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Next week, I'll be 51 years old. I started collecting in the mid to late 70s, with 80-83 being big years. Packs were 30 cents and local card shops were abundant with the occasional fire hall show. It was a blast.
Added to the collection during the HS and college years, and without eBay, the collection remained largely the same. Flash forward to the late 90s with eBay, the internet, message boards, and access to more spending money, the collection changed. Still is to this day ….. Now I am married, with two boys. One loves baseball and all sports and my youngest is a casual sports fan other than Philly teams. Neither collect, and I don't think any of their buddies do either. To me, that is the sign of a potential "apocalypse" for the hobby - none were 30 cent pack kids like most of us. My neighborhood was teaming with kids back in the day whose daily summer activities included trading sessions. Some of them still collect, many do not.
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Neal Successful transactions with Peter Spaeth, Phil Garry, Don Hontz, JStottlemire, maj78, bcbgcbrcb, secondhandwatches, esehobmbre, Leon, Jetsfan, Brian Van Horn, Brian Dwyer, MGHPro, DeanH, canofcorn, Zigger Zagger, conor912, RayBShotz, Jay Wolt, AConte, Halbig Vintage and many others |
#2
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I still say (and I may have posted this earlier in this thread or another tread), once those cards became a value for me, it all changed. When I was collecting back in 1981, 82, 83, 84, it was all about completing the Topps Baseball set each year. I didn't bother with Fleer or Donruss, or even other sports, I just wanted to complete that 792 card set for Topps each year. I would have traded a double of a 1983 Tony Gwynn Rookie back then for some common player to complete the set. But once I saw a value on these cards (around 1986 when my friend told me about the Canseco Donruss Rookie) it was never the same. Then Upper Deck came around and cards started to skyrocket and they pretty much priced most kids out. Less is more is the eventual downfall of kids not collecting because there are just too many sets today, and you have to be a real collector to know which is which. Back when I was a kid, I rode my bike up to Wawa or 7-11, bought a few packs of Topps Baseball Cards, and life was good. Last edited by stevecarlton1972; 07-20-2018 at 01:08 PM. |
#3
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I'm younger than most here at 27. Collected as a kid, after my Dad bought me a few packs, never lost interest. I didn't collect in High School/College for economic reasons, but never really left the hobby. My dad, my uncles, my grandpa, all collected as kids. None of my cousins do, and most of my friends in my age group could care less about cards. My best friend is a great baseball fan and loves the history of the game, he'll take one of my boxes or binders occasionally and flip through the vintage, but doesn't collect.
I think it's largely because A) my generation is less collector oriented, B) has far more interest options than older generations did in the digital era, and C) my generation lacks the financial means to collect much. Many of my college classmates graduated with major debt, and struggle to live independently and build families, have little money to spend on hobbies at this point in their lives (which partly makes digital stuff more appealing, as here in Sillicon valley a smartphone and computer is basically a required item, and using them to spend time browsing the internet or playing free games costs nothing). I have been blessed to be able to responsibly spend some money on tobacco and vintage cards, but a lot more 45 year olds can do so than 25 year olds. I suspect many baseball fans will find the hobby later in life when it becomes more practical for them. And if it doesn't, that's one reason I don't spend much on any item. It's an aging market, and if it completely collapses one day, I want to still be happy with my modest collection and not feel like I lost an investment if they lose their value. |
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Agree with you when it comes to iconic players such as Cobb, Wagner, Ruth, Gehrig, etc. The market is never going to collapse for inner circle Hall of Famers from the pre-war era. I do think there is some danger in valuations for cards from the 1950s on up because there is just so much supply around. I also think obscure type cards of common players could suffer a major hit in the future.
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Flawless BST transactions with Wondo, Marslife, arcadekrazy, Moonlight Graham, Arazi4442, wrestlingcardking and Justus. |
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