B/S/T forum is depressing me - too many leaving hobby

mattinglymint23

Is it me or does it feel like more and more people on the board are leaving the hobby? Don't get me wrong I love having a shot at picking up great cards but to think so many people leaving the hobby is deflating.

Any views out there? Is this cyclical for the boards?

PowderedH2O

I don't think it is cyclical. I just sent the majority of my collection to Rick to sell. I am with many folks. I want to trim down to a few essentials and get rid of the rest. Going to sell off a couple hundred signed baseballs soon. The collecting was fun, but when it stops being fun, it is time to step away and/or get rid of it.

BPorter26

I'm not getting out of the hobby, I'm just down sizing. I'm going to concentrate and focus my collection on my first love Pittsburgh Pirate items. Cheer Up!!!

itzagoner

it is cyclical and it is quite difficult to just walk away altogether, but people have their reasons.

the best thing about cards is that there will always be more cards. if you wanna be in, you're in.

GB5HOF

and there are plenty of thirtysomethings like myself who left in their late teens who are now coming back. Life got in the way for a while...and now we are back, with some disposable income. Cheer up is right.

miklia

just look at the group rips here now compared to 3-4 years ago. you'll feel right as rain.

llafoe

addicted2ebay

<< <i>and there are plenty of thirtysomethings like myself who left in their late teens who are now coming back. Life got in the way for a while...and now we are back, with some disposable income. Cheer up is right. >>



+1

mattinglymint23

Thanks guys
Your replies and my just arrived BBcE box from group rip has cleared my head.
Thanks!

eyebone

i think bporter spoke for many. i know that sometimes i find myself with way more cards/memorabilia than i really have a desire for. i keep what i really want and sell off the rest. in fact, i have picked up alot of stuff recently and find myself with far too many things i simply don't want in my collection. i am doing a small show this coming weekend (my first and probably only one of the year) and hope to come home with alot less than i take with me. a lot less

eyebone

Bigjohn69

12-21-2012

perkdog

I sold everything I had about a year and a half ago, the main reason was I didnt want to hold on to over 10K worth of cards that in my opinion I wouldnt be able to recoup my money down the road, I seriously believe that the market will not hold its value but again thats just me.

brianwintersfan

I'm not totally getting out either but just selling off some stuff to put into my love of collecting music(cd's, 45's, vintage phonograph's).

larryallen73

I sold the majority of my cards last year and still feel great about it.

However, I enjoy coming on here and seeing what people are collecting, getting graded, etc.... Just a different enjoyment than before.

I enjoy driving my Porsche more than I enjoyed the cardboard in my safe.

The real question is not if people are leaving the hobby though. The question is are new people entering (or re-entering) the hobby? I don't know the answer. My son is interested in Magic the Gathering and other such non-sports cards. I imagine there are still kids collecting cards. Is it as much as 1990? No, of course not. However, it's probably as active as it was in the late 1970's I would think.

brianwintersfan

<< <i>I enjoy driving my Porsche more than I enjoyed the cardboard in my safe >>



Feel the same way about my music collection. It's something I can play and enjoy and not have it stashed away in a box somewhere.

MBMiller25

I think everyone has their own reasons for selling off cards. For me, there is no longer a thrill of the hunt. I'm not sure why, but when I sat down to look for cards, nothing came to my head as being a card I had to have. From there it was just cardboard sitting in a safe that I was never looking at.

Additionally, I came to the conclusion that my 5,6 and 7 year olds were not sports junkies, but were outdoors people that loved, swimming, hiking, hunting and fishing. It really made me question my priorities and realize that no matter how much I tried to force cards down their throats, they weren't into it. So, my cards are going to another kind of cardboard so to speak, and that's a cabin and 25 acres in the Virginia mountains, so we can hike, hunt, fish and I can be involved in my kids life!

I will never not stop looking at cards, and will most likely go o the National for a day to drop a grand on wax at BBCE and drink beer with old friends, but my days of hunting cardboard, will be replaced by hunting deer with my boys at my side.

brianwintersfan

<< <i>I think everyone has their own reasons for selling off cards. For me, there is no longer a thrill of the hunt. I'm not sure why, but when I sat down to look for cards, nothing came to my head as being a card I had to have. From there it was just cardboard sitting in a safe that I was never looking at.

Additionally, I came to the conclusion that my 5,6 and 7 year olds were not sports junkies, but were outdoors people that loved, swimming, hiking, hunting and fishing. It really made me question my priorities and realize that no matter how much I tried to force cards down their throats, they weren't into it. So, my cards are going to another kind of cardboard so to speak, and that's a cabin and 25 acres in the Virginia mountains, so we can hike, hunt, fish and I can be involved in my kids life!

I will never not stop looking at cards, and will most likely go o the National for a day to drop a grand on wax at BBCE and drink beer with old friends, but my days of hunting cardboard, will be replaced by hunting deer with my boys at my side. >>



Good choice!

ndleo

I'm not getting out of the hobby but I am down sizing as well. My focus is on my favorite cards from the 1980's and vintage football. I only have one hockey card - an OPC RC of Steve Yzerman since I grew up in Detroit - and the 1986 Fleer Basketball set.

I recently bought a 1981 Topps Billy Sims PSA 10 and that card made me happier than any other high dollar card I have bought.

ThoseBackPages

Very sad to see so many people leaving the hobby. i can understand what they're saying and why they are doing so, just sad to see them go.

after this years National, i was so looking forward to next years show, but now i dont think it'll happen. Too many people have left, and more will probably follow them.

grote15

I think a lot of it is cyclical, as people's interest waxes and wanes over time...I've been collecting unopened for at least last 15 years on a regular basis, and very few collectors that I encountered back then are still active in the hobby. The great thing about the hobby is that new people get the bug to replace the ones stepping aside. As the group rips indicate (and Steve's inventory confirms), there is still a great deal of interest in the hobby and I don't see that significantly changing over time. I collect not for investment purposes anyway, but because I've always had a great fondness for vintage cardboard.

GB5HOF

The other great thing (and possibly a sustaining factor) about The Hobby is that its tied directly to sports and to many people.....a happy childhood.

Think of other "hobbies" such as the recent, and very real, poker boom of 2003. People were flocking to on-line rooms like Ultimate Bet, Poker Stars, Full Tilt, Absolute, et al. Many people were using their disposable (and sometimes non-disposable) income to fuel that hobby. Poker rooms were opening back up in casinos that had eliminated them years ago. How many poker programs were on TV from about 2004-2010? Too many to even remember.

And now...you're pretty much left with the hardcore players. Sure there are new players coming into the hobby or sport...but many more came and went already. It hasn't even been 10 years.

Maybe that's a poor comparison...but its what I was thinking about reading this thread. I'm 38 and I don't think collecting will ever be like it was during my prime collecting years. 1980-1990. The cards I accumulated during that time period probably aren't worth $1000 combined now. As kids we all thought we'd be rich as adults...all we had to do was sell off our collection. Some people got super jaded by the "junk wax" era and bailed on the hobby. But there are plenty of people like me who loves those childhood cards, and came back to the hobby...pleasantly surprised at communities like this....and how the internet made collecting fun again (at least to me). Strong prices on rarer modern...and the continued value in vintage should keep some of the investors around, and the true collectors should see this time as a renaissance in many ways.

People will come and go...and that's fine by me. When I left for 17 years...I never once thought about getting back in...and then suddenly, I was back 100%.

Just my two cents.

gemint

I've seen this happen many times over the years. People come and go in the hobby. I miss those that left but other good collectors have replaced them. Overall, the market is softer than it was in, say, 2000 or 1990. However, there's still a robust rank of collectors out there. I still face stiff competition for cards I need in my registry sets. You no longer get $25 or $30 for a non-tough PSA 8 vintage common but the low pops more than make up for it. The '75 mini set break recently seems to have brought in $35k+ and VCP for a '73 PSA 9 set is sitting at about $40k. I got easily outbid on a marginal PSA 8 1961 Gentile the other day that sold for well north of $300. A '61 PSA 8 Ted Wills recently went for $200, twice the highest price it sold for in VCP's historical records. And of course vintage wax is still on fire as others have stated.

There are probably fewer people building registry sets these days compared to the peak 7-8 years ago. However, the flow of newly graded vintage 8s and 9s is slowing down as finds of high grade vintage raw sets dwindle. It used to be the case where each Mastro auction would have NM-MT raw sets from almost every year in each auction. Now I never see them. Many of what are already graded are still locked in collections like Spence's and Crandall's sets. Even my sets are populated with many cards I've held for a decade or more. This may be why some cards are seeing a resurgence in value compared to, say 2008-2009 when the financial crisis combined with accelerated set breaks caused a temporary drop in values. Specific individual cards just aren't coming up for sale often any more. Some cards that used to appear on eBay 5-10 times a year now go a year or more before one hits eBay. That usually results in pent up demand and a spike in prices.

vladguerrero

I sold almost everything in the summer (set registries, autographs, singles, sets, etc...), kept the items I valued the most, freed up a lot of family time. ...and bought a classic muscle car.

schapko

<< <i>and there are plenty of thirtysomethings like myself who left in their late teens who are now coming back. Life got in the way for a while...and now we are back, with some disposable income. Cheer up is right. >>



That is exactly right. Started collecting in 84 when I was 8, sold almost all my cards to by a car in 95, got back into the hobby a couple years ago as the income went back up and looking for a "fun" investment.

LeonLuckey

Vintage (pre-war) baseball cards seem to be going very strong, in many but not all niches. Many folks would rather have their money in great, and rare, little pieces of art than a bank account, earning very little.Whatever makes folks happy, collect what you like. In easy terms vintage baseball card collecting is doing well. Also, there is still a ton of camaraderie on this board, other boards and at shows, especially the National. The funnest time of the year for me is getting together with friends for 4-5 days at the National and hootin' and hollerin'. best regards

scans under each description....and edited out my tangent.....

http://luckeycards.com/personal.html

JoeBanzai

When are all the guys with the items I need going to leave? LOL Looks to me like every one getting out was able to sell their cards, so where's the problem?

I am also having great fun with my collection and will be right there if my Bazooka panels/boxes start showing up! Let's see them!!!!!!

Joe

goraiders

<< <i>I sold almost everything in the summer (set registries, autographs, singles, sets, etc...), kept the items I valued the most, freed up a lot of family time. ...and bought a classic muscle car. >>



I got a 75 caprice my mind last few months myself.

Stone193

Does anyone remember BigKidAtHeart?

He's one of the early members here who dropped out of the hobby.



What can I deduce from this fact? Beats me? There are probably as many reasons why people drop out as there's people who participate here.

To some degree many here know the difference between who "have" a hobby as opposed to those who are "in" the hobby (for some motive - perhaps - other than pure enjoyment?). And in no way is this a value judgement on my part. The only thing that gets a bit tedious is the sheer number of ebay seller threads that draw attention and the absence of hobby threads that inform or entertain.

vladguerrero

<< <i>

<< <i>I sold almost everything in the summer (set registries, autographs, singles, sets, etc...), kept the items I valued the most, freed up a lot of family time. ...and bought a classic muscle car. >>



I got a 75 caprice my mind last few months myself. >>



JR PM sent