The interest in a $350K card is about as relevant to the overall health of the hobby as the price of a custom mansion on the beach is to prices for tract homes 100 miles inland. The decision-making processes of a tiny group of collectors who are wealthy enough to contemplate buying a $350,000 card do not have anything to do with 99.99% of collectors. These super-expensive card buyers are basically non-responsive to economic tides due to their extreme wealth.
A better gauge for hobby health is to look at the passed lot percentages in the run of the mill auctions. They are still extraordinarily low by historical standards. Last week's Sterling Auction had 501 lots with ten passed lots. REA's March 19 auction had one passed lot. That indicates a very active buying public is still engaged heavily with the hobby and buying basically whatever is out there. Prices may be stagnant or falling on some classes of items but interest is still sky-high.
Last edited by Exhibitman; 04-02-2023 at 08:22 PM.
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