What is happening with baseball card prices?

[mortimer brewster]

Originally Posted by Tyruscobb

I’m no expert, but I personally think that the card market will experience a nice correction when the Covid-19 money exits. When somewhat of normalcy returns, card budgets will disappear for other entertainment spending, such as vacations, experiences, etc.

Good luck.

Agreed, also when financial publications stop touting cards as investments.

I basically took the money I was going to spend on Hotels and transportation to the National last August and Comic Con in October and put thee money in a savings account. I'm just waiting for the speculators to exit and i'll take this money (plus the .001 percent interest) and resume finishing my vintage sets.

I realize prices will always be strong for Hi Grade material, but there is no reason why collector grade EXMT and lower should remain at ridiculous levels once everyone returns to their normal activities.

[Exhibitman]

If anyone really thinks this is a bubble about to burst, where are the sellers? Inventory of good stuff is down to nothing. Some cards I've been looking for lately have no examples for sale, or no new ones.

[dio]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

If anyone really thinks this is a bubble about to burst, where are the sellers? Inventory of good stuff is down to nothing. Some cards I've been looking for lately have no examples for sale, or no new ones.

This hobby is addictive, new collectors came in during covid period. some might left, but i bet many will continue. And these really rich people are buying it, for fun + SHOWOFF

[ASF123]

Originally Posted by dio

SHOWOFF

Absolutely this. I'm only back in the hobby for several months, but it's pretty obvious to me that for a lot of people, it's not really about cards at all - it's just another (pardon my French) d***-measuring contest to see who has the rarest, the mintiest, the most expensive, etc.

[dio]

Originally Posted by ASF123

Absolutely this. I'm only back in the hobby for several months, but it's pretty obvious to me that for a lot of people, it's not really about cards at all - it's just another (pardon my French) d***-measuring contest to see who has the rarest, the mintiest, the most expensive, etc.

Those guys are making way too much money, Ferrari is not as show off as 1/1 mahomes or 52 mantle psa 9. driving that you won't be interviewing by media , on the news. but buying a psa 9 52 mantle your face is all over the media. Every media is looking to interview you. when you have a couple thousand of these ppl , things are not coming back down. To them, these are tiny portion of their portfolio, it's cheaper compare to own than a ferrari for 15 years(including maintenance) probably holds or increase value

[Republicaninmass]

And they wont care when it is worth far less, if they need to liquidate or just move on to something else

[kailes2872]

Yes, some collectors will be taking a profit, but more people continue to enter the market. Things look good and the bubble is expanding like 5-piece wad of chewing gum being blown by Kurt freaken Bevacqua. Put me in the bulls corner.

He couldn't hit water if he fell out of a boat!


I love my collection and spent so much time collecting and upgrading. It felt like 90% of the time along the way I was the sucker because I won an auction that was above VCP. But if I waited for VCP, I would have never got the card. Then someone gave me life changing advice. He said "you never pay too much, you just pay too soon" Obviously this meant that the price would eventually get there so stop fretting and just realize that it is a long game.

I have told the story before, but when I first got on the board, someone asked what they should pay for a 33 Goudey Ruth. There were about four immediate responses on top of each other and every response was a variation of "a grand a grade". So, around 2014, I began searching for a 4-5 for $4,000 or $5,000. I was not seeing it. In fact I was having trouble finding one for half that (and maybe I was looking in the wrong spot). I didn't want to be the idiot that overpaid, so I kept waiting. I will probably never be able to own that Ruth now - and definitely won't be able to won all four of them liked I hoped.

It is fun watching sold card prices these days. I bought my PSA 6 Aaron for about 10% of what it is going for now back in 2015. But, if I sold it, it would mean that I no longer have an Aaron and the money would either just go into my investment account or back into another card and I prefer Aaron. What I am finding now though is that the collection is starting to feel more like an asset class than a hobby. I fear fire and theft and the cost to insure continues to go up because the relative value goes up.

My only hope is that maybe, just maybe, those 86-90 sets that have been in binders and sheets that were worth more than the cards - will suddenly start having decent relative value to the late 70's/early 80's cards. I am hoping that folks will either throw them away or donate them to Tim Carroll so that he can make a picture. If that happens, and I am the last to hold onto them, they might end up with some value as well. I mean, there was a time when T206's were massively overproduced and it worked out okay!

[kailes2872]

Yes, some collectors will be taking a profit, but more people continue to enter the market. Things look good and the bubble is expanding like 5-piece wad of chewing gum being blown by Kurt freaken Bevacqua. Put me in the bulls corner.

He couldn't hit water if he fell out of a boat!


I love my collection and spent so much time collecting and upgrading. It felt like 90% of the time along the way I was the sucker because I won an auction that was above VCP. But if I waited for VCP, I would have never got the card. Then someone gave me life changing advice. He said "you never pay too much, you just pay too soon" Obviously this meant that the price would eventually get there so stop fretting and just realize that it is a long game.

I have told the story before, but when I first got on the board, someone asked what they should pay for a 33 Goudey Ruth. There were about four immediate responses on top of each other and every response was a variation of "a grand a grade". So, around 2014, I began searching for a 4-5 for $4,000 or $5,000. I was not seeing it. In fact I was having trouble finding one for half that (and maybe I was looking in the wrong spot). I didn't want to be the idiot that overpaid, so I kept waiting. I will probably never be able to own that Ruth now - and definitely won't be able to won all four of them liked I hoped.

It is fun watching sold card prices these days. I bought my PSA 6 Aaron for about 10% of what it is going for now back in 2015. But, if I sold it, it would mean that I no longer have an Aaron and the money would either just go into my investment account or back into another card and I prefer Aaron. What I am finding now though is that the collection is starting to feel more like an asset class than a hobby. I fear fire and theft and the cost to insure continues to go up because the relative value goes up.

My only hope is that maybe, just maybe, those 86-90 sets that have been in binders and sheets that were worth more than the cards - will suddenly start having decent relative value to the late 70's/early 80's cards. I am hoping that folks will either throw them away or donate them to Tim Carroll so that he can make a picture. If that happens, and I am the last to hold onto them, they might end up with some value as well. I mean, there was a time when T206's were massively overproduced and it worked out okay!

[Wanaselja]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

If anyone really thinks this is a bubble about to burst, where are the sellers? Inventory of good stuff is down to nothing. Some cards I've been looking for lately have no examples for sale, or no new ones.

I’ve noticed this too. Nothing showing up on eBay and also helps explain the numerous WTB threads here.

[rats60]

Originally Posted by Wanaselja

I’ve noticed this too. Nothing showing up on eBay and also helps explain the numerous WTB threads here.

Fear of leaving money on the table is keeping cards off eBay. People don't want to sell goods cards and then see them sell for double the next day.

[Republicaninmass]

Originally Posted by rats60

Fear of leaving money on the table is keeping cards off eBay. People don't want to sell goods cards and then see them sell for double the next day.

Guess they all must be going to goldin

[Exhibitman]

Last year I sold some basketball cards that were going absolutely ape-shit crazy. I sold them on the way up, far above what I paid but well below where they peaked. I replaced them with lower grade examples for a tiny fraction of the price. Haven't regretted it a bit. Sometimes you just have to decide that this % of gain is enough and take the profit. I do not profess to know where that number is, but it seems to me that when inventory goes nearly to zero it is a good time to consider cashing out. For a lot of the cards that have soared in price and that have zero inventory, it might be worthwhile to list what you have at 2x the last sale price and see what happens. I am very tempted to do so.

[Tere1071]

Originally Posted by rats60

Fear of leaving money on the table is keeping cards off eBay. People don't want to sell goods cards and then see them sell for double the next day.

In my case, almost all of my purchases come from eBay because the cards I need are there. I post wanting to purchase upgrades for my 53 Bowman color set on Net54 for two reasons: many sellers on eBay over-grade their cards and the amount that I've been paying in taxes on my purchases has added significantly to the cost of the cards I have purchased. I also look to collect through a like-minded community rather than the open market as it's enjoyable to read the multiple perspectives regarding our hobby.

[ASF123]

Originally Posted by Wanaselja

I’ve noticed this too. Nothing showing up on eBay and also helps explain the numerous WTB threads here.

Hell, even what I do - trolling around for reasonably priced mid-grade raw HOF cards - seems to be getting harder in the past several days.