Why does nobody collect Disney cards ... not counting Lorcana

[crazy4kinsler]

I've been a big fan of Disney since about 2013 when we took our first trip to Walt Disney World. Over the past few years, the parks have been as crowded as ever, and Disney has been as popular as ever. So why doesn't that make cards more valuable or of more interest? I'm not talking about the Lorcana stuff. I see those in my local card stores, at Walmart and in almost every non sports case at shows.

I'm talking about older cards. I understand some from the 1990s being from a little valuable. Even though they weren't produced in as much mass as baseball cards, they're associated with the junk wax era. But what about even older cards? Like vintage cards? I rarely, if ever, see them at shows. I'll only see a couple of dealers at the much larger shows (think Dallas Card Show) that has vintage cards. And only maybe 1 dealer will have Walt Disney's actual RC.

[Bunny Hop]

I think the reason that's been put forth in other threads about newer Disney card releases is that Disney collectors have a lot of options competing for their dollars. So the other, park-related, limited release items gobble up the attention in those spheres.

[Bunny Hop]

Not to mention vintage baseball and vintage non-sports are entirely different markets, too.

[Bunny Hop]

Also very nice card.

[orion9578]

Originally Posted by crazy4kinsler

I've been a big fan of Disney since about 2013 when we took our first trip to Walt Disney World. Over the past few years, the parks have been as crowded as ever, and Disney has been as popular as ever. So why doesn't that make cards more valuable or of more interest? I'm not talking about the Lorcana stuff. I see those in my local card stores, at Walmart and in almost every non sports case at shows.

I'm talking about older cards. I understand some from the 1990s being from a little valuable. Even though they weren't produced in as much mass as baseball cards, they're associated with the junk wax era. But what about even older cards? Like vintage cards? I rarely, if ever, see them at shows. I'll only see a couple of dealers at the much larger shows (think Dallas Card Show) that has vintage cards. And only maybe 1 dealer will have Walt Disney's actual RC.

I happen to have a couple, and I've been trying to move my extra one (an SGC 3) with no success. Not a sniff of interest despite the pricing being in line with what they're going for on eBay. So my question is why not? Vintage baseball is very popular, and those tables are packed at various shows. With the popularity of Disney World/DisneyLand and the Disney company itself, why don't Disney cards get more love?

By the way, here's my SGC 3.

I sold an SGC 5 not to many months ago for exactly what they're worth online. But I sold it...online & paid fees etc. I think what you're getting at is why can't you get anyone at a show to give you what they're going for online? If you're set up at a show to sell, you might have more luck. From the sounds of it you're attempting to move a card in person for online prices to people who buy stuff to resell. Obviously, they can't give you what it sells for, or they won't make any money.

Vintage Disney sells just fine, especially the card you're trying to move. The audience for vintage sports cards is much larger than vintage non-sports and I doubt that changes anytime soon(or maybe ever). If I was you, I'd list the card online & pay the fees, if you need the money. Or keep in mind that the people you're trying to sell the card to at a show have to be able to make money

[glorbgorb]

Originally Posted by crazy4kinsler

Over the past few years, the parks have been as crowded as ever, and Disney has been as popular as ever. So why doesn't that make cards more valuable or of more interest?

...With the popularity of Disney World/DisneyLand and the Disney company itself, why don't Disney cards get more love?

I see this argument from time to time. It's quite simple, actually. Of the tens of millions of people who visit Disney parks or cruises or sit and watch Disney+ all day, a tiny fraction of those people collect cards. Any cards. Of that tiny fraction, an even smaller sliver is interested in anything that is not the new and shiny stuff.

Same way with baseball, hockey, soccer, wrestling, and so on. The actual number of people in those pools of fans who are interested in cards is tiny.

Newer products are usually priced out of the realm of what kids could afford. Plus these days there are fewer and fewer kids interested in cards anyway.

EDIT: And I would argue that most people buying Lorcana or the other newer things are not buying to collect. Yes, some are, but the vast majority are opening to look for the big flippable hits.

[hxcmilkshake]

Have you tried selling that on Facebook? I've had way more luck there than here, tbh....

Sent from my SM-S928U using Tapatalk

[crazy4kinsler]

I have tried in the non sports group. In like 4 listings, I haven't gotten a single comment, single like or anything. So not sure.

Originally Posted by hxcmilkshake

Have you tried selling that on Facebook? I've had way more luck there than here, tbh....

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[crazy4kinsler]

Oh no, I haven't taken it to a show or anything. I'm just curious why no one collects the vintage. But I've gotten some answers. Seems people do, but it's very limited exposure.

As for this card, I didn't have any luck on here or Facebook. I didn't even get a single like or comment over 4 posts in the Facebook group. I'll end up taking it to the Dallas Show this weekend and seeing if the guy that sells the vintage Disney will trade it for something else vintage Disney or even just outright buy it.

Originally Posted by orion9578

I sold an SGC 5 not to many months ago for exactly what they're worth online. But I sold it...online & paid fees etc. I think what you're getting at is why can't you get anyone at a show to give you what they're going for online? If you're set up at a show to sell, you might have more luck. From the sounds of it you're attempting to move a card in person for online prices to people who buy stuff to resell. Obviously, they can't give you what it sells for, or they won't make any money.

Vintage Disney sells just fine, especially the card you're trying to move. The audience for vintage sports cards is much larger than vintage non-sports and I doubt that changes anytime soon(or maybe ever). If I was you, I'd list the card online & pay the fees, if you need the money. Or keep in mind that the people you're trying to sell the card to at a show have to be able to make money

[cmixer]

Originally Posted by Bunny Hop

I think the reason that's been put forth in other threads about newer Disney card releases is that Disney collectors have a lot of options competing for their dollars. So the other, park-related, limited release items gobble up the attention in those spheres.

I'll agree with this. A lot of Disney enthusiasts put their money towards popcorn buckets, loungefly backpacks, and other physical Disney swag. There hasn't been a lot of collector-support behind trading cards (like Sorceress of Magic Kingdom, or base sets). But don't get me started on the Disney Sketch Cards. Oh lawrd, they get pricey.

[DynaEtch]

Vintage non-sports is pretty niche, Disney or otherwise. I’m not sure most people even know Superman’s “RC” (1940 Gum) or Spider-Man’s (1966 Donruss ‘Fly a Kite’), and they’re some of the biggest characters…much less tobacco era cards of Einstein, Disney etc.

But it’s supply and demand. If you go on ebay there are plenty of this 1931 Disney Wills card, in a variety of grades….its not hard to find in lower grade. So it’s not surprising that a lower to mid grade goes in the hundreds. While it takes a rarer thing like a PSA 8 or higher to really get into the multiple thousands. Similar situation to that 1966 Donruss Spidey. Mickey has another, rarer card in 1931, which does seem to go into the thousands, and that one is just Mickey without Walt- arguably some nonsports people will look at that as more of a first “Mickey” card, and not just an add on to a Walt card.

It’s a neat card though, probably Walt Disney’s “RC” if it’s not Mickeys…but it’s the supply combined with niche demand, combined with nonsports collectors are often more character driven than creator/person driven (what even an Einstein, Stan Lee or Buzz Aldrin ‘RC’ going for anyway in lower to mid grade). The main audience for this card is vintage non sports people, not as much Disney collectors, who aren’t doing cards as much. The main audience for new Disney (Chrome, Lorcana) also isn’t traditional Disney people, it’s more flippers/gamblers etc.

[crazy4kinsler]

Very, very true. I know my wife loves the purses, shirts, earrings, anything physical like that. She doesn't care about cards at all. But put a box of Disney pins in front of her, and she'll spend all day looking them up, cataloguing them, etc. I never really got into the Sorcerer's cards just because I didn't get start liking Disney until 2013. And I don't really play/like those types of games (like Pokemon & Magic and stuff like that).

Originally Posted by cmixer

I'll agree with this. A lot of Disney enthusiasts put their money towards popcorn buckets, loungefly backpacks, and other physical Disney swag. There hasn't been a lot of collector-support behind trading cards (like Sorceress of Magic Kingdom, or base sets). But don't get me started on the Disney Sketch Cards. Oh lawrd, they get pricey.

[Rictor]

Wasn't that card worth like 100 times less pre-Covid?

I think it has a few things going against it.

1. For a 1931 card, it's extremely common.

2. It's never been more expensive than it is now.

I'd sell now before the price comes back down to reality. The supply of these I see on Ebay seems to be neverending.

[crazy4kinsler]

I'm not sure it's so common. I've only seen 1 dealer at 1 show with it (I have checked pretty much every Dallas Show I've gone to). Plus, there's 11 of them on eBay right now (12 sold) in SGC slabs (pop report of 171 with none above a 7). And like I said, I'm going to take it to that dealer at the show this weekend and sell it to him.

I think it's more of a niche item. And not many folks collect Disney in general. It's more about the stuff like shirts, purses, hats, earrings, Christmas ornaments. People would rather have something like that where they can show it, wear it, use it over some piece of cardboard that sits in a display cabinet for years.

Originally Posted by Rictor

Wasn't that card worth like 100 times less pre-Covid?

I think it has a few things going against it.

1. For a 1931 card, it's extremely common.

2. It's never been more expensive than it is now.

I'd sell now before the price comes back down to reality. The supply of these I see on Ebay seems to be neverending.

[Jaysabz]

Didn't that Disney 100 set sell for crazy prices?

I just remember threads about the set and eBay sales for 100s of dollars for #d cards of cartoon characters within the last year or so.

[crazy4kinsler]

I don't guess I know what set you're talking about. Is that the same as the Lorcana set?

Originally Posted by Jaysabz

Didn't that Disney 100 set sell for crazy prices?

I just remember threads about the set and eBay sales for 100s of dollars for #d cards of cartoon characters within the last year or so.

[smanzari]

FWIW, Vintage Disney cards just don't have the demand - Look at 1930-39 R161 Strip Cards; technically the first card board appearances of the Disney Crew (Mickey debuted in '28), can snag decent examples for $20-ish each

[dd316]

Originally Posted by smanzari

FWIW, Vintage Disney cards just don't have the demand

I don't think there's enough common knowledge that a lot of the older Disney cards exist.

[DynaEtch]

Originally Posted by crazy4kinsler

I'm not sure it's so common. I've only seen 1 dealer at 1 show with it (I have checked pretty much every Dallas Show I've gone to). Plus, there's 11 of them on eBay right now (12 sold) in SGC slabs (pop report of 171 with none above a 7). And like I said, I'm going to take it to that dealer at the show this weekend and sell it to him.

I think it's more of a niche item. And not many folks collect Disney in general. It's more about the stuff like shirts, purses, hats, earrings, Christmas ornaments. People would rather have something like that where they can show it, wear it, use it over some piece of cardboard that sits in a display cabinet for years.

Uncommon to see vintage nonsports like this generally at shows. Worldwide marketplaces like ebay are better barometer for rarity.

It’s curious how you’re confining your search to just SGC…it was said above the card is common…without respect to which holder it’s in- we’re talking about the card. But even within just SGC, 11 is not a small amount.

I’m just saying it’s not an ultra rare issue- that other ‘31 Mickey is rarer- but still a neat card nonetheless with Walt.

I’m as surprised as you with some of this vintage non sports card era, how cheap many of them can go (not saying this Walt is ‘cheap’, it’s still multiple hundreds, but cheaper than you’d think). Your second point is correct imo about average Disney collectors not being into it or even aware of it…the audience for this is vintage card collectors.

[crazy4kinsler]

True about looking at just SGC vs. all cards, no matter the grading company. But I only PC SGC cards when it comes to vintage. So that's what I tend to search for on eBay. I know SGC can't hold a candle to PSA as far as value, but I love the look of the slabs. Anyway, you're right, they're pretty common on eBay.

Originally Posted by DynaEtch

Uncommon to see vintage nonsports like this generally at shows. Worldwide marketplaces like ebay are better barometer for rarity.

It’s curious how you’re confining your search to just SGC…it was said above the card is common…without respect to which holder it’s in- we’re talking about the card. But even within just SGC, 11 is not a small amount.

I’m just saying it’s not an ultra rare issue- that other ‘31 Mickey is rarer- but still a neat card nonetheless with Walt.

I’m as surprised as you with some of this vintage non sports card era, how cheap many of them can go (not saying this Walt is ‘cheap’, it’s still multiple hundreds, but cheaper than you’d think). Your second point is correct imo about average Disney collectors not being into it or even aware of it…the audience for this is vintage card collectors.

[PoPCulture]

If only they had had the foresight to make the vintage cards refract light. Huge missed opportunity.

[HiltonL]

Surprising how that "supply and demand" thing works

[frenchquarter]

I see a couple of problems. First, British cards are a tough sell in the U.S. If this was an American card, it would sell quickly. I have sold 1000's of British, German, and French cards on eBay, but it is a slow process.

Also, you don't seem to have much patience. You list a card and set a price. You aren't willing to negotiate, and after a few days you close the listing and then complain that no one has purchased your item.


Be patient, grasshopper.

[crazy4kinsler]

I actually didn't realize that was a British card. I had no idea as I don't know the background of the Wills set. So that's cool to learn. That said, I don't have patience at all. Not just in cards. But I set my pricing where it's very reasonable (usually 25% less than eBay comps). Of course, I'm not going to negotiate since I'm already that low. Most of the time, I don't even respond to the person if they offer me 1/3 of 1/2 of eBay when I'm already at 1/4 of eBay. I'd rather close a post and keep the card than give it away for someone else to flip it.

Originally Posted by frenchquarter

I see a couple of problems. First, British cards are a tough sell in the U.S. If this was an American card, it would sell quickly. I have sold 1000's of British, German, and French cards on eBay, but it is a slow process.

Also, you don't seem to have much patience. You list a card and set a price. You aren't willing to negotiate, and after a few days you close the listing and then complain that no one has purchased your item.


Be patient, grasshopper.

[baseballcardfan]

One of the best Disney sets in my opinion are the Disney Treasures from Upper Deck. They made 4 series; Mickey, Donald Duck, Winnie the Pooh and a Holiday set.

What makes those sets remarkable are the extremely scarce sketch cards that were inserted 1 per every 30-40 cases. Yep, they were that difficult to pull but the artist who did the sketches were actual Disney creators and design artist.

In addition to the sketch cards there were film reel cards and even manufactured patch cards. But those 2 inserts weren't what collectors were looking for. Everybody was after the holy grail cut signature Walt Disney and Carl Barks cards. Till this day, almost 20 years from the inauguration of the sets, I don't believe the Walt Disney card has surfaced. If anybody has anymore information on this please share.