What the hobby is becoming

[Peter_Spaeth]

Not sure when the generational shift happened, but it clearly has happened. It's gem rates and social media influencers and apps and crypto and Prizm and modern modern modern. People like me and I suspect many of the old guard here aren't even on the radar screen. So be it.

[slightlyrounded]

Will this forever be known as the “junk-slab” era?

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by slightlyrounded

Will this forever be known as the “junk-slab” era?

[Lorewalker]

And this is the stuff that makes up the majority of the 10 million plus backlog we keep hearing about.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Lorewalker

And this is the stuff that makes up the majority of the 10 million plus backlog we keep hearing about.

Prizm and Pokémon!!

[seanofjapan]

I’ve been away from North America for a long time. Can somebody fill me in on the series of events which have transpired in my absence which led to 1990 Fleer Michael Jordans becoming the dominant card in the hobby?

[sportscardpete]

Originally Posted by seanofjapan

I’ve been away from North America for a long time. Can somebody fill me in on the series of events which have transpired in my absence which led to 1990 Fleer Michael Jordans becoming the dominant card in the hobby?

I saw the PSA states and how base Jordan’s have been such a big portion of grading volume. Has to be everyone going through previously worthless binders and bulk grading those cards.

[swarmee]

Originally Posted by seanofjapan

I’ve been away from North America for a long time. Can somebody fill me in on the series of events which have transpired in my absence which led to 1990 Fleer Michael Jordans becoming the dominant card in the hobby?

Well, it's not the "dominant" card in the hobby, it's just the currently most graded one. Saying dominant makes you think it's a card most people want in their collection. It's still not.

Here's the Cliff Notes:
1) Worthless cards not graded very often for the last 30 years.
2) Basketball modern going nuts from 2017-2020.
3) Jordan '86 Fleer PSA 10s going from $20K a couple of years ago to $750K on Goldin a few months back. (This is obviously despite how many are trimmed by Robert Block and his friends that PSA couldn't catch, and some sellers at the National in 2018 having an entire case full of them.
4) Trickle down effect to '87, '88, '89 Fleer Jordans since those are some kind of all-important run of the GOAT.
5) COVID keeping everyone at home hearing about sky-high prices and finding their old collections.
6) Run on junk wax going for 10-100x what it went for a few years ago.
7) The Last Dance ESPN series in April 2020 reminding people about Jordan being best ever, forcing everyone and their grandmother to look for PSA graded copies. Since they were worthless until then (basically) and "LOW POP!!!21!@@!!!" and PSA ran a grading special for just Jordan cards, all those people sent in their heretofore worthless raw Jordan card to make dolla-dolla bills y'all.

Also, there was a huge increase in crypto valuations and the Fed kept giving away "free money" and there was nothing else to spend money on (vacations, restaurants, movies, sports games) for about a year, and much of it flooded into sports cards, since that was a great place to beat inflation. Well, it was at the time. Let's see what it is in Jan 2022...

Update: added image showing some price progression information.

[rats60]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Prizm and Pokémon!!

and junk wax Jordans.

[Republicaninmass]

99% of the cards are at psa for a quick flip...lol


Going to be a long flop. Someone mentioned to me a luka rc card they sold for 6k, is now selling for 250$. If that's the case, it will be a mad rush to the bottom once these cards come back from psa. Even if people break even, they'll be so ashamed to have.a 1990 fleet jordan psa 8, they'll sell.

[Eric72]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Not sure when the generational shift happened, but it clearly has happened. It's gem rates and social media influencers and apps and crypto and Prizm and modern modern modern...

Many of today's hobbyists are cut from a different cloth, and that's OK. Let them obsess over Gem Mint 10s, parrot their Internet "celebrities" of choice, spend more time looking at cards on their phone than in hand, deal in volatile virtual currency, collect cards that might curl like a Pringle, and chase ultra-modern from morning 'til midnight.

Meanwhile, I'll obsess over well-centered EX 5s, listen to YouTube as background noise while getting work done, spend my time and money on cards rather than subscription services, deal in old-fashioned fiat currency, collect cards that might have been altered at some point, and chase vintage from morning 'til midnight.

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

...People like me and I suspect many of the old guard here aren't even on the radar screen. So be it.

I rather enjoy being under the radar.

[JustinD]

What kills me is 10 years ago I was selling the junk to make space and couldn’t move 1990 Fleer BB wax boxes at 5 bucks per because the shipping exceeded the cost.

I never thought the stuff would be worth anything. To be honest I still don’t think it’s worth anything but the slab junkies do.

[butchie_t]

Originally Posted by JustinD

What kills me is 10 years ago I was selling the junk to make space and couldn’t move 1990 Fleer BB wax boxes at 5 bucks per because the shipping exceeded the cost.

I never thought the stuff would be worth anything. To be honest I still don’t think it’s worth anything but the slab junkies do.

I need to find these slab junkies that you speak of. I have junk wax and I am not above taking as much of their money that I can to fuel my quest for older sets.

[Mike D.]

3-4 years ago, I got into graded cards as it gave the cards I loved from the 70’s-early 90’s some value. I did a lot of upgrading from raw to graded for cards I had, and also filled in some gaps.

I’d sell the raw cards to help subsidize the graded buys. It consolidated my collection, added value, and was fun on the cheap.

On average, a PSA graded 9 version cost 2-10x an ungraded copy. Now that number is more like 10-20x or more. And 10’s? Forget it!

[Johnny630]

All these so called collectors who are not, they're fly by night investors in sports cards, once they get out we will all be better. I can't wait till they leave.
These assholes are addicted to 10's for the quick flip they could give two Sh*ts about Jordans Talent or Kobe's... it's all about MONEY.


Could Have Should Have Would Have....I'm in it for the LONG RUN....the Jan-March Numbers Have peoples minds warped, they will never get over it. They will never sell their stuff fair, they will go back to those 3 months, this insures the auction houses will get their cards it's perfect for the AH and PSA. I can't wait for reality to come back.

[Mike D.]

Originally Posted by Johnny630

These assholes are addicted to 10's for the quick flip they could give two Sh*ts about Jordans Talent or Kobe's... it's all about MONEY.

Yeah, it feels a lot like the mad rush of the late 80’s. I was just a kid then but even at 10-12 it was obvious.

And I’ve done very few PSA subs, and 75% of those aren’t back yet, but my rule is that you enjoy the 9’s and sell the 10’s. I can’t tell the difference between a 9 and a 10 in hand, and 10’s sell for stupid money

[jcmtiger]

Originally Posted by JustinD

What kills me is 10 years ago I was selling the junk to make space and couldn’t move 1990 Fleer BB wax boxes at 5 bucks per because the shipping exceeded the cost.

I never thought the stuff would be worth anything. To be honest I still don’t think it’s worth anything but the slab junkies do.

Yup +1

[Casey2296]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Not sure when the generational shift happened, but it clearly has happened. It's gem rates and social media influencers and apps and crypto and Prizm and modern modern modern. People like me and I suspect many of the old guard here aren't even on the radar screen. So be it.

We would all have to hang up our spurs if that crowd ever became interested in our quiet corner of the hobby Peter. I don't know how many Jordan Rookies PSA graded last month, nor do I care. I do know that that PSA has only graded 99 examples of a 1921 Exhibits Ruth, ever.