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