quote:

Originally posted by Graham:
It's a sad time for genuine collectors.

I would like to believe its a temporary time, but things rarely go back once they have crashed and burned. In the 70s, stamp collecting and coin collecting reached a level where they became counter space in the huge department stores of the day. There were corner stores on main streets and most average families seemed to be collecting something. Once the manufacturing of expensive coins and stamps started, both markets imploded in just a few short years. Neither one has ever recovered. In that respect, cards are hanging on longer because they have the advantage of being about current sports or entertainment or pop culture or gaming, and the market is naturally fractured to smaller groups by the various subjects. Portions grow while others contract.

I like to believe that a lot of what we are seeing in non-sport cards is hype and that the more ridiculous sales are being conducted among a small group that are playing a game of musical chairs. Just trying to keep flipping higher among themselves before the music stops.

Genuine collectors know better than to get involved in this insanity, but its frustrating when all you can do is stay away from stuff you would like to buy. Right now inflation has taken hold here, so cheaper money means higher prices for everything. The opposite is also in effect, disposable income should be drying up as more money is needed for essential things.

And even the wealthy have to be feeling the drain on their stock portfolios, but real estate is going through the roof in the right locations. The economy will get worse before it gets better and I can't see how this is good for any collectible, yet the card prices keep rising SUPPOSEDLY.

And that light at the end of the tunnel is an oncoming train.

quote:

Originally posted by Graham:
The only thing I've seen drying up is a reasonable price for a chase card - sketch, costume, prop, auto etc. It's no longer "I want to make a profit", it's "I want to pay off my mortgage". Sketch cards that would only ever attract a $30-$40 price are now $100+. One auto that I had my eye on, but at $90 was a little too much is now $200. Sellers are just waiting for the uninformed to jump on to speculate and speculators are flipping. It's a sad time for genuine collectors.

Yeah, it's tough -- especially if you are collecting things that speculators have recently targeted like Marvel and Harry Potter.

There are still good cards out there though -- cards that haven't been pumped to oblivion.

On the plus side before the speculators really screwed things up there seemed to be some actual growth in the hobby. Prices on certain cards were creeping up in an organic way.

I'm curious where it all heads -- I don't think the speculators will be here for the long term.

There is more demand, so I'm still hoping that leads to more new licenses, and more small press sets.

Also Fanatics -- at least so far -- has shown that advertising and pushing your product actually makes a difference. Perhaps other manufacturers will learn something from them.

While it does seem to be a great time for the industry -- I agree, it is a tough time for a collector.

On the final James Bond set that Rittenhouse did, there was a multi-case incentive Sean Connery cut auto, which was discussed many times here on Card Talk. The set came out in 2017, I believe.

It was theorized that based on the math, around 40 were produced. Anytime I looked on ebay in the past, you'd see maybe 3 or 4 for sale, with no takers, the cheapest one being offered for around $ 1500

I just looked on ebay, and unless I am missing something, I see only ONE for sale right now. Asking price $ 2900.00. And it doesn't look like any others have shown up for sale over the past few months.

Maybe I should have grabbed one when it was $1500