Future of the Hobby/ Responses needed

[Brian Van Horn]

The future of collecting rests with the personality combination of a baseball fan coupled with a curious historian. Without this duality, the collecting future would be in doubt.

[conor912]

That depends on what you mean by future of the hobby. If you mean future values of cards, then yes, they will go down, but people, including myself, will always collect. And those price drops will not happen over night, just very slowly over time and the older guys pass away or get out. But with all that new supply, it will open up great buying opportunities for younger collectors to get stuff they have always wanted but could never afford, so in a way, I am looking forward to such a dip.

I just set up at a show this past weekend. The average dealer was easily over 50, but many were not. And as far as attendees, there were many in their 30s and 40s, some even with kids who were into it.

[4815162342]

In modern, the speculators who organize and participate in these expensive group box breaks are going to eventually move on to something else to get their gambling fix.

In postwar, the collections put together by baby boomers combined with the glut of altered cards will flood and crash the 50s-70s market.

In prewar, everyone will finally realize that there are more T206 cards in existence than there are stars in the sky, and that market will crash.

The only saving grace of it all will be something quite unexpected. After decades of being mocked, taunted, buried and burned to the ground, the final 1988 Donruss card in existence will sell for one billion dollars.

[William Todd]

They are an asset class, regulated by supply, demand and scarcity. I agree with Barry S. I believe you should enjoy them, but don't expect to make a profit on what you buy. The rare cards can have dramatic increases in value, but things can change. Enjoy them.

[pcoz]

I think it will only go up. None of us have seen Babe Ruth play, yet the money that chases his cards has reached stratospheric levels. My issue is the auction houses have too many auctions and too much good product at once, which dilutes prices. Great for the collector, not so much for the seller. Regardless, there is PLENTY of money that's come into the hobby these past few years in a horrible economy. Can't imagine the future being anything but bright with a finite amount of vintage rarities in circulation.

[npa589]

Originally Posted by 4815162342

To me, this is still the single greatest picture I've ever seen. It works on oh so many levels!