Memorabilia vs Cards and trends...

[Huysmans]

To gauge the comparison between memorabilia and card sales/values, you have to first a) contemplate what type of "memorabilia" you're considering - game-used items will of course always maintain higher values compared to "generic" memorabilia, and b) recognize cards as simply what they are - pieces of cardboard that are an industry onto themselves.

Those stating that memorabilia prices traditionally trend closely with cards are with all due respect, completely wrong. While game-used items, just like vintage cards, continue to rise in value, and are currently now reaching appropriate value in the market, generic memorabilia values are arbitrary, with numerous examples of items actually selling for less now than 10 and even 20 years ago. Many memorabilia item values are cyclical, with some areas burgeoning (as Scott mentioned with ticket collecting), while others are extremely lagging (19th century items such as Heubach figurines, figural napkin rings, ceramic mugs/plates, etc have monotone values and have not risen over time).

Also, as mentioned previously, card collecting is an industry onto itself. There are numerous collectors who just love cards and card collecting and have very little to no reverence for baseball or sports in general, including any "memorabilia", game-used or otherwise. This is how as Mark stated, we have a hobby where generic pieces of cardboard that just happen to have a player's image sell for more than any item that player actually used. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE cards, but this is the only way to rationalize their exorbitant values compared to actual historical memorabilia items.