Quote:
Originally Posted by tbob
I agree with most members here that some card sets have taken a dive because of the economy but on the other hand I find that some sets which are a little less mainstream have, especially graded cards, really gone up in the past few months. I don't know if this is because a lot of collectors have finished several of the mainstream sets and are diving in to less collected sets or what. I was wondering what others thought. 
tbob |
Hi Bob,
My 2 cents...based only on my limited observations...
As a general rule, I found Pre-War cards took a big dive in late 2008 (after the stock market crash). I found prices in 2009 were way down...I suspect ultimately a low point in the market looking backwards and forward. The prices in 2010 stayed relatively soft, but some recovered a bit (witness the mixed results of 2010 REA - some bargains and some strong prices). Looking only at late 2010 and the first week of 2011, I'd say generally prices are getting stronger and there is more competition for quality Pre-War items.
All of this is subject to my December caveat. I have found over the last several years that you can absolutely STEAL cards in auctions held in December...especially towards mid-December. I snagged some unreal cards at unheard-of prices in December of 2009. And once again in December 2010, I got a few cards from eBay auctions at all-time low VCP prices. This I consider an anomaly - so much so that I disregard December prices in my own thoughts on market trends.
Cheers,
Blair