Gone from the Blue-Collar Guy

[Yoda]

Originally Posted by Gorditadogg

George Soros is behind it.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

I suspect it may be Antifa or the Oath Keepers, depending on your political persuasion.

[Fred]

If you're "blue collar" and you've been collecting for a long time, then you probably have a large war chest of cards/material to trade. If you're "blue collar" and you haven't been collecting for a long time, then this "hobby" is becoming a bit more challenging to navigate.

A lot of guys on this board probably wouldn't pay the prices being asked today, but they have the ability to trade/sell off material they don't care much about for something they would like to have. This makes the hobby somewhat sustainable for a "blue collar" old time collector. One collectors trash is another collector's treasure. Sometimes it's just finding the right trading partner.

[Rhotchkiss]

Johnny630 is net54’s resident Chicken Little

That said, the original point is valid, but it applies to all cards and all “collars”. Shit is getting more and more expensive no matter what you collect and most everyone regardless of net worth is struggling to buy, or at least justify buying, the things we used to buy a year+ ago.

In late 2019, I started to fear this would happen. So I went out and bought many cards I wanted, fearing that I may get priced out soon. I spent a lot in 2020, and I am thankful I did that bc I am not sure I could, or would want to, buy those cards today. This is not a blue collar problem, it’s a card value problem, and we all feel it. But I don’t think it’s a “problem”- that’s looking at it wrong.

But let’s be honest, we should all rejoice in the price increases, as we have all made a lot of money relative to what our collections were worth in 2018. So rather than bitch about what you can’t get, be grateful that you can now sell some cards and pay for a child’s education

[Gorditadogg]

Originally Posted by Rhotchkiss

So rather than bitch about what you can’t get, be grateful that you can now sell some cards and pay for a child’s education

Haha, yeah right, that will happen. If we can't complain about how poor we are while we are selling $5,000 cards what's left for any of us?

[carlsonjok]

Originally Posted by Gorditadogg

If we can't complain about how poor we are while we are selling $5,000 cards what's left for any of us?

Sounds like you have two hobbies.

I am somewhat sympathetic to the argument about not being able to afford cards that meet condition requirements. I am a post-war set builder and have been trying to build sets that are raw and EX or better. What I enjoy about set building is the hunt. It takes me 2-4 years to finish a set because it takes a while to find cards in my desired condition at my desired price. I had pretty much decided that I wouldn't build any of the 1952 to 1954* sets because they all have multiple cards that far exceed my willingness (and in many cases my ability) to pay.

But, the thought had occurred to me to go in the exact opposite direction and build a 1954 set of absolute beaters. Every card would need to look like it was used as a baby's pacifier. That way, condition still matters, as it were, and the hunt is still there.

* I would have added 1955 to the list because of that Clemente RC, but I am only 11 cards from finishing.

[nolemmings]

Originally Posted by Rhotchkiss

Johnny630 is net54’s resident Chicken Little

But let’s be honest, we should all rejoice in the price increases, as we have all made a lot of money relative to what our collections were worth in 2018. So rather than bitch about what you can’t get, be grateful that you can now sell some cards and pay for a child’s education

I'll be honest. I do not rejoice at the price increases at all. I have not made a lot of money off my collection in the past few years, nor did I build it with that in mind. I will not fund any major purchase with the sale of a few cards.

Sorry Ryan, I find it a bit rich (pun intended) for someone who has a T206 Wagner, Ruth rookie, T210 Jackson and the others you listed to be telling others here how they should feel about pricing and handling their collections. We live in different collecting worlds--maybe different solar systems.

I would rejoice if the bottom fell out of the market and I could afford 2-3 times as many cards that I want than are available to me now. If that means my own collection takes a 75% hit than so be it. For me and others it has never been about the money. Nobody likes to lose it, for sure, but there is much to be said for the sheer joy of owning something you like, as opposed to being worried about how much you can make or stand to lose.

So Johnny, hang in there. As others have mentioned, you can pretty much always find something you like to scratch that itch.

[Touch'EmAll]

Johnny, I too have the same '58 Mays PSA 8 in my watchlist. Can't drop that much coin on it nowadays, but used to be in my maybe affordable see a nice one jump on it list. I still have my '58 Aaron in PSA 8 I bought many years ago. Would love to get the Mays counterpart, but sigh. But on the flip side, yes, very thankful the overall market has increased holdings value.

[Rhotchkiss]

Todd I respect your point of view and will not address it. However, I want to be very clear that I am 100% a collector and have been one (on and off) for almost 40 years. I do not feel that viewing my collection as an investment, or investing in what I like to collect, are inapposite/incompatible.