The Further Decline of Brick & Mortar...

[Bored5000]

Originally Posted by Tanman7baseball

I have been thinking about our hobby a lot lately. I am in my early 20s and rarely do I find a vintage collector that is my age. Now this makes me think...what is the average age for a vintage baseball card collector? 45-55 years old or so?

I collect cards, because I love baseball. I have yet to sell anything I own, but I know there will come a time when I will. My question is, what is going to happen to the card market when the average 45-55 year old "kicks the bucket"? Will card prices plunge? I know about 2 other people who enjoy collecting vintage baseball cards that are my age. I am finishing up college here at Oklahoma State University and have talked to hundreds of people about the baseball card world. No interest. The last 6 months I have tried to help a man start up a local card shop. Within that 6 month span I did not meet one person my age who collected baseball cards (modern or vintage).

My ultimate question is who will I sell to in 40 or 50 years?

I think this post is spot on, and I have had many of the same thoughts in recent years. I just turned 40, and I wonder how much the lack of interest among younger people is the perception that it is a shady hobby. Obviously, I am not painting everyone with the same brush and there are many wonderful and ethical collectors and dealers out there.

But it does seem at times like everywhere you turn, someone is trying to perpetrate a scam or rip buyers off.

[Tanman7baseball]

All I know is when I was young I was sold a Mickey Mantle baseball. Turned out fake and turned me off from collecting for a long time. Ten years later I just had to start collecting again. And yet again, I ended up buying another fake autograph. This time it happened to be Jackie Robinson. Talked to a dealer for hours at the card show. Trusted him enough to buy an auto without a COA. Obviously I recognize my ignorance and lack of knowledge for being the sole reason I ended up buying it, but how is someone new to the hobby going to handle that? I don't collect autographs anymore because of that incident... I went to a card show and thought he was a trusted dealer. Honestly, I believe people most people my age are too lazy to look up and learn the overwhelming information needed to become a knowledgeable collector. Hence, why they don't care to collect.

[beachhead2]

Originally Posted by Bored5000

I think this post is spot on, and I have had many of the same thoughts in recent years. I just turned 40, and I wonder how much the lack of interest among younger people is the perception that it is a shady hobby. Obviously, I am not painting everyone with the same brush and there are many wonderful and ethical collectors and dealers out there.

But it does seem at times like everywhere you turn, someone is trying to perpetrate a scam or rip buyers off.

I'm 41 and your post resonates with me. While third-party-grading has its limitations, on some level that is what gave me the confidence to re-enter this hobby (especially for online transactions). I'm not sure that I ever had a good experience at a card shop. I grew up in south St. Louis and I remember card shops in the 80's-90's having no use for kid's small change. The operators were almost always surly a-holes. I do not bemoan their demise. I do love card shows. Between shows, web sites like this, and web auctions, I'm not sure I need anything else.

[BruceinGa]

Originally Posted by beachhead2

I'm 41 and your post resonates with me. While third-party-grading has its limitations, on some level that is what gave me the confidence to re-enter this hobby (especially for online transactions). I'm not sure that I ever had a good experience at a card shop.

+1
I'm 64, collected as a kid but gave them away when I lost interest. I picked it back up in 1987 when in training for work in Chicago and then Denver. I got some semi-star card from the 50's and 60's at great prices, giving them to my sons.
We went to a card show here in Marietta in 89 and would visit a shop in Chattanooga. The shop in Chattanooga always had 63 fleers for a good price.
In 1991 we got out of collecting and a couple of years ago my younger son tells me about graded cards. I like the idea. I visited a card shop locally and asked the owner what he thinks about third party graders and you would have thought I had insulted him. I believe that graded cards shows some dealers that they have been over grading for years. This shop owner still is over grading.
Sylbry, I'm going the National this year and I hope I don't find what you did at the Sun Times show. If I do, it will be my last show.

[CW]

By the way, the 2014 Topps pack I bought had a vintage insert in it...first one I have ever found in a pack. So there...

Thanks for sharing the story, Andy. It must be hard enough for these types of stores to survive, let alone when a douchebag like that is running one of them. You would hope that would be the exception, not the norm, but you hear so many stories about pro card dealers lacking in social and customer service skills.

[mattsey9]

Originally Posted by CW

Thanks for sharing the story, Andy. It must be hard enough for these types of stores to survive, let alone when a douchebag like that is running one of them. You would hope that would be the exception, not the norm, but you hear so many stories about pro card dealers lacking in social and customer service skills.

I'm sure we've all come across the "Comic Book Guy" store owner stereotype at least once in our hobby existence. I know that I have, and it's a turnoff. I just don't choose to patronize those tables when I go to a card show.