Mastronet Auction

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Posted By: Larry

Mr. Sloate's last post is absolutely correct...A price "guide" is just that a guide, not a reprinted bunch of jibberish with some foudation of market trends..Lets face it, who came up with these arbitrary numbers to begin with, was this a PSA research effort?

If SMR was founded with accuracy, there can be no doubt to anyone that these prices should be updated at least once every 6 months and recent cards that never sell at SMR should be adjusted lower so that novice collectors are not ripped off.

Beckett is too vague as higher graded cards are not even reflected and although the catalog is great for specific checklisting..it also fails to do the job intended.

Collectors or Dealers that are pumping money in the hobby make the hobby stronger, not weaker. I know there are purists that wish they could go back to the days when a 33 Ruth near mint was $500..I was one of them and I was there when you could buy stacks of vintage cards on table top shows with rubber bands. I was there when Den Collectors Den came out with PVC plastic sheets meant for cards, not stamps.. But just like 25 cent pizza(NY style!)...50 cent gallon of gas etc., vintage cards are truly rare, there are many of us that respect the history and appreciate the aesthetic of the cards itself and prices will go up as long as people care who Cy Young was or Mickey Mantle or want a MINT 9 1955 Bowman. When the next couple of generations come into their turn, maybe they will care, maybe they won't and prices willreflect that trend.

Major grading services with all their faults serve a valued purpose, they keep most counterfeit and bogus material from being sold as top shelf, even with their faults which can be destructive at times.

Without the influx of good dealers and collectors, material would not have surfaced and people would not be able to make a living, they are an important part of hobby..for those that criticize this influx of money...why not criticize your house going up in value..Are you willing to sell your house at 1969 market prices because you are a hobby purist?, I doubt that..Probably it is frustrating that all of us WANT something we can afford to pay for or we feel some envy, there is always someone that has deeper pockets...I am not rich, I collect and deal cards but I am respectful to those that are collectors that are willing to pay for the cards because they can, I am not happy with crooked dealers on e bay or at shows that prey on us all with no morals.