As a significant economic enterprise, sports card and memorabilia buying and selling is a young endeavor, roughly 40 years old. In that time, prices may have briefly stalled a time or two, but in general have risen steadily throughout. I don't think two generations of this experience is enough to claim some kind of permanent situation, though, and as others have pointed out, in particular there are compelling macroeconomic reasons to explain the recent surge, including simple momentum. Much of what we collect will have continuing appeal, along with all kinds of other antiques and collectibles, but a mere generation or two pushing prices higher and higher over a few decades doesn't give me the confidence that at some point that momentum won't slow, stop, or even reverse. Everything always seems to be the way it has always been, until it isn't anymore.
|