This 52 Mantle card really gets around

[Leon]

As I tell out-of-the-hobby folks at the shows I set up at, if you look at the hobby as "spending" the money on cards it can be seen as a waste and indulgence. However, if done the smart way, they can be an investment and part of any portfolio. And in 2070 I will be 109 yrs old and hopefully not still typing at this keyboard nor worrying about the value of my cards.

Originally Posted by Econteachert205

The commoditization of baseball cards is a temporary phenomenon that began in the 1970s and in my opinion will end for the most part in the 2070's. There simply are too many cards and insufficient replacement of dying collectors. Cards are not art or coins. They do not have intrinsic value and are not created as one off expressions. Like stamps, which have already gone through this process, the ultra valuable with remain so, but 95 percent of the rest will be worth pennies on the dollar. The mantle will always be valuable, but how many 16 year olds right now will desire one at those prices upon entering adulthood? I'd love one, having been a collector, but at 35, I have no interest in spending that sort of money, nor can I, on a piece of cardboard of which there are many copies.