Priced Out?

[bnorth]

The best thing would be quit buying the silly(to me) slabs and just buy cards free from imprisonment. You can own the exact same card for a fraction of the price.

[Dead-Ball-Hitter]

Add some Art Cards like these? I admit I cannot resist buying them every once in a while....

[Exhibitman]

Get into premiums, team issues, etc.



There are a wide variety at various entry points. Or photos. Vintage snapshots are card-like and can be had for a fraction of the cost of a card. Some were even made by professionals with field level access:



Jimmie Foxx with the Cubs



Satchel Paige



Marshall Goldberg, college AS game, 1939



1961 Chamberlain, Russell, Cousy at the 'Gahden'.


Jack Dempsey sparring with Bill Tate, Toledo, OH 1919. Had to slip in a boxer

There's always something to play with, you just have to be creative.

[conor912]

I think a lot of guys spent the run-up scrambling to get cards they'd had their eyes on, knowing they'd soon be out of reach. I'm in the middle of a couple sets that are going to be painful to finish now, but I'm in too deep to bail.

The last two years have pretty well burned me out. I both made and paid extraordinary sums of money for cards. I'm mentally exhausted and taking a break. I have a trip booked for Chantilly in April and won't be buying anything until then. I've been enjoying the time away have been thinking about my next project. I have several ideas that I'm excited about. They'll undoubtedly shift between now and April but that's ok, too. My point being that I'm always shocked how much clarity some time and space can bring.

[jingram058]

Pursue trades and lower-grade pickups. Build lower-grade sets and collections. Avoid graded, over-priced cards.

This thread needs a couple of low-priced, really nice cards. "Arky" Vaughan has to be the single most underrated ballplayer in the HOF.

[G1911]

Originally Posted by jingram058

Pursue trades and lower-grade pickups. Build lower-grade sets and collections. Avoid graded, over-priced cards.

This thread needs a couple of low-priced, really nice cards. "Arky" Vaughan has to be the single most underrated ballplayer in the HOF.

This. Does the sharpness of a corner really make you not enjoy a card? There are tons of cheap but cool cards out there, if one stops caring what a card is worth and just enjoys them for what they were when they were made, there is still a ton of cheap fun to be had in the hobby

[x2drich2000]

Personally, I think if you are a collector you're still going to collect. It might mean that you are buying 1 card every 3 months instead of 1 card per month. Or it might mean moving to a different, less expensive set or type of collection. Personally, I'm still looking to complete the sets I'm working on, but definitely feeling like some sets might not be completable based on current prices...at least not in the foreseeable future.

[japhi]

As a long time collector I have a hard time relating to these types of posts. I have always been priced out of certain segments of the market, yet have no problem finding affordable areas to collect. Too many good options IMO.

Last few years been focused on set runs and raw cards with great eye appeal.

[FrankWakefield]

Ben, James, and Matt have it... don't spend money on high condition graded cards. Paying someone for a card is one thing; paying someone else for their plastic opinion of that card is another. They're right.

It's an unfortunate mess.

[mrreality68]

Originally Posted by x2drich2000

Personally, I think if you are a collector you're still going to collect. It might mean that you are buying 1 card every 3 months instead of 1 card per month. Or it might mean moving to a different, less expensive set or type of collection. Personally, I'm still looking to complete the sets I'm working on, but definitely feeling like some sets might not be completable based on current prices...at least not in the foreseeable future.

+1 agree

Buying less cards but buying more strategic so the collection will grow just a bit slower.
And if the strategy fits you can downgrade as some mentioned to free up funds for other cards

[chadeast]

Originally Posted by bnorth

The best thing would be quit buying the silly(to me) slabs and just buy cards free from imprisonment. You can own the exact same card for a fraction of the price.

Shhhhh!!! Don't listen to him. Nothing to see here

[T205 GB]

Originally Posted by bnorth

The best thing would be quit buying the silly(to me) slabs and just buy cards free from imprisonment. You can own the exact same card for a fraction of the price.

👆👆👆👆👆👆👆 Ben nailed it on the head. I would add to Only buy graded when it’s for resale or is a big ticket item that is best protected by a slab.

[hauntedcomputer]

This is my third go-round in the hobby over roughly 50 years. Which of course tells me sports cards are in a bubble. I just use current values to sell nice 70s cards and put that into a handful of older grail cards, so boom/bubble prices don't hurt me and are at best a sideways trade. I never intended to keep everything anyway. If cards didn't "go up," it would be very hard to justify any serious collecting.

Every card gets sold sooner or later, whether you are alive to see it or not. And I don't mind leaving room for the next guy to make money, either. Plenty to collect at all levels. I still enjoy messing with junk-era cards where there is no money.

[glchen]

My opinion here is that you have to continue to buy cards that you love. If you buy stuff you don't like just to pickup stuff, you'll likely regret it as the hobby will just become a grind. If you don't find anything you like, just go on pause until you do. Hopefully, you'll be able to find something else within your hobby budget that you can enjoy. There are so many types and ways to collect, so you might find your niche in that area.

[Seven]

Originally Posted by glchen

My opinion here is that you have to continue to buy cards that you love. If you buy stuff you don't like just to pickup stuff, you'll likely regret it as the hobby will just become a grind. If you don't find anything you like, just go on pause until you do. Hopefully, you'll be able to find something else within your hobby budget that you can enjoy. There are so many types and ways to collect, so you might find your niche in that area.

I think the one thing about the rise in prices, however, it's led many of us to find different collecting interests, or approach something we wouldn't before.

For an example, being of Mostly, Italian descent, and hearing stories in my childhood, My great uncle would always tell stories about Carl Furillo. He was a hardcore Brooklyn Dodgers fan, and Furillo was his favorite player. I've recently started slowly buying Furillo cards and really enjoying the little project I'm putting together.

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by Seven

I think the one thing about the rise in prices, however, it's led many of us to find different collecting interests, or approach something we wouldn't before.

For an example, being of Mostly, Italian descent, and hearing stories in my childhood, My great uncle would always tell stories about Carl Furillo. He was a hardcore Brooklyn Dodgers fan, and Furillo was his favorite player. I've recently started slowly buying Furillo cards and really enjoying the little project I'm putting together.

That is cool. I can't remember his name but we have a big time Carl Furillo collector on here. I had some Carl Farillo home/family pics I sent that collector for free a few years ago I got in a lot from GreyGhost.

[joshleon]

Originally Posted by Seven

I think the one thing about the rise in prices, however, it's led many of us to find different collecting interests, or approach something we wouldn't before.

For an example, being of Mostly, Italian descent, and hearing stories in my childhood, My great uncle would always tell stories about Carl Furillo. He was a hardcore Brooklyn Dodgers fan, and Furillo was his favorite player. I've recently started slowly buying Furillo cards and really enjoying the little project I'm putting together.

Love his 53 Bowman color. GM had a really nice one last month and I just didn't go high enough on it. I guess my dad wasn't the only BK Dodgers fan!