Baseball card collection?

Question

Is it me or does it seem like the market for baseball cards, even old ones, has depreciated (gone down in value)? I have a few rookie Dave Winfield. Years ago, I had once checked the value and it was worth $100. Now, EBAY says it is $8-12. Now, I know they are NOT making more of these cards, so is it just that EBAY and internet has increased the supply of these cards to the market. Same with my autographed baseballs of Pete Rose, Steve Carolton, Johnny Bench, Nolan Ryan and many others. I have every Topps cards from 1984 to 1995 as well. I just don't see the "sold my baseball card collection to put kid through college" stories anymore. Or am I totally missing something? I guess part of the autograph stuff is you need certificate of authenticity due to so many scams. I guess for me I handed them the ball to sign so its just memories with no value on the marketplace. But my cards???

Answer 1

I would say that there are a few factors

1) The ubber production of cards every year with the limited items, the inserts, the swatches, etc. No one seems interested in simply a card (or set) anymore unless it has bells and whistles. I saw "rookie cards" of hockey player Sidney Crosby go for $120 and he hadn't even stepped on the ice and the cards were available right then and there for purchase.

2) the quality of cards have gone up, focussing on the picture and holograms and stock quality, causing those great topps cards to be seen as inferior

3) fewer shops and more on-line stores. There are a number of ebay fueled stores that scoop up all the product and resell it at sometimes unreasonable rates.

4) grading. It's gotten to a point where someone is judging worth by it's grade and not how 'rare' it is. Since the older cards rarely grade as high as new ones, it will drive the price down.

Society is in the midst of the self-gratification phase and it's often not good that some people have lots, it's also equally important (to them) that others have less.

Answer 2

8 to 1

Answer 3

It is all supply and demand, and the demand part for baseball cards are way off. The real old stuff will always have demand and value will remain relatively stable but from 1987 on it is a real problem. You would have a difficult time getting half low book value, in Beckett, for just about anything after 1987.

Answer 4

No, you're spot-on. The market has tanked. There's a number of factors that caused it, and I don't have time for an essay right now, but part of it is the general economy.

If referencing any of the Beckett publications, remember that those numbers reflect what YOU WOULD PAY in the merchant market, and not (not nearly!) what you might get by selling. (Unless you had a particularly hot or popular item, but they tend to be rare.)

Answer 5

Not sure, maybe you can check in Beckett