There's no wrong way to collect
Whether collecting, selling or investing, there's room for all in the hobby
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Investing is a dirty word for a lot of collectors.
It’s also a word we hear a lot lately in card collecting. There’s an influx of new people entering the hobby who are trying to buy low and sell high.
And this may sound crazy coming from a diehard collector – but that's OK.
There have always been people in the hobby who look at cards more for their financial value than emotional value. They see a great card and consider potential returns. They've been called flippers and prospectors. For dealers and store owners, the financial side of the hobby is unavoidable. It comes with the job.
Many traditional collectors supplement their collections by re-selling cards they don’t want for their PC. For as long as cards have had value, people have been looking to make money on them.
These days, there are so many avenues for hobbyists to buy and sell. With social media, YouTube, podcasts, and an assortment of other ways to create content, there are bigger ways to amplify their voices. Previously you would find them advertising in the backs of hobby publications.
Now, you can grab your phone and content is at your fingertips in a matter of seconds. Want to sell a card on eBay? It can be done in just a few minutes. It’s never been easier to buy or sell cards than it is right now.
That ease of entry means along with tried-and-true collectors, the type that have been collecting cards for decades, others are joining the hobby solely to flip cards for more money, causing card prices to rise on the secondary market.
But in the end, the market will always dictate what is happening. If you have people who are willing to spend 5x of what you would pay for something, it’s not their fault. Perhaps cards were being undersold and we’ve just been enjoying the rewards of that.
People have and will always take advantage of markets in their favor. That goes for housing, sneakers, Beanie Babies and limited-edition action figures.
And yes, cards. After the boom and bust in the late 1980s and early 1990s, there were a lot of people who bought cards thinking they were investing in their kid’s college fund or their own retirement. However, most of those cards ended up not being worth the paper they were printed on.
What makes this time different?
Print runs are smaller than they were in the 1980s and 1990s. While it may not feel that way as many have dubbed this the “new junk wax era,” there aren’t as many companies creating cards, some product runs are extremely limited, and many of the hot cards are autographs or low-serial numbered cards.
There is an inevitable bubble that will burst – we saw that happen with Topps Project 2020 — but despite the pandemic and economic woes, the hobby bubble has remained intact.
2020 Topps Baseball’s Finest hobby boxes are selling for $500+, Mike Trout’s 2011 Topps Update Rookie Card is selling for thousands, and some cards are selling for millions.
(Photo courtesy: Goldin Auctions)
As long as demand is greater than supply, we will continue on the current trajectory.
When the bubble does burst, there are still going to be people who stick around and will help grow the hobby, which is something collectors have been eager for.
The issue is that everyone in the hobby wants things their way — on their terms. They want the hobby to grow, but only with the right “type” of collectors. They want more Mike Trout autographs, but only in their boxes so the cards don’t lose their value.
In other words, gatekeeping.
I get why some collectors do not enjoy the current trajectory. The influx of people has come with the rise in prices of wax and single cards. Wax has hit astronomical prices — hobby boxes of 2020 Topps Chrome sell for more than $200 — and it has priced a lot of people out. In retail, prices are more regulated, but now there are people camping out in the card aisle waiting for the local distributor to place cards on shelves.
It’s difficult to find new unopened product and difficult to find them at prices they were selling at a year or two ago. It’s frustrating because many collectors want to open packs and get the same thrill of the surprises of what might be inside.
The new flippers are doing the same thing. But they’re not looking for a PC card, but rather something they could sell for higher prices.
And here’s the catch – there are people willing to pay.
Some card-related YouTube channels have more than than 50,000 subscribers, while a number of Facebook groups have tens of thousands of members. There are a lot of people in this hobby and there is room for everyone.
To me, this is not a time to wallow in what has happened to the hobby, but to embrace the changes and welcome new people into the hobby. Use the time to streamline your collection or learn more about the hobby or past sets. Use the time to meet new collectors and reach out to learn what other people are into.
However you enjoy the hobby — whether it’s collecting all the cards you can, hanging on to only specific cards or selling them — there’s no wrong way to collect or be part of this hobby.
Just don’t scam people.
Topps remembers 1951 again
By Dan Good
Seeing new details on 2021 Topps Series 1 gives me hope.
I've been a stickler about Topps screwing up its anniversary celebrations and incorrectly honoring the wrong starting point for its baseball sets (the first sets came in 1951, one year ahead of the initial "flagship" release in 1952).
I was happy to see that the sell sheet for Series 1 includes the hobby-only 1951 All-Stars Box Toppers — "25 All-Star players are featured on one of Topps' earliest trading card designs." A mock-up of Ronald Acuńa Jr.'s card is shown.
The actual Major League All-Stars set featured 11 cards, three of which are short-printed. The fold-outs could be positioned to allow the players to stand. The 2-1/16” by 5-1/4” cards show a black-and-white photo of the players against a deep red background, and a nameplate includes player info and a facsimile signature.
Some — but definitely not all — of the biggest names in baseball were included: Robin Roberts, Yogi Berra, Larry Doby, Ralph Kiner. Others in the set, like 1950 NL MVP Jim Konstanty, saw momentary stardom during otherwise typical careers. The cards were issued alongside Connie Mack All-Stars, which honored 11 retired players.
The 2021 Topps cards don't appear to be die-cuts ... which is probably for the best when considering condition issues.
Are the 1951 releases comparable to 1952 Topps? Of course not. But they shouldn't be forgotten. They were first. It'd be like ignoring "The Seinfeld Chronicles," the pilot for "Seinfeld," and just jumping to the second episode. Or that the Houston Astros went by the Colt .45s for three seasons.
It remains to be seen whether Topps will carry its historical awareness throughout the production, release and promotion of 2021 Topps, but the 1951 All-Stars Box Toppers reflects a good first step for a product that is making history a top priority.
At the very least, it's the first time in 20 years that Topps acknowledged its first baseball sets during its flagship anniversary celebrations. And that's ... something.
Trading card news roundup
Dr. James Beckett’s Sports Card Insights: An interview with Dan Good
Sports Collectors Daily: Beckett Ownership Group Chairman Sentences to Seven Years in Prison
Sports Collectors Daily: Topps Team with One Team Partners; Launches First Bowman-Branded Soccer Products
Beckett Media: 2020-21 Upper Deck Allure Hockey Brings Back for the Shimmer for Sophomore Release
Beckett Media: 2016 Bowman Chrome Fernando Tatis Jr., Red Refractor Autograph Fetches Over $222,000