Questions about the hobby

[groundskeeper]

Hi!

I'm really pretty casual about my collecting. I like certain HOF guys. I go mid grade. Nothing to crazy. As a kid in the junk card era I am over that and focus mostly on prewar and some big names after (Mays, Aaron, etc). Nothing fancy.

I do not understand this hobby.


Two years ago I bought a 33 Ruth Goudey (the yellow one) at PSA 3 for $4000. These have since SKYROCKETED in price. A #149 PSA 4 just sold on the PWCC auction for $8,000!!! A 4! Is this real? It makes no sense. I followed so many cards on todays PWCC and they all sold WAY over even the recent auction result prices. All kinds of cards (pre/post war)! I don't get it. Are we really doing 75% appreciation month-over-month here? Is there an influx of Chinese billionaires since I started looking for cards again a couple weeks ago?

Please help me make sense of it! I don't buy to flip-- I just want a few more cards. This is a bubble, right?

Thanks!