Tag Archives: anymore

ARE BASEBALL CARDS VALUABLE ANYMORE

Leave a reply

The value of baseball cards has fluctuated significantly over the decades since the early production of stamped cardboard collectibles in the late 1800s. After peaking in the 1980s and 1990s, the baseball card market hit a low point around the 2008 recession as interest declined. In recent years there are signs that baseball cards may be gaining value again as a collectible nostalgic item.

While the 1980s are considered the golden era for high baseball card prices due to increased production and speculation, certain vintage cards from before that time can still command enormous sums. Iconic cards like the 1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner, of which only 50-200 are believed to exist, have sold for millions. In recent auctions an intact 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle rookie card achieved over $2.8 million. Other post-war stars in near-mint condition like 1954 Topps Hank Aaron rookie and 1956 Topps Sandy Koufax rookie can bring in six figures.

For the vast majority of cards mass produced in the 1970s-90s boom years though, single cards now have little intrinsic value except to avid collectors looking for specific years or players. Wax packs or boxes from this era can usually only fetch $5-20 unopened depending on the year and brand unless they contain a very rare find. The overproduction and consequent lack of scarcity for most modern cards limited continued demand and price growth compared to true vintage issues.

Certain stars from the late 20th century have started to accrue value as their rookie cards become vintage themselves. For example, a mint condition 1990 Topps Frank Thomas rookie just sold at auction for over $22,000, showing strong ongoing interest in one of the game’s all-time great hitters nearly 30 years later. Cards for other icons who played in the 1990s from Ken Griffey Jr to Derek Jeter can range from hundreds to thousands in top condition depending on year, brand and popularity of the player.

Graded and encased ‘gem mint’ samples tend to command the highest prices since third party certification gives buyers confidence in the card’s seemingly flawless quality. The rise of professional grading firms like PSA, BGS and SGC in the late 1980s helped create a more transparent marketplace and allowed for cards of any era to potentially retain value long-term if maintained in pristine condition.

In contrast to vintage issues, common base cards or duplicates from the 1970s onwards usually have very little monetary worth – often only a few dollars even in mint shape depending on the player featured. But for dedicated collectors, assembling full sets can still provide the enjoyment of chasing cardboard for nostalgia’s sake rather than focused solely on resale potential.

Modern production from the 21st century following the sports card peak has leveled off to a more niche hobby level as the bubble burst. While rookie cards for current MLB superstars like Mike Trout can carry mid-range values, generally any card produced after the turn of the century will need to be exceptionally rare or for an all-time transcendent talent to retain more than modest value a decade or more later.

There are promising signs that baseball cards are once again growing in popularity among newer generations of collectors. Driven partially by the rise of online auction sites giving the market more visibility, average sales and prices trended up in recent years according to industry trackers. Nostalgia for childhood pastimes and the appeal of old-fashioned card collecting for fun rather than investment purposes has also attracted a new wave of casual enthusiasts. As long as dedicated collectors and speculators remain who assign worth based on scarcity, condition and star power, certain eras and examples will always retain potential value that scales with the overall interest, enthusiasm and financial resources circulating within the sports card community.

While the vast majority of modern production baseball cards will likely remain affordable collectibles for nostalgia purposes more than significant monetary worth, high-grade vintage issues and select stars from the post-war era up to the 1990s can still achieve impressive auction prices fitting their iconic status and rarity. Whether in the hundreds, thousands or even millions, the most historically renowned cards featuring hobby legends will probably maintain value relationships to reflect their significance in the sport and popularity amongst those with a passion for the cardboard pieces of baseball’s history.

IS ANYONE BUYING BASEBALL CARDS ANYMORE

Leave a reply

While the pandemic dealt a blow to many industries, the baseball card hobby experienced a resurgence in interest and trading card sales increased dramatically from 2019 to 2021. According to industry insiders and market reports, the increased interest was driven by new collectors getting into the hobby, as well as former collectors rediscovering their interest during quarantines and downtime at home.

The rising prices seen in vintage cards from the 1950s up to the late 1980s helped spark new interest, as headline-grabbing auction prices in the tens of millions of dollars were regularly making news. This created greater awareness and excitement around the high-end vintage card market. At the same time, modern card products released since the early 2010s have consistently appreciated in value for star players like Mike Trout, Ronald Acuña Jr., and Juan Soto. Being able to imagine an investment holding or increasing in value fueled additional collectors pursuing modern cards of rising stars.

Card shops and hobby stores that sell new and vintage cards were swamped with demand they hadn’t seen in decades. Online trading card platforms like eBay, Beckett Marketplace, and PWCC also saw huge increases in new registrations and monthly active buyers and sellers. The spike in new collectors stretched the availability of some popular modern card products released in 2020, creating sellouts and aftermarket price spikes. Upper Deck’s The Cup football cards launched in early 2021 and sold out instantly online, with boxes fetching thousands on the secondary market within days.

While the pandemic played a role in the enthusiasm, the underlying factors appear sustainable beyond any short-term impacts. A younger generation of collectors in their 20s and 30s has embraced card collecting and investing. Many of these new collectors were first exposed to the hobby through opening packs as kids in the late 80s to 90s boom, and are now reconnecting as adults with greater discretionary income. Platforms like TikTok have further exposed younger audiences to the high-end card market.

At the same time, teams, leagues and card manufacturers have done more to combine cards with new digital and tech products. Partnerships between Topps and digital platforms like MLB’s Blockchain platform have created new areas of interest bridging the physical and digital card worlds. The NFL entered the market with its exclusive license to Panini in 2020. And collectors now have opportunities to get cards autographed and verified on the blockchain.

While the economic outlook remains uncertain, long-term trends appear favorable for the continued strength of the baseball card and overall trading card market. The growth of internet marketplaces sustains interest and competition for rare cards. An established vintage market that has been growing for decades provides a proven long-term investment asset class. And new collectors finding the hobby provide an injection that replaces collectors who move on. Although retail prices for new cards, boxes and cases have increased noticeably in the last year, the increased demand and competitive marketplace has ensured supply availability and collectible options remain plentiful across all budget levels.

Of course, there are always risks for any speculative market. A deeper recession could cut into discretionary spending on cards. Long-term, any significant decline in the popularity of baseball itself might negatively impact the sports memorabilia space over decades. But with strong international growth in baseball now, the aging out of old collectors seems mostly offset by new and returning collectors engaging with the current era of players. This dynamic suggests the 100-year old tradition of collecting baseball cards has a solid foundation and remains an active part of the broader collectibles market. While volatile like any collectibles market, the sustained interest at all levels indicates baseball cards will continue drawing collectors and traders for the foreseeable future.

BASEBALL CARDS WORTH ANYTHING ANYMORE

Leave a reply

Baseball cards have been a beloved hobby for over a century, with kids and adults alike collecting cards featuring their favorite players throughout the decades. With the rise of digital media and other entertainment options, many have wondered if baseball cards still hold value in today’s world or if they are just pieces of nostalgia with no real monetary worth. The answer is complex, but there are still definitely baseball cards out there that can be worth good money.

To understand the current value of baseball cards, it’s helpful to look at the history and factors that have impacted values over the years. In the early 20th century when baseball card collecting first started gaining popularity, cards were primarily included as incentives or promotions in packages of gum or tobacco. They were meant to be discarded after use of the product. As a result, many early cards from the 1910s-1950s survived in only small numbers and high-grade specimens can fetch huge prices today.

In the post-World War II era through the 1980s, baseball card collecting exploded as a mainstream hobby. Companies like Topps, Fleer and Donruss produced cards on a mass scale each year featuring the biggest stars and rookies. During the late 1980s speculative bubble, some modern rookie cards skyrocketed in value, like the famous Ken Griffey Jr. Upper Deck rookie which sold for over $100,000 in the early 1990s.

Once the bubble burst, many modern cards from the 1980s and early 1990s lost much of their value as there was an oversupply. This led to the perception that baseball cards in general were no longer a worthwhile investment. In the digital age as well, some felt that cards were outdated memorabilia.

So are baseball cards truly worthless now? Not at all. While it’s true there are billions of common cards from the past few decades that hold little monetary worth, there are still several factors that give certain cards potential value:

Star Power/Hall of Fame Candidates: Cards featuring all-time great players, especially their rookie cards, tend to hold value best. A near-mint Mickey Mantle rookie is worth well over $100,000 today. Cards of current superstars like Mike Trout can also gain value as their careers progress.

Grading/Condition: Just like in any collectible industry, condition is key. Highly-graded vintage cards in near-mint or gem mint condition will demand the highest prices on the resale market. Even recent cards can gain value if they receive top grades.

Authenticity: With modern printing technology, counterfeit cards have become a problem. Having a card authenticated and graded by a reputable third party company like PSA or BGS adds legitimacy and value.

Rarity: Lower print run sets, serially numbered parallels, autograph or relic cards have inherent scarcity that maintains interest. Promotional issues or error cards can also gain collector demand over time.

Nostalgia: Childhood favorite players from the 1970s-90s will always have nostalgia value to those who grew up collecting in that era. Sets like 1987 Topps, 1989 Upper Deck or 1992 Bowman hold special memories.

Investor Interest: There remains an entire community of card investors and experts who study the market and identify cards with long-term appreciation potential. This sustained interest provides stability and buyers.

Pop Culture Spotlight: When a player, team or set is in the popular culture/news cycle, related cards can see short-term price spikes. This was evident during the recent sports card boom.

While the vast majority of modern mass-produced baseball cards hold little financial worth, there are certainly categories of rare, graded cards that maintain and increase in value over time. For savvy collectors and investors, certain cards still represent worthwhile holdings, especially those tied to all-time great players. Condition, authenticity and specific desirable factors about an individual card will dictate its current price tag. Baseball cards as a hobby and potential investment remain viable, even in today’s digital world. For those with a passion, there are still baseball cards absolutely worth something.