Memorabilia vs Cards and trends...

[Goudey77]

Mark, I think this type of increase in card prices is a relatively new trend that has really shown itself in the last 6 years.

I agree with your thoughts on memorabilia. But the question is has memorabilia ever been hotly desired and seen price spikes like today’s cards?
Is it looked at in the same way? Like your example of Aaron, the card is looked at like an “investment” piece that is obviously driving demand.

I can justify having rare memorabilia all day but there is an old saying that bothers me. Scarcity doesn’t necessarily mean higher prices.
I struggled with this every time I owned a 1 of kind piece.
My collector emotion doesn’t give unto this theory....

Quote:
Understanding the Scarcity Principle
In economics, market equilibrium is achieved when supply equals demand. However, the markets are not always in equilibrium due to mismatched levels of supply and demand in the economy. When supply of a good is greater than demand for that good, a surplus ensues, which drives down the price of the good. Disequilibrium also occurs when demand for a commodity is higher than the supply of that commodity, leading to scarcity and, thus, higher prices for that product

[bgar3]

Agree with ark, very undervalued, both actually and relatively.

[ooo-ribay]

I wonder if the card guys have wives who will only tolerate binders while we memorabilia guys wear the pants in our families?

[conor912]

It’s less the cards are going up than their slabs and commoditization. In my experience, the more easily someone knows they can sell something, the more they are willing to pay for it.

[jbsports33]

Prices have taken a hit on many items - 15-20 years ago there was a fair amount collecting both memorabilia and cards - now it seems most are looking for cards. I agree some really undervalued items out there and if you enjoy items other then cards - you may find some great items!

Jimmy

[Butch7999]

The question, as posed, seems to us too impossibly broad to answer. If it were asked whether card prices
were rising, falling, or stable, the answer might be different for 19th-century cards versus post-war vintage,
or T206s versus modern shiny gimmicks. Similarly, does "memorabilia" mean everything under the sun,
or only autographs, or only photographs, or game-worn uniforms, or bobbleheads, or stadium seats,
or trophies, or... or... or...
Each genre, each niche, seems to have its own set of collectors, and its own market fluctuations,
prices rising, falling, spiking, sinking, usually returning to some more typical level.
Or maybe we misunderstand the question.
Just sayin'.

[Shoeless Moe]

There definitely has not been a drop in memorabilia prices, most areas are either steady or have increased (photos, tickets, etc.).

[Huck]

Originally Posted by Mark

I think that cards have an allure because nearly every boy collected them, they come in sets that can, in principle, be readily completed, and because it’s easy to get started collecting them because they are plentiful. Almost anyone can get a 1968 Topps Aaron. If you have some money, you can pursue better and better versions and rarer cards. But with bats, I would guess that there are only a few dozen Aaron or Mays bats to be had, and it’s not cheap or easy to begin collecting those bats.

Agreed.

The hobby is built around cards. Everything else is a niche. The hobby psychology is tied to cards. Has there ever been a "black swamp" find of bats, pennants, jerseys etc.? Who gets excited over a cache of game used bats found in the attic of this old house? Over the decades there have been plenty of finds of cards. Maybe it has to do with the picture on the front and stats on the back. Perhaps the collective is always on the hunt for the next big find. Cards were available to everyone, buy a pack and see what is unearthed. A collection of cards is far more portable, than bats, jerseys, pennants, fans (ok pin guys, pins are portable as well). Bats, jerseys, pennants and other memorabilia are cool as heck, but few collectors (Halper excluded) had the foresight to collect memorabilia by the truckload. The market for cards is just bigger than the other collectibles. For most, cards are the gateway drug to the insanity of collecting.


I always amazed at the non-card memorabilia on this site that collectors managed to save. Check out the pennant or man cave thread, there are some incredible items there.