It seems like the vintage guys that spike the most are a product of what is happening in the modern game at the time. My recollection of the 80s is that Ozzie Smith and Johnny Bench were very popular (thanks, in no small part, to a TV show that featured them every weekend), and it seemed like alot of attention was paid to great fielders and catchers of the past, like Brooks Robinson, Pee Wee Reese and Yogi Berra. They don't seem as high on collectors' minds these days.
Similarly, 80s pitchers seemed to be in the public consciousness for long stretches, with guys like Carlton, Seaver, Ryan and Palmer making every All Star Game, and guys like Koufax, Gibson, Spahn and Feller were great pickups (and debates of who the best "old time" pitcher - Cy Young, Walter Johnson, Matty, etc. happened outside of Net54). Outside of Koufax and maybe Gibson's rookie, not alot of upward movement on the 30s-60s greats now that "great" pitchers are changing every season.
In the late 80s and early 90s, with a modern focus on great BA hitters like Gwynn, Boggs and Mattingly, Ty Cobb, Ted Williams and Pete Rose were on everybody's wantlist. Then, Canseco, McGwire and Sosa happened, and Aaron, Mantle, and Mays were all the rage.
Perhaps the greatest example, Rickie Henderson made people care about Lou Brock for about 5 years.
It seems like the past 20 years, it has been about championships (Jeter), 5-tool players (Trout) and unique skillsets (Ohtani), mixed with pristine off-field reputations to counter the PED era. And a general societal shift towards breaking down barriers has caused guys like Jackie, Roberto, Satchel, and Josh Gibson to skyrocket.
Hard to predict what can happen 25 years from now. Maybe patriotism will be all the rage, and players like Ted Williams and Ernie Banks that served in the military will see their cards take off. Or, maybe overcoming physical limitations will be celebrated, and a player like Jim Abbott catches the hobby's attention. Maybe "error cards" will have a run like they have in other hobbies like stamps and coins.
The only guarantee is that the cards on my wantlist will never see a correction and each new offering will test the previous all time high.
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