Downward trend in card values?

[drcy]

Elvis Presley rare record prices have dropped, and Greta Garbo and Rudolf Valentino autographs (once prizes of the hobby) fell off before that.

[OsFan]

Originally Posted by drcy

Elvis Presley rare record prices have dropped, and Greta Garbo and Rudolf Valentino autographs (once prizes of the hobby) fell off before that.

True but vintage record sales overall have made a huge leap in the last ten years. Who knows if that will last?

[aconte]

Top tier HOFERS will always do well.

50's and 60's commons could drop like rocks.

[1952boyntoncollector]

Threads like this always get a lot of traction.

Everybody always worried...but yeah lots of low level stars....if POP isnt super small..most people wont know who they are later on..

If you see record highs on the big big cards...that doesnt mean much for the rest of the market...

[Exhibitman]

Here's the thing: the kids today are going to be the inheritors tomorrow of the cards we are saving today. Some of them will be enchanted by the hobby and will get into it, just as some collectors on this board got their starts with their fathers' old cards.

The stuff cycles. I have some cards that still haven't rebounded to their pre-crash price levels, when I bought them. And it isn't just cards. Check the spot price on silver lately? I remember trading some cards for silver bullion at a National a few years ago when silver was about twice its current price. D'oh!

[JollyElm]

It's all about the phones. Every single minute of every single day the youths of today are staring down at their phones. No one seems to even go outside and play anymore. If it's not something that appears on their phones, there is virtually no interest from a huge percentage of kids. When I was growing up (jeez, I sound old), every kid in class had at least some baseball cards. It was an absolutely huge part of the culture, but these days there are a bazillion other distractions for kids, so collecting takes a back seat...waaaaaaay in the back.

[jimjim]

It also seems like everybody is getting cards graded these days to try to cash in on PSA 9/10. As the supply of these cards increases, the price will drop. There are only so many buyers out there.

[Puckettfan]

This is a very interesting thread. When I first got back into cards in 2012 I was surprised at the amount of interest and the huge increase in prices. I figured the uptick was fueled by guys like me in their late 30s who collected in the heyday of the late 80s-early 90s now with established careers and some discretionary income. Sort of reliving their childhood except this time with their own money. This concerned me because I did not know who was coming behind me to prop up the hobby and the prices.

Then I spent a few Saturdays at the local card shop. They were absolutely slammed with kids and their dads buying packs and chasing inserts and autos. They would count off every star they came across. Some of the kids were turning the cards they found right around and consigning them with the dealer on eBay (with the parents permission of course). It was quite a scene. Was there any mention of Mantle, Mays or Griffey? No. But they were just as excited to rip those packs as I was at 10 years old.

I think there are collectors coming behind us but it won't have the same gravity it had. They are not likely to value the card as a piece of history, art, or memorabilia. But they will remember the thrill of unearthing that card. I do believe that things will roll back some and in cases where there is not true scarcity quite a bit. But the big time HOFers and items that are truly rare will still have a market.

In the meantime, I'll hedge my card investments with solid stock and real estate investments just to make sure

[ls7plus]

Originally Posted by JollyElm

It's all about the phones. Every single minute of every single day the youths of today are staring down at their phones. No one seems to even go outside and play anymore. If it's not something that appears on their phones, there is virtually no interest from a huge percentage of kids. When I was growing up (jeez, I sound old), every kid in class had at least some baseball cards. It was an absolutely huge part of the culture, but these days there are a bazillion other distractions for kids, so collecting takes a back seat...waaaaaaay in the back.

I've heard more than one substantially younger person state that he or she "would die without my phone." And the craziest thing is that they aren't exaggerating all that much.

Best wishes,

Larry