State Of The Hobby

[Dpeck100]

Originally Posted by SAllen2556

Doesn't "astonishing" make you nervous? Doesn't this feel a lot like the early 90's when everyone was buying cards and card shops were everywhere and everyone thought you could pay for your kids' college with cards?

Today we have a gazillion online auction houses. Ebay prices continue to only go up. People are entering the hobby only for the investment.

I dunno. On the one hand I love seeing prices increase, but right now seems like a great to sell - not buy.

The card market is just like the stock market. There are always cards moving in every direction and so there may certainly be areas that are overheated but I don't believe there is going to be a melt down in cards and you see it daily on various forums where people are coming back to the hobby.

When I use the term astonishing returns that has been my experience. In the financial world a 6% rate of return with limited volatility is considered great. I just sold a card on EBAY a week ago for over three times what I paid for it a maybe two months earlier. It has no material impact on my life but a 207% return in a few months is an astonishing one.

When you actively submit cards to third party graders is where the huge percentages can occur. Last week a Jack Brisco from the 1982 Wrestling All Stars Series A sold for $660 and is a Pop 3. I own the 10 and 2 of the 9's. One of the 9's I self subbed and paid $2 for the card and with grading I am in at lets say $9. That is over a 73 fold increase. It is incredible.

The math certainly suggests on some cards that the results will be different buying at current prices but just like in the stock market there are loads of instances where someone does great buying high and selling even higher.

I just don't think the doom and gloom is going to play out with cards. Time will tell.