How many true collectors are there?

[hermanotarjeta]

Originally Posted by BoSoxFan1999

I will wear my False Collector badge with pride!

No shame in that!

[volblorx8634]

Originally Posted by hermanotarjeta

Asking about how many people purchase cards with zero intent to resell eventually?

Probably 0.0001% of the hobby participants.

This is mind blowing to me, and I'm not sure that I buy it. Maybe 0.0001% of hobby participants with an online presence. I don't even think reselling is bad. I wish I had the time and energy to go to shows or scour the internet for deals that I could flip to fund my PC.

I have an average Haliburton collection, and a fleeting thought of selling some less rare cards of his came to me during the playoffs. About 20 seconds of marinating on it, my kids probably wanted to play or my newborn woke up and needed feeding. By the end of the 15-16 hour work/parenting/housekeeping day, I had no desire to list, negotiate, or ship (each step of the process I hate more than the others btw) the Haliburtons that I would've had to spend more time and energy later adding back to my collection anyway when his cards cool down (which has already started happening).

So yeah, just wild to me that there aren't more collectors that buy without ever intending to sell and that so many collectors have the time and energy to use cards to fund their PCs.

[yiguiri2002]

Originally Posted by hermanotarjeta

Asking about how many people purchase cards with zero intent to resell eventually?

Probably 0.0001% of the hobby participants.

I think a better question is, which percentage of cards are people buying with no intention to resell?

[Chrominator]

who bumped this💩?

[eastbayak]

Originally Posted by Chrominator

who bumped this💩?

Statistically speaking, most likely a false collector.

[brewtown107]

Busted!

[fabiani12333]

Originally Posted by hermanotarjeta

Asking about how many people purchase cards with zero intent to resell eventually?

Probably 0.0001% of the hobby participants.

That's me -- I'm nuts.

That's not to say I won't sell, but I'm never motivated to do so -- I only enjoy collecting. It's a hobby for me in the purist sense.

[fabiani12333]

Originally Posted by Nomad

I think true collecting could and should coexist with making money.

That is the whole point of serial numbers and sky high wax.

Uh, you mean, losing money in pursuit of artificially-scare cards?

[Above the Rim]

I don't quite get it - bashing others' collecting, er, investing, er, flipping moves. Why does anyone really care so much what the other guy is doing? And what is the point of putting yourself on a pedestal because you are a "true" collector?

All of it is a part of the hobby, something for everyone. GLTA.

[boxbuster7]

ya I'll never understand people who care what others do with their money

[drobfan8]

Originally Posted by Above the Rim

I don't quite get it - bashing others' collecting, er, investing, er, flipping moves. Why does anyone really care so much what the other guy is doing? And what is the point of putting yourself on a pedestal because you are a "true" collector?

All of it is a part of the hobby, something for everyone. GLTA.

Well said.

I guess one thing that us "get off my lawn" old dudes haven't fully come to terms with, is the shift from collecting (which is what 99% of people did in the 00s) to now looking to flip where possible.

It was massively frowned upon for a long time. But ultimately, we should have all been doing it to grow our own PC.

Unfortunately it's now about 99% flipping it seems. Probably not the case, but most collect for the card/player to rise in price these days.

[MavsRChamps]

# of basketball collectors is way less than 50K in the US by the OP's definition ... One example is - if there are that many collectors, by math that means 1.5 K - 2 K per team. Meaning there should theoretically be 500 - 1000 collectors who were Miami Heat fans during the BIG 3 Era, therefore - there should be some bidding war over Chris Bosh cards ... Yet in reality noone collects Bosh. His base rookies go for maybe a dollar, his autos go for under $50 routinely.

Very few people collect cards without regards to reselling/profit and those that do tend to only collect low end under $5 stuff from my experience (my dad being one of these "collectors" so-to-speak)

I have some PC items and cards I like "collecting" but I still keep profit/reselling in mind for down the road. I'm also not rich and I have kids, so can't really afford to just aimlessly buy cards with no regards to future value. That seems dumb for lack of a better word and also selfish to a certain extent (if you're middle income or below, and have kids).

[Gary]

Originally Posted by Above the Rim

I don't quite get it - bashing others' collecting, er, investing, er, flipping moves. Why does anyone really care so much what the other guy is doing? And what is the point of putting yourself on a pedestal because you are a "true" collector?

All of it is a part of the hobby, something for everyone. GLTA.

What others do effects everyone.......if your a collector the investors and flippers drive up prices.investors and flippers compete for the same items.....its natural for there to be some complaining.

[Gary]

Originally Posted by drobfan8

Well said.

I guess one thing that us "get off my lawn" old dudes haven't fully come to terms with, is the shift from collecting (which is what 99% of people did in the 00s) to now looking to flip where possible.

It was massively frowned upon for a long time. But ultimately, we should have all been doing it to grow our own PC.

Unfortunately it's now about 99% flipping it seems. Probably not the case, but most collect for the card/player to rise in price these days.

As an "old dude" myself who collected as a kid in the 70's......way before money was even talked about.....we called them "trading cards"....thats how we built collections as kids.we simply traded.

In 1975 i traded a 74 Dave Winfield RC for a bunch of "old" basketball cards my friends dad didn't want....... 57 topps,61 fleer,69 topps..........Damn i miss "trading".

[volblorx8634]

As one whom I imagine most would label a “get off my lawn” guy:

-no issue with flipping. Wish I enjoyed doing it.

-my “issue” is with the lack of people who collect purely as a hobby with no concern for future value. Everyone should do what they want of course, but I don’t think it makes for a good community. There’s a reason those collectors have all but abandoned their online presence, save for maybe Instagram. There’s a reason there isn’t really an active community of basketball card (not market) talk.

-totally disagree that the aforementioned collectors only dabble in $5 or less. I know of many team and player collectors and super collectors. Most used to be active here. Lots are no longer active anywhere.


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[Nomad]

I think that having certain stuff suddenly overvalued and then selling at peak really warped those who collect for the passion of it.

Just as real estate. You can really love a 150 year old farmhouse or whatever, but if a developer offers millions one bites. And then its never the same. You can't attain what is now unobtainium again.

[asujbl]

Originally Posted by boxbuster7

ya I'll never understand people who care what others do with their money

PSA 9 > PSA 10

[byronscott4ever]

8, and you know who you are

[mfw13]

Originally Posted by Above the Rim

I don't quite get it - bashing others' collecting, er, investing, er, flipping moves. Why does anyone really care so much what the other guy is doing?

Because what the "other guy" does may affect the price of something I want to collect or buy. Likewise it affects how manufacturers design products.

Best example of this is wax prices, which have been driven through the roof by breakers.

Another example would be how Topps/Fanatics has changed Topps Heritage over the last decade.

[boxbuster7]

I totally forgot I started this thread

[Nomad]

Originally Posted by boxbuster7

With cards being ubiquitous in the last couple years I'm interested to see what people think.

Going to define a true collector as somebody who puts cards first and money second. They can sell a card, but mostly collect for the pure enjoyment of it.

my guesses

Basketball: united states: 50,000 - worldwide 100,000
Football: united states: 75,000 - worldwide 100,000
Baseball: united states: 100,000 - worldwide 150,000

How close do you think you were to the two there turned out to be?

[Ericc5Bears]

Originally Posted by MavsRChamps

# of basketball collectors is way less than 50K in the US by the OP's definition ... One example is - if there are that many collectors, by math that means 1.5 K - 2 K per team. Meaning there should theoretically be 500 - 1000 collectors who were Miami Heat fans during the BIG 3 Era, therefore - there should be some bidding war over Chris Bosh cards ... Yet in reality noone collects Bosh. His base rookies go for maybe a dollar, his autos go for under $50 routinely.

Very few people collect cards without regards to reselling/profit and those that do tend to only collect low end under $5 stuff from my experience (my dad being one of these "collectors" so-to-speak)

I have some PC items and cards I like "collecting" but I still keep profit/reselling in mind for down the road. I'm also not rich and I have kids, so can't really afford to just aimlessly buy cards with no regards to future value. That seems dumb for lack of a better word and also selfish to a certain extent (if you're middle income or below, and have kids).

Well that's the thing, a true chris bosh collector would have 0 interest in his base rookies and low end autos because they either already have all of them or they have no desire to even acquire such low end non-rare cards. A few weeks ago bosh had a non-auto logoman sell for just under $7k on auction, those are the type of cards a true bosh collector would be interested in and if he had no true collectors then it would've done a fraction of that price.

[boxbuster7]

what logoman? just curious...

[volblorx8634]

Originally Posted by Ericc5Bears

Well that's the thing, a true chris bosh collector would have 0 interest in his base rookies and low end autos because they either already have all of them or they have no desire to even acquire such low end non-rare cards. A few weeks ago bosh had a non-auto logoman sell for just under $7k on auction, those are the type of cards a true bosh collector would be interested in and if he had no true collectors then it would've done a fraction of that price.

Does that mean a Bosh collector that doesn’t currently have his base rookies isn’t a true collector? Is that because they haven’t picked up those cards yet or true collectors don’t care about such worthless cards? Just clarifying whether or not this is what you’re implying


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[Chrominator]