| Roy,
I collect sets and rookie cards only. I just recently got into the
hobby and I've been working my way back ever since. I started out with
the '87 Topps set (I bought it for $18), but I decided that buying boxes
of wax packs with a bunch of my friends was better, because we could
then give the doubles to each other to make sets. I now have the
'88,'87,'86 Topps and I'm 40 cards (all commons) short of a conplete
'85 Topps set. I have a complete set of '88 and '87 Donruss and
I have a number of rookie cards (Boggs,Mattingly,Canseco,Gooden,
Davis,McGwire,etc.). To me this is real fun trying to put the sets
together that way.
As far as the prices are concerned, I think it's because most of the
high priced players nowadays play in large metropolitan areas (Boston,
New York, Oakland, etc.) where the demand for the cards (kids, favorite
team collectors, etc.) usually FAR exceeds the supply for them. Nobody
wanted the Mattingly rookie card in 1983-1984, because he was a 19th
round draft choice of the Yankees. However, as soon as he went wild in
the Majors his card got HOT. A friend of my brothers has 20 1984 Donruss
Don Mattingly cards that he got for next to nothing back then.
A rookie Mantle is $4000 or so, a rookie Yaz is about $150 (maybe). You
don't think that Mattingly (based on his accomplishments thus far) is
worth at least half of that?
The '70 cards you quoted are not the rookie cards of those players, so it's
expected that they are not that high. Back then those cards were deemed
"too expensive" for most peoples tastes and money went farther back then
too.
Just my opinion.
Dave
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| Roy,
I agree with you entirely! I can not see why a card you can still
buy in a pack today should cost anything more than 50 cents. Today
the price for a Griffy card is $15 for Upper Deck. You can still
buy a pack for a buck and maybe get a Griffy plus some of your favorite
team or player. And as you have stated Mr. Griffy has not proven
himself over a 20 year career.
Hopefully some day the "investers"
will get out of the hobby and leave it to those for whom it is a
hobby. My collection is in full sets back to 1973 plus 1961 and
some other years in baseball plus more sets in football and hockey,
and I would be glad to have it valued at the prices of ten years
ago or even 20 if it meant that I would be able to complete the sets
I like most. I am happy that I already have been in the hobby and
have my sets because I refuse to pay the prices for a Mattingly when I
can get a 1941 Playball of Greenberg or Gerhinger or Ott for less.
The best values I see in cards are in the pre-Topps cards or in
the packs at your local drug store. All the prices for cards since
1980 are outragous and the prices for the rookies and stars from
84 on are disgusting.
Anyway, before I start getting more mad I better sign off.
A Tiger fan
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| I agree and don't agree. As for Mattingly cards, your on the money!
He's in NY which gives him more visiblity, and radio and TV coverage.
As for the other comments, I would have to disagree because everything
is relative. Back in the old days, less cards, less collectors. Now
a days, many more cards, and a whole lot more collectors, and
investors. These people are the key to this whole thing. In 25 years,
try looking ahead. If the stuff comes out of the attic, it will be
mint and in very good shape vs the stuff coming out of the attic from
25 years ago, which is coming out of shoe boxes, etc. I think the new
stuff which will hit the market in 25 years will be in much better
shape. The kids who collect as a hobby, and casual collectors, that
stuff will be trash, little value. The key is if your collecting for
investment purposes, keep it mint, by the perfect cards, and store them
away somewhere so that you have outstanding product to sell in the
years ahead. I think as we did, alot of stuff will get tossed out, put
aside, as the kids grow older, there interests change, and money which
is available will get deverted elsewhere, and hobbies will be haulted.
The key is to keep'em going and "condition" will rule the hobby,
because of the glut of stuff on the market. I think the odd ball stuff
and new smaller sets will someday command higher prices, if quantities
are limited. I still beleive where there is RISK, there is money to be
made, and thats what its all about in todays market. Pick a rookie,
load up on his cards, and pray in 25 years he makes the HOF.
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