REA as the "State of the Hobby"

[Bridwell]

It seems to me that REA is the top auction house for prewar baseball cards and collectibles. They consistently have the best selection of rare and high-end auction lots IMO.

Do REA results forecast the State of the Hobby?

For example, if REA prices fall short of expectations, can we conclude that overall prices are on a downward trend?

[bobbyw8469]

I don't think so. Did the high prices that Mastro used to attain along time ago mean that the card market was on the rise?? It's the same thing....

[Orioles1954]

If a 1500 lot auction determines the state of the hobby then we are in big trouble.

[Bored5000]

I don't think REA is an indicator of overall hobby health. Maybe at the very top end that is true, but not an overall state of the hobby. There are many posters on here with amazing collections, but the overall hobby is made up of far more collectors spending $100 a card or $500 a card than the big tickets items at REA.

[Exhibitman]

Remember when $500 a card was a big ticket purchase?

[oldjudge]

If REA results are a measure of the state of the hobby, the hobby looks to be in pretty good shape, especially the scarce Old Judge portion of it.

[nolemmings]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

Remember when $500 a card was a big ticket purchase?

For some of us it still is

[topcat61]

REA is a fantastic outlet but I dont think major auctions/houses are a good indicator of the Hobby's health or what prices normally go for. You generally see a wide range of emotion that dictate the value at auction. On the other end of that spectrum, shows and conventions are usually where you can throw the price guide out the window. What I mean is that often times the sticker price isn't reflective of what you should be paying either, just a starting point. I'd do research on a site like ebay or another that tracks past sales of graded cards (the site mane escapes me right now, sorry about that) to judge how much you should pay.

However, 70% of the hobby should be about research into the cards you want to collect before going out to acquire them. I'd also say that while doing this, realize that some opportunities only come by once or twice but being aware of that isn't always easy. Good luck!