Several nights this week I watched the modern folks have trade night at Loews in their big lobby and outside the conference rooms. There were hundreds of people each night, and they were there starting around dinner time until past midnight.
I can't say that I understood exactly what they were doing or looking for, but a few observations:
- It was nice to see the during camaraderie across the group -- no matter what their card motives (collecting vs flipping) -- people of all ages and backgrounds were interacting in a respectful way. Many of them were just sitting around talking and hanging out which was great.
- I saw a few vintage cards in the mix... Red Cobb, Aaron, Robinson... Even a couple 52 Mantles just on the table or carpet floor where the younger folks were hanging out.
- If only three to five percent of modern folks filter down into vintage in the coming years, I wouldn't be surprised if that's enough to sustain the vintage market.
Also, while modern has manufactured scarcity, the players are relatable and accessible for the kids. I realized how the cards line up with pre-war:
In T206, Piedmont and Sweet Cap are the "base set". American Beauty, Polar Bear, Cycle, etc are the Refractors, and Broad Leaf and Drum are the 1/1 Superfractors.
Steve