Age Demographics with Current Cards?

[Jayworld]

Just was musing the other day as to what you all think regarding newly released baseball card products; are most of the buyers under 45, over 45, etc.?

I know that when I got back into card collecting in 2001 (dropped out about 1984) how much I had to educate myself on the modern hobby, such as "Pulls," "refractors," "parallels," etc.

I've tried at different times to buy new product, such as Topps, Topps Archive, Topps Heritage, Allen & Ginter, Upper Deck Goudey, etc., but nothing really has rekindled my fancy, and I usually end up selling the moderns later or giving them away.

[7nohitter]

Jay,

Interesting topic! I'm 38, started when I was about 13...the '89 UD set was the big thing. I collected 'modern' stuff, but mostly focused on Nolan Ryan (who for me encompassed BOTH vintage and modern at the time!) and would buy packs and sometimes even splurge on a 36 ct box.

Fastforward and I am now completely a vintage (for me 1909-1975) collector. The modern stuff is just way too out of control.

[Leon]

I will guess that for post 1990 it is mostly under age 45. Heck, the last poll on the pre-war side had the overall average age of the board at about 42-43 (as I feel older and older).....I think the 1980 and newer collectors would be a bit older than the 1990s and newer guys....

[Hammerin'Hank]

I'm 36 and just collect 50's, 60's, and 70's now.

I don't really collect 80's anymore because I have every card I want from that era.

Most of the 90's just don't interest me for 2 reasons.
1. Steroid Era
2. Too many cards of players. I mean there may be 50 different cards of a player in a given year. Just 1 card may have 10 variations.

However, I do like the Desert Storm cards and Chipper Jones rookies from the early 90's. Other than that I stay away from 90's baseball cards.

I did dabble in modern football cards in 2012 due to the stellar rookie QB class of Luck, Griffin, and Wilson but have no plans of re-entering the modern market.

I check this forum from time to time to see if any of my 80's junk is worth more than the postage to get rid of it.

[TAVG]

I am 24

I collect anything STL Cardinals (im cheap and wont spend much)
and late 90s/early 2000s cards.
Basically anything i remember as a kid that i couldnt get because of price that now i can get for pennies lol

I think my oldest card is a 1951 bowman common

[vthobby]

In my local hobby shop, the majority of pack breakers are 20 to 40 years old. Pretty big swing but that is what I see every time I go in. I visit the shop a few times a week and he is ALWAYS busy.

I think the reduction of shops has helped smaller shops that were able to survive to this point.

Peace, Mike

[Econteachert205]

I'm 33, started at age 5, meaning my first year was 1987. Talk about the short end of the stick. Collected new from 87-90 while collecting some vintage, went mostly vintage 91-96, stopped collecting until about two years ago, strictly vintage and prewar.

[tonyo]

I'm 50 now. To answer the OP question: I don't actively buy any Modern Stuff and have successfully fought any urge to even investigate modern offerings or buy modern product since 2009.

When I got back into collecting (after 15 years) in 2009 at 45, I bought Upper Deck Goudey and Topps Allen&Ginter, completing both base sets including sp's and amassed several chase cards (or whatever they are called). While searching for 09 Goudey cards I stumbled across net54 and 33 Goudeys on ebay. That led me into Prewar which I collected exclusively for about 4 years, then I drifted into post war vintage, that eventually led me to creep back into 80's & 90's again. Like Hank said above, I probably already have most all the 80's cards I want, there may be a few dozen I wouldn't mind having back in my collection, but actively identifying those isn't something I'm motivated to do at this time. Unlike some of the other posters in this thread, I actually really really like the early and mid 90's cards. So many great designs and cards in my opinion. Because there are so many that I truly like, it's a little overwhelming to actually try and get a handle on all the nice looking products from the 90's, it feels like there is an infinite variety. I can see myself spending more time in the future exploring 90's cards.

At the end of the day, I just like cards. Regardless of the value.

Regarding the modern stuff, I could see myself collecting modern again one day if the right circumstances arrive. But currently - I try not to even look at modern stuff because at this point in my life, I don't want to get sucked in and I know with my personality, it's very possible.

[DHogan]

The last new pack of cards I bought was 1998 Topps baseball. I'm 58 and I feel old. I buy whats cool to me. Pre 80's usually.

[egri]

I'm 20, started collecting a few months before I turned 11, took a break a few months before turning 16, and got back into the swing of things about a year or so ago.

I haven't bought anything modern since 2007, maybe 2008, when I went for Topps main set as well as some of their Heritage and Upper Deck Goudey issues. Now I'm adding almost exclusively signed vintage cards, primarily from the 1949 Bowman and 1953 Topps sets. I say almost because if something comes along that could help me with my 2007 PawSox Dunkin Donuts signed set I'll look in, but I don't see anything on the horizon. The 1953 Topps set is the one I'm really spending money to complete; the 1949 Bowmans I all got TTM.

[mrmopar]

45 here. I collected as a kid from 1978 to about 1988 or so. I left for the Navy and took maybe 5 years off, but rediscovered cards around 1993. I missed the bulk of the junk era thankfully. I filled in some of the holes early on (sets, cheap boxes, singles), then discovered ebay. Gathered a lot of vintage stuff I previously couldn't find or afford and focused on what interested me (Dodger cards, oddball singles/sets, Steve Garvey items) over the next 10+ years. i got sucked into the 90s inserts and then to some extent the GU stuff early on, but never could stomach buying $60-80 boxes and not getting anything worth while, so i stopped buying packs and boxes around 2000.

I do grab certified autograph cards now, but mostly players who played in the 80s and back. I will grab certain newer Dodger cards that catch my eye or the occasional impulse buy, but for the most part I buy older stuff. Steve Garvey is the primary exception. I buy anything new that is issued.

Growing up and discovering baseball in the late 70s/early 80s, this is what I knew, so those players and those who came before them (I was also into baseball history early on) are who I tend to favor over any of the new players today. Getting a new Rod Carew or Al Oliver card would excite me more than an Ichiro or Pujols card.