State Of The Hobby

[Rhotchkiss]

Nothing was better in 1985 than pulling a Doc Gooden. Clemens, Puckett, Hershiser (we didn’t know McGuire then), were nice. But pulling that 1985 Topps Gooden was like winning the lottery to a 9 year old! Great call

[Gradedcardman]

The good thing about the hobby is you will meet a few people along the way that make the hobby fun. Just make sure you look for them because they are hard to find. As far as the fun of the hobby its all in what you make it and what your expectations are.

[Jewish-collector]

Other hobbies are based on skill and/or technique (where money is not a huge issue) such as gardening, cooking, computer gaming, playing sports, music, etc,...

The thing with this hobby is a lot of it is based on money (cost, prices, market values, investment, etc,...)

Sometimes you gotta say WTF and accept it.

[AGuinness]

Originally Posted by Jewish-collector

Other hobbies are based on skill and/or technique (where money is not a huge issue) such as gardening, cooking, computer gaming, playing sports, music, etc,...

The thing with this hobby is a lot of it is based on money (cost, prices, market values, investment, etc,...)

Sometimes you gotta say WTF and accept it.

I think it can be easy to undersell the skills in cards, most notably developing a keen eye for condition and the "people" skills (including negotiating). Both of these are also translatable into other areas of life.
Those other hobbies that you note have their skill components, but there are certainly financial considerations, too. Many plants are very expensive and require maintenance, while musical instruments and sports equipment price out a decent number of people, for instance.

[Johnny630]

I believe that most of the smart money invested in vintage baseball cards are sellers. Except for a few very specific names in higher grades. I’ve sold off a lot this year.. it’s been great.

If you have Trouts sell them all, they’re ridiculous right now.

[Leon]

IF we could time the stock market or the card market we would all be millionaires.

Originally Posted by Johnny630

I believe that most of the smart money invested in vintage baseball cards are sellers. Except for a few very specific names in higher grades. I’ve sold off a lot this year.. it’s been great.

If you have Trouts sell them all, they’re ridiculous right now.

[Dpeck100]

Originally Posted by Leon

IF we could time the stock market or the card market we would all be millionaires.

There are times when cards reach prices that feel unsustainable or hard to believe and in theory would be a good time to sell.

But if you actually like owning the card that is a tough call because so many can't easily be replaced.

I don't know how one times super low pop cards because unless a new one surfaces you probably will have to try and buy it back from the person you sold it to.

When it comes to cards in my view market timing is better with modern where so much is speculation. I went to high school with a guy that I know has done well playing the prospects and he puts in the time to study the players and make calculated bets.

One of the best barometers for the card market is the 1986 Jordan. PSA 9's are pressing back above 5k again so the market is definitely strong right now

[Dpeck100]

Originally Posted by Rhotchkiss

Nothing was better in 1985 than pulling a Doc Gooden. Clemens, Puckett, Hershiser (we didn’t know McGuire then), were nice. But pulling that 1985 Topps Gooden was like winning the lottery to a 9 year old! Great call

The next year a card from a pack hit $120 and there were neighborhood millionaires!

I was just a working class stiff with a top card of $15 and the guy with the 86 Donruss Jose Canseco was the man.

I honestly think this experience was awesome because it exposed me to money and that it can grow.

The investment aspect of cards has always been there and always will be. I am happy when I hear about hobbyists that have had great success buying cards that have performed well. We all hope when we buy cards that they will go up. Even just a little.

[conor912]

I feel like I've seen more press on the hobby in the last year than I have in the last decade, so that's gotta say something right there.

Also, I can't really speak specifically to the flood of new collectors, but from what I have seen and heard, there seems to be an uptick in show attendance in a lot of places. Not only with the cost of shipping going through the roof, but now that more and more collectors are getting squeezed for sales tax, there's a ton of appeal to paying the price on the sticker and not a penny more.