[xcgrammer]

Here is what I think: I was born in 1980, so I grew up in the boom times for baseball cards the late 80's and early 90's. Even though the hobby was being over produced by every company, to the point that they were killing values and turning off a lot of people most didn't realize this at the time. It was still a purer time and kids my age were truly passionate about it. I'm talking a VERY high percentage collected then. Much greater than today, our grandfathers collected, our fathers collected. They told us about Mickey Mantle and such. We bought Becketts and flipped to the old sets in awe of the high dollar signs on things like 1952 Topps Mantle's, so we still place value on these things. In 1991 I used to dream of the great vintage cards of the 1950's. My dad had a little stack of mid 50's and early 60's cards that he gave to me. My best card was a 1961 Whitey Ford All-Star worth about 80-100 dollars according to the guide.

My fathers generation values vintage cards because they grew up buying them. That generation taught us to collect they were the golden era. That generation, the baby boomers, will not be around in 20-25 years. My generation as long as we are here will value cards, vintage and the like. However when we are gone in the next 50 or so years there will be no one left who first-hand experienced the hobby when it was hugely popular. My generation for the most part hasn't taught the kids of today to collect. We have lost this next generation and thus lost all future generations.

This simply has to at some point affect values. While there will still be small percentages collecting with massive amounts of money to blow auctions records through the roof, I HAVE to think that the bulk of the hobby will have to be devalued at some point. Simply due to the fact that with fewer collectors (over the next 50 years who grew up collecting) it is back to simple supply and demand. Eventually you are going to get to a place where it is just viewed as pieces of paper. Everyone would have to agree that kids of today place little value or know much about the history of anything. I have to think this will only get worse with time. Believe me I am the last person who wants to see this happen.

I feel often that I was born 50 years too late. I am however thankful that my dad took the time to take me to Walgreens and baseball card shops and teach me and get me hooked on the hobby. I will be forever grateful to him for this and cherish those memories. I just wish future generations would have the same experience and value it as well.