Originally Posted by Mr. Zipper (Post 1771840)

I was recently chatting with a few collectors about the insanely high cost of modern players, e.g., Trout $700, Jeter $800+, Rivera $300+, Griffey $400+, etc etc.

Seasoned collectors are checking out. And, how does the hobby attract new participants at prices like this?

I used to collect the HOF postcard plaks from every new class, and I've given up. Not that I technically could not afford it, but it's a matter of principle. I'll be damned before I pay $400 for a Ken Griffey signed postcard plak. I can't even imagine what a Jeter plak is going to go for. "On sale" at Steiner for $500?

The thing is, these are NOT investments. You'll never get your money back out. God willing, these guys will be around signing for many decades. Dealers are sitting on a ton of stock, and the market is being diluted daily by a steady and mass influx of fakes.

One could argue you do it for the enjoyment, not the investment. Maybe it's me, but I just can't "enjoy" being subjected to predatory pricing to keep a frivolous thing like a collection going.

I believe it's time to cut bait and run.

Am I alone?

Originally Posted by jbhofmann (Post 1772073)

My guess is that the top guys of today don't really want to spend their time doing this.

If they set the price too high, they'll still attract some but their work load decreases. I can't really say that I blame them.

Originally Posted by mr2686 (Post 1772170)

Damn, I just did some homework and discovered I'm further behind than I thought. Out of 77 living hall of famers (including this year's class), I need 38 on single singed baseballs and 37 to sign my HOF book (not necessarily all the same players). $$$$$ is all my eyeballs are seeing right now. Anyway, I have space in my current baseball cases for about 58 more balls, and I think I'm going to cap it at that. Not sure when I'll cap my book, but I can't imagine making more than one more trip to Cooperstown (and maybe one more National) so I'll have to make both of those count. My main focus is going to be either older teams or deceased HOF'ers that I can still "reasonably" get.

Originally Posted by Lordstan (Post 1772025)

This is why I will stick to my 1934 Goudey set. I have much less of a problem dropping several hundred or thousand on a card that is 90yo with a sig that might be just as old rather than a new player.

Originally Posted by egri (Post 1772208)

Mark, what are you up to on the 1934 Goudeys?

Originally Posted by Lordstan (Post 1772176)

Just wait and buy them on eBay. I am sure you can find almost everyone of them for fairly cheap. Chris finds Jeters cheap all the time(Granted I don't know jack about Jeter's auto so I can't help you)