Why is there so much focus on modern players?

[Gmlasc]

Why do football card collectors focus so much more on modern players than baseball, basketball and hockey collectors?
Some older players get some hobby love - like Jim Brown, Jerry Rice and Montana. But nothing compared to other sports. Realize baseball cards have more history but who is the Jordan, Mantle, Gretzky, Griffey of football cards?
Besides Brady (and maybe Mahomes - we’ll have to see) it seems like everyone else is a short term hold. Guess it allows collectors to get cool cards of players like Barry Sanders for cheap. Not a judgement call - just an observation.

[Seahawks fan]

I believe there is a focus on modern players because collectors like to actually watch their fave team/players play and it gives them hope that they could possibly be the next big thing even though it's a 0.000001% that is going to happen.

As for the other question...Over production is what kills value. Guys like Ruth, Mantle, and Jordan haven't been done to death in modern sets auto wise. While guys like Sanders, Rice, Montanna, marino, etc have had an auto every year since their active playing days. Too easy to get, too many of them out there, and they keep coming. Guys like Walter Payton and Reggie White who signed in the modern era but then passed before their stuff was mass produced would be your best bet for something special/iconic.

[49erRCCollector]

Because they are playing now. Their stories are still being written and that’s exciting.

The bulk of my collection is vintage. But how much are we going to discuss John Brodie’s two rookie cards here when there’s a million Brock Purdy cards to discuss?

[cardsin47]

There’s always the chance that you’ll get in early on the ‘next big thing’ ( player - which now in FB is QB )

[daveyc1]

because there are more flippers than there are collectors.

[Dallas Cowboys]

I think the NFL in general has always done poorly educating fans about past players or clinging to tradition. Baseball does much better job at this. There are young kids right now who know who Babe Ruth is but have no idea who Johnny Unitas is. I think it would be cool if the NFL would do little vignettes during commercial breaks on older players from the past 100 years.

[jplarson]

Originally Posted by 49erRCCollector

Because they are playing now. Their stories are still being written and that’s exciting.

Originally Posted by daveyc1

because there are more flippers than there are collectors.

Bingpot.

[marinocollector]

I think the rule changes and length of schedule, huge changes of style of play. Football really has had the most variances in each era compared to the other sport.

[tjforce]

A few things...

-The first is the obvious "people like to collect/invest in guys currently playing because they can watch them":
-The second is "The next big thing lottery ticket" appeal.
-Third is that there are more high end rookie cards of modern players that old. You only have 1 Jerry Rice rookie card out there, and there's a million of them. (However, good luck getting a PSA 10 for cheap. Not going to happen)

Those 3 things are pretty standard across all sports, though. What's unique to football:

-The importance of one position over all others. People realize that QBs are more important then any other position, so even if a guy becomes and All time great like Randy Moss did, there's only so much interest in him in the collecting world.

-This era of football is at it's peak popularity, and still growing. Baseball is America's Past time. It's heyday was the 50's?, 60's?, early 90's?. Certainly not now. Ruth, Mantle, Griffey.... those guys certainly have a lot more cultural relevance then anybody playing these last 10+ years. Basketball was probably at it's cultural peak in the 90s. Internationally it's still been growing, but regardless, the undisputed hobby king was a guy who ruled the 1990's. Not just because of how great he was, but that combined with the fact that the 90's were innovative in sports cards at the same time. MJ represents that era much more than anyone in Football or Baseball does (sorry Jeets).

Meanwhile, the top 12 watched Super Bowls have all come since 2010. We just finished a 20 year run of watching the greatest of all time win 7 titles and become a household name. There's an heir apparent to the throne breaking records and winning Super Bowl MVPs, and they've cracked the code through Fantasy Sports, Gambling, social media, celebrity appearances, to become more culturally relevant than any other sport in the US.

Simply put... this era of football is bigger than it ever has been.

[MavsRChamps]

It’s a good question. Basketball collectors go crazy for 90’s stars / cards, baseball values old timers too. I think it may boil down to in basketball, international collectors really go after retired stars. In Baseball, I just sense it’s more nostalgia than in Football too. Collectors are generally older (assumption), and collecting stars of the past reminds them of going to the ball game as a child … football has limited international popularity compared to basketball, and less reminisce of the “good old days” when compared to Baseball. Also kind of an assumption but I think Football collectors are more team based … meaning any basketball fan from the 90’s / 2000’s kinda wants Jordan and Kobe, whereas a 90’s football fan who says likes the Giants couldn’t care less about Jerry Rice cards.

[nabzy28]

It's, absolutely, a question I have pondered for some time. Baseball is so entrenched in history and statistics. Football, not so much. As posted above, there are a lot more people who could tell you (or probably even guess) the all time hits/strikeouts, etc. MLB record holders vs. knowing all-time NFL record holders. In baseball, players are collected/followed for an overall career of performance. I think in football, it's FAR more of a "did they win a Super Bowl last year?" and, if not, they winnin' it this season? If that is a no, then only team/player collectors will continue to collect that particular player. I can say just from what I focus on as a collector, when I've added cards from baseball - it's of the guys I would ALWAYS watch if they had a game on TV back in the 90's. Maddux. Griffey Jr. , etc. Recognized and appreciated for years of consistent excellence. Try finding that in the NFL outside of a QB. Dude gets hurt and he's almost relegated to a complete failure.

[MiamiMarlinsFan]

Originally Posted by Gmlasc

Why do football card collectors focus so much more on modern players than baseball, basketball and hockey collectors?
Some older players get some hobby love - like Jim Brown, Jerry Rice and Montana. But nothing compared to other sports. Realize baseball cards have more history but who is the Jordan, Mantle, Gretzky, Griffey of football cards?
Besides Brady (and maybe Mahomes - we’ll have to see) it seems like everyone else is a short term hold. Guess it allows collectors to get cool cards of players like Barry Sanders for cheap. Not a judgement call - just an observation

If Barry Sanders had a 1989 Topps Chrome RC auto superfractor… it would sell for A LOT of money.

(His 1989 Score RC in a PSA 10 sells for a decent amount too.)

[rms13]

A lot of people like speculating and chasing the next big thing and I'd argue basketball and baseball l are the same way. For NBA people are more interested in Wemby then Magic, Bird, Kareem etc. And in baseball all the huge cards are Bowman 1st for 18 year old kids who may or may not ever play in the MLB.

[BBases31]

Because retired NFL players from pre 2000 are just not as iconic as older baseball or basketball stars. There's no one before Brady that can touch guys like Wilt, MJ, Magic, Ruth, Mantle, etc

[oplum29]

because new is cool.

nobody wants cards of Joe Namath, they want cards of Joe Burrow.

[Scottish Punk]

I think most have hit on it.
Gambling - people want to buy low and hit big
Flippers
History/stats don't matter as much. Rule changes make some things harder to put into context.
Football as a whole wasn't as popular in what is now vintage cards.

[oplum29]

Originally Posted by Scottish Punk

I think most have hit on it.
Gambling - people want to buy low and hit big
Flippers
History/stats don't matter as much. Rule changes make some things harder to put into context.
Football as a whole wasn't as popular in what is now vintage cards.

i remember all the flippers in the summer were huge on 3 players:

Burrow
Herbert
Fields

they left a lot on the floor with guys like Love, Purdy, Hurts, and Tua, for obvious reasons, i get it. but still.

i can already see pumpers and flippers next summer going huge on CJ Stroud

good luck people!

[mfw13]

I think it's a function of multiple factors:

1) older players don't have that many cards to collect, both because their careers weren't very long AND because there was generally only one set issued per year up until 1989. So completing a complete run of cards of a player is pretty easy.

2) The vast majority of NFL players are not collected, either because they play defense, or a non-skill offensive position. The overwhelming focus on a single position (i.e. QB) is something that does not exist in any other sport.

3) And lastly, as mentioned by multiple posters upthread, people like to collect current players that they can watch play.

[tjforce]

Originally Posted by oplum29

i remember all the flippers in the summer were huge on 3 players:

Burrow
Herbert
Fields

they left a lot on the floor with guys like Love, Purdy, Hurts, and Tua, for obvious reasons, i get it. but still.

i can already see pumpers and flippers next summer going huge on CJ Stroud

good luck people!

The gross thing isn't even going to be watching the Stroud pump...it's going to be watching the Hendon Hooker, Dorian Thompson Robinson, Aiden O'Connell pump.

It'll be expensive for folks to really load up on Stroud enough to whip up some fake hype on them... the rest of the guys, that's who'll you'll see pumped and dumped like we saw with Desmond Ridder this year.

[majestik101]

I can make FU money flipping modern players. I can't make FU money from old players. Only grandmothers knitting their grandchildren Christmas sweaters care about old has-beens like James Lofton or Marcus Allen.

This 'hobby' is all about what-have-you-done-for-me-lately, not what-did-you-do-in-1986.

[fabiani12333]

Originally Posted by BBases31

Because retired NFL players from pre 2000 are just not as iconic as older baseball or basketball stars. There's no one before Brady that can touch guys like Wilt, MJ, Magic, Ruth, Mantle, etc

How old are you? NFL players were many of the biggest star athletes in the 90s -- Deion Sanders, Emmitt Smith, Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Barry Sanders, John Elway, Dan Marino, Joe Montana, Steve Young etc.

Young people didn't know who Mickey Mantle or Wilt Chamberlain were in the 90s.

[fabiani12333]

Vintage card collecting and investing became popular with baby boomers in the 80s and 90s. They grew up collecting baseball cards in the 60s and idolization players like Mantle, Mays, Aaron and Koufax.

Football cards didn't reach mainstream popularity until the junk wax era. Those cards were overproduced and relatively well taken care, therefore they don't have the value of vintage baseball cards.

Football is also more of team sport compared to baseball and basketball. Players are generally treated as disposable and that's how the card market treats them -- pump and dump young players and move onto the next crop.

[MiamiMarlinsFan]

Originally Posted by fabiani12333

How old are you? NFL players were many of the biggest star athletes in the 90s -- Deion Sanders, Emmitt Smith, Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Barry Sanders, John Elway, Dan Marino, Joe Montana, Steve Young etc.

Young people didn't know who Mickey Mantle or Wilt Chamberlain were in the 90s.

This is the famous BBases31 we’re talking about. Can’t be older than 23.

[BBases31]

Originally Posted by fabiani12333

How old are you? NFL players were many of the biggest star athletes in the 90s -- Deion Sanders, Emmitt Smith, Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Barry Sanders, John Elway, Dan Marino, Joe Montana, Steve Young etc.

And how popular are they right now compared to Ruth, Wilt, Mantle, MJ? None of them are close that's the point. Brady is the first true icon on a level that the other sports have

[fabiani12333]

Originally Posted by BBases31

And how popular are they right now compared to Ruth, Wilt, Mantle, MJ? None of them are close that's the point. Brady is the first true icon on a level that the other sports have

Ruth and Jordan are the GOATs of their respective sports. Brady is the GOAT of football. I don't think the general public knows about Wilt or Mantle. Mantle gets a lot of notoriety in the hobby because of his iconic 1952 Topps card, but he's long been deceased and out of the public consciousness.

The public definitely still knows about 90s greats like Deion and Favre.