The next five years- what do you see for the future of the hobby?

[Yankeefan51]

Whilst the future is not ours to see, the hobby's history tells us
that prices for the rarer issues are in large part determined by the
number of "whales" who compete in a given auction.

Apparently, the big whales from the early years of this decade, with a few
notable exceptions. have been beached Some just quit collecting, some found themselves in a difficult divorces and one or two found their way to that great stadium in the sky.

Logic states that extraordinary prices for PSA 8.5. 9 and 10 cards is subject to a great deal of risk. How many 52 Mantles can command a 6 figure price?

I think there will be some serious investigations into the grading firms, and the results will impact prices.

I also wonder what will happen to the 19th century cards as the baby boomers turn 70 and retire.

At the end of the day, while everyone of us cares deeply about the value of our respective collections, the real value emanates from the pleasure we receive from collecting.

I once authored a paper, "When It Was Hobby' . It is my sincere hope that the hobby lives on. Hopefully, we will be able to attract sophisticated collectors, promote the joy collecting and remember the wisdom of Bill Mastro who told me back in 1977- remember it is only Old Cardboard.

Happy Collecting to all

Bruce Dorskind
America's Toughest Want List