is the hobby growing in size or are people just spending more?

Soxfanguy · 03-30-2019, 10:04 AM

I know people are spending more on cards but is it just the same people or new people?

ThoseBackPages · 03-30-2019, 10:05 AM

i think so

koncheng · 03-30-2019, 10:09 AM

I started collecting baseball cards for the first time 10 months ago at the age of 32... Hope that helps

ThoseBackPages · 03-30-2019, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by koncheng

I started collecting baseball cards for the first time 10 months ago at the age of 32... Hope that helps

have to ask.....

WHY?

rngrdanny22 · 03-30-2019, 10:13 AM

I'm definitely spending more. I'm a sample of one. I doubt that helps.

hairysasquatch · 03-30-2019, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Soxfanguy

I know people are spending more on cards but is it just the same people or new people?

Yes.

AwesomeBrian · 03-30-2019, 10:50 AM

Went to the Ohio Sports Collectors Convention yestereday. It was packed at opening at noon on a Friday, and the show is 99.5% vintage. All ages, male and female

daviswr7 · 03-30-2019, 10:54 AM

As a shop owner of many years now, the hobby is growing and new money and a lot more money is being invested in it...

TimBuckTwo · 03-30-2019, 11:04 AM

Yes. This is why I am keeping all my 90s Upper Deck and Donruss and Topps cards. They will be at a premium in a few years.

oddstuff · 03-30-2019, 11:12 AM

I believe both is happening...existing collectors/investors spending more...as well as new people entering the "hobby" as collectors and investors. Helped a lot with the fantastic rookie class last year (once in a decade at the minimum and possibly once in a generation) and a decent follow up group this year as well...and Trout mania.

dashcol · 03-30-2019, 11:13 AM

It’s both. Those who have been doing this for a while are spending more as their profits every year keep coming in. Those who have been in for a while know buy early and sit on it for two years if need be to return a profit.

Collectors buy when the prices are high, as they may not have known those cards were even available. Guys like Trout, Judge, Soto, Acuna, Ohtani etc have brought many people of my generation into casual collecting. To them paying $25 for a base Soto RC ungraded is the norm, for us that have been in a while it’s all profit! So we are willing to pay $15 in the winter for the card and collectors are willing to pay $25 as the season starts, and more when they go on a hot streak. There are more collectors than many think.

So like I said it’s both. Veteran collectors invest early and spend more, new collectors pay high and buy late.

BosPats1980 · 03-30-2019, 11:22 AM

I know I used to do a lot of buying and selling for a long time when I was younger, almost 20 years ago in my teenage years and early 20's. I then had to stop when I got married to help pay for a place to live, then kids came along. I started back up about 2 years ago because I am in a better situation in my late 30's, so I think more people like myself that used to do it and had to stop are maybe at a point again that they can get back into it and go back and buy the stuff that they loved from the 80's and 90's like Griffey and Jeter and also enjoy / see the potential of the newer stuff like Trout, Soto, Acuna, Guerrero, etc. At least I think that is the reason you are seeing those older cards move again and why some of the newer stuff is going for higher rates than ever before.

Basically that next generation of people are starting to get out of student loans / early life debt and have climbed up the ladder enough to have some disposable income.

SirTommyWinAlot · 03-30-2019, 12:36 PM

Junk Wax era 2.0

It's coming...

Peties Army · 03-30-2019, 02:44 PM

Wouldn’t spending more money also be growth? Ok

BigL7370 · 03-30-2019, 02:50 PM

“I like to make money,” VD

JoeAdam · 03-30-2019, 02:52 PM

This hobby will always mirror the overall economy. Right now things are good, if/when it turns people will spend less on cards. Hobbies are very cyclical.

daviswr7 · 03-30-2019, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeAdam

This hobby will always mirror the overall economy. Right now things are good, if/when it turns people will spend less on cards. Hobbies are very cyclical.

This. It won't always be gravy.

BOboy · 03-30-2019, 03:45 PM

youtube

mjohnatgt · 03-30-2019, 03:52 PM

We haven't had a recession or depression in about 8 years. And bitcoin happened and internet millionaires happened. And twentysomethings no longer save for houses, preferring to rent. So a large share of young people have large levels of disposable income.
Others went to college and are saddled with debt and hope to turn the small savings they have into a way to pay off that monstrous debt. So they, too, invest in baseball cards because they haven't gone down (as a whole market). Obviously players vary widely based on who you pick and what you spent initially.

Will be interesting the next time the market crashes.

rwperu34 · 03-30-2019, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeAdam

This hobby will always mirror the overall economy. Right now things are good, if/when it turns people will spend less on cards. Hobbies are very cyclical.

I've always wondered whether cardboard is a leading or lagging indicator....

phil · 03-30-2019, 07:18 PM

Breaking has expanding it a lot in the last few years, appealing to a crowd that wouldn't normally be ripping their own wax.

PuddleMonkey · 03-30-2019, 07:52 PM

I'm back into the hobby after a 25 year absence.

koncheng · 03-30-2019, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThoseBackPages

have to ask.....

WHY?

Went to a minor league game for the first time a few years back and really enjoyed it. Have been to several since then and i have picked up on watching mlb games as well. Got into collecting when soto started to get heat up.

premium1981 · 03-30-2019, 08:17 PM

The kids from the junk wax era are becoming stable with better paying jobs. That is the cause of most of the increase IMO. Kids born from 1975-1985 are in their 30's and 40's and have disposable income.

dashcol · 03-30-2019, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by koncheng

I started collecting baseball cards for the first time 10 months ago at the age of 32... Hope that helps

Quote:

Originally Posted by koncheng

Went to a minor league game for the first time a few years back and really enjoyed it. Have been to several since then and i have picked up on watching mlb games as well. Got into collecting when soto started to get heat up.

So why did you join this baseball card forum 6 1/2 years ago if you never collected?

03-30-2019, 10:04 AM	#1
Soxfanguy Member Join Date: Aug 2018 Location: White Sox Posts: 15,579 Soxfanguy	is the hobby growing in size or are people just spending more? I know people are spending more on cards but is it just the same people or new people? __________________ ok

03-30-2019, 10:05 AM	#2
ThoseBackPages Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Long Island Posts: 90,533 ThoseBackPages	i think so __________________ Pumpers Paradise #YouCryIBuy Four things that we cannot change each others minds about: Politics, Religion, Third Party Grading, and 2021 Bowman's Best Rookie Cards

03-30-2019, 11:13 AM	#11
dashcol Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: It's complicated Posts: 7,811	It’s both. Those who have been doing this for a while are spending more as their profits every year keep coming in. Those who have been in for a while know buy early and sit on it for two years if need be to return a profit. Collectors buy when the prices are high, as they may not have known those cards were even available. Guys like Trout, Judge, Soto, Acuna, Ohtani etc have brought many people of my generation into casual collecting. To them paying $25 for a base Soto RC ungraded is the norm, for us that have been in a while it’s all profit! So we are willing to pay $15 in the winter for the card and collectors are willing to pay $25 as the season starts, and more when they go on a hot streak. There are more collectors than many think. So like I said it’s both. Veteran collectors invest early and spend more, new collectors pay high and buy late. __________________ “A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.” Jackie Robinson “Never let your head hang down. Never give up and sit down and grieve. Find another way.” Satchel Paige.

03-30-2019, 02:44 PM	#14
Peties Army Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: St. Louis Posts: 19,516 buddywilshire2003	Wouldn’t spending more money also be growth? Ok __________________ Comment of the day “How many bees are killed by mowing?”- Boo

03-30-2019, 02:52 PM	#16
JoeAdam Member Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: Illinois Posts: 5,010 sjoteo joeadam	This hobby will always mirror the overall economy. Right now things are good, if/when it turns people will spend less on cards. Hobbies are very cyclical. __________________ @the_ace_of_cards on IG “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take - Wayne Gretzky” - Michael Scott

03-30-2019, 10:09 AM	#3
koncheng Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 251 koncheng	I started collecting baseball cards for the first time 10 months ago at the age of 32... Hope that helps

03-30-2019, 10:13 AM	#5
rngrdanny22 Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Posts: 12,372	I'm definitely spending more. I'm a sample of one. I doubt that helps.

03-30-2019, 10:50 AM	#7
AwesomeBrian Temporarily Suspended Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: NE O-H-I-O Posts: 6,011	Went to the Ohio Sports Collectors Convention yestereday. It was packed at opening at noon on a Friday, and the show is 99.5% vintage. All ages, male and female

03-30-2019, 10:54 AM	#8
daviswr7 Member Join Date: May 2013 Location: Dagobah Posts: 7,535	As a shop owner of many years now, the hobby is growing and new money and a lot more money is being invested in it...

03-30-2019, 11:04 AM	#9
TimBuckTwo Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Posts: 10,175	Yes. This is why I am keeping all my 90s Upper Deck and Donruss and Topps cards. They will be at a premium in a few years.

03-30-2019, 11:12 AM	#10
oddstuff Member Join Date: Dec 2017 Location: CA Posts: 5,223	I believe both is happening...existing collectors/investors spending more...as well as new people entering the "hobby" as collectors and investors. Helped a lot with the fantastic rookie class last year (once in a decade at the minimum and possibly once in a generation) and a decent follow up group this year as well...and Trout mania.

03-30-2019, 11:22 AM	#12
BosPats1980 Member Join Date: Mar 2019 Posts: 1,604 ddeld	I know I used to do a lot of buying and selling for a long time when I was younger, almost 20 years ago in my teenage years and early 20's. I then had to stop when I got married to help pay for a place to live, then kids came along. I started back up about 2 years ago because I am in a better situation in my late 30's, so I think more people like myself that used to do it and had to stop are maybe at a point again that they can get back into it and go back and buy the stuff that they loved from the 80's and 90's like Griffey and Jeter and also enjoy / see the potential of the newer stuff like Trout, Soto, Acuna, Guerrero, etc. At least I think that is the reason you are seeing those older cards move again and why some of the newer stuff is going for higher rates than ever before. Basically that next generation of people are starting to get out of student loans / early life debt and have climbed up the ladder enough to have some disposable income.

03-30-2019, 12:36 PM	#13
SirTommyWinAlot Banned Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: Gillette Stadium/Foxboro Posts: 6,545	Junk Wax era 2.0 It's coming...

03-30-2019, 02:50 PM	#15
BigL7370 Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 1,062	“I like to make money,” VD

03-30-2019, 03:45 PM	#18
BOboy Member Join Date: Oct 2018 Posts: 287	youtube

03-30-2019, 03:52 PM	#19
mjohnatgt Member Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Niceville, FL Posts: 14,769 mjohnatgt mjohnatgt	We haven't had a recession or depression in about 8 years. And bitcoin happened and internet millionaires happened. And twentysomethings no longer save for houses, preferring to rent. So a large share of young people have large levels of disposable income. Others went to college and are saddled with debt and hope to turn the small savings they have into a way to pay off that monstrous debt. So they, too, invest in baseball cards because they haven't gone down (as a whole market). Obviously players vary widely based on who you pick and what you spent initially. Will be interesting the next time the market crashes.

03-30-2019, 07:18 PM	#21
phil Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 8,793	Breaking has expanding it a lot in the last few years, appealing to a crowd that wouldn't normally be ripping their own wax.

03-30-2019, 07:52 PM	#22
PuddleMonkey Member Join Date: Mar 2019 Location: Pacific Northwest Posts: 4,671	I'm back into the hobby after a 25 year absence.

03-30-2019, 08:17 PM	#24
premium1981 Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: North Carolina Posts: 11,462	The kids from the junk wax era are becoming stable with better paying jobs. That is the cause of most of the increase IMO. Kids born from 1975-1985 are in their 30's and 40's and have disposable income.