Friends giving up collecting in 2022

[bnorth]

I have a long time friend selling his collection. He has to be around 80 and none of his family collects and they really don't want anything to do with having to get rid of it either.

I bought a card from him that I had been trying to buy or trade him out of for years. I have many many other cards from trades over the years but that one is special to me.

[bmattioli]

People come and go in any hobby. It's in ones blood to collect even in the downtimes..

[Touch'EmAll]

You could say I have given up collecting pre-ww2. But I have absolutely no desire to give up my pre-ww2 collection.

I just can't get jazzed over buying a PSA 1 or 2 big name HOFer, when all I own is PSA 5+. Would be like a shot to the groin for my collection. You used to be able to drop a grand and come away with a nice card. Now that same card is $4-5k and out of my budget.

But I don't want to stop collecting altogether. So the last year or so I have been buying the best I can afford. Nolan Ryan cards and modern Steph Curry, Giannis, few Trout's in PSA 10, Star Wars for giggles - that's the best I can regularly afford, so that's what I now buy.

In the last 12 months, I did pick up a nice '56 Ted Williams and a T206 Matty white cap - that's it. Few & far between nowadays.

[Casey2296]

It's inevitable with the rise in values of pre-war and a drop in the economy you will see this happening more often. I came back in around 2019 and followed the rise up while trying to build a respectable collection of no more than 1000 cards, I've made a pretty good dent in my goal so now I can follow the advice of some long time collectors here, back off a bit, focus on specific cards while fine tuning my collection. Of course, sometimes that discipline gets tested on auction night...

[Snapolit1]

Besides the price escalation, my excitement about the hobby has been seriously dampened by the proliferation of non stop auctions. There are some AHs (and you know who they are, I’m not naming names) that have seriously hurt their brand with non stop roll out of auctions. When the same stuff is sold over and over by the same auction houses, how much excitement is there really to another auction. Hell, “major” auctions come and go and are barely mentioned on the board anymore. The excitement surrounding many seemingly monthly or biweekly auctions now is non existent. Maybe the AH are happy to be selling off collections non stop. Maybe revenue is higher than ever for these guys. But their product has suffered. Big auctions used to be special. Now they are just never ending.

3-4 years ago, much of the board was posts
about anticipation of big auctions about to hit. Can you believe what they have. Gee, isn’t their catalog amazing. What an auction! Today, almost none of that. Now occasionally you see a little after big auctions and that’s it.

Just my opinion of course.

[conor912]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

Besides the price escalation, my excitement about the hobby has been seriously dampened by the proliferation of non stop auctions. There are some AHs (and you know who they are, I’m not naming names) that have seriously hurt their brand with non stop roll out of auctions. When the same stuff is sold over and over by the same auction houses, how much excitement is there really to another auction. Hell, “major” auctions come and go and are barely mentioned on the board anymore. The excitement surrounding many seemingly monthly or biweekly auctions now is non existent. Maybe the AH are happy to be selling off collections non stop. Maybe revenue is higher than ever for these guys. But their product has suffered. Big auctions used to be special. Now they are just never ending.

3-4 years ago, much of the board was posts
about anticipation of big auctions about to hit. Can you believe what they have. Gee, isn’t their catalog amazing. What an auction! Today, almost none of that. Now occasionally you see a little after big auctions and that’s it.

Just my opinion of course.

Agree 100%

[Republicaninmass]

Originally Posted by conor912

Agree 100%

Plus no free shipping


Yup

[Casey2296]

Originally Posted by bnorth

I bought a card from him that I had been trying to buy or trade him out of for years. I have many many other cards from trades over the years but that one is special to me.

Thats the part of this hobby that means the most, building friendships is the important part, the cards are a byproduct. Good for you Ben.

[Jay Wolt]

Something to ponder....
If people are leaving the hobby due to constant price hikes
Are they happy that their collection is worth alot more too?

[Casey2296]

Originally Posted by Jay Wolt

Something to ponder....
If people are leaving the hobby due to constant price hikes
Are they happy that their collection is worth alot more too?

Good point Jay, I'm not sure of the answer. I know for a true collector there are cards that no amount of money could compensate for the emotional attachment to that card. There is an emotional/financial tipping point that turns a collection or cards into a commodity and it's different for everyone based on circumstances but for me money would never fill the void for certain cards in my collection.

[Jewish-collector]

A lot of the average collectors have been priced out. These collectors have to find aspects of this great hobby that gives them happiness. Could be research, autograph thru the mail, etc,...

[Angyale]

a lot of material I thought I’d never let go of. One thing I’ve learned is that pretty much everything has a price - and after all, it’s just cardboard. I took a big step back, consolidated my collection down to just a few things that I “care” about, and everything else is expendable. It’s a very liberating feeling not having an Old Judge wantlist anymore. Heck, I may have single-handedly collapsed the demand for Cleveland OJ poses by removing myself from the marketplace .

Angyale

[Exhibitman]

It isn’t all or nothing. As others have said, the nice thing is you can take a hiatus without quitting. I’ve been thinning out my collection for a couple of years and I don’t miss anything I’ve sold. Lots of downgrading too. I found that a nice vg card makes me just as happy as a near mint card. And leaves me lots of money for more cards. When the bubble bursts.

[steve B]

Originally Posted by Jay Wolt

Something to ponder....
If people are leaving the hobby due to constant price hikes
Are they happy that their collection is worth alot more too?

I've been through that several times. I periodically get priced out of the hobby, either because I don't move quickly enough with the times, and my brain is stuck in 5-10 year old pricing, or because I just can't afford some things anymore.

I built a mostly poor-fair 48 Bowman set a long time ago. Sold it for something like $40 - yes, a LONG time ago- figuring I could rebuild a nicer one. That still hasn't happened, and probably won't.

I'm currently amazed that T206 commons in VG are pushing close to $100. Seems like just a short time ago I could pick up VG easily for 40, with the occasional much nicer card if the Ebay pics or listing weren't all that good.

So yes to both. I'm sad I can't afford many cards I could have bought decades ago but didn't. But the reality is that in every hobby I've been in there are things I simply won't be able to get - ever.
But I'm also happy there are things I bought that are now worth much more. And that I did buy some things I can't afford anymore.