Market Manipulation: Can it Happen Again?

[samosa4u]

The boom of 2016 is a subject that has always fascinated me. I have read many posts on here and there are many competing theories as to what caused this. One of the popular ones is that a bunch of wealthy individuals bid like crazy on EX-MT to NM graded cards, and this resulted in the "explosion" of the higher graded examples.

Now here is my question: if it was that simple, in other words, if all it took was a bunch of rich guys to bid like crazy on certain cards, then why wasn't something like this done in the past? The insane prices that cards were bringing in last summer is something that I have never seen before. Also, why have they not done it again since then? Is it possible that these individuals who participated in manipulating the prices of cards will never do it again?

[swarmee]

Still happening, just not on the same cards. It's always going on with Michael Jordan cards. Until Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd team up to stick it to the Duke brothers, it is always a possibility to happen.

My first real investment scheme was with Beanie Babies back in high school, because retired ones went immediately from $7 (store price) to $50-75 the day they were retired. However, we had a store in the mall that would still get shipments of retired beanbags. So we would get there when they put them on the shelf, buy them, and resell them. Had some rare ones as well; I realized we were in a fad market, so when the first price guide (yes, there were beanie price guides) showed a down arrow, I sold all of the ones worth more than $5 for a total of $2000. So if you notice it happening, that's a great time to sell your card and hope to buy on the crash.

Beanie babies lol

[Steve D]

I think they've just moved on to modern-day rookies.

Why are '89UD Griffey Jr PSA 10s going for $600?

Why are Topps Mike Trout PSA 10 RC going for upwards of $500?

Why are Kershaws going for $200+

Same thing with Bonds, McGwire and Clemens RCs.

'82 Topps Traded Ripken Jr PSA 9s are suddenly going for around $200?


Steve

[bnorth]

The card market is always being manipulated. It is very easy because most collectors only care about the card. Just look at all the scum in the hobby and how people line up to buy from them. I have even watched it being done on this forum before.

[drcy]

If the price of, say, a PSA 10 Mike Schmidt rookie card is 'manipulated' to $100,000, it doesn't matter if you don't buy one.

Having never spend $50,000 on a PSA Topps Sandy Koufax or Nolan Ryan, I can't say that I've been manipulated.