What recession?!?!?!

bobbyw8469 · February 4, 2009 7:47AM

If we are in a recession, I sure can't tell....Huggins and Scott Auction ends tonight and they are setting new records as we speak!

Boopotts · February 4, 2009 7:50AM

I keep waiting for all these awesome collections to get liquidated on Ebay, yet in the past four months I've found very few deals that I would consider out of the ordinary.

DeutscherGeist · February 4, 2009 8:07AM

I am noticing the same thing. I am waiting for prices to drop, but its not happening. Sure, December was a bargain paradise at retail stores for various items, but I would expect baseball cards to soften as well as classic car restoration service (my other hobby).

RonBurgundy · February 4, 2009 8:10AM

This reflects the reality. It's bad, but it is not nearly as bad as those in Washington and on the networks would have you believe. This is so far removed from the Great Depression that those making that comparison need to be tarred and feathered. History will judge this time as much better, in fact, than the 73-75 downturn and the 81-82 recession. Bank on it.

Ron

sfmays24 · February 4, 2009 8:12AM

Serious bidders in the H&S Auction make up 1/1000th of 1% of the more than 300 Million US Population... a great majority of the US Population is in a recession and could care less about any auction house records.

ndleo · February 4, 2009 8:33AM

<< Serious bidders in the H&S Auction make up 1/1000th of 1% of the more than 300 Million US Population... a great majority of the US Population is in a recession and could care less about any auction house records. >>

Exactly. This is an expensive hobby to get into, so I would expect people involved to have more money than the average.

I don't think you will see a "liquidation" of a major collection since the people that probably own these cards are not hurting. Even if they did have to sell, there are so many venues to do it that a liquidation sale wouldn't be required. There are enough people out there that are willing to pay fair market value.

If anything sportscards have held their value better than other assets. I would have rather invested my 401(k) into cards than the garbage mutual funds that Fidelty sells.

storm888 · February 4, 2009 8:39AM

ALL of the rich folks I knew as a ute, are still rich.

SOME of the middle-class folks I knew five-years ago, are now homeless.

Where you end up in the aftermath of a tornado has a great deal to
do with where you were standing when the winds came.

PoppaJ · February 4, 2009 8:42AM

<< 

<< Serious bidders in the H&S Auction make up 1/1000th of 1% of the more than 300 Million US Population... a great majority of the US Population is in a recession and could care less about any auction house records. >>

Exactly. This is an expensive hobby to get into, so I would expect people involved to have more money than the average.

I don't think you will see a "liquidation" of a major collection since the people that probably own these cards are not hurting. Even if they did have to sell, there are so many venues to do it that a liquidation sale wouldn't be required. There are enough people out there that are willing to pay fair market value.

If anything sportscards have held their value better than other assets. I would have rather invested my 401(k) into cards than the garbage mutual funds that Fidelty sells. >>

///////////////////////

ndleo,

very well said!

PoppaJ

Boopotts · February 4, 2009 8:42AM

<< Serious bidders in the H&S Auction make up 1/1000th of 1% of the more than 300 Million US Population... a great majority of the US Population is in a recession and could care less about any auction house records. >>

Not to derail, but I'm not looking for stuff like '33 Goudey sets; I'm talking about things like collections of Michael Jordan cards, or other 'lower end' collections with a market value < $2000. In other words, the kinds of collections that you would expect a middle-to-lower class card collector to accumulate. I keep waiting for a flood of stuff like '1400 Greg Maddux cards, no dupes with inserts/parallels' to find their way onto the 'bay, at which point I would happily pick them up for $150 or so, but so far there's been very little of this kind of activity.

MooseDog · February 4, 2009 3:05PM

<< ALL of the rich folks I knew as a ute, are still rich./q]

Well, two rich people (don't know them personally) in my industry both got taken down by Bernie Madoff and are now middle class and have to get real jobs now. How anyone could not have known something was amiss there is beyond me, let alone put all their assets in one place.

Me, I'm just trying to work up to middle class :-)

bigwilli · February 4, 2009 3:15PM

Recession........feels worse then that up here in Upstate New York . I got layed off over 4 months ago and havent been
able to find anything since . It so bad that over 900 people showed up to apply to work at a hotel that will be opening
up here next month. Its not even a big hotel , maybe 150 rooms.

yankeeno7 · February 4, 2009 3:47PM

Where in Upstate NY are you BigWilli? One of my good friends works for NYS Unemployment and said that they are seeing an average of 10,000 new jobless every month. Things in NY State are pretty rough. Thankfully, I work in an industry where my job isnt at risk.

goose3 · February 4, 2009 8:43PM

<< Serious bidders in the H&S Auction make up 1/1000th of 1% of the more than 300 Million US Population... a great majority of the US Population is in a recession and could care less about any auction house records. >>

didn't you hear? we have over 500 million people?

GoDodgersFan · February 4, 2009 8:48PM

Serious bidders in the H&S Auction make up 1/1000th of 1% of the more than 300 Million US Population... a great majority of the US Population is in a recession and could care less about any auction house records.

Excellent point. The high end auction house buyer possess the resources to buy some really expensive $$ cards so this segment
of the hobby is not the norm in this economy. Overall, prices are down for 90% + of sportscards and this is a fact.

As for the economy, I am so lucky to work for the federal government in the DC metro area.

Morgoth · February 4, 2009 9:21PM

I didn't see lower prices last night on the Bay, Prewarcardcollector's auctions went sky high if you ask me. Many easy to find 60s HOFers at above SMR for 7s and 8s.

rube26105 · February 4, 2009 11:49PM

600 people just got the boot when ravenswood aluminum plant closes the 20th here, itll hit real good when nobody has any jobs, im glab im retired, feel sorry for young peole though, only jobs thats gonna be around is flippin burgers,m its pretty bad when chinese people are getting laid off in china,and theres only 3 billion of them!!!!

like the old saying goes ,therich get richer, and the poor get pooerer, especially as of late, around here

stown · February 4, 2009 11:52PM

<< Overall, prices are down for 90% + of sportscards and this is a fact. >>

You sure that's a "fact", Jack?

I've placed about 30 snipes in the past week on 50's era PSA 6 - 8. Most were 10% below SMR and the rest at or just above. Only 1 snipe triggered and I still lost.

rube26105 · February 4, 2009 11:54PM

hi barry

stown · February 5, 2009 12:04AM

Hi Randy

lawnmowerman · February 5, 2009 12:06AM

Hi Randy and Barry

goraiders · February 5, 2009 12:10AM

Matt,

It sure is nice being a lawn guy,with all this cold weather down here,
every other week seems to have stretched out to 3 weeks,gotta love the brown
dingy looking grass!

J.R.

stown · February 5, 2009 12:11AM

<< Hi Randy and Barry

>>

shuddup.

MeteoriteGuy · February 5, 2009 12:12AM

Collectibles tend to do well in a recession historically. Or at least have in the past with coins and stamps.

nightcrawler · February 5, 2009 12:12AM

<< Hi Randy and Barry

>>

rube26105 · February 5, 2009 12:12AM

<-- phelps is now a rastafarian in jamacia thinkin deep thoughts

lawnmowerman · February 5, 2009 12:19AM

<< Matt,

It sure is nice being a lawn guy,with all this cold weather down here,
every other week seems to have stretched out to 3 weeks,gotta love the brown
dingy looking grass!

J.R. >>

Yes sir, it is awesome

I have not cut my yard in over a month. The less stress put on a frosty lawn, the better.

I have a few mulch jobs scheduled for this weekend. This weather is perfect for that.

goraiders · February 5, 2009 12:29AM

<< 

<< Matt,

It sure is nice being a lawn guy,with all this cold weather down here,
every other week seems to have stretched out to 3 weeks,gotta love the brown
dingy looking grass!

J.R. >>

Yes sir, it is awesome

I have not cut my yard in over a month. The less stress put on a frosty lawn, the better.

I have a few mulch jobs scheduled for this weekend. This weather is perfect for that. >>

Last year i was still cutting evey week thru dec.!It was 15 with the wind chill here this morning
yard felt like rice crispies

Best winter i can remember in last 5 yrs.Looking forward to all the
clean-ups,mulching,re-planting in march,should translate into alot of new cards

Edit-As far as a recession,I'm lucky that we get paid the same amount,year round,weather we work or not.
Makes up for those 100 plus degree summer days.

lawnmowerman · February 5, 2009 12:42AM

<< 
Edit-As far as a recession,I'm lucky that we get paid the same amount,year round,weather we work or not >>

That is the best part. Work half as much, less overhead, extra services like mulch or plantings provides extra money.

Not to mention no boss. It just doesn't get much better

goraiders · February 5, 2009 1:10AM

<< 

<< 
Edit-As far as a recession,I'm lucky that we get paid the same amount,year round,weather we work or not >>

That is the best part. Work half as much, less overhead, extra services like mulch or plantings provides extra money.

Not to mention no boss. It just doesn't get much better

>>

No it doesn't.Enjoy it while we can.

CARDSANDCOINS · February 5, 2009 1:26AM

We are in trouble...

The population of this country is 300 million.

160 million are retired.

That leaves 140 million to do the work.

There are 85 million in school.

Which leaves 55 million to do the work.

Of this there are 35 million employed by the federal government.

Leaving 15 million to do the work.

2.8 million are in the armed forces preoccupied with killing Osama
Bin-Laden.

Which leav es 12..2 million to do the work.

Take from that total the 10.8 million people who work for state and city
Governments. And that leaves 1.4 million to do the work.

At any given time there are 188,000 people in hospitals.

Leaving 1,212,000 to do the work.

Now, there are 1,211,998 people in prisons.

That leaves just two people to do the work..

You and me.

And there you are,

Sitting on your ass,

At your computer, reading jokes.

Nice. Real nice.

ArchStanton · February 5, 2009 3:40AM

ALL of the rich folks I knew as a ute, are still rich.
SOME of the middle-class folks I knew five-years ago, are now homeless.

Homeless? I find that hard to believe. Unless that is an exaggeration, it must be some exceptional circumstances. What part of the country are you in. That certainly is not the norm anywhere that i know of.

IchiroDeported · February 5, 2009 4:15AM

maybe he means they lost thier homes due to foreclosure which is a very real probability. There are a lot of folks struggling not simply to make ends meet, but to feed their families. A lot of folks headed towards foreclosure have simply given up at this point.

storm888 · February 5, 2009 4:36AM

...ALL of the rich folks I knew as a ute, are still rich.
SOME of the middle-class folks I knew five-years ago, are now homeless.

Homeless? I find that hard to believe. Unless that is an exaggeration, it must be some exceptional circumstances."

///////////////////////////////////////////////

I likely should have said "houseless."

TONS of folks around the country have simply given back the
house-keys to the "banks," and moved into apartments or
moved in with relatives.

..........

The equivalent of the rape of the American homeowner has
not yet started real good in commercial real estate. It is on
the way.

(SHLD - holding company of Sears/Kmart - is a good indicator
of what is about to happen. If SHLD slips into "reorganization,"
we will know that the bottom is a long way down. SHLD only
has value due to its ownership of commercial real estate.)

..........

GREAT time to conserve cash - or invest in stuff that might
go up.

rube26105 · February 5, 2009 5:22AM

im retired, so count me out, i did enough "work" in the army

sure feel sory for young people though, half the population is gonna be flipping burgers i guess, its sad when i see pizza guys delivering pizza that are well into their 60's now a days

TheHun · February 5, 2009 5:56AM

Ain't that the truth Rube. I've met a bunch of older guys who are bag boys at the grocery - delivering pizzas - but a lot are just plain out of work.

There may be a few places where some of the members here live that don't see it - but it's heavy here in Florida.

City of Miami had (50) fifty fireman openings this week - 2,500 people showed up for the jobs - many camped out for (3) YUP - three days !

We are getting closer to rock bottom - but we're not there yet.

SidePocket · February 5, 2009 2:30PM

Storm has been 99% accurate in the past year or so with his economic forecasts. Glad I don't own any commercial r/e. However the bright spot there may be that much of it is owned by foreign corporations.

HeritageAddict · February 5, 2009 4:53PM

What recession?!?!?!

Comments