Observations on the current state of the hobby from a show this weekend

[solt0131]

Originally Posted by PuddleMonkey

People from Seattle are saying the entire US economy is about to face plant.

Oh no! What are we going to do? LOL! People from Seattle are still mad about the 2006 Super Bowl.

[mfw13]

Originally Posted by PuddleMonkey

People from Seattle are saying the entire US economy is about to face plant.

Maybe it's because we have a fairly decent understanding of how economics actually works.....

- decreasing the supply of cheap labor leads to higher prices
- higher tariffs lead to higher prices
- policy chaos leads to higher interest rates as the bond market loses confidence in the US government
- the obliteration of financial regulatory agencies increases the likelihood of another 2008-09 type market crash

None of these things are good for the economy....

[f2tornado]

Originally Posted by everwake

I'll be at the Grand Forks show this weekend. I'm going to be your competition.

Decent crowd by GFK standards. Okay show from a buyer perspective. Only spent $165 and $50 of it was grabbing a pair of cheap old wax at the Ross table. Found a couple dozen cards destined for PSA, enough to justify the drive from Bismarck but not enough to rush back for another show there. Would have purchased more but a couple dealers didn't have prices and were comping. No thank you, unless I'm specifically looking for that card (not often).

Next stop possibly the Maplewood, MN show next week.

Originally Posted by solt0131

For every 1 of you, there are 4 to 5 that have no interest in collecting and they are buying to flip at some point to make money.

I think 80% of the "4 to 5" others you reference actually enjoy the hobby. Their motivation might be financial but they still buy, hold, trade, etc. Then you have the flippers that use the money to fuel their hobby. Not many people are walking around card shows purely for going home and immediately listing on eBay to fund other endeavors.

[eastbayak]

Originally Posted by mfw13

Maybe it's because we have a fairly decent understand of how economics actually works.....

- decreasing the supply of cheap labor leads to higher prices
- higher tariffs lead to higher prices
- policy chaos leads to higher interest rates as the bond market loses confidence in the US government
- the obliteration of financial regulatory agencies increases the likelihood of another 2008-09 type market crash

None of these things are good for the economy....

You forgot the most obvious reason:

Reducing the federal workforce by hundreds of thousands of people =>

Increased unemployment and competition for jobs =>

Reduced wages =>

Less $

Oh yeah, no protection from the NLRB right now either.

[dodgerfanjohn]

Originally Posted by mizzoujohn

Sure it is.
My home is available at 3x its value. And I like my home a hell of a lot more than some cards.

Any card, even PC grails, are available at a stupid price.


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Homes in So Cal went up 3x in value twice. First from 1995-2006, most of it from 2000-2006. And then again from about 2011 to 2022 or so.

Most people didn't sell. Some areas went up 5x and people still didnt cash in their lotto ticket. Some did. Most didn't.

[blackbears86]

Originally Posted by ThoseBackPages

Blowout Message Boards is a wonderfully huge Cruise Ship.

The Hobby is the Ocean.

The thought that everyone has to go on a cruise is silly.

Your average collector probably goes to a show about once a month.
they'll spend 50 to 200 dollars, picking up what they enjoy collecting.
they'll then go home and put away their pickups.
they will not talk about it on the internet or post images.

there are a lot of average collectors out there.

The Hobby is fine.

100% Agree.


I don't post half of my unopened pickups and I rarely post my show pickups.


I have 3 close card collecting friends with big collections who aren't members on this site and never post on socials.

[blackbears86]

Originally Posted by premium1981

The average collector probably does not go to a show a year. The show scene is a very small circle of collectors, and it usually just repeats itself. The bulk of the people are the same dealers and the same collectors.

But that is how any "show scene" is. I would venture a guess and say that comic book shows and reptile shows and gun shows are the same way. Shows just aren't something that most people do.

Small circle up here in Maine, but there are shows roughly every month among Bangor/Augusta/Portland.

I go to about 6-8 shows a year, my inner circle of friends goes to roughly 3-4 shows a year.

Small sample size and we are "boomers" 45-60 y/o with fulltime jobs.

[PuddleMonkey]

Originally Posted by solt0131

People from Seattle are still mad about the 2006 Super Bowl.

People from Pittsburgh can't seem to let go of something that happened nearly 20 years ago. Guilty conscious? Fear of reparations in a just world? Little of both?

[PuddleMonkey]

Originally Posted by eastbayak

You forgot the most obvious reason:

Reducing the federal workforce by hundreds of thousands of people =>

Excited for those collections to go up for sale.

[PuddleMonkey]

Pumpers have been pretty quiet lately.

[NYRE2PECT]

100-150 deep in line to get into Collectors Expo in SA this morning.

Just above freezing and drizzling.

Peli Boys are undeterred.

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[hermanotarjeta]

Originally Posted by NYRE2PECT

100-150 deep in line to get into Collectors Expo in SA this morning.

Just above freezing and drizzling.

Peli Boys are undeterred.

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Peli bois determined to flip their Wembys before the crash.

[Triple B]

Originally Posted by f2tornado

I think 80% of the "4 to 5" others you reference actually enjoy the hobby. Their motivation might be financial but they still buy, hold, trade, etc. Then you have the flippers that use the money to fuel their hobby. Not many people are walking around card shows purely for going home and immediately listing on eBay to fund other endeavors.

THIS.

It's fun to see how many people can't grasp this simple idea and how much they want to tell others how to enjoy the hobby.

Signed,

80% of the 4 to 5

[Stifle]

Originally Posted by blackbears86

100% Agree.


I don't post half of my unopened pickups and I rarely post my show pickups.


I have 3 close card collecting friends with big collections who aren't members on this site and never post on socials.

I’ll guess 50+ plus in age. If it wasn’t for somebody in the hobby, I wasn’t aware of these sites “Blowout, etc”. There are older members within the hobby who just remain in the dark as of Ebay & social media. I picked up 2 collections of dealers / elderly store owner. As far as listing, have not done that on EBay since roughly 05. Just let the 90’s parallels sit and gain momentum.

[NYRE2PECT]

If any of you guys have seen the Lego movie, the original one at the end…


“We are from the planet Duplo, and we are here to destroy you.”

I’m 99% sure that’s what the Pokémon crowd is saying to us.


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[itsbaytime]

Was set up at a local show in NEO today and it was busy, busy, busy. Great crowd, good show and about 40% Pokemon and 60% sportscards. I heard no parking was even available about 2 hours into the show.

[ThoseBackPages]

you love to see it!

[OhioLawyerF5]

Can't wait for the Shipshewana show next weekend! New 50,000 square foot location. Should be a great show.

[crazy4kinsler]

Went to a Rip Party today in DFW. It was absolutely packed. So the hobby is alive and well.

[stryk]

Set up here at a local show here in Lexington, Ky. Packed. Sold a few hundred dollars in $1 cards that I discounted to .50 when buying over a hundred. Sold out of my cheap $2 jersey/auto's. Sold junk wax, Sold lots of local UK stuff. Some cool 90's sales, Ohtani/Judge stuff, and even the only Pokemon card I own for $100. If you priced it right, it moved.

My buddy set up with me and he sold kind of the same stuff. Most regular dealers I talked to said this was one of the best shows they ever had here.

[blackbears86]

Bangor Maine show was absolutely packed yesterday, the busiest ever.


It helped that the high school basketball tournament was in town and it was a cold day in north central Maine.


Strong sales everywhere. I dropped about $350 on various singles and picked up 1983 and 1984 Donruss factory sealed baseball sets.

[K111]

I made a post a few months ago saying the Madison WI monthly show was maybe 10% Pokemon a year and a half ago, than a few months ago it was around 40%, now I would say it is at least 50%, it was packed yesterday but it seems the tables most people had interest in where Pokemon

[vintg]

lake station, indiana for me today.

EVERY single spot in the parking lot was taken when i got there 45 minutes after show opened. crazy for a mid-size show.

obviously packed inside.

picked up a couple of 3rd year jordans, jerry rice rc and then some other small cards. (all graded, of course)

dropped maybe $350. fairly happy with the purchases.

sports spectacular (rosemont, IL) coming up in march, followed by the first annual 400 table show in franklin , WI run by my buddy. tony gordon who
does the monthly show in oak creek, WI.

he's all/heavily into vintage, so, hopefully, vintage will/should be well
represented. (april 19th)

[clsports]

I was outbid on 2 prospect pitcher cards. The market must be healthy.

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[PuddleMonkey]

Originally Posted by K111

I made a post a few months ago saying the Madison WI monthly show was maybe 10% Pokemon a year and a half ago, than a few months ago it was around 40%, now I would say it is at least 50%, it was packed yesterday but it seems the tables most people had interest in where Pokemon

Originally Posted by clsports

I was outbid on 2 prospect pitcher cards. The market must be healthy.