The Junk Hobby of 2023

[northicehero99]

The specialty cards, while pretty looking, have been overdone to death! I don't mind a parallel, but now we have 15 rainbow parallels sometimes all numbered differently, sometimes not numbered at all. Why as a collector do I want the red, blue, green, orange, yellow version? As a player collector maybe I want them all? Just wait a few years until they are not the hot thing and you will find them in the 10 cent boxes at shows. In my opinion, the creativity seems to be gone from the hobby, as the manufacturers have started catering to the speculators and the break gamblers for the "hot rookies". I have noticed some sizeable decreases in hockey products just a year old. Originally $129 for a hobby box, now selling at half that price, so either overproduction or less disposable income, probably a combination of both. I just wish I would have waited to buy some of what I bought, as I could get it cheaper now then when I did get it.

 

[kclj520]

@northicehero99

That's a bummer friend, but fortunately you have better prices going forward. I think baseball cards are always the best sellers typically, basketball, football, and hockey are not as widely collected, so a real point in your favor that the hockey isn't as expensive now. Cooler cards in a lot of respects from what I have seen as well!

The rainbow parallels, numbered, refractor, SP, etc has been massively overdone, I definitely agree with you.....vintage went crazy for awhile, though I can sort of see that, given the (relative) lack of supply and high demand....Mantle, Musial, DiMaggio, Mays, Aaron, Williams....always gonna be in style! I think the prices are starting to come down, maybe not as low as they once were, but definitely a decrease.

Cheers!

Kevin

 

[NateisMe123]

The problem today, seen from an long time collector, is the massive proliferation of the specialty card. You can still buy a set of the flagship Topps set for $50-60 and be done with it. That would have satisfied the youth of my early collecting days - we dreamed of filling out our sets but just never seemed to be able to - settling for cards of the players and teams we like the best. Then the junk era of great overproduction of the base sets, and a bit of diversity in manufacturers, that drove long term value into the dust. But now we have parallels, inserts, serial numbered, autos and game used relics, which all create a supply vs demand cost curve. Yes, the demand is driving costs up exponentially, it seems, with the search for that Gem Mint graded 10 or that 1/1 serial numbered auto raising the roof on pricing. It is no longer a hobby for the young in America, it is now a hobby for those with disposable income and the commercial prospector. And I just do not get the crazy speculation, and over demand / over pricing of the Rookie Card. To this old codger you need to prove your merit before your card gains value, and then your RC is something special.

As KCLJ said, you're spot on about the rookie cards. What confuses me about the hobby is why current prospects have higher card values than current players on track to make the Hall of fame. Even if the prospect you "invested in" makes it to MLB and is an all star you're still probably going to lose money in most cases. For example Jasson Dominguez Bowman 1/1 auto going for $474,000, more than Bryce Harper's equivalent card. Or Mookie Betts 1st Bowman auto BGS 9.5 selling for only $80 more than a Drew Jones 1st Bowman base auto back in April.

 

[kclj520]

@NateisMe123

Thanks! That is absurd about the Dominguez, he has not proven himself a success quite yet, has he?? Got called up and hit 4 HRs last September...if he stays on that pace, it works out to about 25 per season. At that rate he will pass the Babe in......29 seasons!!

The prospects are I am sure fun to follow, but I have watched guys spend LOTS on prospect autographs only to sell them for pennies on the dollar when their prospect doesn't pan out. It's tough to follow a lot of prospects because so many players bounce from team to team, get sent back down, etc.

 

[Mechjo16]

I just want a ty cobb cut auto.... Is that to much to ask?