Do you find this concerning?

[Throttlesteer]

Yes. Im not as concerned about the parallel variations as much as how many are getting 4 or 5 digits. So many are unproven players.

[ALR-bishop]

Agree with Jim and Sam

[icollectDCsports]

I'm excited by some of the game's young stars (Soto, Tatis, Bellinger, etc.) and picked up Topps base cards for them. That's enough for me. Not interested in or concerned about inserts, refractors, and the like. Buy what you like but don't feel like you have to like or have everything.

[chalupacollects]

I saw a checklist of cards issued with Mookie Betts autos that had over 1100 different cards since 2014. That's just different cards with an auto not the number of cards...smh

[Casey2296]

Bought my first modern the other day, cost me less than $10.

You can take the boy out of vintage, but you can't take the vintage out of the boy...

[ullmandds]

I've been dabbling a little lately in modern. I got caught in the randy arozarena frenzy and picked up a few...one of which has doubled in "Value" last 2 weeks! I find this type of production/collecting but really investing gimmicky. It's like gambling on the hottest stock of the moment. I also picked up a tatis jr or 2.

I don't care about these cards...I treat them like stocks! I will sell when it suits me likely to buy vintage...which to me is not THAT intertwined to modern. only in that modern is a gateway for the real blue chips...cobb/ruth!!! I LOVE my vintage...and it's value is much more stable in my opine.

[thatkidfromjerrymaguire]

Well, while the OP states that he is "very, very, concerned" about the modern card market, but I can't say that I share that concern.

I do find modern cards to be a bit overwhelming, overdone, unnecessarily confusing, etc....but I'm not concerned by it. I just choose not to collect it.

I think the card companies are doing a good job of creating products that the modern market wants to buy. Right now, parallels, chrome, numbered cards, and variations are hot and selling....so the card companies are rightfully churning that stuff out as fast as possible. And currently, stores can't keep that stuff in stock...so it's being received well.

The only way that would make me concerned is if I was heavily INVESTED in modern cards...because I do think the prices of modern cards aren't sustainable.

I think COLLECTORS of modern cards will be fine...if someone enjoys putting together a cool looking run of Mookie Betts chrome refractor numbered prizm cards, then they will be able to enjoy that pursuit the same way I like to chase down bubble gum cards from the 1950s. There's no guarantee that Mookie Betts collection will be as worth as much as he paid for it ten years from now, but if he enjoys the pursuit, then it's worth it. The same could be said with my vintage cards.

It's the guys who are stockpiling modern cards already at high prices in the hopes their "investment" will pay off in the long term who should be concerned about the state and trajectory of the modern market.

Also, I know that many of you like to take shots and make fun of all the modern shiny, numbered, chrome, "crap". So you're going to love making fun of the most recent gimmick: Topps RIP. It's a new product which sells for $100 per box and contains four cards....and INSIDE each of those cards is another mini-card....but in order to get the mini-card, you have to rip open (ruin) the big card. Not my thing, but if there are collectors that enjoy it, then I have no problem with Topps making it. Love it or hate it, it's creative.