Auction dollars spent vis a vis ebay dollars spent

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Posted By: barrysloate

Leon and Adam both make good points and I agree with Adam that vintage cards will always outperform Mark McGwire rookies in the long run. But there is still another aspect of the market that troubles me: can't the cost of vintage cards, at every price tier, become so expensive that collectors just get tired of laying out so much money and just give up? There's a mortgage to pay, the kids need braces, the older ones are off to college, and common E94's are $300-400 apiece and Youngs are $2000 apiece and I've had enough and I'm throwing in the towel. Is everyone getting so rich that price is no object? I still maintain prices can't go up forever. At a certain threshold, and please don't ask me what it is, collectors start dropping out. I did; I can afford some of today's prices but cards at these levels have lost their appeal. I'd rather do something else with my money. Granted, as a dealer I get a chance to handle great cards and since I subsequently sell them I'm not actually tying up my money. But at today's levels, someone else can own them. Are there others who feel the same way? Or have I just been doing this too long?