OT:Auction sales hit record $15 billion as young, wealthy collectors enter the market

[MattyC]

Originally Posted by cardsagain74

Some people actually care about the estate that they'll pass on to their heirs. And you act like a hobby crash doesn't have any negative effects. Very bad for dealers, and some implications for collectors as well.

Also....what a horrible thing when someone's cards have worth enough to be a material part of their assets. Such psychological torment is just unbearable.

I can care about my estate and my heirs, and not want or need my estate to include baseball cards. I’d also like my heirs to be self sufficient and able to provide a great life for themselves. Every dollar I’ve spent in life is a dollar I earned. I value self sufficiency and the ability to earn over inheriting money. The fact is that while higher prices mean my cards are now part of my assets, the flipside to that— which I personally find outweighs that new asset— is that higher prices mean less money in collector pockets and fewer cards in collections. As a passionate collector, I will always root for lower prices. That said, it doesn’t seem anything can slow down the competition and resultant prices; the music has stopped, so to speak, and the chairs many of us have are our collections as they now stand. New acquisitions are going to be ever pricier and thus fewer and farther between.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by MattyC

I can care about my estate and my heirs, and not want or need my estate to include baseball cards. I’d also like my heirs to be self sufficient and able to provide a great life for themselves. Every dollar I’ve spent in life is a dollar I earned. I value self sufficiency and the ability to earn over inheriting money. The fact is that while higher prices mean my cards are now part of my assets, the flipside to that— which I personally find outweighs that new asset— is that higher prices mean less money in collector pockets and fewer cards in collections. As a passionate collector, I will always root for lower prices. That said, it doesn’t seem anything can slow down the competition and resultant prices; the music has stopped, so to speak, and the chairs many of us have are our collections as they now stand. New acquisitions are going to be ever pricier and thus fewer and farther between.

Yes but when you bought your 52T Mantle if I recall the approximate price range, it was probably 10 times more than it would have been a decade before (or if not that certainly a significant multiple), and many people back then likely had the very same complaint about being priced out of the market for the elite cards. This is just how many markets behave over time.

[MattyC]

Can’t argue with that, Pete. It all stems from what prices we’ve seen in the past. Those just entering the hobby now don’t have the sting of knowing what was LOL.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by MattyC

Can’t argue with that, Pete. It all stems from what prices we’ve seen in the past. Those just entering the hobby now don’t have the sting of knowing what was LOL.

Right but the flipside is you (me too) were able to get a lot of cards back then for what now seems a relative pittance.

[here2havefun]

I only buy cards that I like. I absolutely love my collection, and look through it for fun on the regular. But, if I spend thousands on a card, I'd prefer that it retain its value. I would personally rather not dump a ton of money into something that's going to go to zero. I don't think that means I can't call myself a collector.

[Exhibitman]

My only financial goal with my card investments is to beat the ROI of the professional money manager my wife and I hired.

[japhi]

It makes me laugh hearing about all these corps and other businesses posting record breaking sales and profits. Something like 40% of all money wasn't in circulation two years ago. All markets are swole and and at peak, what comes next is where it gets interesting!