup is...as everybody seems to complain about it. I don't believe one auction result sets the price. Sometimes being at the right place at the right time means you get to make more than 20% even in the short term.

Mac

I agree that prices are insane these days...but this is likely a situation where someone is hoping to make a profit off your niche!

BIN=Buy it NEVER?

I believe every seller buys a card for whatever price it is, and then lists it for double. Eventually, the price gets there or close. They wait if they have to.

Even though I live in CA, I made a killing in Texas 15-20 years ago doing this with land. Buy the land, put a for sale sign up for double. Some lots sold right away, others took a year or so but everything always sold....just like cards. Double UP fellas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not necessarily true. It's a supply and demand kind of thing. You can ask $200 all you want for your 1969 Roberto Clemente PSA 4. When 99 other sellers have the exact same card in the exact same grade for $40, I doubt very seriously yours will sell.

agreed, kinda like Deans Cards sit forever using the double up strategy:D

With the recent run-up in prices, the market on some cards might actually catch up to Dean's.

What's the old saw, never wrong only early? I sold some significant cards from my collection a few years ago for what I thought was an outrageous price. Now it would be market...

I will say one thing about Deans, they know their market. They have a few cards which are notorious for being difficult to find, so they can afford to list them high because someone will come along and pay their price.

In general though I feel vintage has been going up and up because people have nothing better to do. I'm hoping a couple of cards in particular that I'm targeting come down in value around the end of the summer or worst case scenario when the National occurs in December.

JLS Cards out of Alaska is even worse than Dean's Cards. JLS overinflates his cards & keeps relisting them every day on eBay when they don't sell. Clogs up the site in the process when you want to see 'new listings'. He makes Dean's prices look cheap.

I eventually excluded them from my searches when I couldn’t stand it anymore


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I don't think the stamp has anything to do with the price. The Baker is a
bargain compared to the price on the Burchell he/she has listed.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1909-1911-T...IAAOSwubte~jDY

Joe, how can you do this- exclude a seller (JLS Cards) from the eBay listings/searches? I love the idea of it!

In the eBay advanced search options you can exclude sellers there. It’s quite nice. Joe


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Not Joe, but it's in the advanced search settings on ebay. You go down to the section where it says "Sellers" then click the box where it says "Only show items from" then hit "Specific sellers" there will be a drop down box where it says "include" or "exclude" You want to have it on "exclude" and then you type in the sellers ID.

That is the most useful info I've seen on N54 in a loooong time. :D

Seriously! No doubt. Thank you Joe & James! See Ya JLS!

+1. I hate this guy. Because of him, I rarely search t206 on eBay anymore. Between him, Dean and Toppsaholic (or whatever he goes by now), 50%+ of ebay t206 listings are a waste of time and clog up the search.

Ryan Hotchkiss :p

I think that I have seen nicer cards listed, and thus bring higher sales prices.
Maybe those of us that have been carefully picking up nice cards over the past few years are now listing those, thinking now is the time to sell.
Whatever the reason I don't mind paying a little more for nicer cards.

52 highs, even in bad shape are up about 25%