Baseball Cards Are "Out"

March 2012

Baseball cards were the kings of collectibles in the 1950s as boys collected the cards found in packs of gum, traded them, or used them to make an engine noise by wedging the cards in bicycle spokes. By the 1960s, grown men were major collectors. They were going to shows and spending amazing amounts of money for rarities like Honus Wagner tobacco cards or Mickey Mantle rookie cards. The rush was on and soon many new makers were selling sets of baseball cards and there were hundreds of shows and sales. Today the mania is ending. Card prices are low, show attendance is down, and young collectors are rarely seen. CBS News did a detailed report on all of this. You can find it here. They left out one of the reasons the collectors are avoiding the cards. There are a lot of counterfeit cards on the market--just as there are so many fake sports-star autographs--which makes collectors afraid to buy.

baseball-cards-collection

Photo: 1980s Topps® and Fleer® cards, Newsroom.dc.gov

Comments

|Guidelines

imp4337 - I disagree

|03-28-2012 17:09:59

Hello,

I have been buying and selling sports cards for the last 5 years. In
fact, it is the primary way I make my living. I am proud to say the hobby is
alive and well. There is a very healthy eBay market for cards with over 5
million current listings. There are also a plethora of other websites that
specialize in sports cards including: Sportsbuy, sportslots, checkoutmycards,
etc. I also have good luck selling new and old cards in my store which deals in
collectibles of all kinds. As far as shows go, the National Sports Collector
Convention just happened last week in Las Vegas. I am also aware of a show that
happens bi-monthly in Atlanta and another regular monthly show in
Goodlettsville, TN. These shows have been running for some time and are
successful. I agree that there are a lot of fake cards on the market, but there
are also several well respected and affordable grading and authentication
services available...

lednimedved - too many survive

|03-28-2012 18:55:43

All of your comments are accurate but I would add one more. When my dad was a
kid in the 40s and when I was a kid in the 70s, we played with the cards and
used them, handled them, etc. So very few survived in pristine shape and most
got thrown out so those that made it to the top, so to speak, were actually
valuable and some were actually scarce. The late 80s and 90s saw the spread of
card collecting that was anything but - people bought cards and never touched
them, just stored them and assumed they would be valuable so they all survived
and hence the low values and lack of interest today. This is also the case for
other toys, like dolls, cars, etc. Too much supply makes it to the end and
unless you played with it and enjoyed it as a kid, why would you want to collect
it when you are older?

sportsjerseys78 - Sports Card Market

|03-28-2012 20:22:10

I found the CBS episode to be interesting, yet very one sided... I agree that a
majority of the cards and memorabilia produced during the boom 1985 on have lost
the majority of their value... but people such as myself (early 30's) have found
a home in the hobby collecting older material which continues to maintain and
grow in value... Take a look at prices realized at some the major auction houses
around the US... price records continue to get smashed... The hobby at the lower
end will need to correct itself (much like the economy) in order to capture the
lower end of the market (in this case kids). I think if manufacturers were smart
they would reduce the amount of "chase cards", lower their per pack
price and offer greater value to the collector... just think what it would do
for a young collector if the $3 pack they just opened translated into $6 in
beckett book value!!!

Baseball cards are like coins... Gold and silv...

bp305 - Another Point of View

|03-29-2012 21:19:07

One of the most successful sports cards and memorabilia shows in the country,
the Ohio Sports Collector Convention, takes place April 13-15, in Strongsville,
Ohio. If you think the card hobby is dead, a visit to this show will suggest
otherwise. I did not see the CBS account of the decline in card collecting,
which is news to me! Cards are selling for record-setting amounts, and there is
always stiff competition for quality items. Therein may lie the discrepancy
with the past. I contrast to years ago, collectors are more discriminating and
more selective as independent third-party grading has changed the hobby
dramatically. Condition as well as scarcity, age and popularity are factors for
which collectors now have statistics and reliable numbers and expert opinions
available to them. I have been in the hobby four years (with over 500 eBay
transactions)and I am amazed how many neophytes (less than 25 transactions) I am

You must be logged in to leave a comment. Login | Register

Join The Discussion

Kovels.com is pleased to share your information, experiences and observations. Comments you leave may be reprinted elsewhere in the site or in "Kovels on Antiques & Collectibles" newsletter. We encourage a variety of opinions, but ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, and remarks that are off-point. In order to post comments, you must be a registered user of Kovels.com. Your username will show along with the comments you post. Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts.

3.26 Copyright (C) 2008 Compojoom.com / Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."

About Kovels.com

Kovels on Antiques and Collectibles Newsletter

Help & Information

3.26 Copyright (C) 2008 Compojoom.com / Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."

Welcome

About Kovels.com

Kovels on Antiques and Collectibles Newsletter

Help & Information