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