Gone from the Blue-Collar Guy

[Johnny630]

In general things are way too expensive with all the cards that I want to collect. I collect Exmt-Nrmt/Mint Cards. As a regular blue-collar guy with a family of 3
I can no longer pay these numbers. Spending this kind of money on some of these cards you have to consider it an investment I don’t want that with cards. That’s what my nominal brokerage account and ira are for. I would love to continue to collect as I have for years but it’s gotten out of my league.
I’m gonna be blessed and happy with what I have and step away from buying for my collection. Collecting lower grade is not my thing.

Hopefully things will correct a little down the road, my gut says it’s only going higher and higher.

[Leon]

There are still some things you can collect. You just have to be more creative.
.

[samosa4u]

Originally Posted by Leon

There are still some things you can collect. You just have to be more creative.
.

Agreed. If you're going to be a sheep (baaaa!!!) and chase after the cards that everybody wants, then yes, you are going to get hammered financially (unless you are rich!) The hobby is massive and there are many areas that still have lots of room to grow. Take UFC cards, for example. You can buy a lot of the key rookies for under a thousand bucks. Football cards are still a great buy (vintage and modern). And you could even start going after TYPE 1 photos of your favorite stars. You just have to start doing a lot of research and I promise you that in the end you'll be happy.

Every thread needs cards ... hot cards:

[Casey2296]

As a WC/MC collector myself I feel your pain. It helped me to build a list of my collecting goals and stay true to that list as much as possible. I find it helps when I'm focused on acquiring a big card that I curtail making any smaller purchases and keep that money growing in a pot until I can make the big purchase. I have about a dozen more cards to acquire on my list and I feel that I'll have built a respectable collection. Of course those cards are a bit pricey so it may take me awhile.
Frustrating for sure, I hope you can find some part of collecting that keeps it enjoyable for you.

[ullmandds]

Psa 7-8 early willie mays cards arent exactly blue collar cards??? I agree prices have gotten crazy and ive accepted that in order to get some cards i want i have to part with others. Life goes on!

[Exhibitman]

It is a challenge for us all.

[slightlyrounded]

My New Year’s resolution is to fund this year’s purchases entirely with sales. Going to be a real challenge I think but will allow me to still be active in the hobby while not costing anything. I’ll revisit next year but kind of relishing the challenge for now.

[bxb]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

It is a challenge for us all.

+1

[mrreality68]

It is a challenge and sadly will always be a challenge but alot of forum members have given some great suggestions.
But in the end do what is right for you and your family.
Just do not give up what you enjoy if you do not have to.

[Tyruscobb]

I share your sentiment. The market has priced me into grades I wouldn’t have even looked at five years ago. However, there are surprisingly some exceptional looking low grades out there. These are the cards I now collect, but it takes a little more patience. I’m also thankful I obtained what I did when I did.

[Seven]

It's a challenge for all of us with varying collecting needs.

Starting in February, as I had some last minute expenses come up this month, I'm going to start putting a little money aside each pay check, in hopes that by the end of this year, I can afford a significant pickup in my Mantle Run.

I know it's very easy to look at the past through rose colored glasses, but I'd kill for the prices of five to ten years ago.

[Jewish-collector]

Other hobbies like photography, gardening, computer gaming, playing sports, etc,... are more about techniques and skill rather than money. There are some expenses to them of course, but not to the degree of as this hobby has become. We low end collectors need to find other aspects of this great hobby that gives us happiness, enjoyment, and fulfillment.

[Johnny630]

Originally Posted by Seven

It's a challenge for all of us with varying collecting needs.

Starting in February, as I had some last minute expenses come up this month, I'm going to start putting a little money aside each pay check, in hopes that by the end of this year, I can afford a significant pickup in my Mantle Run.

I know it's very easy to look at the past through rose colored glasses, but I'd kill for the prices of five to ten years ago.

The problem is what do you do when you run out of stuff to sell to fund new purchases? A lot of the stuff I have is killer, I like it too much to let it go. Lol oh well that’s why I’m stopping.

I feel it’s gone for good the investor Speculator pushed it too far I just don’t see it coming back at least not on the graded cards and conditions I collect.

[todeen]

Originally Posted by Seven

It's a challenge for all of us with varying collecting needs.



Starting in February, as I had some last minute expenses come up this month, I'm going to start putting a little money aside each pay check, in hopes that by the end of this year, I can afford a significant pickup in my Mantle Run.



I know it's very easy to look at the past through rose colored glasses, but I'd kill for the prices of five to ten years ago.

I told my wife I would like to save and buy every three or four months. I still collect Barry Larkin, but the new reality is for pre-war I need more money than my monthly allotment can buy.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[GasHouseGang]

Originally Posted by Tyruscobb

I share your sentiment. The market has priced me into grades I wouldn’t have even looked at five years ago. However, there are surprisingly some exceptional looking low grades out there. These are the cards I now collect, but it takes a little more patience. I’m also thankful I obtained what I did when I did.

Both SGC and PSA are so much tougher on grades now that many of the "lower" level grades look like the higher grades of a few years ago. I blame all the card doctors who have suddenly created PSA 9's and 10's of vintage cards that didn't used to exist.

[Yoda]

Originally Posted by ullmandds

Psa 7-8 early willie mays cards arent exactly blue collar cards??? I agree prices have gotten crazy and ive accepted that in order to get some cards i want i have to part with others. Life goes on!

Pete, I agree, but as the Bard said, "Parting is such sweet sorrow".

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Yoda

Pete, I agree, but as the Bard said, "Parting is such sweet sorrow".

As Arthur Miller wrote in Death of a Salesman, life is a casting off.

[jingram058]

I'm not rich but not poor, either. I cannot afford the prices that pre-war and many post-war cards that I might like to have command these days. I am very thankful for what I have. I had a lot of help (well-documented throughout this forum, and a lot of help from folks actually on this forum) to get here. I also made some foolish, never to be repeated mistakes in the past. All I can do now is trade. But I do not want to do that, as all the dupes and cards I would trade have already been traded. That being so, I am stuck in limbo, replying to threads like this occasionally. Maybe something will come along, maybe things will change. One day at a time, they say...

[yanks87]

I guess it all comes down to the big question of "what makes you happy?!" If you are in it to get the best of the best, and only mint cards will do, you had to know at some point, even in normal times, the market would push prices higher. If you can't afford to get what you want, and won't bend on condition, then it's probably time to take a step back, re-assess and find a direction that excites you.

For me, condition doesn't matter, I have built sets, picked up cards here and there, and have a BLAST on the hunt. I have run into better cards than what I usually collect, and if the prices are right I will snatch them up. I never looked at the hobby as an investment, and maybe (probably) I am horribly naive, because I could move a bunch of my collection and make A TON more than what I have into it, but I enjoy it all too much to do that. Will I ever buy the 1933 Goudey Gehrig that I have chased, probably not. I have a tough time "paying up" for cards, I think I saw the light when I bought a George Brett rookie card for $2 at Mall Show in Ithaca, NY. I quacking un-velcroed my wallet and paid for it, running from the table like I had just snatched up the holy grail. It was beat to hell, but the price guide said it was worth $40, so I just made money in my eyes. That approach is still active to this day.

Find the things that bring you joy, if it has become a transaction, find something new!

[tschock]

Originally Posted by yanks87

For me, condition doesn't matter, I have built sets, picked up cards here and there, and have a BLAST on the hunt. I have run into better cards than what I usually collect, and if the prices are right I will snatch them up.... Find the things that bring you joy, if it has become a transaction, find something new!

This! I don't think I've ever been to a show where I haven't picked up something that I wasn't looking for. But it also doesn't hurt to have eclectic interests as well. I have holes in my sets but have no problem passing over an item that would fill that hole if the price isn't right, and being a bargain hunter, it usually isn't. But that doesn't stop me from picking up some really cool items.
One of our local dealers who always has a mixed bag of 'stuff' told me once that he always looks forward to seeing what I might buy from him as he has no idea what will interest me. My response was :Neither do I".

[Natswin2019]

Originally Posted by tschock

This! I don't think I've ever been to a show where I haven't picked up something that I wasn't looking for. But it also doesn't hurt to have eclectic interests as well. I have holes in my sets but have no problem passing over an item that would fill that hole if the price isn't right, and being a bargain hunter, it usually isn't. But that doesn't stop me from picking up some really cool items.

This is exactly how I collect as someone who has a limited budget. I have things I would love to collect but definetly pass on if I think I can get a better price else where. I also will just pick up random cool things that I see in auctions or at shows if they fit my budget even if they arent a target of mine.

[parkplace33]

The amount of money coming into the hobby right now is crazy. Are baseball cards for Main Street or Wall Street? In the last 10 years (and really the last 5 years), people looking at cards as an investment vehicle has exploded. We have moved into a new phase, treating cards like gold or some other commodity.

At the last card show, collectors walking around with bags full of cards, most for trading or trying to get the best price. It looked like the NYSE floor to me. I guess this is the future.

[glchen]

As others have said, I think you can still enjoy collecting low and mid-grade cards, rather than just higher grade ones. However, saying that, what I've learned personally is that you should always enjoy what you collect. If you find that you're not happy with your latest pickups or what you're collecting or spending to get what you want, then take a break from that. The entire point of a hobby is to do something we enjoy.

[skelly423]

I've found that whether your budget is $10, $100, $1,000, or more, the collector's dilemma stays the same, there are still cards you really want that are *just* out of reach.

For what it's worth, I've found it helpful to identify the cards/sets I like and ask myself 1. what's the minimum grade I'll be happy with, and 2. What will it cost me to get the set now in that grade?

I used to start projects, find them overwhelming, and get frustrated that I couldn't complete them. This approach has saved me countless frustration. If the answer to question 2 is "more than my current budget", I ask myself if I would be comfortable adjusting my answer to question 1. If the answer is no, I move on to other cards/sets. There's so much out there to collect, across all budgets.