How much has the cost of the hobby increased?

[RareAirShoes]

That numbering point regarding Fleer caught my eye...considering that Fleer bankruptcy sale really 'sorted' things out (sarcstically). For my WNBA Lauren Jackson collection i added a Platinum /25, but there is NO number stamped on it. things like that are a worry.

 

[mattyj]

All,

At the end of the day, its just a bit of card board. We pay what we think the cards worth regardless of the value it worth or is going to reach. So just enjoy the hobby.

Exactly! just enjoy the hobby and dont worry about value, thats my philosophy aswell

 

[Dream34]

Exactly! just enjoy the hobby and dont worry about value, thats my philosophy aswell

We all are, we are just throwing around thoughts and facts about the costs over the years. It makes for a great discussion

 

[chadjaja]

Its not a matter of what the price is going to reach. More of what will hold. When you are spending over $300 on each card etc you want to make the right choice in what you are buying. Admittingly I'll overpay for a card I REALLY want but no one wants to lose out hundreds of dollars in the long term based on some bad choices.

If I paid $1000 for a card in 1992 and now I could buy it for $100 I would be a bit cut. Even if I could afford to spend the money at the time and thought it was a good price.

 

[wolvesjr34]

Chad, I love reading your posts on card collecting... especially about vintage cards, because really I don't have a clue and I find it quite interesting and educational to have a read of your thoughts.... I like threads like this, cos I can share my uneducated opinion and then sit back and enjoy the opinion/knowledge of other members of this forum.

 

[chadjaja]

Thanks AJ. Some of its thoughts and some of its opinion. In the hobby most of the advice given out is a mixture of both. The one good thing that effects my niche in the hobby is that hype plays on a small part in the pricing. That will always make vintage a more stable part of it price wise.

I learn a lot each day too from the guys collecting the cutting edge or just released stuff as well. Its a two way street. :-D

 

[wolvesjr34]

Ha and here I am collecting whatever I can afford.... lol

 

[Benny J]

If I paid $1000 for a card in 1992 and now I could buy it for $100 I would be a bit cut. Even if I could afford to spend the money at the time and thought it was a good price.

If you are buying cards to make money you should stop now. There are exceptions to the rule of course (Ie. Vintage etc) but for the most part the money we are spending now, we are for the enjoyment of what we do.

I didnt get back into card collecting to make money, i am doing it because i enjoy it, and what comes with it...ie. This site .

I am still amazed at some people (Serf21 from Beckett) who seem to buy case after case of exquisite cards and somehow expect to make money??[-X

 

[Richo]

If you are buying cards to make money you should stop now. There are exceptions to the rule of course (Ie. Vintage etc) but for the most part the money we are spending now, we are for the enjoyment of what we do.

I didnt get back into card collecting to make money, i am doing it because i enjoy it, and what comes with it...ie. This site .

I am still amazed at some people (Serf21 from Beckett) who seem to buy case after case of exquisite cards and somehow expect to make money??[-X

I agree, that is why I took to collecting a cheaper player but one that still plays for the team I support Mind you there was a time when I made some BIG $$$ on Jordan cards (Most of you would remember when ALL hs cards went through the roof).

 

[WoobieZarz]

Quite a few interesting comments.

I dont agree on the "it's just a bit of card board" bit. I mean yes, it is, but seriously it means a lot more than that to ya! I know it does to me! And I'm sure it does to others here. Maybe not Chad, since he wipes his arse with one of them....

I havent (yet) stopped to look at my PC and wonder "will it be worth anything in 5 years". It all depends on the player. Quick answer is, "probably not".

Lebron James' would probably be the most guaranteed player to sit on, but he would need to win win win (Championships that is) to actually GET somewhere.

As for my case, Devin Harris.. I dont see him leading the Mavs or any other team anywhere. He's not a leader in the NBA. So his cards wont sky rocket, and start selling dramatically, EVEN if the Mavs won the Championship this year.

I'm happy knowing all this.

I never collected Charles Barkley all those years ago, wondering if he'd amount to anything. I collected cos it was an interest in him, and his game. Same still applies for Harris/Mavs.

I do stop and think sometimes, "damn, did I spend $100 on that"... or something along those lines. But it's cool. I dont drink (well not every day), I dont smoke, so I should be able to spend XYZ on ABC.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, spending money on the hobby has changed, absolutely. Stuff that I used to collect is a hell of a lot cheaper these days (hence my projects I got going), but keeping up these days, is harder.

Will cards hold their values? Stuff from this day and age, probably not. In 2 years time there could be another standout 1st Round Pick, and Lebron James Autos will be $10.... Who knows... I guess you could call new-age players "FADS" They change every year.....

 

[WoobieZarz]

And I dont think "serf" buys cards to make money.... I mean if ya buy a case of Exquisite, you're bound to get something back (f-ckin hope so!!! lol).

Who paid $100(ish) for that box here and pulled the MJ Auto? Sold it for how much? He didnt do it to make money... just happend to get a great bust, and be able to make money.

I bust boxes for 2 reasons. Hoping to pull something for myself (usually a Harris) or to get trade bait for stuff I want.

 

[chadjaja]

Its the old saying. Got to spend money to make money.

 

[Benny J]

Its the old saying. Got to spend money to make money.

Yeah but what are the odds of making money from "investing" in cards....in the long run i mean (from modern day cards...ie post 1985)

. It may be easy to make a few bucks on a card in a week (ie. buy it cheap from ebay and then resell it), but in the long term it is not likley!!!

 

[mattyj]

Im the same as MavsMan - i bust boxes hoping to get something for my PC or some trade bait to get something for my PC or in the case of reflections im hoping to get ripped off my Upper Deck LOL

but i think most people wont make money out of cards - i did say most not all

 

[chadjaja]

If you had of got onto exquisite early enough there was plenty to be made in a very short time. That is pretty obvious now.

This thread isn't about the 'future' value as much as the difference in cost between Aussie eras and what you get etc.

 

[justdabestcards]

In summary, NOW is the time to be buying BASKETBALL cards of any kind. Prices are at a LOW(compared to 10 years ago) and can't go down much more - especially VINTAGE AND PRE 96. I have been telling this to people who come into the shop for years now and I believe it's true.

Thanks for backing me up Chad

Most of the fluctuation for vintage occured in the past when information on those sets was small and miss understood. They have levelled out now that we know more and they wont go down much more if any. When the card industry had another boom in 91+ Beckett simply overpriced a lot of them and with the attitude of the time collectors paid too much. BV influences vintage pricing little these days unlike modern cards ;-)

Like I pointed out even the Russell RC lost $800 in BV since 94 but has remained the same for a long time and the price of graded ones continues to climb. I've seen a price increase for a psa 6 Russell go up $200US in he last 3 years for eg.

 

[chadjaja]

You're right there to a degree. Who can possibly lose out on auto card for $5 etc.