Money in the Hobby

[packs]

These threads get made out of fear, I think. And the fear is that our collections will cease to have buyers. Threads like this get made all the time and the discussion has taken place over and over again. That's because this fear is very real. But then every time the discussion takes place there's always people who pretend like everything is fine and have some counterpoint to every point someone makes re: the eventual demise of the value aspect of the hobby.

Listen, if these fears were totally unfounded this thread wouldn't be made so often. There's nothing wrong with accepting you've poured money into something that may one day have little value. Just sell soon and buy again later.

[Snapolit1]

Originally Posted by packs

These threads get made out of fear, I think. And the fear is that our collections will cease to have buyers. Threads like this get made all the time and the discussion has taken place over and over again. That's because this fear is very real. But then every time the discussion takes place there's always people who pretend like everything is fine and have some counterpoint to every point someone makes re: the eventual demise of the value aspect of the hobby.

Listen, if these fears were totally unfounded this thread wouldn't be made so often. There's nothing wrong with accepting you've poured money into something that may one day have little value. Just sell soon and buy again later.

People like you were saying sell, sell, sell back in the early 70s when the Wagner card was probably selling for $10,000. How did that work out?

My uncle got out of the stock market in the 1970s because it was a Ponzi scheme and overvalued. How did that work out?

Everything is ALWAYS ridiculously over priced to someone. Sometimes the guy holding it does lose his shirt. And sometime he makes a fortune.

Some crazy ass painting that everyone on this board hated of a skull just sold in NY for something insane like $400 million dollars. I'm sure someone bought it for $1 million and people were giving him all the reasons why he just made the worst decision of his life.


But to just blankedly saying any thriving market is going to collapse decades from now is just guesswork.

[packs]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

People like you were saying sell, sell, sell back in the early 70s when the Wagner card was probably selling for $10,000. How did that work out?

Well that's not really true since my theory is predicated on the boomers collections entering the market en masse after a die off, which didn't happen in the 70s. Also the exact people spending money on the Wagner are the people I'm talking about exiting the market. Unless there's some firebrand tech kid in his 20s who buys the next Wagner.

[Snapolit1]

Originally Posted by packs

Well that's not really true since my theory is predicated on the boomers collections entering the market en masse after a die off, which didn't happen in the 70s. Also the exact people spending money on the Wagner are the people I'm talking about exiting the market. Unless there's some firebrand tech kid in his 20s who buys the next Wagner.

That exactly who WILL buy the next Wagner. Bingo.

[packs]

Let me know where this kid is when you find him. I have cards he may like.

[joshuanip]

Originally Posted by packs

Let me know where this kid is when you find him. I have cards he may like.

Not Rich nor a kids but, what you got? ��

Originally Posted by packs

Let me know where this kid is when you find him. I have cards he may like.

Why would you need "this kid" in a currently thriving marketplace?

[packs]

I don't. I was talking about the future.

[rats60]

Originally Posted by packs

Let me know where this kid is when you find him. I have cards he may like.

There is a story on Blowout about a collector selling his company for 2.1 Billion dollars. Sports will always be popular. There will always be fans who are successful and will want to put money into key pieces. Just like some like art and will keep the art market going. If you want to sell your Wagner, 52 Mantle, Ruth's, Cobb's, etc. I don't see the problem. If you are looking for someone to sell your 1985-1994 sets to, I don't think that is going to go well for you.

[1952boyntoncollector]

Originally Posted by rats60

. If you want to sell your Wagner, 52 Mantle, Ruth's, Cobb's, etc. I don't see the problem. If you are looking for someone to sell your 1985-1994 sets to, I don't think that is going to go well for you.

they key is the 'etc'....what cards exactly are the blue chips...after 3 or 4 cards..there will be disagreements and someone could take a big killing as that card could join the 99.9% of the other cards that will likely go down a ton in re-sell value besides the Wagner, Ruth, ETC...

[NYYFan63]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

That exactly who WILL buy the next Wagner. Bingo.

I went to the White Plains show in January and was talking with one of the dealers. He had a 52 Mantle on display(I think it was a PSA 1.5 or 2) and a couple of younger guys in their 20's or 30's came by and was looking at the cards he had displayed. The younger guy wanted to take a look at the 52 Mantle and said that he wanted to save to someday buy a 52 Mantle.

[ALR-bishop]

Or collect what you enjoy, with funds your family will not need, without regard to what they may sell for some day when you are dead or dying.

[ZiggerZagger]

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

Or collect what you enjoy, with funds your family will not need...

This, exactly this.

It's kind of titillating to speculate on the future of the hobby, sure.
I'm sure that's why we're all reading this thread. A bit of drama is always... well, dramatic.

Sure there are demographic trends galore out there, and who knows how they'll turn out to affect the hobby for better or worse.
But as many have said, I also have the collecting gene, as I'm sure nearly everyone on this board does. The urge to collect won't go away no matter the generation, although we can't predict what the focus of that collecting will be.

We have an amazing hobby with a great history, and I hope it thrives. As others have also said, my personal mantra is to only spend funds on cards that are not otherwise needed. There's really no anxiety with that approach, just the thrill of the hunt.

Would I be disappointed if I woke up tomorrow and my collection wasn't really worth anything? -- yes. Would I regret having collected? -- no flipping way.
Honestly my biggest beef with our currently healthy market is that I'd like to buy a nice T206 Bat Off Cobb in midgrade and it will now cost me another 50% more because I dilly-dallied over the past few years...

[Leon]

Collectors should generally be comfortable with the value in their collection, whatever the circumstances might be. If you feel you have too much tied up in it it is easy to right-size it. It is way more fun when it isn't financially burdening, not that any of us would ever do that.

To reiterate others, I don't think baseball card collecting will die off in any of our lifetimes. That said there are fewer and fewer 50s-70s Topps set collectors, just starting sets, and there is an overabundance of those cards in low to mid grade. If I had millions of those I might be a little concerned.

.

[aconte]

To reiterate others, I don't think baseball card collecting will die off in any of our lifetimes. That said there are fewer and fewer 50s-70s Topps set collectors, just starting sets, and there is an overabundance of those cards in low to mid grade. If I had millions of those I might be a little concerned.

I agree with Leon's comment. I even think this is true for higher grade cards
from the 50s to 70s that are commons or mid level players. I would definitely
care if I had money I needed down the line tied up in commons.

[Rich Falvo]

I would love to build more 50's to 70's sets, but the fun in that was going to shops and shows with my want lists and working the set. Now, there are very few shows and shops around here anymore. It's not nearly as much fun trying to build a 700 card set buying the cards individually or in small lots online.

[joshuanip]

Originally Posted by Rich Falvo

I would love to build more 50's to 70's sets, but the fun in that was going to shops and shows with my want lists and working the set. Now, there are very few shows and shops around here anymore. It's not nearly as much fun trying to build a 700 card set buying the cards individually or in small lots online.

Yeah it sucks to not have shows, can't window shop and congregate like you use to. Man, I still remember the nationals in the late 80's. There were lines just to get in. And the HOF autograph lines took 1-hour plus (and was a fraction of what they are charging now). Hell, anyone remember the tri-star convention where all the autos were FREE: Campanella, Ali, Namath, Jim Brown, Koufax(?a bit foggy?), list goes on. What a show. I remember my whole family lining up to get admission (auto ticket), rubbing that stamp off our hand, and getting another admission ticket... hahaha, those were fun days.

Obviously our industry has changed, the internet removed transaction costs and improved availability. TPGs providing authenticity and standardized grading, you no longer have to be in person to buy high ticket cards. But the result of that is no longer the need for dealers to pay for booths because it doesnt make economic sense for them to spend on travel, T&E, and booth costs when they can just sell on the internet. And many other dealers changed their stripes from selling vintage to modern pack/box volume (and now to breaks). So what we got remaining is us collectors and dealers who truly love vintage collecting, otherwise they wouldnt tie up their working capital.

The industry is changing, but I think its evolving into something better... because another aspect of admiring cards, is being able to share what we have with others and discussing about it. With message boards, blogs, tweets, facebook groups, we can do that and instantly find people who share common connections on loving cards, old and new. And the popularity of TPG has created a "flytrap" so to speak for this new ecosystem. I am excited with where the hobby is heading, so no doom and gloom here from me...

Except, it pisses me off more the only show relevant locally I can't go because my son has his first dance tonight and I am hosting my old friend to stay over tonight. And tomorrow I have a 40th birthday party to go to for another friend. Higher power up there wants me to save money.

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

Originally Posted by Leon

Collectors should generally be comfortable with the value in their collection, whatever the circumstances might be. If you feel you have too much tied up in it it is easy to right-size it. It is way more fun when it isn't financially burdening, not that any of us would ever do that.

To reiterate others, I don't think baseball card collecting will die off in any of our lifetimes. That said there are fewer and fewer 50s-70s Topps set collectors, just starting sets, and there is an overabundance of those cards in low to mid grade. If I had millions of those I might be a little concerned.

.

I get what you are saying, but the 1960s Topps sets are what I enjoy...commons and all. I have tried other avenues of this hobby but have circled back around to this. I generally work on a set at a time, nothing terribly high grade. This is just a hobby for me, and what I spend on the cards is not a factor in my family's lifestyle. Someday when I am dead and gone, whatever my daughters can get for them will be a bonus.