TPAs are like US dollars. With our debt problems in this country, a dollar is probably not worth a dollar. You're better off holding gold or loonies or kronas. However, the last time I checked, I couldn't fill my enlarged belly at McDonald's with kronas. Therefore, the ol mighty dollar is still king.
On another note, Richard mentioned how "the hobby" is being ruined. I think there needs to be a clarification. The autograph market and autograph hobby are distinctly different. amazon entered the memorabilia business because they said the $4 billion market was to hard to ignore. What portion of that do you attribute to hobbyists? I would guess less than 5% of that. The rest buy autographs for the art/display factor or recreation factor. They are not that concerned about value. I compare them to people who buy prints on cruise ships. They are not art collectors and the pieces they buy are for aesthetics, not collector value.
The hobbyists are very well informed. They know what they want, how to detect fakes, and know who they can buy from. Richard does a stellar job servicing the hobby. However, more generalist dealers serve the entire market, which includes the rest of the 95%. those are the people who request/demand and see value in tpa's.
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07-12-2012, 04:17 PM
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