Will Football cards ever take over?

tennesseebanker

Now that Football seems to be the #1 sport by most americans, Does anyone believe that Football cards will someday take over and be more popular than Baseball cards? I have been collecting both for 30 years. Baseball during baseball season and football year round.

carew4me

sssshhhh...dont tell anybody

thefootballcardstore

I am counting on it. I'd say the odds are with me. Jeremy

tennesseebanker

That'a a sweet L.T. rookie you got, Wish I could spare the cheese.

AlanAllen

As much as a proponent of football I am, I don't know if football collecting will surpass baseball collecting, at least not in vintage. Baseball in general and baseball cards in particular just have more history and more momentum behind them. That said, I think vintage football collecting will continue to gain against baseball in a relative sense. In other words, a higher ratio of hobby dollars will go towards football vs. baseball in the future. I don't see how it could it could be otherwise.

Joe

bobbybakeriv

Many collectors of baseball cards are not actual baseball fans (memorabilia fanatics, etc.). I don't believe football card collecting crosses over as broadly. Personally, I don't think collecting football cards will surpass collecting baseball cards anytime soon.

tennesseebanker

As the nation gets older I believe they will go towards football and football cards. baseball cards were at thier height in popularity when people from the 1930's and 40's were collecting the ruth's, dimaggio's and Mantle's they remembered as children. Now that football is the most popular sport in the nation and the nation gets older and has more disposable income they will want to collect thier childhood memories also. those memories will come from Football. I haven't sit down and watched a complete baseball game in years. But if it's football season I will watch football from saturday to monday.Baseball will always have a certain degree of popularity. But Football has taken over and card prices should soon reflect that.

thefootballcardstore

<< <i>Baseball in general and baseball cards in particular just have more history and more momentum behind them >>



This is very true, and one of the best things baseball collecting has going for it in the long run.
Although I think football card collecting will come close to baseball collecting much in the sense Joe described, honestly I doubt it would ever pass baseball outright. Jeremy

Yes the LT is very much Gem Mint, very nice looking, thanks!

gemint

People have been asking this question at least for the past 20 years. Though football cards have made strides over the years, it doesn't appear football will surpass baseball in terms of collecting popularity. Aside from the reasons already mentioned, I think another can be attributed to the fact that baseball is more an individual sport where each player has more visibility. For example, fans are more likely to know who the second baseman was for the 1982 Cardinals than would remember who was the nose tackle for the 1984 Miami Dolphins. Therefore, collectors more closely identify with baseball players than football players aside for a handful of star players at key positions.

tennesseebanker

I think it used to be that way but as more and more people gradually watch more football they will be able to name the nose takle from the 81 saints or whatever. You have to remeber as a sport football compared to baseball id still in it's infancy. Just look at how many people watch the Super Bowl vs. The world series. look at how fast Football has grown in popularity over the past 30 years.

calleocho

Football is an american sport. baseball on the other hand is played in all of north america, asia , the caribean and its somewhat popular in other parts of the world.

i grew up in Cuba and while everyone love baseball , i think i heard of football , maybe once or twice. even though i now understand the game, back then it seemed barbaric and extremetly violent...which feeds the rest of the world sterotypes that americans are quite angry lol

it simply doesnt have the crossover appeal of baseball, nor the history.

i think that the baseball fan has a day in day out mentality, while the football fan might be way more intense but its just once a week.

when this mentality is translated to collecting it gives you a better idea why football cards wont overtake baseball cards anytime soon.

All that being said, i do believe football cards are somewhat undervalued, they might have the highest growth potential of all sports cards.

basketball cards on the other hand...i dont seem them gaining in price dramatically even if the NBA gets more popular worldwide

gemint

<< <i>I think it used to be that way but as more and more people gradually watch more football they will be able to name the nose takle from the 81 saints or whatever. You have to remeber as a sport football compared to baseball id still in it's infancy. Just look at how many people watch the Super Bowl vs. The world series. look at how fast Football has grown in popularity over the past 30 years. >>



I disagree. I watch a fair amount of football (I never miss a Steeler game) and most players from opposing teams are unknown to me. Even division rivals that play the Steelers twice a year have many players I've never heard of. I watch baseball less frequently but I know most of the players. This is because each player takes center stage during the game. Every starter either bats or pitches and when they do, they have the audiences' undivided attention. In football, unless someone handles the ball or makes a great play, their name probably won't even get mentioned during the game. This is particularly true of the linemen.

Though I probably watch more football than baseball, my collecting focus is devoted entirely to baseball.

tennesseebanker

You have some valid points Gem Mint,I can see where the individualisim of baseball may come through better to some card collectors. But if I follow a player from college for four years and then through his entire pro career I am going to make sure that I have some of his cards. Something that we are leaving out here is the college aspect of the game, College football in most parts of the country is more popular than Baseball. So collectors can't wait when thier favorite college player turns pro to pick up some of his cards.I agree with you that most collectors will not go gaa gaa over a rookie card of a decent offensive lineman.But when you look at the people who handle the ball or great defensive players, I think football has as many superstar individuals as baseball.

ken61

As a rule, vintage Topps football cards are not as aesthetically pleasing as their baseball
counterparts. One gets the feeling that the production staff at Topps did not put the same effort
into creating football card designs (and put even less effort into hockey). I know there are
exceptions - the classic 71 set being a personal favorite - but overall I would say baseball cards
were a higher quality product. The airbrushed helmets from 1970 to 1981 certainly did not
help.

MonstersOTG

As a rule, vintage Topps football cards are not as aesthetically pleasing as their baseball
counterparts. One gets the feeling that the production staff at Topps did not put the same effort
into creating football card designs (and put even less effort into hockey). I know there are
exceptions - the classic 71 set being a personal favorite - but overall I would say baseball cards
were a higher quality product.


This is where we get into the matter of personal opinion. IMO the 1962-65 and 1969 football sets have a much better eye appeal than there baseball rivals.

Paul.

basketballfan78

I have been praying for years!!! But it seems doubtful.

celesterussell

Football are getting hot, especially late 60's and early 70's (72 high's always).

Also underrated cards are the Philadelphia Gum sets (except 67, which are absolute crap and the thinnist paper around).

tennesseebanker

I think the early Bowman Football sets are as aesthetically pleasing as any card ever made.

Spigrimace

I'm sure this varies state to state but I think that almost every American kid played little league baseball and dreamt of being a major leaguer while only maybe 20% of kids played football (Pop Warner, etc.). I also think generally that football players unfortunately have such short careers it's hard to relate to them except for the 1% who are superstars. I also think that Keyshawn & Randy Moss type attitudes don't help. Maybe they're just misunderstood. lol.

I don't know about the cards, but I hope a Sunday pitcher of beer & a dozen suicidal wings don't go up in price!