Potential Worth of Soccer Cards as Market Grows

[YayNJ]

I'd do anything for another 2017 Nobility.

[HeyRelaxGuy]

Originally Posted by YayNJ

Heading into 2023, how's everyone feeling on the state of the market?

The WC didn't bring the gold mine that a handful were waiting for, and all I can see is further decline until at least the summer. Realistically, I think it's going to be a tough year for everything across the board.

Nobody has a crystal ball, but here is what I am feeling right now: the 2022 slide was pretty bad and I think we've seen the worst of it. I don't think this slide can continue throughout 2023 because then we're going to end up at (or be close to) 2019 prices and I just don't think that's possible. The hobby was much smaller in 2019. So many people got in during the pandemic boom. Yes, some of those people have left, but many have not. The hobby is a much bigger place now. I don't think I am going to be able to buy a near mint Mega Cracks Messi for $2,000 USD again. I think we are going to start seeing a slight recovery this year. It's still a great time to buy though.

[Mitch]

Originally Posted by YayNJ

This assumption that all the big players are in the US is just wrong wrong wrong.

Infact, putting soccer aside, I'm fairly certain that the worlds biggest Lebron and Kobe collectors are both in Europe/Middle East.

European collectors deserve more credit. We pretty much pay twice as much as Americans to rip the same stuff.

One of the reasons why there's no real card shops in the UK is the cost would be astro-#@#@#@#@ing-nomical, especially now the UK is out of the EU. Have you seen the price the UK online stores charge? You're looking at £60 a blaster for lords sake ($74) before postage!

There's almost not any stores for anything anymore! Let alone sports card hobby shops. I used to find it amazing that Warhammer shops survived, but now they are going too. High St's are chains, with the occasional hair dresser. It's the changing face of retail as much as the desire/requirement - it goes hand in hand.

[YayNJ]

I know this is the wrong thread/forum but I'll get a quicker answer here and it's relevant to soccer and future value.

Do Beckett encapsulate packets of stickers? (Do PSA?) I know they do wax packs, obviously, but what about packs of stickers?

I have numerous packets from the 70's and 80's from England the Euros and the WC and I'd be interested in encapsulating at least one from each year.

[fadster]

Originally Posted by YayNJ

I know this is the wrong thread/forum but I'll get a quicker answer here and it's relevant to soccer and future value.

Do Beckett encapsulate packets of stickers? (Do PSA?) I know they do wax packs, obviously, but what about packs of stickers?

I have numerous packets from the 70's and 80's from England the Euros and the WC and I'd be interested in encapsulating at least one from each year.

PSA does this for sure, you might need to request some domestic ones but they've graded the World Cup ones before.

[YayNJ]

Cheers Fadster - I've never actually seen an encapsulated sticker pack before! I'll send off some less desirable World Cup packs like Japan/Korea and see what's what first before I go head first.

[mfw13]

Originally Posted by YayNJ

I know this is the wrong thread/forum but I'll get a quicker answer here and it's relevant to soccer and future value.

Do Beckett encapsulate packets of stickers? (Do PSA?) I know they do wax packs, obviously, but what about packs of stickers?

I have numerous packets from the 70's and 80's from England the Euros and the WC and I'd be interested in encapsulating at least one from each year.

I doubt that there is anybody at PSA who has enough knowledge about European soccer stickers to authenticate the ones you have. They'll take your money, no doubt, but I wouldn't place any value on their opinion.

PSA's expert pack grader, Steve Hart of BBCE, has been caught up in several scandals over the last few years because he authenticated items that turned out to be fake.

[YayNJ]

They are 100% real and all bought by either my dad or myself over the years from shops and garages in the UK

I'm just after getting them in a nice sturdy slab and away from the curious fingers of my kids.. I'd forgot I had a lot of them, but there was a seller on eBay the past couple of days that has been selling individual packs, and some of the prices were incredible.

[fadster]

PSA has changed a lot over the last 5 years, they have some hardcore vintage collectors working there now and their breadth of knowledge on football is orders of magnitude larger than it used to be. Older Panini packs, especially World Cup ones are hugely popular, and the domestic ones have collectors too.

[mfw13]

Originally Posted by fadster

PSA has changed a lot over the last 5 years, they have some hardcore vintage collectors working there now and their breadth of knowledge on football is orders of magnitude larger than it used to be. Older Panini packs, especially World Cup ones are hugely popular, and the domestic ones have collectors too.

Understood....but grading vintage cards and authenticating sticker packs are two very different areas of expertise.

And PSA is an assembly line in the best of cases....

My point is that if the goal is simply to protect them, as YAYNJ has indicated, then buying 3x5 holders or 4x6 holders at your LCS (or online) is probably much more cost-efficient than sending them to PSA to be slabbed.

[fadster]

Originally Posted by mfw13

Understood....but grading vintage cards and authenticating sticker packs are two very different areas of expertise.

And PSA is an assembly line in the best of cases....

My point is that if the goal is simply to protect them, as YAYNJ has indicated, then buying 3x5 holders or 4x6 holders at your LCS (or online) is probably much more cost-efficient than sending them to PSA to be slabbed.

I know what you mean but the expansion of the knowledge base is coming from the football research side.

[kobewhite]

Originally Posted by YayNJ

Cheers Fadster - I've never actually seen an encapsulated sticker pack before! I'll send off some less desirable World Cup packs like Japan/Korea and see what's what first before I go head first.

Here are some that I have in my PC:

[YayNJ]

Ah great, thanks kobe!

How does one go about asking PSA to research sets? I've never had to do that before.

[cardshopmd]

Originally Posted by YayNJ

Ah great, thanks kobe!

How does one go about asking PSA to research sets? I've never had to do that before.

I believe that they have a data base of every card ever produced even off brand cards. You may just have to email them and hope that they get back to you.

[cardshopmd]

Has anyone else nothing that the entire Soccer card market has just died in the past few months?

[DonrussDean]

Originally Posted by cardshopmd

Has anyone else nothing that the entire Soccer card market has just died in the past few months?

Not surprised..

World Cup is over, There are way to many releases, and the new stuff is mostly #@#@#@#@ at a steep price.

I have not bought a box of soccer cards outside Parkside Womens since last Spring. I mainly have been buying singles.

Add the price of everything else going up, including every day needs, and the fact the Gov isn't giving away money anymore, cards as a whole are on a downward trend.

[YayNJ]

It's not very healthy at all at the moment - I think a lot of people hoped that the World Cup would turbo-charge the market, but if anything it's killed it off. Personally, I like it as wax prices are dropping again. Overall though, I think people are just completely burnt out on the constant chase.

Lets be real, in soccer there's only a true "chase" every couple of years / half decade. Everything else is just complete and utter noise. Right now I'm content adding some vintage and cards for my PC (Modric, Xavi, Muller, Foden and Iniesta) and watching everyone else waste thousands on the latest new hot sensation that will be playing in Austria in a couple of years, or plodding away for Luton Town. I think If I see a breaker fake excitement pulling another Charlie Savage refractor I'll punch a wall.

I like Pedri and Gavi, but will they be as good as Xavi and Iniesta? Probably not, no.. so meh. Musiala is great, but will he better than Muller? Probably not. Bellingham is a cut above, but is he as exciting as Gazza? Will he be better than De Bruyne, Kante, Pogba, Kimmich et all? Maybe, who knows. I don't collect any of them either though, so find it hard to justify splurging money on Jude.

I don't feel any fun or excitement at the moment. The market is largely led by completely clueless breakers and "influencers" and even the most average of average rookies have world cups priced in. It's monotonous, unforgiving and a complete and utter chore.

[KhalDrogo]

Originally Posted by cardshopmd

Has anyone else nothing that the entire Soccer card market has just died in the past few months?

Are you in need of attention? Died? Lol.

[Gin&Juice]

I actually think there has been a slight uptick in the singles market recently. Obviously nowhere close to where things were mid-COVID, but seem to be reaching a pretty good balance. Wax slowly coming down and singles market starting to normalize-- base and high numbered parallels appropriately valued, special cards holding value, room for prospecting (if that is your thing), room for player collecting (if that is your thing), room for set-building (if that is your thing), room for auto collecting (if that is your thing), etc.

[cardshopmd]

Originally Posted by KhalDrogo

Are you in need of attention? Died? Lol.

Nope, we just need to hold a proper funeral for the market in general hahahahha

[gomiamigo]

I get asked to sell my Messis and Flawless cards and 1st year select all the time. Ain't happenin.

[yiguiri2002]

Originally Posted by gomiamigo

I get asked to sell my Messis and Flawless cards and 1st year select all the time. Ain't happenin.

I mean, there's a pretty small group that has stayed strong even with the crash:

- Flawless
- 1st Eminence
- Nobility
- On-card Messi (not the brother)

This is the first time I'm hearing about 2015 Select though. Is there anything non-Messi from that set that hasn't crashed?

[YayNJ]

I'm seeing quite a few people (across all sports to be fair) unloading a lot of stuff the past couple of weeks. Perhaps making space for a new year, or January blues financially.. but I'm also getting the itch to off load a load of crap I've accumulated - especially since the "boom". It's probably my age (!) but I think I feel a lot more content adding vintage and rare sealed boxes these days than I do chasing the rubbish Panini and Topps keep churning out, with a few exceptions.

[mfw13]

Originally Posted by DonrussDean

Not surprised..

World Cup is over, There are way to many releases, and the new stuff is mostly #@#@#@#@ at a steep price.

This sums up my feelings pretty accurately as well.

Too many products focused on the Champions League, and not enough products with strong retired player content.

[reddragonthe]

If I’ve said it once I’ve said it a hundred times…

Gio Reyna has 5000 rookie cards from Topps chrome. Including all parallels. No other chrome/chrome like products include Reyna. (His parents have gotten involved in this too, I’m sure).

Jude Bellingham has 6,700… MERLIN PARALLELS. Nearly 250k total “rookies” in the various Topps releases.

Sidney Raebiger (once a thing… insert your favorite 21-22 kid) has 8,800 Merlin parallels. And 400,000+ rookies.

Modern is a nightmare in this market. Probably any market. God help anyone opening the wax at these volumes looking for some kind of return.

Now Haaland had more in the Reyna year… 25,000-ish across UCL/Sapphire, Bunde, and Finest. Which is still 1/10 of what we started to get the following year.