📈Is the correction over? What cards look attractive with an upside potential?📈

[yiguiri2002]

Originally Posted by jcardstore

Minimum wage is such a pointless number to argue about because nobody is actually getting paid minimum wage. It's 1% or less of the working population.

I can go to any machine shop, industrial company, fed ex / ups, sanitation department... etc and get minimum $20-25/hr to start with 0 experience.

The problem isn't a lack of good paying jobs, it's 2 fold.

1) A growing number of people feel entitled to things they didn't earn. The "American Dream" is dead because people aren't believing in it anymore. That's not to say you can't make something of yourself with hard work, that's just saying eventually that group of people gives political power to legitimately destructive ideas like the potential mayor out in NYC.

2) 2 Generations of kids were told you're gonna be a loser and poor if you don't go to college. They took out 6 figs worth of loans for a degree that was useless, and not a small percentage of them either. My whole family were tradesman but my parents told me I was out of the house at 18 and I had no choice but college. My opinion on college is that unless you're doing law, medicine, or something in STEM you shouldn't go.

Lots of things are converging at once now. 2 generations of liberal art majors who can't get jobs, now with uncertainty around AI even the software engineering kids can't find jobs. Just saw a stat that out of college unemployment was over 5% (which is really high).

All of that aside, the wealth gap is just accelerating the divisions. You can't deny that since post GFC with QE, the asset holders have become incredibly rich while the "renters" have had more and more of their money sucked away. Inflation is really just the rate at which your currency is getting diluted. That's why assets go up so fast because they are all nominal. The people holding the dollars get screwed and the people holding the assets benefit from all that extra money.

Are you saying that about yourself or any rando/HS graduate? Because that's not really the case for the second group even in big cities.

Agree about the rest though (at least most of it)

[premium1981]

Originally Posted by yiguiri2002

Are you saying that about yourself or any rando/HS graduate? Because that's not really the case for the second group even in big cities.

Agree about the rest though (at least most of it)

A quick check of your county shows a police officer makes $87,000 a year with an additional $20,000 sign on bonus. Requires a HS diploma and a valid drivers license. I would venture a guess without digging deeper that the listing is always open because there are always openings at police departments. That is much more than the hourly rate he used.

[mfw13]

Originally Posted by premium1981

A quick check of your county shows a police officer makes $87,000 a year with an additional $20,000 sign on bonus. Requires a HS diploma and a valid drivers license. I would venture a guess without digging deeper that the listing is always open because there are always openings at police departments. That is much more than the hourly rate he used.

Becoming a police officer requires more than a HS diploma and valid driver's license.....you need to be able to complete training at a police academy for starters, which many people cannot do, as well as meeting physical and mental health standards. Many police departments are having trouble finding enough qualified candidates to hire.

[premium1981]

Originally Posted by mfw13

Becoming a police officer requires more than a HS diploma and valid driver's license.....you need to be able to complete training at a police academy for starters, which many people cannot do, as well as meeting physical and mental health standards. Many police departments are having trouble finding enough qualified candidates to hire.

Why can't they pass the training? Too out of shape? Again, a choice. The majority can pass a standard mental health screening. And, that was just an example of a good paying job that does not require a degree. There are many others. I realize that everyone is not meant to be in a job like that.

[oldgoldy97]

Oh, what sheltered lives we lead.

[jcardstore]

Originally Posted by yiguiri2002

Are you saying that about yourself or any rando/HS graduate? Because that's not really the case for the second group even in big cities.

Agree about the rest though (at least most of it)

For any person.

There are a lot of good paying jobs that require 0 prior training or degree but people don’t want to do them.

They want to WFH and make 6 figures sending emails and moving their mouse 5x a day because that’s what college sold them

[imbluestreak23]

Originally Posted by KhalDrogo

I’m not sure how this disproves what I said. Housing affordability is at an all-time low already. The median home price in the US is $419k. Not that it’s a hard line, but how many individuals or couples in their 20s to 40s can afford an $84k down payment?

I bought my first home for $179k in 2013. 1600 sqft. What people used to call a starter home. Sold it for $237k in 2020. The couple that bought it sold it for $300k in 2023. The Zestimate on it now is $336k. Thats almost double the down payment, double the insurance, and double the property tax on top of whatever increase utilities and maintenance has seen. This is insurmountable for most.

I disagree 100% with the notion that home prices are not tied to rates. This is not true.

[yiguiri2002]

Originally Posted by jcardstore

For any person.

There are a lot of good paying jobs that require 0 prior training or degree but people don’t want to do them.

They want to WFH and make 6 figures sending emails and moving their mouse 5x a day because that’s what college sold them

There are lots of decent jobs like that but some of them require skill and they are not for everyone.

Even in big cities, you won't be able to walk into a place and get paid $25 an hour with no skill or experience. $20 is a reach and there are a few places that offer that but in very specific locations.

But even at that, if you are an 18 year old that can make 40-45 grand a year in your first job and it has some upwards mobility, it's a better option than some college degrees.

[Asian62150]

Originally Posted by jcardstore

For any person.

There are a lot of good paying jobs that require 0 prior training or degree but people don’t want to do them.

They want to WFH and make 6 figures sending emails and moving their mouse 5x a day because that’s what college sold them

Sure but I wouldn't blame it all on college, either. They also see ppl making millions being "influencers", socialites, or playing video games.

I think Barkley said one time it's better for poor kids to look up to business executives/leaders instead of athletes because it's a more realistic path forward.

[JoshMN]

Originally Posted by premium1981

The "American Way" and "Keeping up with the Jones" is what has caused this. The current generation looks back at the boomers and says its all their fault. Yes, it was easier back then, I get it. But life was different and we have chose as a society to increase our standard of living. I saw someone post a video on this not too long ago and he noted some changes from today versus when he grew up in the 80's.

-A family with 3-4 kids does not need a house with 4-5 bedrooms. Kids shared rooms in the boomer generation.

-A family had 1 vehicle, and it was probably 10-20 years old. The dad fixed the vehicle if something was wrong with it. People did their own oil changes, rotated their own tires, etc.

-Going out to eat was for special occasions, maybe once a month or two if lucky. Now some families grab breakfast at McDonalds on the way out, and dinner from wherever on the way back in.

-The family had 1 phone, and it was attached to the wall.

-Kids got 1 pair of shoes for school and it way from Pay Less, they were not Air Jordans.

-The moms usually cut the kids hair, not a $50-$100 haircut fee every month or so.

-No one carried credit card debt, because that wasn't a thing. Some people are paying more in interest on credit cards now than they pay for rent.

-Gym memberships were not a thing. You got fit by working, even as a kid. My family had a small farm when I was a kid. I was dragging hay bales that weighed as much as I did.

-You didn't pay anyone to cut your grass or clean your house. And even now, if someone cuts their own grass they usually have a really nice newer mower, not an old one that didn't cost much.

-As a family, community, church, you passed clothes down to kids that were younger than you. That rarely happens now.

This type of list can go on and on. But the point is that we have chosen, as a society, to change how we live. That is fine and well, but you cannot complain about how things were "back in the day" if you don't want to live a comparable life. And even so, with things being so expensive now, you can still do it. There are more opportunities today than ever before, and there is more money flowing now than ever before. People are generally just too lazy to go get it. As you said, sacrifice is needed to get there. But no one wants to do that. They want it all wrapped up real nice and purty and handed to them.

This list does not include the biggest reason for all the changes in American Lifestyle since the 70s and 80s:

-The family had 1 job, and it was Dad's. Dad's job also included free healthcare and a pension, so they didn't have to spend any part of the family's money on retirement and medical bills. Because Mom didn't need a job, she could stay home and tackle the cooking, cleaning, hair cuts and other stuff on your list.

Women desiring careers and entering the workforce en masse greatly increased the productivity and success of this country, but also greatly increased the cost of living, especially housing.

I hate to break it to you, but women aren't going back to the 1950s... when you say 1980s, you really mean the end of the 1950s lifestyle. Keeping up with the Joneses is for sure part of the problem nowadays, but that is mostly the fallout from lots of families with two good salaries instead of one.

[anusinha]

Originally Posted by yiguiri2002

There are lots of decent jobs like that but some of them require skill and they are not for everyone.

Even in big cities, you won't be able to walk into a place and get paid $25 an hour with no skill or experience. $20 is a reach and there are a few places that offer that but in very specific locations.

But even at that, if you are an 18 year old that can make 40-45 grand a year in your first job and it has some upwards mobility, it's a better option than some college degrees.

In-N-Out burger pays $20+/hr to start and the managers make over 150k a year.

[yiguiri2002]

Originally Posted by anusinha

In-N-Out burger pays $20+/hr to start and the managers make over 150k a year.

Are you agreeing or disagreeing with me? I actually think that helps the point I'm making

[imbluestreak23]

Everyone has made valid, true points. I like to equate the current economic outlook to a game of Monopoly. A monopoly game of 4 players typically takes a couple hours. Everyone starts with a couple hundred bucks and the opportunity to buy land/property. As that property gets bought up, in come the houses, then multiple houses, then hotels. Of course there are some properties that are more valuable than others (boardwalk).

It would be very difficult to say that a 5th player, entering the game midway, with the same starting amount of money, would have the same opportunity to "succeed." Can anyone succeed today? Yes, absolutely. I'm very proud of the small piece of pie I've cut out for myself. Is it incorrect to acknowledge that, on a sliding scale of difficulty on a scale of 0 = unlimited opportunity to 100 = opportunity has vanished that, over the past few decades, we are inching up that scale? No, it would not be incorrect. Wealth indeed continues to concentrate in the hands of those that have, and once you have a critical mass of people that have, who continue to buy more and more and more, it begins to exponentially shrink the amount of opportunity that newcomers will be able to reep.

You can be 1) conservative 2) right leaning 3) bible thumping 4) capitalist and still maintain the position outlined above

[premium1981]

Originally Posted by JoshMN

This list does not include the biggest reason for all the changes in American Lifestyle since the 70s and 80s:

-The family had 1 job, and it was Dad's. Dad's job also included free healthcare and a pension, so they didn't have to spend any part of the family's money on retirement and medical bills. Because Mom didn't need a job, she could stay home and tackle the cooking, cleaning, hair cuts and other stuff on your list.

Women desiring careers and entering the workforce en masse greatly increased the productivity and success of this country, but also greatly increased the cost of living, especially housing.

I hate to break it to you, but women aren't going back to the 1950s... when you say 1980s, you really mean the end of the 1950s lifestyle. Keeping up with the Joneses is for sure part of the problem nowadays, but that is mostly the fallout from lots of families with two good salaries instead of one.

If a man cannot provide for his family they are a failure, even in 2025. Working 8 hours and drinking a 6-pack every evening might not get it done. Do better. My wife works because she enjoys what she does, but since the day I proposed to her I said she would never have to work a day if she didn't want to. I would work 4 jobs if I needed to in order to pay the bills.

Excuses over and over. Sure, people had pensions back then, but you can make more money today than you could back then and more than make up the difference. Same with healthcare, work hard enough or smart enough to buy a good policy. Most of this is mindset. You ask poor people why they are poor and they give you a list of excuses and reasons why they cannot do better. You ask successful people how they became succesful they tell you about what obstacles they overcome to get to where they are today. Again, very few people are just handed money on a silver platter, even though the poor mindset makes you think everyone above you was just given everything.

If you lived in rural Africa or India, sure you were born into the wrong area and its hard to overcome. Not in this country. If you are poor in this country its almost always by choice. Feel free to respond with list of reasons why people are broke and can never do better.

[asujbl]

Originally Posted by premium1981

The "American Way" and "Keeping up with the Jones" is what has caused this. The current generation looks back at the boomers and says its all their fault. Yes, it was easier back then, I get it. But life was different and we have chose as a society to increase our standard of living. I saw someone post a video on this not too long ago and he noted some changes from today versus when he grew up in the 80's.

-A family with 3-4 kids does not need a house with 4-5 bedrooms. Kids shared rooms in the boomer generation.

-A family had 1 vehicle, and it was probably 10-20 years old. The dad fixed the vehicle if something was wrong with it. People did their own oil changes, rotated their own tires, etc.

-Going out to eat was for special occasions, maybe once a month or two if lucky. Now some families grab breakfast at McDonalds on the way out, and dinner from wherever on the way back in.

-The family had 1 phone, and it was attached to the wall.

-Kids got 1 pair of shoes for school and it way from Pay Less, they were not Air Jordans.

-The moms usually cut the kids hair, not a $50-$100 haircut fee every month or so.

-No one carried credit card debt, because that wasn't a thing. Some people are paying more in interest on credit cards now than they pay for rent.

-Gym memberships were not a thing. You got fit by working, even as a kid. My family had a small farm when I was a kid. I was dragging hay bales that weighed as much as I did.

-You didn't pay anyone to cut your grass or clean your house. And even now, if someone cuts their own grass they usually have a really nice newer mower, not an old one that didn't cost much.

-As a family, community, church, you passed clothes down to kids that were younger than you. That rarely happens now.

This type of list can go on and on. But the point is that we have chosen, as a society, to change how we live. That is fine and well, but you cannot complain about how things were "back in the day" if you don't want to live a comparable life. And even so, with things being so expensive now, you can still do it. There are more opportunities today than ever before, and there is more money flowing now than ever before. People are generally just too lazy to go get it. As you said, sacrifice is needed to get there. But no one wants to do that. They want it all wrapped up real nice and purty and handed to them.

I feel attacked

[KhalDrogo]

Originally Posted by imbluestreak23

I disagree 100% with the notion that home prices are not tied to rates. This is not true.

Maybe we’re talking past each other. Housing prices do nothing but go up over long enough periods of time. Outside of the GFC, housing prices haven’t declined in 50 years. That’s through high rates, low rates, and everything in between.

Now, we may see a decline in median prices thanks to mass deportations. However, I think it’s going to be very regional and very price range specific.

[dizzy4111]

Originally Posted by oldgoldy97

Oh, what sheltered lives we lead.

Yeah this thread is wild the past few pages. Complete disconnect from the reality 99% of people face.

[ninjacookies]

Gubment shutdown finna make kards n' krypto do the harlem shake.


Jim Cramer told me so.

[tjforce]

My visual representation of the last few pages of this thread.


Hey, anyone got any basketball cards that have done well lately?

[yiguiri2002]

Originally Posted by tjforce

My visual representation of the last few pages of this thread.


Hey, anyone got any basketball cards that have done well lately?

My Curry Downtown (the OG one) has gone up like 50% in the last couple of months.

Weird is that a PSA10 is almost 6x as the PSA9 (according to the PSA estimate lol)

[Asian62150]

Originally Posted by yiguiri2002

My Curry Downtown (the OG one) has gone up like 50% in the last couple of months.

Weird is that a PSA10 is almost 6x as the PSA9 (according to the PSA estimate lol)

Yeah that one has been going crazy.

July 27 - $6600 PSA 10
Sept 22 - $8200 for BGS 9.5 w/ 9 surface

[Torro]

Originally Posted by KhalDrogo

Nothing like a European who spent 3 months doing D2D sales in the US probably 15-20 years ago trying to educate you on your ignorance of the American wealth structure.

Amazing how you are looking for angle to put even this in a negative light, tell us what you did on your summers breaks lol.

That really proves my point if anything. Seriously, you made it, generational wealth, what a happy and positive feeling that must be! But why are you constantly here trying to bring people down for whatever ideas or opinions they share, why so grumpy. To you think that you are better than everyone else and look get daily validation for it here?

I stay by my take that macro will get better in 2026-2027, average people will have more exposable income and Fanatics has a huge opportunity to expand the hobby to international markets, especially Europe seems to have the most potential for growth in terms of hobby participant. I’m optimistic about the future of the hobby, let’s see how things play out!

[Torro]

Originally Posted by tjforce

My visual representation of the last few pages of this thread.


Hey, anyone got any basketball cards that have done well lately?

My whole Kobe PC is doing very well, but im not looking it as a profit, more like what I saved as I would need to pay way more (like 50-100% more) for many awesome PC pieces I bought in 2023-24. Also some Derrick Rose early bulls stuff, extremely happy I pulled the trigger around 2023 on some of this stuff

[auctionjmm]

Originally Posted by mfw13

Becoming a police officer requires more than a HS diploma and valid driver's license.....you need to be able to complete training at a police academy for starters, which many people cannot do, as well as meeting physical and mental health standards. Many police departments are having trouble finding enough qualified candidates to hire.

Originally Posted by premium1981

Why can't they pass the training? Too out of shape? Again, a choice. The majority can pass a standard mental health screening. And, that was just an example of a good paying job that does not require a degree. There are many others. I realize that everyone is not meant to be in a job like that.

The problem is the screening is far too rigid in all the wrong areas. Example, one of the questions is: Have you EVER taken a prescription medication that wasn't prescribed to you? They ask this while hooked up to a lie detector test. I know someone who failed multiple screenings because his answer was "My mom once gave me one of her muscle relaxers when I strained my back in high school". It was such a stupid reason to reject him.

I agree with everything else though. I just wanted to reply to this specifically because I work with cops and they all have crazy stories about failing screenings for some of the dumbest reasons you can imagine. You basically have to take 12 tests and hope one city/suburb lets you slide on that particular question (or whatever question is giving you difficulty).

[premium1981]

Originally Posted by auctionjmm

The problem is the screening is far too rigid in all the wrong areas. Example, one of the questions is: Have you EVER taken a prescription medication that wasn't prescribed to you? They ask this while hooked up to a lie detector test. I know someone who failed multiple screenings because his answer was "My mom once gave me one of her muscle relaxers when I strained my back in high school". It was such a stupid reason to reject him.

I agree, it was just one example of a job that pays well with no experience or higher education. Everyone is not cut out to do every job. But there are jobs for pretty much anyone who actively seeks one. Heck, I was right in the center of the Hurricane Helene disaster in NC. There were cleanup crews paying good money for anyone to just to clear debris. They were literally on the news saying they would hire anyone who would show up and work. The whole point of my response (and I pretty sure you are agreeing) is that lack of jobs and opportunities are not the problem.

I just shake my head when I read the responses about being out of touch with reality. That's the problem. I'm not out of touch, I know exactly how people live and why they live that way. I grew up with nothing and I have been broke. The reality is people in our country have made poor decisions and dig themselves into holes. Then they sit down and complain about the hole they just dug. That is the reality. Before I became self employeed I had these conversations with co-workers because they knew I like finance topics, especially personal finance. I had multiple people talk about how bad their financial situation was, and usually within 5 minutes it was easy to pinpoint why they were there and why they haven't gotten out of it. One guy literally opened up his bank account online to get me to break down his expenses because he wanted a budget. He had spent hundreds on pizza over the previous month. HUNDREDS. Another guy was always complaining about being broke and needing his next paycheck. He traded vehicles 4 times in 2 years, always trading up for a bigger payment. And we won't even bother talking about the money smoked or drank away on cigarettes and booze. Again, hundreds every month. SELF INFLICTED WOUNDS. Forgive me for not feeling sorry for people who do this to themselves. So yes, I am fully in touch with reality. People are bad with money and choose not to change their ways.