Are there really that many more unopened collectors now?

bigdcards

The new 80s unopened prices don't make sense to me. Very few people want to rip at these prices and I don't think the number of people who collect it has gone up this much. So I'm wondering who is doing the buying, do they like what they bought, and who they plan to sell to if they don't.

I have collected unopened for a long time and most of what I have, I simply want to collect it more than the money that it cost me. If my most valuable pack drops to $30, then it doesn't change a thing. I want it and wasn't going to sell it. That's the case for most of my collection, but I have also made a couple of purchases because it felt stupid not to. I have a box of 78/79 Basketball wax that I paid $250 for and don't care anything about. If it goes down to $50, I just lost the money. But at the moment it retails for $395, so it seems like a smart thing. (I think, sort of)

So I ask those who have begun purchasing unopened in the last 2 years, what was your motivation? Are you in the unopened hobby to stay? If you couldn't sell your unopened in the future, would you have still bought it?

cpamike

<< <i>I have collected unopened for a long time and most of what I have, I simply want to collect it more than the money that it cost me. If my most valuable pack drops to $30, then it doesn't change a thing. I want it and wasn't going to sell it. >>



+1,000

I have amazingly been able to stay focused on my 1970's and early 1980's baseball unopened.

grote15

I think there are a lot more speculators entering the market right now.

DanBessette

And I'm helping the value of all your investments by ripping everything I can get my hands on!

leftofdial

I always bought my unopened because I liked it more than the green and white pieces of paper I traded for it. Thankfully, I have most of the packs from 1970 to 85ish which are the ones I really wanted for memories/collecting sake. But over the last 2? years, everything has seemed to skyrocket and I can't really justify going back to even the '68's and '69's especially in hockey. I could afford to, but don't see getting that much enjoyment out of one or 2 years more packs.

So I switched over to wrappers and I'm going to figure out some way to make them look like packs and display them on my wall. That way, if they get stolen or faded or anything happens to them, I'll only be out a couple hundred on the wrappers rather than (for me) serious cash on the actual packs. Plus no worries about resealed stuff or trying to send them to Steve for validation now that PSA kind of doesn't grade packs anymore.

I collect unopened partly for the potential of what's inside, but I also really like the artwork on the packs. So my new focus is wrappers and empty display boxes. And I can get a lot more visual for my money, no doubt about that. I look at some of the unopened collection pictures you guys post and they are incredible. I don't think I could ever put that kind of valuable stuff out on display and risk any kind of loss or damage to it.

hyperchipper09

The one area of collecting that never interested me. Whether as a kid or now. I'd have to open anything I bought. It's my nature. I do get sentimental when I see you guys post pics of various rips. In most cases it reminds me of the old days. Mom or Dad bringing in a box of 84 Donruss for me, 83 Fleer cello's etc. Really does bring back great memories for me just to follow the threads

PaulMaul

<< <i> So my new focus is wrappers and empty display boxes. And I can get a lot more visual for my money, no doubt about that. I look at some of the unopened collection pictures you guys post and they are incredible. I don't think I could ever put that kind of valuable stuff out on display and risk any kind of loss or damage to it. >>



I'm with you. I have a run of all the different baseball packs from 1972-1982, but I can't justify the cash for earlier years or other sports. But I'm determined to put together high grade Topps wrapper runs of all four sports.

Hockey is by far the toughest pre '68. I don't ever remember seeing most of this stuff on eBay.

vintagefun

Unopened is currently a part of my collection. However when I returned to collecting about 2 years ago, and started buying packs they were for nostalgic ripping. Then I saw some sweet unopened collections, and I wanted to have the card shop style display of my own and also make sure that I could introduce my son to the hobby through my experiences as a kid. Now to be fair, my unopened box collection will eventually whittle down to an unopened pack collection. But until my kid is old enough to enjoy ripping and help build sets, it will remain a display that I very much enjoy. Fortunately, I went pretty big early in my return and got 1 each of most of the stuff I really wanted at prices that didn't totally choke me. Prices now are crazy, so fortunately I don't have many more holes to fill. Wishing I'd have returned a few years earlier, as I pains me to hear some of the vets talk about their buy prices from 4-8 years ago.

I know we all like to look at break down value, or the fact that unopened has its own market based on supply and demand of legit product, but for me it goes like this...Yes I paid a lot for what I have. More than I would have liked to, for sure. I'll enjoy it in its unopened form for a few years, and start ripping. What I get from those packs is of little concern to me, as the experience of ripping these packs and building sets with my boy will far outweigh the monetary cost. If we luck into something that helps recoup some costs...great. If not, that was never really the intent.

It probably doesn't apply to all of us, but I'm ok paying a premium for experience, whether it ends up being just for me, or hopefully for me and my son.

But I can only speak for myself.

DanBessette

Jim, has Fernando landed?

jmmiller777

<< <i>Unopened is currently a part of my collection. However when I returned to collecting about 2 years ago, and started buying packs they were for nostalgic ripping. Then I saw some sweet unopened collections, and I wanted to have the card shop style display of my own and also make sure that I could introduce my son to the hobby through my experiences as a kid. Now to be fair, my unopened box collection will eventually whittle down to an unopened pack collection. But until my kid is old enough to enjoy ripping and help build sets, it will remain a display that I very much enjoy. Fortunately, I went pretty big early in my return and got 1 each of most of the stuff I really wanted at prices that didn't totally choke me. Prices now are crazy, so fortunately I don't have many more holes to fill. Wishing I'd have returned a few years earlier, as I pains me to hear some of the vets talk about their buy prices from 4-8 years ago.

I know we all like to look at break down value, or the fact that unopened has its own market based on supply and demand of legit product, but for me it goes like this...Yes I paid a lot for what I have. More than I would have liked to, for sure. I'll enjoy it in its unopened form for a few years, and start ripping. What I get from those packs is of little concern to me, as the experience of ripping these packs and building sets with my boy will far outweigh the monetary cost. If we luck into something that helps recoup some costs...great. If not, that was never really the intent.

It probably doesn't apply to all of us, but I'm ok paying a premium for experience, whether it ends up being just for me, or hopefully for me and my son.

But I can only speak for myself. >>



Your speaking for me too; well stated.

Unknown

This content has been removed.

orioles93

I just started buying unopened this past year. Mainly mid late 70s through 1986. Tons of individual packs, wax, cello, and racks from 1980-1985. And a few from the years 1975-1979. Only bought a few whole boxes, 82 donruss wax, 83 topps Michigan, 84 topps cello, and 86 topps wax. I mainly started buying unopened because of how much prices went up recently and I viewed it as a time to buy stuff now cause I won't be able to in the future if prices keep going up. It's been fun for the short amount of time I've been doing it, but I still like my individual cards better than unopened.

By the way, if anyone close to York, PA next week would be interested in purchasing my unopened collection, let me know. I am open to selling but it would be a lot to ship.

esquiresports

Criss Criss - I respectfully disagree with the idea that 1980s unopened prices are being driven by serious money, or even 1970s for that matter. There is a general lack of 1970s material (when speaking of boxes and cases), so it only takes a handful of people to move the needle. I believe 1980s prices are being driven by a combination of (1) collectors who don't want to get priced out of the market, (2) people who enjoy ripping and view the $2-7 per pack as reasonably priced entertainment, and (3) smaller-time investors/speculators as seeing this product as the next to move and more akin to a penny stock, where a small dollar increase results in a large return on investment.

bigdcards

I'm surprised we have so many still buying to rip. So those boxes are off the market for good. But it also sounds like some are buying with the idea of getting in while they can, which wouldn't represent permanent growth in the number of collectors.

I'm not sure that many people think the group rips are the cause of the whole thing. But for many of us, bbce is the only place we trust. The group rips definitely impact their inventory, so it has a big impact on what's available to us. The market is obviously bigger than that. I think the more common thought on the cause is what was said about guys with deep pockets buying everything. But I'm trying to see if people have 1st hand knowledge of those kinds of purchases and hoarding. Has anyone seen these storage units of cases from 1980 - 83. There's also this concept of Larry Fritch having a sizable warehouse filled with cases from the last 40 years or more. Do we really know if that's true?

Edit: esquresports is faster than me and is not in the group who believe in the deep pocket theory.

esquiresports

I have been a huge fan of unopened since before I joined here a few years ago, so this is not an indictment of unopened. It is also not an attack on people with different opinions from mine. I just think there is almost no chance of the deep pockets theory being accurate.

There are some buyers out there like MintMoonDog (haven't heard from him in a while) who dropped $25K on a great assortment of early 1980s stuff last year (he publicly discussed). But I believe that with 1980s product, for every MintMoonDog, there are literally 100s of true collectors out there either looking to add to their collections or make a little money by enhancing their collections with some likely profits.

I just don't expect collectors who drop six figures and more a year on cards - typically through major auction houses - to be willing to deal with the shipping, storage and storage fees, let alone the hassle of reselling, that comes with buying dozens (and thousands of pounds worth) of cases.

I expect they would much prefer to own 1-30 low-population cards. Much easier to liquidate. Can move all at once. A better "story" to tell: check out this practically new looking card of Ruth/Cobb/other impressive name even non-sports fans know - that is 60-100 years old. Or even, check out this 1960s/1970s card of (HoF player). One of (less than 10) in this condition. Versus, you should see my storage locker of one million 1983 Topps cards. It is no more impressive than saying "look at my 100 PSA 10 Gwynn/Ripken/Mattingly rookie cards." One can point to the large sell-off of 1975 mini cases several years ago as an example of a bulk sell-off working, but that's the only example out there versus thousands of five and six figure cards sold over the same time period, and we are still talking about boxes worth a multiple of anything 1980s.

We also shouldn't look past the effort required to accumulate a substantial 1980s collection. No reasonable deep pockets investor is going to buy a case, let alone a few boxes, at a time. Too must hassle and expense.

If there were deep pockets going after this stuff, you wouldn't see a dozen plus board members telling you what they bought the other day. One guy would purchase it all. And the dollar amount sold - maybe $15K total - is worth about 15 packs of 1971 Topps wax - if you could find them.