During the pandemic, people had more spare time on their hands, and discriminated less in who they watched. As we have left the pandemic, I think people are becoming more discerning in the 'content creators' (I don't like that generic term, but will use it for the purposes of proving a point) that they 'follow'. People have less free time, and have less time for b-s. I value genuine people. I value people who can tell a story, and whose content is evolving and interesting. I value people who value my time, as much as their own, and who don't treat me for a mug. I don't care for drama, and I don't particularly like being sold to. There are a handful of people I watch, when I have time to do so. You are one of them, Mike. Chris Sewell, Mike Moynahan, Chasing Cardboard, and a handful of others, are the extent of the people and content that I value, and who fit the above criteria. The hobby isn't 'dying', I think that people are just becoming more discerning with their time and their money (the former in the content they consume, and the latter in the cards and products they collect). Keep up the great work, mate. I always value your videos and your thoughts.
The hobby will never die. The sooner these flippers, breakers, investors, and unprecedented print runs will eventually end. And the sooner the better. So I can get back to collecting the way I want, and have for years.
@markstein1916 all that has to happen is ultra modern to tank like the mid 80's. The hobby thrives when greed is squashed. Greed is king right now and that should be a red flag for "investors"
I was at a card show in Ohio over the weekend, and the amount of Vintage dealers there was NUTs. I was having so much fun! I got a dents, dings, and scratches 53 Spahn and Slaughter, a 56 Spahn, 56 Campanella, and a 70 Munson for 120! From the orginaizers of the show, last weekend they had 7 dealers that go every year to the National. Next show is 1/5 and they are running twice the number of vendors than the past weekend. Should be FUN!.
I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you. It just so turns out that the hobby can be a good place to invest if you know what you're doing. You don't have to agree with it, but your opinion isn't going to change anything.
I don't understand the hate people have for breakers. It blows my mind, and I've never been in even 1 break it just doesn't bother me that much. If thats how people choose to spend there $ so be it. 🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️
@@TrueREDSfan1 Not just breakers, but investors and speculators, too. You're right, people are going to spend their money how they see fit. However, people will always complain because they always have to have someone to blame for their shortcomings. I too got priced out of cards I was buying, but I'm not complaining about it. I discovered original photos and haven't turned back. For a fraction of the cost, I've bought many original type 1 and type III photos of Willie Mays compared to his sports cards. I believe everyone should find an alternate route to collecting within the hobby if they feel priced out of sports cards. It's not hard to do, it's just easier for people to complain. If you can't find an alternate route for your collecting habits, then find the money to buy the cards you want. If you still aren't happy, then find a new hobby. 🤷
@@TrueREDSfan1They hate breakers because breakers are the reason why the prices of products keep going to the moon. If breakers dip, then prices will go down. What normal human can afford $8,000 boxes these days????
I think the hobby has it's ups and downs throughout the year. With the baseball season over and the holidays coming up your average collector isn't looking to buy cards at the moment. I will say the local card shows here in my area of Louisville are attracting good crowds. I think the ultra modern flippers and collectors are hurting. These modern products are so expensive and you have so many of these players that people invested in are taking a bath on these cards.
Death spirals begin when younger generations stop participating. I don't see that at my local card shows. 9-14 year old boys running around everywhere with their little hard cases, wheeling and dealing the latest super-duper refractors. It isn't how I would spend my time or money, but like you said - this is their entry into the hobby and as they get older, the ones who stick with it will begin to lead towards other collecting goals such as vintage.
In my small sample of flipping it is definitely harder now. In 2019 I was big on buying Update hangers from Walgreens that had exclusive yellow parallels. Every box easily paid for itself. I could keep the good rookies, sell the rest and buy my next hanger. I bought like 3 hangers of Update this year just for the rookie chase, and not much sells. Only the BIG parallels. Starkly different from 5 years ago. That kind of flipping is certainly not done, but I think you have to do it in volume and very quickly. I'm content just buying those hangers to see if I pull a couple rookies - the flipping was just bonus. For ultra-modern I just focus on the rookies. I have and always love rookies of the star players.
We've entered a time when the demand for new unopened product has exceeded the demand for the cards in the unopened product. I think a lot of that is just how much new product is opened so quickly between breaking and the general gambling aspect of it all. The big question is if that is sustainable...it might be. The gambling aspect is so strong. From a collector stand point it's almost a good thing because if you aren't really looking for the ultra mega chase card....so much of what you want isn't really that expense in the singles market as compared to what the new product costs. The hobby definitely isn't dying...I'm not sure how it could since you can participate it in so many different ways. I think it will expand quite a bit as well when Fanatics is able to produce fully licensed Topps cards NFL and NBA cards. Having NFL flagship, Chrome, maybe Heritage at prices that people can actually buy it is going to bring out collectors that haven't been that interested in the mess that Panini produces. That's going to be fun to see. I know I would be more likely to buy NFL as a Topps product.
“Demand for unopened product exceeds the demand for the cards inside the product” is such a smart observation. I would tweak it slightly: the demand for OPENING product exceeds the demand for the cards inside.
OMG You were reading my mind w this video. I don't think the hobby is dying but some of the videos are getting old. SCI yesterday did a "I spent $25K in 2 hours"......I couldn't get myself to watch it. As you said I love the stories that are unique. By the way what happened to the Star 101 Jordan....last night on Fanatics a BGS 8.5 went for $33.5K.....a few months back people were paying $66K. As always love the JWH content!
The people that collect the players and teams they want and don’t care about value will always keep the hobby in decent shape. Sure it will have its peaks and valleys, but those who invest or look for a quick flip lose as much as they win. You cannot go wrong by sticking to being a true fan or collector of a team regardless of their success or big name players. I don’t buy or collect modern cards except occasional college card so my focus isn’t hampered as much by breakers and people looking for the big bit. I always collected former Alabama football players, saints players and Braves until about 2000. Had tons of extras, some base, some inserts and would only in recent years sell off extras or get graded to sell. Made some money only after those cards matured and grading became bigger. Nowadays people who do invest beyond the 1/1 saturation, don’t give the cards or players time to mature in many cases before dumping them, which just reinforces the fact that people have more of a gambling mentality.
"I spent $XXXX on a table," or "I pulled a 1/1 blah blah," and the "Invest in this Player," I couldn't have said it better myself.. it all blends together. Always my favorite RUclips channel. Stories are what keep this alive, for me anyway. I had a great conversation with a dealer at the Shriners show about 'Niles' Kinnick (1939 Heisman winner) who died in a military training flight. Love this stuff..
I think we need the breakers to open the high end products, but I could do without the investors. I have been collecting for 47 years and will always be a collector. I have definitely sold stuff when prices were high to help fund more cards for my collection. The hobby is not dying when there are card shows every month in metro areas. It definitely not like that 10 years ago. There are ebbs and flows with every season. Love a good card story like your attic find stories. That is how I first found your channel. I have a great community of friends in the hobby which I did not have before RUclips and have made some life long friendships. That is not going anywhere.
I could write a thesis on the double edge sword on buying and selling. Yes you have to open a pack. Then getting a 10 on a card is sketchy. Then you have to sell it. You see highest selling cards on Ebay, which is sketchy too because of proxy bidding. Or if somebody really needs the money they'll sell it lower than others, prices are all over the lot high and low. It goes on and on.
I agree. It get's old seeing the same video's over and over. I only watch you're video's because of the stories and 3 other collectors. I think overall the Hobby is down not just because of the offseason for some sports or the Holiday's. Ppl or collectors want cards or slabs at dirt cheap prices and don't want to spend top dollar. Ppl hate the junk wax years but one thing I miss is only having 4 Rookie Cards for each player.
I only just got back into the hobby early on in 2024. If "the hobby is dying", that means I'm going to be able to grab a bunch of great cards at better prices. That said, I don't really believe that myself; there are people just like me who are just now entering the hobby again (but maybe for the first time as an adult with some expendable $), and while there might be some flux here and there in the overall numbers, I think collecting [almost anything] will always remain generally strong.... Interesting thoughts. Thanks!
I just cracked a 7th inning sketch set open and pulled the Brodeur out. It's centered really nice and going for 7.00-10.00 bucks. I threw the rest of the set out. I'm going to start throwing out some junk wax. I have like 30 sets. I think I'm going to pop them all open and make lots.
If I was hobby president… 1) make striped moon-bats the only chase parallel 🤜🤛. That was a great off the cuff thought. 2) make base cards relevant again 3) make auto inserts of base cards the only parallel other than striped moon bats🤣 4) force each sports league to have at least 2 diff companies making cards. No more monopolies. 5) recommend PSA graders to reread the company grading standards 10x per day. 6) make you chief of staff, Keating can be vp of communications, Mookie chief video maker, Scott raindeer head artist, & Chris Sewell head of finance 7) have people realize 90% of us are both hobby collectors & investors. We were 100% true collectors as kids. Now that monies are involved, how many of us buy cards w/o thinking of the price paid & opportunity to at least hold price paid. Heck, the only cards I buy w/o caring if they depreciate are Eagles QB cards from Tommy Thompson to Carson Wentz / Nick Foles eras. 8) make at least 1 video per month wearing a muscle shirt like John. 💪.
The hobby isn’t dying but when it comes to RUclips style videos, it all depends on what and who you follow and enjoy collecting. I can’t click on Nolan’s (EliteCo3’s) videos fast enough. I’ve literally watched him for over seven or eight years now. His videos are essentially mail days, grading returns and every blue moon he’ll throw something else in the mix. The reason I would never get sick of his content is that it’s #1, Authentic and he isn’t pushing anything on anyone, he isn’t spending sponsors money and acting like it’s his personal money, he’s a true collector, but also sells many cards and the list could go on and on and on. Essentially, he’s real and not a gimmick. He’s been around well before 99% of the guys now and you can just tell he’s not in this for anything except his love of the hobby. I don’t know if anyone else feels the same, and I could keep listing many other reasons why he’s one of, if not the best in this space, but that’s the best example I immediately thought of. My only honest complaint is that he doesn’t put out as many videos as he did in the past and that’s really disappointing.
I forgot to mention that he doesn’t do the boring modern card only game. He’s grading everything from 90’s base junk wax to rare 90’s cards from big names athletes that people forgot about like Jamal Lewis, but will also have a $10,000 Lebron James card in the order as well. Only modern cards is boring to me when it comes to content.
For the vintage collector no for the modern collector yes for you to sit there and say it’s not for the modern collector you lying to yourself and may Santa Claus never bring your children a present. May you lose your job going into poverty and your wife leave you for a man that can take care of her It’s
I think the unfortunate part is that we're in the worst of both worlds right now. I can tolerate junk wax era, but it has to come with junk wax prices. I can also stomach paying more for a box if the cards are worth something. The unfortunate part is that the hobby is now a lottery. There is no gradual curve for card values. There's basically either junk or "big hits" with nothing in between. But usually it's just all junk. We're paying high prices for junk 98% of the time. Again, I'm happy collecting base cards, but sell me a hobby box for $50 then. It's the fact that you're paying $500 a box to get all junk that kills the hobby.
Well said Mike. This hobby/business is incredibly resilient, with many ups and downs over its 100+ year history. I agree it was super easy to “flip” during the COVID period, as it seems like values were only going up. That brought a lot of new people into the hobby. While that ship has sailed, the exposure that brought has been a net positive.
I agree. Over printing and raising costs have stopped my set building (last was Series 1 2023). I’ve thinned my ultra modern collection for vintage and autos.
I love hearing the stories as well. With the increased prices of new releases and huge print runs I changed my focus this year to collecting autographs, both in person or TTM. It’s crazy how many really cool autographs you can collect for less than the cost of a box of Topps flagship.
Flipped a Sasaki Topps PSA 10 this week. Turned 35 into 100 on COMC. I normally just do small flips on COMC turn a buck into 2.50, stuff like that, but it's more or less for entertainment. I'm not looking to get rich that way. As far as the rest of the hobby goes, I hope people start just get back to collecting what they like as opposed to what they think is going to be profitable. At some point collectors learned that the Geoff Wilson's of the world aren't all that exciting anymore. Mix that with ultra modern cards coming out are a colossal waste of money. Stick to what you like and you'll never feel like you got burned.
As someone that has been in the hobby, on and off, since the late 80's/early 90's I don't see the hobby is dying. I think the wax has gone off the deep end and while I tried some boxes early on, they are just too expensive and too confusing. I will buy some modern stuff, especially Caitlin Clark, Judge, Shohei, etc but it is limited. I have a renewed interest in vintage cards and TTM autos. So much to appreciate in the vintage market, not to mention the simplicity of it all. How many different baseball releases can Topps do in one year? If Fanatics is struggling, I can see why.
I agree with you about community and collecting! The stories that showcase the humanity of what we do and why we do it… how we do it and who we’re doing it with is as evergreen and watchable as the cardboard itself.
It was literally impossible to lose money 3 years ago flipping cards. The fact that Fanatics/Breakers get to "pre-release" everything a week beforehand allows them the highest resale market while everyone else gets the downward slope. Resales are tougher because it's no longer an even playing field
I agree! I still watch channels where people open up boxes and packs. Just for the thrill. I learned my lesson coming back into the hobby after 20 years. The chase is not worth the money. So I just buy singles of my Ravens players that meant a lot to me and current ones. That brings me the thrill of just finding it and holding on to them.
I could not agree more. The quick flip selling, and it has to be a PSA 10 or bust, is declining, but I feel the hobby is still great. We had a great show where I live that comes once a year and there was 100 person deep line before it opened and it was non-stop the full 6 hrs of the show.
I'm now 60 and have had cards since I was 10 years old, buying cards through early 90's when the card market really crashed, not even looking at my cards until 1 year ago. The hobby still is dead as I've got 40 Beckett magazines from 1987 thru 1991 and card values today aren't any more than they were then. Obviously, it's all about PSA today to make a card worth anything, especially cards from 1989 and back. I do believe any unopened material from 1989 thru 1981 will be worth as much as 70's unopened stuff in 5 to 10 years because of some many people ripping packs as they call it. That's all I buy, anything unopened in the 80's.
I Stopped collecting in the late 80's with the birth if Junk Wax and the grading of cards. I got back in in 2022. I usually buy raw cards but have purchased graded vintage. I have never graded a card. Sport cards remind me of the stock market. You have the long term holders, and you have the traders who buy and sell. I am one of the long term holders. I enjoy the history behind the players and card. I do not sell cards. I watch the market but don't react to the ups and downs, unlessI can find a bargain. Then you have the people who buy and sell. They do not care about the card as long as they make money. I am not here to say who is right or wrong. It is a marketplace and I guess if you can make money more power to you. It's just not for me. I just enjoy collecting.
Some of my most consistent profit makers are top of scale vintage, and buying raw vintage cards from low pop sets, sports and non-sports, sending to SGC and listing. And I'll move a couple 1939 Play Balls, or Heroes of History a week easily. People have 1000 options for their 2023 rookie guy, but if they want a Betsy Ross in a nice slab, they can have a 115 year old one for the cost of a /199 rookie auto, and that will always grab people.
The hobby is reconnecting! I am 45 and just recently got back into collecting. Not for profit but for the love of it. I have created a mancave of nothing but the teams and players I love. Any Baltimore Orioles, Duke Blue Devils, Memphis Grizzlies and Tennessee Titans. I love relic cards!
The hobby is dying = the hobby is on sale. Every year I look forward to the baseball offseason for that reason. The issue is it’s outgrown being niche and a size that made it great and now has to accommodate the new collectors. If it doesn’t then the shelves are always cleared out and retail is reselling crazy high online. To make sure the new product still contains stuff that people would want to pull new parallels need to be made. There more than likely will be a cooling off period where production drops. No idea when though. If I were the CEO of the hobby (or however you put it) I’d take away exclusivity, and limit the amount of releases per year per card producer. One large product, one high end product, one minor league product, and a handful of “fun” products. Topps and panini have a ridiculous amount of releases per year per sport and they feel like cash grabs and not competition.
Card collecting should remain a hobby and not be looked at as an investment. I’ve never in my life thought of buying stocks/bonds as a hobby. However, a lot of breakers on Whatnot do sound like extras from the movie “Wolf of Wall Street”.
The content I enjoy watching teaches me something about The Hobby. I not into videos that are entertaining, I like ones that teach me something. Attic Find Fridays are among my favorites.
Spending 30k a year is Geoff Wilson. Call it like it is and agree people are over it. I was never into it, but do you and go make that RUclips money. I posted many times on this channel that Mike is a new style and gives credit to those who contributed to a story. I also said please never change for the clicks. If views are down, so what. There are so many other factors why people can not watch or missed a video. Life, sports, holidays etc. I personally hate, despise the media. It is all trash from every side trying to tug at you to alter your thoughts and views. The hobby post covid has a lot of this now where the same story is regurgitated so they can keep the cash coming in. This hobby is so large outside of the "internet hobby". And I mentioned this on Dan's channel/recent video: Until people are held accountable for what they post and comment on, the waters will be muddy, after while you won't know who to trust or believe. Have a good filter in life on all you consume and its no different here on RUclips. Catch you on the next one Mike
I agree with you, I narrowed my pc aspirations of Austin Riley to mainly his purple parallels and other cool looking cards of his. I also pc Phil Niekro, mainly oddball stuff, store branded cards, stickers, highlight/record breaker type cards.
I love the cards, the hobby and fellow collectors of baseball cards. I can't stand the click-bait kings and their over the top videos, so I don't watch them. You keep it real, poignant and entertaining. That is why I keep watching and reading your newsletter.
So.. My truth & not the full truth on behalf of the entire community! But, a majority i think would agree? Depending on where you're putting out content, displaying cards for sale and how you approach the entire hobby ALL makes a huge impact.!? For example i know a friend who is big on selling cards on whatnot as weekly auctions and far more successful than me streaming hours on in to a handful of friends as more of a talk show type thing... I also have a friend who spams face book marketplace with very detailed singles and does well! Both friends I have mentioned have surpassed me in sales by a landslide & about convinced me to stop singles auction streams tbh.! Most would agree the breakers will always out do the resellers because they're spoon fed new products weekly and everyone wants a taste.!? I kept the details of us smaller sellers out of the comment because i don't care for the negative feedback or temporary boosted algorithm. Please give me a shout if you ever get around to streaming on whatnot as i don't believe i have heard you mention it before!
All those 1 of 1 and 70 parallels of everything are just ridiculous. But at least all those lame eBay 1 of 1 listings fell out of favor. And people got really creative the way they’d justify listing those cards.
I mentioned to you a couple of weeks ago that I was worried about a card that I won in an ebay auction where it wasn't looking too good with the tracking where it was a repurchase of a card I originally bought from Germany over a year ago for EUR 40 and the new copy cost $63 within the USA. I have an update: A few days after my comment the USA copy arrived Yesterday the Germany copy arrived with the original post mark of 19 August 2023 sent Priority Now I am only missing an out of 10 Select Gold parallel shipped from the Philippines in July. I need you to provide me some luck that this will eventually arrive too. This one is approximately $200.
Hi Mike. I think the hobby is still going strong. One big issue is the cost of hobby and jumbo boxes. The 2024 Topps Update jumbos are going for over $300.00 per box. That is just crazy.
I appreciate the kind words. I completely agree with your thoughts in this video. My views are not down. But, most importantly….the striped moon bat parallel is FOR SURE my favorite out there.
@@JunkWaxHerowhat the hell are you two talking about? I’ve just embraced Kaboomies. I don’t know WTF a Moon Landing bat card or checkered Wolftone is? 😂😂
Is the hobby folks who like vintage and their fav players or is the hobby Fanatics, PSA and Panini trying to (and by in large succeeding) in capitalizing on over priced wax and grading? "The Hobby" has a weird, overused connation anyway. New and Used furniture doesn't have this sweeping nomenclature for example and one doesn't really affect the other.
I don't think it's dying but it's got a bad cough. Do you know what kind of videos that are absent? Videos where people spend $$ and send to PSA and see how much money they can make because it's harder to grade, R.O.I is smaller and people are losing money. I love the stories as well as a pure collector and new stuff and those videos you mentioned bore me as well.
I don't think it's dying. A few years ago it was white hot. It goes through ebbs and flows. Retail football and baseball continue to fly off the shelves. It is WAY too expensive. Paper cards should never cost what they do now.
I hope I pull a Striped Moonbat JWH RC one day! 😉 Your channel is one I regularly watch. There are a few others I must watch as well. I think time is a factor when it comes to watching videos, at least for me. I work. I still buy cards, though.
100% agree. Use to love Card Collector 2 because he seemed genuine. Then he put out allll the type of videos you mentioning. “Spending 50k blah blah, buying 100 1/1 for 100k.” The dude just brags. I watch King of Kards he is an actual genuine hobby guy. I stopped watching Mojo cause he is another bragger and “look at me” personality.
@@JunkWaxHeroalso wanted to say I really love Midlife Cards as well. King of Kards does show videos but he will have tons of people come to his table and tell him how wonderful he is to his customers and genuine. He’s the man.
I wonder how many of the people who, say the hobby is dying were collecting before Covid, I think most of us can agree, that the hobby is not dying. But here's an analogy you, could probably appreciate. It's kind of like Michael Myers, or Jason Voorhees. They are k*lled in, so many different ways but, then are brought back, for the sequel. And the reboots. Sort of like our hobby. Without the blood, guts, and gore.
My collecting has transitioned since Covid. I seek out autographs thru TTM. It's way more enjoyable than opening new, overpriced over printed cards with very little to show for afterwards.
It’s a hobby. Each person picks what they like collecting. I get tried of people talking about cards. Cards are an extension of the game. Am super tired of listening about making money and flipping. Try building a set which is a piece of history.
I can't really speak to modern/breakers being down, I don't follow that market. I would be fine with younger collectors not chasing dollars and just collecting what they like for sure. I can say my views are down about 35% recently, it's depressing.
Unfortunately the RUclips algorithm keeps pushing everyone to the same influence channels over & over. There are so many new RUclipsrs (I have subbed to many) including myself that have different content but RUclips is in charge of making these channels grow, sad how the system works.
THE TRUTH IS: Investment graded vintage HOF'ers (well centered for the year with nice eye appeal) are always in demand. They very seldom go down in value. During the last 15 years, my cards have increased in value from 10% to 20% per year. There were a few years of being flat but, they didn't lose value. All of this new crap is fools gold. It's worthless. Nice and shiny but, way too many RC's of the same player and they all look the same. I enjoy history, art, sports and the players involved. That's why I collect and invest in vintage. Most folks today buy this new crap hoping to make a quick buck. It's 2 different worlds out there. So packing vintage and modern together, one may feel that the entire sports card market is doomed. That's why intelligent investors don't converse with these modern day snake oil salesmen Influencers. It's a waste of their precious time plus, they aren't stupid.
Great video Mike. I hope "investing" is dying. I think collecting is increasing. At least the channels I watch from the content creators in our 40-60 age range.
Hopefully the stupidity is dying /ending. Spending big $ on some of the worst releases in the long history of the hobby. A collector since I was a kid and I'm over 60. I learned the word "rare" is a big lie. Some of the stuff put out by panini ud and topps is beyond understanding. Breakers talk up the most bizarre garbage like you can't live without it. Time has taught me I'd rather look at my 55 jackie robinson than one of the 3,000 rookie variations of any new player. The new releases are undoubtedly the second junk wax Era except this time around the price for boxes is insane. Most loose 80 to 90% of thier money on almost every box ? It's why I haven't opened a box in 7 years. But I did pick up a psa 8 gerry cheevers rookie that sure looks good. It may go down but minimal at best. But the prices for scenes rookies is nuts. First of all a small market pirates team and a pitcher ? Used to be you got yanks dodgers rsox maybe Phillies but never touched the other teams and never ever invest in modern pitchers. The common sense understanding older collectors have still works so there's some that will ride out any drop in interest but the guy investing in the flavor of the day will likely awake one day to a collapse then bitch he's leaving the hobby because it's collapsing. Collect diverse spectrums and keep the stuff you enjoy. Simple, but don't buy the hype and definitely don't break high end rare bullshat that doubles in price because ? It's rare ? Aka 23/24 sp authentic hockey comes to mind ? If you call yourself an investor then do bitcoin but leave the hobby to collectors
I dont belive the hobby is dien if you invest in grading you haft to think about how many of the card is out there and what brand the card is what i do is set my self at a limit this mite not be in every collectors collection but i started investing in foil rookie cards because you rarely see graded foil in psa 9s or 10s or even sgc grade
The endless videos have become mostly unwatchable. Certainly not yours, but the modern card and flipper/investor videos. Would not shed a single tear if that segment of the hobby were to evaporate. Idiotic breaks, overhyped/manufactured "rarities", mindless slaves to grading, and TPGs themselves have all served to compromise and negatively commercialize the hobby. Just my .02
Vintage guys are laughing at these newbs, btw why? When they know your qualifications and collections, exp. ECT. When they ask for advice, they ignore it? Moreover why do I care. I usually revel in arbitrage 😅
The hobby will never die as it will always have its peaks and valleys. The thing about the hobby is history always repeats itself. The late 80’s brought in the masses, production increased and the market corrected. The result? The 90’s/00’s are a great era of cards that still hold their value today. Base cards, High end cards, serial cards, refractors, inserts all went through a metamorphosis in the 90’s. This era is just like the late 80’s as the masses jumped in, production increased, and we have witnessed a correction for 3 years now. I predict in a few years when the card companies sort through the rubble, we will another golden era with less collectors just like the 90’s/00’s.
it's less of a hobby and more like gambling at this point, at least with ultra-modern cards/boxes/packs. BTW, put you mic down under that button to cut down on your swallowing sounds. Or be aware of it and swallow later.
1) Investing. The haves and have nots (I'm the latter). For the haves, investing may be their thing. They buy a $50K-$100K card hoping it will go up in value. The have nots buy a $5-$10 card off eBay hoping for the same thing. It will always be this way, IMHO. 2) Parallels. Overdone and boring, IMHO. But hey, if you're producing 30-40K (guessing) boxes of cards, I guess you got to have some fillers in there. 3) 1/1 Videos. So old and tiring. IF Sports puts out a Top 10 Pulls video once a week (used to be 1 for hobby and 1 for retail, not sure now) and that's enough for me. It's even getting redundant with all the same breakers, the overuse of all the OMG's! (I'm sure He doesn't care if you pulled a banger) and jumping up and down, and it's usually not even their card. You may see 1 in 100 of a son/daughter/parent make the list. I enjoy those the most. 4) Who cares if anyone buys a $25K or $50K table at a card show? Means absolutely nothing to me. 5) I understand the 2009 Steph Curry Superfractor from Topps Chrome Basketball has never been found (or made public). With boxes going around $15,000, if you or a dealer know of the card, would you say anything? As a dealer, probably not. Wouldn't it make all the other boxes virtually worthless? Card could be worth upwards of $1M they say. Odds are 1/27,347 per box you could pull it so @ $15K a box, good luck. A good story and all but to me that's all it is.
Sharing my thoughts... your contest is too easy to fix or set as a scam. You could have told a friend prior to the contest what your cards on the shelf are ahead. Try real contest of chance IF you want to be fair. Hobby is fine IMO. It is all cyclical. Collector channels have great return but the it's the same audience and not an audience that will support your sponsors. Lots of collector like you, don't really know the modern hobby, so they just ramble and make wild ass guess. Modern content grows the hobby. You'll also see there are two types of people in the hobby. Those that will never leave and those that won't stay long. Those that stay feed off those that leave. I watch because I like to know how you think and what you think is happening. I appreciate your sharing,
Ultra modern is literally like watching the stock market. The players are SECONDARY to the price. Comp, silly sub name, and of 1. Im more info memorabilia. Photos, and jerseys. I do collect the Acuña brothers , OHTANI, and yamamoto.
I used to pay attention to subscribers and views and the lack of both regardless of effort in terms of the video is part of what made me quit for 2 years. After coming back, I don't even really pay any attention. If someone comments, I comment back. If someone subscribes, I may or may not subscribe back (that part usually comes from interactions).
Please share your thoughts!
During the pandemic, people had more spare time on their hands, and discriminated less in who they watched. As we have left the pandemic, I think people are becoming more discerning in the 'content creators' (I don't like that generic term, but will use it for the purposes of proving a point) that they 'follow'. People have less free time, and have less time for b-s.
I value genuine people. I value people who can tell a story, and whose content is evolving and interesting. I value people who value my time, as much as their own, and who don't treat me for a mug. I don't care for drama, and I don't particularly like being sold to. There are a handful of people I watch, when I have time to do so. You are one of them, Mike. Chris Sewell, Mike Moynahan, Chasing Cardboard, and a handful of others, are the extent of the people and content that I value, and who fit the above criteria.
The hobby isn't 'dying', I think that people are just becoming more discerning with their time and their money (the former in the content they consume, and the latter in the cards and products they collect).
Keep up the great work, mate. I always value your videos and your thoughts.
The hobby will never die. The sooner these flippers, breakers, investors, and unprecedented print runs will eventually end. And the sooner the better. So I can get back to collecting the way I want, and have for years.
Hope you are right!
@markstein1916 all that has to happen is ultra modern to tank like the mid 80's. The hobby thrives when greed is squashed. Greed is king right now and that should be a red flag for "investors"
I was at a card show in Ohio over the weekend, and the amount of Vintage dealers there was NUTs. I was having so much fun! I got a dents, dings, and scratches 53 Spahn and Slaughter, a 56 Spahn, 56 Campanella, and a 70 Munson for 120!
From the orginaizers of the show, last weekend they had 7 dealers that go every year to the National. Next show is 1/5 and they are running twice the number of vendors than the past weekend. Should be FUN!.
Awesome!
If the hobby is “dying” maybe people will stop “investing” in it so much. Less breakers would be awesome too.
I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you. It just so turns out that the hobby can be a good place to invest if you know what you're doing. You don't have to agree with it, but your opinion isn't going to change anything.
Amen!
I don't understand the hate people have for breakers. It blows my mind, and I've never been in even 1 break it just doesn't bother me that much. If thats how people choose to spend there $ so be it. 🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️
@@TrueREDSfan1 Not just breakers, but investors and speculators, too. You're right, people are going to spend their money how they see fit. However, people will always complain because they always have to have someone to blame for their shortcomings. I too got priced out of cards I was buying, but I'm not complaining about it. I discovered original photos and haven't turned back. For a fraction of the cost, I've bought many original type 1 and type III photos of Willie Mays compared to his sports cards. I believe everyone should find an alternate route to collecting within the hobby if they feel priced out of sports cards. It's not hard to do, it's just easier for people to complain. If you can't find an alternate route for your collecting habits, then find the money to buy the cards you want. If you still aren't happy, then find a new hobby. 🤷
@@TrueREDSfan1They hate breakers because breakers are the reason why the prices of products keep going to the moon. If breakers dip, then prices will go down. What normal human can afford $8,000 boxes these days????
I think the hobby has it's ups and downs throughout the year. With the baseball season over and the holidays coming up your average collector isn't looking to buy cards at the moment. I will say the local card shows here in my area of Louisville are attracting good crowds. I think the ultra modern flippers and collectors are hurting. These modern products are so expensive and you have so many of these players that people invested in are taking a bath on these cards.
Death spirals begin when younger generations stop participating. I don't see that at my local card shows. 9-14 year old boys running around everywhere with their little hard cases, wheeling and dealing the latest super-duper refractors. It isn't how I would spend my time or money, but like you said - this is their entry into the hobby and as they get older, the ones who stick with it will begin to lead towards other collecting goals such as vintage.
Yep
In my small sample of flipping it is definitely harder now. In 2019 I was big on buying Update hangers from Walgreens that had exclusive yellow parallels. Every box easily paid for itself. I could keep the good rookies, sell the rest and buy my next hanger. I bought like 3 hangers of Update this year just for the rookie chase, and not much sells. Only the BIG parallels. Starkly different from 5 years ago. That kind of flipping is certainly not done, but I think you have to do it in volume and very quickly. I'm content just buying those hangers to see if I pull a couple rookies - the flipping was just bonus. For ultra-modern I just focus on the rookies. I have and always love rookies of the star players.
We've entered a time when the demand for new unopened product has exceeded the demand for the cards in the unopened product. I think a lot of that is just how much new product is opened so quickly between breaking and the general gambling aspect of it all. The big question is if that is sustainable...it might be. The gambling aspect is so strong.
From a collector stand point it's almost a good thing because if you aren't really looking for the ultra mega chase card....so much of what you want isn't really that expense in the singles market as compared to what the new product costs.
The hobby definitely isn't dying...I'm not sure how it could since you can participate it in so many different ways. I think it will expand quite a bit as well when Fanatics is able to produce fully licensed Topps cards NFL and NBA cards. Having NFL flagship, Chrome, maybe Heritage at prices that people can actually buy it is going to bring out collectors that haven't been that interested in the mess that Panini produces. That's going to be fun to see. I know I would be more likely to buy NFL as a Topps product.
“Demand for unopened product exceeds the demand for the cards inside the product” is such a smart observation.
I would tweak it slightly: the demand for OPENING product exceeds the demand for the cards inside.
OMG You were reading my mind w this video. I don't think the hobby is dying but some of the videos are getting old. SCI yesterday did a "I spent $25K in 2 hours"......I couldn't get myself to watch it. As you said I love the stories that are unique.
By the way what happened to the Star 101 Jordan....last night on Fanatics a BGS 8.5 went for $33.5K.....a few months back people were paying $66K.
As always love the JWH content!
That’s wild about the Jordan!
The people that collect the players and teams they want and don’t care about value will always keep the hobby in decent shape. Sure it will have its peaks and valleys, but those who invest or look for a quick flip lose as much as they win. You cannot go wrong by sticking to being a true fan or collector of a team regardless of their success or big name players. I don’t buy or collect modern cards except occasional college card so my focus isn’t hampered as much by breakers and people looking for the big bit. I always collected former Alabama football players, saints players and Braves until about 2000. Had tons of extras, some base, some inserts and would only in recent years sell off extras or get graded to sell. Made some money only after those cards matured and grading became bigger.
Nowadays people who do invest beyond the 1/1 saturation, don’t give the cards or players time to mature in many cases before dumping them, which just reinforces the fact that people have more of a gambling mentality.
"I spent $XXXX on a table," or "I pulled a 1/1 blah blah," and the "Invest in this Player," I couldn't have said it better myself.. it all blends together.
Always my favorite RUclips channel.
Stories are what keep this alive, for me anyway. I had a great conversation with a dealer at the Shriners show about 'Niles' Kinnick (1939 Heisman winner) who died in a military training flight. Love this stuff..
That's exactly right! The stories are what really connect us.
I think we need the breakers to open the high end products, but I could do without the investors. I have been collecting for 47 years and will always be a collector. I have definitely sold stuff when prices were high to help fund more cards for my collection. The hobby is not dying when there are card shows every month in metro areas. It definitely not like that 10 years ago. There are ebbs and flows with every season.
Love a good card story like your attic find stories. That is how I first found your channel.
I have a great community of friends in the hobby which I did not have before RUclips and have made some life long friendships. That is not going anywhere.
@@kenscardboard well said, Ken.
I could write a thesis on the double edge sword on buying and selling. Yes you have to open a pack. Then getting a 10 on a card is sketchy. Then you have to sell it. You see highest selling cards on Ebay, which is sketchy too because of proxy bidding. Or if somebody really needs the money they'll sell it lower than others, prices are all over the lot high and low. It goes on and on.
I agree. It get's old seeing the same video's over and over. I only watch you're video's because of the stories and 3 other collectors. I think overall the Hobby is down not just because of the offseason for some sports or the Holiday's. Ppl or collectors want cards or slabs at dirt cheap prices and don't want to spend top dollar. Ppl hate the junk wax years but one thing I miss is only having 4 Rookie Cards for each player.
They were great years
I only just got back into the hobby early on in 2024. If "the hobby is dying", that means I'm going to be able to grab a bunch of great cards at better prices. That said, I don't really believe that myself; there are people just like me who are just now entering the hobby again (but maybe for the first time as an adult with some expendable $), and while there might be some flux here and there in the overall numbers, I think collecting [almost anything] will always remain generally strong.... Interesting thoughts. Thanks!
I just cracked a 7th inning sketch set open and pulled the Brodeur out. It's centered really nice and going for 7.00-10.00 bucks. I threw the rest of the set out. I'm going to start throwing out some junk wax. I have like 30 sets. I think I'm going to pop them all open and make lots.
That’s a great idea.
If I was hobby president…
1) make striped moon-bats the only chase parallel 🤜🤛. That was a great off the cuff thought.
2) make base cards relevant again
3) make auto inserts of base cards the only parallel other than striped moon bats🤣
4) force each sports league to have at least 2 diff companies making cards. No more monopolies.
5) recommend PSA graders to reread the company grading standards 10x per day.
6) make you chief of staff, Keating can be vp of communications, Mookie chief video maker, Scott raindeer head artist, & Chris Sewell head of finance
7) have people realize 90% of us are both hobby collectors & investors. We were 100% true collectors as kids. Now that monies are involved, how many of us buy cards w/o thinking of the price paid & opportunity to at least hold price paid. Heck, the only cards I buy w/o caring if they depreciate are Eagles QB cards from Tommy Thompson to Carson Wentz / Nick Foles eras.
8) make at least 1 video per month wearing a muscle shirt like John. 💪.
Great list!
The hobby isn’t dying but when it comes to RUclips style videos, it all depends on what and who you follow and enjoy collecting.
I can’t click on Nolan’s (EliteCo3’s) videos fast enough. I’ve literally watched him for over seven or eight years now. His videos are essentially mail days, grading returns and every blue moon he’ll throw something else in the mix. The reason I would never get sick of his content is that it’s #1, Authentic and he isn’t pushing anything on anyone, he isn’t spending sponsors money and acting like it’s his personal money, he’s a true collector, but also sells many cards and the list could go on and on and on. Essentially, he’s real and not a gimmick. He’s been around well before 99% of the guys now and you can just tell he’s not in this for anything except his love of the hobby.
I don’t know if anyone else feels the same, and I could keep listing many other reasons why he’s one of, if not the best in this space, but that’s the best example I immediately thought of. My only honest complaint is that he doesn’t put out as many videos as he did in the past and that’s really disappointing.
I forgot to mention that he doesn’t do the boring modern card only game. He’s grading everything from 90’s base junk wax to rare 90’s cards from big names athletes that people forgot about like Jamal Lewis, but will also have a $10,000 Lebron James card in the order as well. Only modern cards is boring to me when it comes to content.
Every RUclipsr is complaining their views are down. Pay attention OK
For the vintage collector no for the modern collector yes for you to sit there and say it’s not for the modern collector you lying to yourself and may Santa Claus never bring your children a present. May you lose your job going into poverty and your wife leave you for a man that can take care of her It’s
I think the unfortunate part is that we're in the worst of both worlds right now. I can tolerate junk wax era, but it has to come with junk wax prices. I can also stomach paying more for a box if the cards are worth something. The unfortunate part is that the hobby is now a lottery. There is no gradual curve for card values. There's basically either junk or "big hits" with nothing in between. But usually it's just all junk. We're paying high prices for junk 98% of the time. Again, I'm happy collecting base cards, but sell me a hobby box for $50 then. It's the fact that you're paying $500 a box to get all junk that kills the hobby.
Well said
Well said Mike. This hobby/business is incredibly resilient, with many ups and downs over its 100+ year history. I agree it was super easy to “flip” during the COVID period, as it seems like values were only going up. That brought a lot of new people into the hobby. While that ship has sailed, the exposure that brought has been a net positive.
Good point
I agree. Over printing and raising costs have stopped my set building (last was Series 1 2023). I’ve thinned my ultra modern collection for vintage and autos.
I love hearing the stories as well. With the increased prices of new releases and huge print runs I changed my focus this year to collecting autographs, both in person or TTM. It’s crazy how many really cool autographs you can collect for less than the cost of a box of Topps flagship.
That's a great alternative!
Flipped a Sasaki Topps PSA 10 this week. Turned 35 into 100 on COMC. I normally just do small flips on COMC turn a buck into 2.50, stuff like that, but it's more or less for entertainment. I'm not looking to get rich that way.
As far as the rest of the hobby goes, I hope people start just get back to collecting what they like as opposed to what they think is going to be profitable. At some point collectors learned that the Geoff Wilson's of the world aren't all that exciting anymore. Mix that with ultra modern cards coming out are a colossal waste of money. Stick to what you like and you'll never feel like you got burned.
Well said
As someone that has been in the hobby, on and off, since the late 80's/early 90's I don't see the hobby is dying. I think the wax has gone off the deep end and while I tried some boxes early on, they are just too expensive and too confusing. I will buy some modern stuff, especially Caitlin Clark, Judge, Shohei, etc but it is limited. I have a renewed interest in vintage cards and TTM autos. So much to appreciate in the vintage market, not to mention the simplicity of it all. How many different baseball releases can Topps do in one year? If Fanatics is struggling, I can see why.
I completely agree about the vintage market.
I agree with you about community and collecting! The stories that showcase the humanity of what we do and why we do it… how we do it and who we’re doing it with is as evergreen and watchable as the cardboard itself.
Well said, Mookie
This time of year has been slower as long as I’ve been collecting. My strategy has always been to buy more around Christmas!
Ditto here Mr Mangini
It was literally impossible to lose money 3 years ago flipping cards. The fact that Fanatics/Breakers get to "pre-release" everything a week beforehand allows them the highest resale market while everyone else gets the downward slope. Resales are tougher because it's no longer an even playing field
I agree! I still watch channels where people open up boxes and packs. Just for the thrill. I learned my lesson coming back into the hobby after 20 years. The chase is not worth the money. So I just buy singles of my Ravens players that meant a lot to me and current ones. That brings me the thrill of just finding it and holding on to them.
That’s a great way to approach the hobby!
I could not agree more. The quick flip selling, and it has to be a PSA 10 or bust, is declining, but I feel the hobby is still great. We had a great show where I live that comes once a year and there was 100 person deep line before it opened and it was non-stop the full 6 hrs of the show.
That's good to hear, it's encouraging to see people still passionate about collecting.
I'm now 60 and have had cards since I was 10 years old, buying cards through early 90's when the card market really crashed, not even looking at my cards until 1 year ago. The hobby still is dead as I've got 40 Beckett magazines from 1987 thru 1991 and card values today aren't any more than they were then. Obviously, it's all about PSA today to make a card worth anything, especially cards from 1989 and back. I do believe any unopened material from 1989 thru 1981 will be worth as much as 70's unopened stuff in 5 to 10 years because of some many people ripping packs as they call it. That's all I buy, anything unopened in the 80's.
I Stopped collecting in the late 80's with the birth if Junk Wax and the grading of cards.
I got back in in 2022. I usually buy raw cards but have purchased graded vintage. I have never graded a card.
Sport cards remind me of the stock market.
You have the long term holders, and you have the traders who buy and sell.
I am one of the long term holders. I enjoy the history behind the players and card. I do not sell cards. I watch the market but don't react to the ups and downs, unlessI can find a bargain.
Then you have the people who buy and sell. They do not care about the card as long as they make money.
I am not here to say who is right or wrong. It is a marketplace and I guess if you can make money more power to you. It's just not for me. I just enjoy collecting.
Well said
Some of my most consistent profit makers are top of scale vintage, and buying raw vintage cards from low pop sets, sports and non-sports, sending to SGC and listing. And I'll move a couple 1939 Play Balls, or Heroes of History a week easily. People have 1000 options for their 2023 rookie guy, but if they want a Betsy Ross in a nice slab, they can have a 115 year old one for the cost of a /199 rookie auto, and that will always grab people.
Exactly
The hobby is reconnecting! I am 45 and just recently got back into collecting. Not for profit but for the love of it. I have created a mancave of nothing but the teams and players I love. Any Baltimore Orioles, Duke Blue Devils, Memphis Grizzlies and Tennessee Titans. I love relic cards!
@@georgehooks9513 nice!!
Vintage is the way to go!
The hobby is dying = the hobby is on sale. Every year I look forward to the baseball offseason for that reason.
The issue is it’s outgrown being niche and a size that made it great and now has to accommodate the new collectors. If it doesn’t then the shelves are always cleared out and retail is reselling crazy high online. To make sure the new product still contains stuff that people would want to pull new parallels need to be made. There more than likely will be a cooling off period where production drops. No idea when though.
If I were the CEO of the hobby (or however you put it) I’d take away exclusivity, and limit the amount of releases per year per card producer. One large product, one high end product, one minor league product, and a handful of “fun” products. Topps and panini have a ridiculous amount of releases per year per sport and they feel like cash grabs and not competition.
“The hobby is dying means cards are on sale” is the best way to look at it
My favorite ultra modern is the good old fashioned silver refractors. They look fabulous.
Mine too
Card collecting should remain a hobby and not be looked at as an investment. I’ve never in my life thought of buying stocks/bonds as a hobby. However, a lot of breakers on Whatnot do sound like extras from the movie “Wolf of Wall Street”.
The content I enjoy watching teaches me something about The Hobby. I not into videos that are entertaining, I like ones that teach me something. Attic Find Fridays are among my favorites.
Thanks!
Spending 30k a year is Geoff Wilson. Call it like it is and agree people are over it. I was never into it, but do you and go make that RUclips money.
I posted many times on this channel that Mike is a new style and gives credit to those who contributed to a story.
I also said please never change for the clicks. If views are down, so what. There are so many other factors why people can not watch or missed a video. Life, sports, holidays etc.
I personally hate, despise the media. It is all trash from every side trying to tug at you to alter your thoughts and views. The hobby post covid has a lot of this now where the same story is regurgitated so they can keep the cash coming in.
This hobby is so large outside of the "internet hobby".
And I mentioned this on Dan's channel/recent video: Until people are held accountable for what they post and comment on, the waters will be muddy, after while you won't know who to trust or believe. Have a good filter in life on all you consume and its no different here on RUclips.
Catch you on the next one Mike
Thanks for the feedback, I always appreciate it!
I agree with you, I narrowed my pc aspirations of Austin Riley to mainly his purple parallels and other cool looking cards of his. I also pc Phil Niekro, mainly oddball stuff, store branded cards, stickers, highlight/record breaker type cards.
Sounds like a fun PC!
I love the cards, the hobby and fellow collectors of baseball cards. I can't stand the click-bait kings and their over the top videos, so I don't watch them. You keep it real, poignant and entertaining. That is why I keep watching and reading your newsletter.
That's awesome, thanks for the support!
So.. My truth & not the full truth on behalf of the entire community! But, a majority i think would agree? Depending on where you're putting out content, displaying cards for sale and how you approach the entire hobby ALL makes a huge impact.!? For example i know a friend who is big on selling cards on whatnot as weekly auctions and far more successful than me streaming hours on in to a handful of friends as more of a talk show type thing... I also have a friend who spams face book marketplace with very detailed singles and does well! Both friends I have mentioned have surpassed me in sales by a landslide & about convinced me to stop singles auction streams tbh.! Most would agree the breakers will always out do the resellers because they're spoon fed new products weekly and everyone wants a taste.!? I kept the details of us smaller sellers out of the comment because i don't care for the negative feedback or temporary boosted algorithm. Please give me a shout if you ever get around to streaming on whatnot as i don't believe i have heard you mention it before!
All those 1 of 1 and 70 parallels of everything are just ridiculous. But at least all those lame eBay 1 of 1 listings fell out of favor. And people got really creative the way they’d justify listing those cards.
Totally agree Mike, very well said
I mentioned to you a couple of weeks ago that I was worried about a card that I won in an ebay auction where it wasn't looking too good with the tracking where it was a repurchase of a card I originally bought from Germany over a year ago for EUR 40 and the new copy cost $63 within the USA. I have an update:
A few days after my comment the USA copy arrived
Yesterday the Germany copy arrived with the original post mark of 19 August 2023 sent Priority
Now I am only missing an out of 10 Select Gold parallel shipped from the Philippines in July. I need you to provide me some luck that this will eventually arrive too. This one is approximately $200.
@@jeffw654 great! Good luck with the rest!
Finally a reasonable take.
The overreactions and useless thumbnails for clicks gets old.
Good video sir
The Card Hobby is "Alive and Kicking" Men Lie. Women Lie. The Numbers.....DON'T Lie." 💰💰💰
Hi Mike. I think the hobby is still going strong. One big issue is the cost of hobby and jumbo boxes. The 2024 Topps Update jumbos are going for over $300.00 per box. That is just crazy.
It’s definitely hard to stomach those prices
All the Trevor Lawrence references makes me think of CC2 lol "this is Trevor Lawrence" 😂
The hobby is alive and well.
Indeed
I appreciate the kind words. I completely agree with your thoughts in this video. My views are not down. But, most importantly….the striped moon bat parallel is FOR SURE my favorite out there.
Checkered wolfstone is pretty good too!
@@JunkWaxHerowhat the hell are you two talking about? I’ve just embraced Kaboomies. I don’t know WTF a Moon Landing bat card or checkered Wolftone is? 😂😂
Is the hobby folks who like vintage and their fav players or is the hobby Fanatics, PSA and Panini trying to (and by in large succeeding) in capitalizing on over priced wax and grading? "The Hobby" has a weird, overused connation anyway. New and Used furniture doesn't have this sweeping nomenclature for example and one doesn't really affect the other.
I don't think it's dying but it's got a bad cough. Do you know what kind of videos that are absent? Videos where people spend $$ and send to PSA and see how much money they can make because it's harder to grade, R.O.I is smaller and people are losing money. I love the stories as well as a pure collector and new stuff and those videos you mentioned bore me as well.
Chris Sewall still does those videos and they’re great!
@@JunkWaxHero Chris does do a great job, but I am talking modern shiny nonsense to get views. I can't believe Graig big timed you.😅
@@LetsStormTheTeaCupRide lol Graig is the worst
We aren't trying to give the secrets away 🤫
This was your chance to use a cliched worried face thumbnail and you blew it.
I recycled the same exact thumbnail from last year’s “the hobby is dying” video and just added dates
And you wonder why the hobby is dying.
I don't think it's dying. A few years ago it was white hot. It goes through ebbs and flows. Retail football and baseball continue to fly off the shelves. It is WAY too expensive. Paper cards should never cost what they do now.
Totally agree!
I think whenever cards go down for a while, it scares some investors out of cards. On the other hand, when cards go down, collector's buy more cards.
Exactly
Interesting stories, and cards is what I like to watch videos for. Your stuff is fun to watch. Keep it up
@@kewl.card.collector2318 thank you!
I hope I pull a Striped Moonbat JWH RC one day! 😉 Your channel is one I regularly watch. There are a few others I must watch as well. I think time is a factor when it comes to watching videos, at least for me. I work. I still buy cards, though.
@@NuthinFancyCollectibles yeah I wish I had more time to watch more videos. Thanks Ken
Real Talk !😎👍🔥💰I Buy what I Like only
100% agree. Use to love Card Collector 2 because he seemed genuine. Then he put out allll the type of videos you mentioning. “Spending 50k blah blah, buying 100 1/1 for 100k.” The dude just brags. I watch King of Kards he is an actual genuine hobby guy. I stopped watching Mojo cause he is another bragger and “look at me” personality.
@@swizzle1199 I’ll have to check out King of Kards
@@JunkWaxHeroalso wanted to say I really love Midlife Cards as well. King of Kards does show videos but he will have tons of people come to his table and tell him how wonderful he is to his customers and genuine. He’s the man.
I wonder how many of the people who, say the hobby is dying were collecting before Covid, I think most of us can agree, that the hobby is not dying. But here's an analogy you, could probably appreciate. It's kind of like Michael Myers, or Jason Voorhees. They are k*lled in, so many different ways but, then are brought back, for the sequel. And the reboots. Sort of like our hobby. Without the blood, guts, and gore.
Haha I love that
So many big shows coming up people are saving , well at least I am lol
My collecting has transitioned since Covid. I seek out autographs thru TTM. It's way more enjoyable than opening new, overpriced over printed cards with very little to show for afterwards.
@@CabbageMark well said
Stripped moon bat =Awesome
It’s a hobby. Each person picks what they like collecting.
I get tried of people talking about cards.
Cards are an extension of the game.
Am super tired of listening about making money and flipping.
Try building a set which is a piece of history.
I can't really speak to modern/breakers being down, I don't follow that market. I would be fine with younger collectors not chasing dollars and just collecting what they like for sure. I can say my views are down about 35% recently, it's depressing.
I’m sorry, Eddy. On a per video basis?
My somewhat recent SGC reveal went well, but other than that across the board, it's obvious @@JunkWaxHero
Well said, Mike.
Sounds like you got a case of the Mondays. The sensationalized hype is a bit saturating. Have a good day!
The hobby is not dying. I feel like investing part is losing ground. People have lost cars and homes over cardboard with people's faces on them
Yeah it’s really sad
Unfortunately the RUclips algorithm keeps pushing everyone to the same influence channels over & over. There are so many new RUclipsrs (I have subbed to many) including myself that have different content but RUclips is in charge of making these channels grow, sad how the system works.
The algorithm is a tough one.
Agree! As far as RUclips goes, everyone is NOT created equal.
I resemble your take- sincerely Geoff Wilson! Lol. Seriously, I hope not as I just released my favorite one ever!
lol
THE TRUTH IS: Investment graded vintage HOF'ers (well centered for the year with nice eye appeal) are always in demand. They very seldom go down in value. During the last 15 years, my cards have increased in value from 10% to 20% per year. There were a few years of being flat but, they didn't lose value. All of this new crap is fools gold. It's worthless. Nice and shiny but, way too many RC's of the same player and they all look the same. I enjoy history, art, sports and the players involved. That's why I collect and invest in vintage. Most folks today buy this new crap hoping to make a quick buck. It's 2 different worlds out there. So packing vintage and modern together, one may feel that the entire sports card market is doomed. That's why intelligent investors don't converse with these modern day snake oil salesmen Influencers. It's a waste of their precious time plus, they aren't stupid.
It's really only dying for the grifters though.
ct scanning was a bad bad blow.... gonna take a while if ever
What is the striped moon bat parallel numbered too? 😂
lol
@@JunkWaxHero your probably not to far off on a parallel name. And its a tru point
Great video Mike. I hope "investing" is dying. I think collecting is increasing. At least the channels I watch from the content creators in our 40-60 age range.
Nice my man! Thanks Mike
Appreciate it!
Hopefully the stupidity is dying /ending. Spending big $ on some of the worst releases in the long history of the hobby. A collector since I was a kid and I'm over 60. I learned the word "rare" is a big lie. Some of the stuff put out by panini ud and topps is beyond understanding. Breakers talk up the most bizarre garbage like you can't live without it. Time has taught me I'd rather look at my 55 jackie robinson than one of the 3,000 rookie variations of any new player. The new releases are undoubtedly the second junk wax Era except this time around the price for boxes is insane. Most loose 80 to 90% of thier money on almost every box ? It's why I haven't opened a box in 7 years. But I did pick up a psa 8 gerry cheevers rookie that sure looks good. It may go down but minimal at best. But the prices for scenes rookies is nuts. First of all a small market pirates team and a pitcher ? Used to be you got yanks dodgers rsox maybe Phillies but never touched the other teams and never ever invest in modern pitchers. The common sense understanding older collectors have still works so there's some that will ride out any drop in interest but the guy investing in the flavor of the day will likely awake one day to a collapse then bitch he's leaving the hobby because it's collapsing. Collect diverse spectrums and keep the stuff you enjoy. Simple, but don't buy the hype and definitely don't break high end rare bullshat that doubles in price because ? It's rare ? Aka 23/24 sp authentic hockey comes to mind ? If you call yourself an investor then do bitcoin but leave the hobby to collectors
@@Garry-h8v you covered a lot of ground here but I agree with most of it
No cards flipped on your shelf
I dont belive the hobby is dien if you invest in grading you haft to think about how many of the card is out there and what brand the card is what i do is set my self at a limit this mite not be in every collectors collection but i started investing in foil rookie cards because you rarely see graded foil in psa 9s or 10s or even sgc grade
When i was a kid a player phad a few rookie cards now its like hundreds of them and we didnt have no graded cards which are a scamto me al
BUY the dip
The endless videos have become mostly unwatchable. Certainly not yours, but the modern card and flipper/investor videos. Would not shed a single tear if that segment of the hobby were to evaporate. Idiotic breaks, overhyped/manufactured "rarities", mindless slaves to grading, and TPGs themselves have all served to compromise and negatively commercialize the hobby. Just my .02
Vintage guys are laughing at these newbs, btw why? When they know your qualifications and collections, exp. ECT. When they ask for advice, they ignore it? Moreover why do I care. I usually revel in arbitrage 😅
Mike by any chance are you going to the upcoming Quincy Ma. show at the Marriott hotel ?
No, sorry
The hobby will never die as it will always have its peaks and valleys. The thing about the hobby is history always repeats itself.
The late 80’s brought in the masses, production increased and the market corrected. The result? The 90’s/00’s are a great era of cards that still hold their value today. Base cards, High end cards, serial cards, refractors, inserts all went through a metamorphosis in the 90’s.
This era is just like the late 80’s as the masses jumped in, production increased, and we have witnessed a correction for 3 years now. I predict in a few years when the card companies sort through the rubble, we will another golden era with less collectors just like the 90’s/00’s.
I would love to buy some of today’s cards for pennies on the dollar
it's less of a hobby and more like gambling at this point, at least with ultra-modern cards/boxes/packs.
BTW, put you mic down under that button to cut down on your swallowing sounds. Or be aware of it and swallow later.
You're just jealous you didnt pull the vanilla squid ink Trevor Lawrence 1/1 parallel haha striped moon bats are the new debut patches.
Haha that's a good one!
The sports card *hobby* seems to be declining. The sports card *business* is doing fine.
1) Investing. The haves and have nots (I'm the latter). For the haves, investing may be their thing. They buy a $50K-$100K card hoping it will go up in value. The have nots buy a $5-$10 card off eBay hoping for the same thing. It will always be this way, IMHO.
2) Parallels. Overdone and boring, IMHO. But hey, if you're producing 30-40K (guessing) boxes of cards, I guess you got to have some fillers in there.
3) 1/1 Videos. So old and tiring. IF Sports puts out a Top 10 Pulls video once a week (used to be 1 for hobby and 1 for retail, not sure now) and that's enough for me. It's even getting redundant with all the same breakers, the overuse of all the OMG's! (I'm sure He doesn't care if you pulled a banger) and jumping up and down, and it's usually not even their card. You may see 1 in 100 of a son/daughter/parent make the list. I enjoy those the most.
4) Who cares if anyone buys a $25K or $50K table at a card show? Means absolutely nothing to me.
5) I understand the 2009 Steph Curry Superfractor from Topps Chrome Basketball has never been found (or made public). With boxes going around $15,000, if you or a dealer know of the card, would you say anything? As a dealer, probably not. Wouldn't it make all the other boxes virtually worthless? Card could be worth upwards of $1M they say. Odds are 1/27,347 per box you could pull it so @ $15K a box, good luck. A good story and all but to me that's all it is.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
First 😂
ruclips.net/video/4cdBF_xsdcU/видео.html interesting video I think it kind of ties in with your video
That’s been in my to watch list since NEO posted it… thanks, I’ll bump it up and watch it soon
Sharing my thoughts... your contest is too easy to fix or set as a scam. You could have told a friend prior to the contest what your cards on the shelf are ahead. Try real contest of chance IF you want to be fair.
Hobby is fine IMO. It is all cyclical.
Collector channels have great return but the it's the same audience and not an audience that will support your sponsors. Lots of collector like you, don't really know the modern hobby, so they just ramble and make wild ass guess.
Modern content grows the hobby. You'll also see there are two types of people in the hobby. Those that will never leave and those that won't stay long. Those that stay feed off those that leave.
I watch because I like to know how you think and what you think is happening. I appreciate your sharing,
Ultra modern is literally like watching the stock market. The players are SECONDARY to the price. Comp, silly sub name, and of 1. Im more info memorabilia. Photos, and jerseys. I do collect the Acuña brothers , OHTANI, and yamamoto.
Put me on the list of new pennysleever customers (and used the JWH code)
Nice!
@johnrambo7630 We hope to put you on the list of HAPPY Pennysleever customers. Please let us know how it goes.
I used to pay attention to subscribers and views and the lack of both regardless of effort in terms of the video is part of what made me quit for 2 years. After coming back, I don't even really pay any attention. If someone comments, I comment back. If someone subscribes, I may or may not subscribe back (that part usually comes from interactions).
This time of year has been slower as long as I’ve been collecting. My strategy has always been to buy more around Christmas!
Makes good sense to me