[rjcj2017]

Hello everyone.
          I have been collecting cards since Kiss cards came out in 1977 and the Star Wars etc...Collecting USED to be fun and lately been focusing on my Graig Nettles collection. They is waaaay too product being much being made tht's a fact. It used to be if you wanted certain cards or supplies you just waited until the weekend for a card show, but now you have every Tom Dick & Harry selling their cards for pennies on Ebay which is KILLING market value. The minute someone wamts to try to make $5 on a card there is person with a 50 cent BIN and I think the only thing that will ever hold value {besides pre 1980) are serial numbered cards but eventually Panini and Topps will screw that up by stamping multiples of the same card 1/1 5/5 etc. Sorry for the rant and getting off topic but I have no one else to talk to about it. Thanks

Here's what happened ... the pandemic caused this extremely false bubble of ridiculously inflated values that drew these "Great New Collectors" into the mix with the promise of big pulls and big sales every time they bought an $80 blaster (that was purchased at Target for $19.99 and resold online) ...

Even better, they watched online breaks and were told to just send everything that you pull in to get graded, because who doesn't want an 8.5 Near Mint sixth-year base card of a backup catcher, but what these Great New Collectors didn't realize was that they flooded the grading companies who couldn't keep up ... so, to recoup any cost whatsoever of their Gem Mint Fire blaster break, "bro, let's effing go," they list it all on eBay because they don't want to wait a year and a half to get their 8.5s back.

As for me? It's worked out great. I patiently wait for a new product to come out, and by and large do my best to pass up breaking the blasters myself, then buy the singles I want for a fraction of the blaster cost.

Simultaneously, the card companies started to notice this reselling trend and not only spiked the cost of the blasters but also started cranking up the printing presses. I mean, you can walk into most stores around here and STILL find Prizm basketball on the shelves.

So, essentially, because of the general overall dooshiness of the hobby since early 2020, we now pay more for the same cards that have less value.

My favorite example - Prizm basketball. These used to be $19.99 and guaranteed a mem or auto card (meaning, a mem or "Panini Rewards" card) per blaster.

Now? They're $34.99 (LOL) and don't guarantee anything. Plus, in my seven blasters that I stupidly busted last year trying to get Cade Cunningham for my Pistons PC, I hardly got any of the top 10 rookies ... one other collector said he busted 30+ and didn't pull a Cade.

Conversely, four years ago I busted exactly one mega box of 2019-20 Prizm and pulled a Zion Williamson card, the big name at the time.

I mean, "show me you're short printing the good cards without telling me you're short printing the good cards."

Anyway, yeah, I'm stronly leaning toward clearing out almost everything I have. It's just not fun any more.

[ZSDOne]

And remember Fanatics bought into cards at the top of the market and reached deals that are going to be essentially impossible for them to come close to recouping using the current model and is thus trying to control the entire market (as the only possible way it could make sense for them)

[rjcj2017]

Fanatics gonna Fanatics

So far my only experience with Fanatics has been using a gift card in one of their affiliate stores at the mall before Christmas last year.

I pulled this "cubic" parallel of Julio Rodriguez out of a blaster of 2022 Chronicles ... #25/25, eBay 1/1 LOL








I should probably quit while I'm way ahead, LOL

[corbin21]

You can now add Costco to the list of where you can find and buy Topps baseball cards.

[jack pfiester]

You can now add Costco to the list of where you can find and buy Topps baseball cards.

What year is it 1990?!

[akaus]

What year is it 1990?!

According to the prices of packs and boxes, No. Sometimes I wish it was 1990 and other times I don't.

[jack pfiester]

Here's what happened ... the pandemic caused this extremely false bubble of ridiculously inflated values 

Sounds like the real estate market! 

[corbin21]

It was hard to see how many packs were in the box. But my guess would be 13 to 15 packs of series 1, 2 and update. With 1 oversized card and 3 exclusive packs included. For a grand total of $33.99. Plus tax...And no it is not 1990, but we're flooding the market once again with Baseball cards. How does the saying go "History has a tendency of repeating itself."

[rjcj2017]

I used to love the 36-pack Topps and Donruss boxes for $9.99!

15 cards per pack, too

No hits or parallels

Just ... cards

Ahhhh, the good old days

[kerryandbeth]

When I first started collecting I used to get excited about busting packs and getting a card worth $1...

Because there were so many worthless cards! Not the good old days, to me.