| Any male that grew up in the late | | | | |
| 1980's-early 1990's knows all about the | | | | collectors" who are sitting in the wings, |
| phenomenon known as "Baseball Card Death." | | | | storing their worthless |
| The problem is, he doesn't know that he knows | | | | |
| this. And who can blame one's selective | | | | cards and waiting for a sunny day.Most of |
| memory loss here. Think of the large | | | | these unfortunate souls |
| percentage of your disposable income that you | | | | |
| blew on baseball cards, which likely have | | | | have moved on to other things, thank |
| little utility for you right now as they sit | | | | goodness, and hopefully have |
| in your basement amongst the spiders, | | | | |
| centipedes, and mice. Do you really want to | | | | carried these valuable lessons from their |
| be reminded of the colossal investment | | | | baseball card investment |
| mistakes you made? Well, we will play the | | | | |
| role of Alanis Morrisette, "And I'm here to | | | | debacles forward with them through life, so |
| remind you..." In the early 1990s baseball | | | | as to avoid similar |
| cards were better than money, better than | | | | |
| gold, hell, they were supposed to pay for | | | | predicaments whether in business, the stock |
| college tuitions because they were such a | | | | market, real estate, etc. |
| solid investment.As everyone knows, but few | | | | |
| can bear to admit, nothing could have been | | | | Over the course of the late 80s and 1990s, |
| further from the awful truth...... We've | | | | card buyers kept taking in |
| scoured the net for articles or | | | | |
| postings...basically anything we could find | | | | cards, and the shopkeepers were the sellers. |
| with a negative slant on baseball cards. We | | | | Now any shopkeeper who |
| can't find anything! People seem very keen on | | | | |
| talking about their successes, and we all | | | | made a sale and refused to replenish that |
| know that back in the day EVERYONE was | | | | inventory probably made out |
| talking about how much everything they owned | | | | |
| "was worth." But did anyone REALLY cash in on | | | | quite well. But those who thought the boom |
| their "baseball card riches?" Did anyone bail | | | | would last forever likely got |
| at the right time and actually pay for their | | | | |
| tuition, buy a second home, or re-invest in | | | | their ass handed to them as they re-invested |
| the stock market?Our instincts tell us the | | | | the profits on their card |
| answer is for the most part, "no." This site | | | | |
| was created mostly as a beacon of | | | | sales in more inventory. This inventory |
| objectivity..and negativity if you will, | | | | became more worthless as time |
| towards an institution that seems focused on | | | | |
| "talking about the good old days." We are | | | | went on, became increasingly difficult to |
| tired of hearing about "what your cards were | | | | sell to card buyers amidst |
| worth" or "how they will come back in value | | | | |
| if you just hold them." Let's hear some | | | | waning public interest. Let's put this in |
| objectivity and reality for once and report | | | | perspective. Upper Deck cards |
| WHAT is going on NOW and not what WAS in the | | | | |
| past. Let's explore the sad state of affairs | | | | were the hottest thing around in 1989-1991, |
| that has engulfed anyone who has a shoebox | | | | with Ken Griffey Jr. cards |
| (or many shoeboxes) full of cards like | | | | |
| ourselves.Delusions vs. RealitiesEvery year, | | | | now what a disappointment he turned out to |
| I still buy two or three packs just for the | | | | be, remember all of the |
| heck of it, just to see who I get," says Dave | | | | |
| Kelly, 51, a Library of Congress reference | | | | hype??) commanding hundreds of |
| librarian who specializes in sports and | | | | dollars.Today, we cannot even sell a |
| recreation.""I still collect them like I did | | | | |
| when I was 10," says Baltimore Orioles | | | | sealed, mint SET of the cards from those |
| pitcher Alan Mills, 34. "It could be going to | | | | years for 49 cents. (A reader |
| the 7-Eleven, getting some apple juice and | | | | |
| picking up some cards.""He's still mad at me. | | | | has asked for clarification on this. Yes, |
| He thinks I threw away his baseball cards," | | | | the year that the Griffey Jr. rookie |
| says one exasperated mom. " 'They'd be worth | | | | |
| millions now.' I'm quoting him: 'Millions | | | | card came out, 1989, the Upper Deck set |
| now.'""Just as timeless is the equally | | | | sells for about $70.00. We've |
| irresistible urge for America's mothers to | | | | |
| toss 'em, or so we claim. Moms are the | | | | attempted to sell a new, sealed, untouched |
| ultimate scapegoats for the lost treasures of | | | | set from 1990 at 49 cents and |
| our youth." | | | | |
| | | | received no bids, not to mention our failed |
| -----Dodd, Mike. USA Today, 3/27/01We | | | | attempts at selling Donruss |
| Say..........Are you kidding? "Worth millions | | | | |
| now?". Granted, pre-1980s cards are worth | | | | and Fleer mint,unopened sets to no avail. |
| much more than the overflooded examples we | | | | Whatever the case, we're |
| talked about earlier. But everything has to | | | | |
| be either in pristine condition, or | | | | certain that you all remember that the |
| ridiculously rare for a collector to even | | | | Griffey card alone was valued |
| think about buying the damn thing from you. | | | | |
| Seriously now...put the Price Guide away, and | | | | in the hundreds in its prime. And now the |
| actually go out there and try to sell these | | | | entire set is only worth $70? |
| "precious" cards. This is all about REAL | | | | |
| demand for the cards, not quoted prices. | | | | On a good day? What happened? Why is no one |
| Cards from the 1980s-1990s are all but | | | | addressing this?) The |
| WORTHLESS now on the whole.We're sure we can | | | | |
| find some examples of cards that are worth a | | | | word depreciation doesn't fit this scenario, |
| few bucks, but that's just it, a few bucks. | | | | its more like a momentous |
| Gone are the days of the many versions of the | | | | |
| Billy Ripken "Error" card that were going for | | | | dive.2. For the card market to rebound, |
| hundreds of dollars at the time. Does anyone | | | | there needs to be a resurgence of |
| even care about him at this point? Don't you | | | | |
| feel silly now for trying to "complete that | | | | interest. This resurgence can't possibly |
| set" by scouring the card shows for the Don | | | | come from those who are already |
| Slaught '89 Donruss card or that elusive | | | | |
| Topps Checklist? WE SURE DO AND FEEL LIKE | | | | stockpiling cards in hopes that their prices |
| COMPLETE IDIOTS AT THIS POINT.Try contacting | | | | will bounce back. New buyers, |
| a dealer who touts on his website: "We buy | | | | |
| unopened packs, sets of all baseball cards!" | | | | new aficionados need to enter the market. |
| like we did. Here is what transpired in our | | | | Please get back to us you can |
| note to them:"Hello. I have a number of | | | | |
| unopened, some sealed, sets of early 1990s | | | | argue logically that these items will |
| cards. Fleer, Donruss, Upper Deck, Topps, | | | | rebound to late 80s-early 90s mania |
| etc. Additionally I have some oddballs like | | | | |
| "Traded Sets", Collect A Books, and some | | | | prices and the reasoning behind it. The |
| others that have never been opened. What is | | | | "rare" factor is virtually |
| the protocol for doing business? I'm located | | | | |
| in XYZ City, and would be happy to send | | | | non-existent in terms of cards at this point |
| pictures.Thanks"RESPONSE: "Hi there. We only | | | | since there are dozens of cards |
| buy vintage cards pre 1970. Thanks for | | | | |
| thinking of us."UNREAL. Even professional | | | | available for most players in various sets |
| dealers aren't interested in the many | | | | and subsets from the deluge of |
| thousands of cards we carefully wasted time | | | | manufacturers.3. Statistical records are |
| filing away as a kid, and to think of all of | | | | obliterated routinely and rather easily these |
| the Sundays we pissed away at "card shows." | | | | days. Remember when Jose Canseco's "40-40 |
| How many Hiltons and Holiday Inns do you see | | | | club" was a big deal? No one |
| in your neighborhood these days with signs | | | | |
| advertising "Baseball Card Show This | | | | even gives a damn about that anymore. How |
| Weekend"? Not to mention, how many "Card and | | | | about the infamous late |
| Hobby" shops do you know of that are still | | | | |
| thriving businesses? And how about the | | | | 1980s Topps "30-30 Club" member cards, with |
| weekend "Flea Markets" and "Shopping Mall | | | | Howard Johnson being |
| Card Shows" with tables dedicated to both | | | | |
| sets and singles at overinflated prices? YES, | | | | one of the "esteemed" members. Do young |
| that's what we thought. Times sure do change. | | | | baseball fans today even know |
| For the "professional dealer" to not even | | | | |
| offer a bid for our cards, indicates that | | | | who the hell Hojo is? My point is that |
| they are WORTHLESS. Further proof in this | | | | records are broken year after year, |
| matter lies with Ebay, the famed online | | | | |
| auctioneer. We have run a number of 7 day | | | | and the juiced baseball and possible steroid |
| auctions recently for sealed, unopened, SETS | | | | influence on the game seriously accelerates |
| of cards. We're not talking about random | | | | this. Jesse Barfield.... (note NOT in the |
| assortments of loose cards. For instance, the | | | | Hall of Fame, and who |
| 1990 Upper Deck, Fleer, and Donruss sets were | | | | |
| all offered individually by us, for a | | | | the hell even remembers him at this point) |
| starting bid of 49 cents! And we did not | | | | hit something like 49 homers in |
| receive ONE bid, over a 7 day period! Not | | | | |
| one! We actually LOST money listing these | | | | the late 80s. This was considered a TON back |
| pigs because Ebay nails you with a listing | | | | then. As we now know, today's "superior" |
| fee for each auction you participate in. If | | | | ballplayers can hit well more, hell, even |
| this doesn't drive the "WASTE OF TIME, MONEY, | | | | shortstops can crank 40 |
| AND EFFORT" point home to you card | | | | |
| aficionados, we don't know what | | | | like it's no one's business. Remember when |
| will.REALITIESThose taking the "hold" | | | | Don Mattingly was a big deal? |
| approach with respect to their | | | | |
| | | | Unless you are a die-hard Yankee fan, you |
| | | | likely view Don Mattingly as |
| collections are simply kidding themselves. | | | | |
| Think of | | | | slightly more than a common player these |
| | | | days despite some of the stats he |
| it in this perspective. The cards that you | | | | |
| have from the | | | | put up. We recall paying $27.00 in 1989 for |
| | | | his Topps rookie card. Big mistake. Since |
| 1980s and 1990s were once considered | | | | the card isn't technically "mint", we doubt |
| valuable....well | | | | we can sell this |
| | | | |
| according to prices that you PAID for the | | | | card for $2.70 today. Any buyers out there? |
| cards and quoted | | | | If so...sold to you at $2.70. |
| | | | |
| prices in publications like Beckett they | | | | The underlying point here is that the value |
| were. How many of | | | | that is built into cards as the |
| | | | |
| you actually sold your cards for those same | | | | player breaks or sets new records, |
| quoted prices? | | | | diminishes as his record is broken in |
| | | | |
| Hey we're not ridiculing anyone, we didn't | | | | future years and he gradually fades into |
| sell one! We were | | | | obscurity.4. Today, the baseball card |
| | | | industry |
| "net buyers" of baseball cards for the | | | | |
| better part of a decade.1. For the market to | | | | has built this facade of "card grading" into |
| "bounce back", baseball itself first needs | | | | their |
| | | | |
| to be revitalized among the youth of today. | | | | never-ending tunnel of greed. Now, we as |
| Do you see it | | | | collectors |
| | | | |
| happening? And if the answer is yes, then | | | | are expected to pay to mail our cards to |
| the baseball card | | | | |
| | | | "grading companies", let their experts pore |
| market needs to re-invent itself somehow. | | | | over |
| The last time we | | | | |
| | | | our cards for weeks on end (and we're |
| checked kids were buying new X-Boxes and | | | | certain that |
| asking for I-Pod | | | | |
| | | | they don't do this even though that's the |
| Nanos for Christmas. And these kids are | | | | impression |
| roughly the same age | | | | |
| | | | that is given), and then send us an official |
| as we were during our "baseball card phase." | | | | certificate |
| Baseball cards | | | | |
| | | | with our card encased in plastic to tell us |
| will never overtake today's affordable, and | | | | that we are |
| easily obtained | | | | |
| | | | grade "PSA 8.5". This process is NOT cheap |
| technological gadgets. And why would they? | | | | either! In |
| Think about the | | | | |
| | | | many cases you will spend more on the |
| probability of this happening. Secondly, the | | | | grading process |
| people who drove up | | | | |
| | | | than your card is worth! The bad news is |
| the prices in the early 90s were young kids | | | | not too many |
| (who are in their | | | | |
| | | | cards out there are PSA 10 or in "perfect" |
| twenties now) and old men (and probably some | | | | graded condition, |
| hideous women | | | | |
| | | | despite the care you took to store them |
| too) who ran the "Card and Hobby Shops." The | | | | over the years. We |
| inventories of | | | | |
| | | | advise you to look at completed auction |
| these "kids" grew over the years as they | | | | results on Ebay and |
| purchased packs, | | | | |
| | | | you will see for yourself the large |
| attended card shows, etc. and these | | | | discrepancy between card |
| consumers were mostly | | | | |
| | | | values of various graded ratings. If it's |
| "buyers." The buyers' collections grew | | | | not in pristine condition, |
| sometimes to unmanageable | | | | |
| | | | you're not going to make much on it.For more |
| amounts, making storage itself even | | | | information please visit W.U. |
| difficult. The buyers can only | | | | |
| | | | |
| take in so many baseball cards under the | | | | |
| pretense that "they are | | | | rights reserved. Content may not be |
| | | | duplicated without proper crediting. All |
| going to be worth something one day" before | | | | content is the original, registered |
| this madness must | | | | trademarked content of the aforementioned |
| | | | websites, subsidiary companies of |
| come to a halt. Today, we have thousands of | | | | IComplain.net. Unlawful use of this content |
| disgruntled "former | | | | will be prosecuted. |