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1988 and 2012
#1

1988 and 2012
Remember back when the markets were flooded with baseball cards (part of the 80s and part of the 90s)? Well in 1988, Topps put out 3,000 different baseball cards, and some collectors thought that was a lot. So far in 2012 Topps has released 41,000 different baseball cards. Forget the monopoly idea for a moment and licensing agreements with the league, does anyone see an issue with this? How can I pick a random year from the past when people thought there was too much product and then, years later, be expected to get excited when more than ten times that amount is available? Back fifteen years ago, were there even 40,000 different cards available from all the companies combined, let alone one?

Essentially, I am curious to see if anyone else thinks we may look back on this time in fifteen years and say, "What the heck happened?"

Thanks for your thoughts.

JonathanI
I appreciate Chicago players that begin competing within the city's sports organizations and stay with these teams throughout their careers.
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#2

RE: 1988 and 2012
the problem in the 80's wasnt that topps put out 3000 different, it's that they made about 100 million of wach one
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#3

RE: 1988 and 2012
Yes, but the "quantity" of those 3000 cards is actually this issue. There are cases and cases of that unopened product that will be sitting around for a very long time...

More modern product is much harder to come by after just a few years pass by.
Aaron
Prosportscards.com
Avid Collector since 1982!
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#4

RE: 1988 and 2012
(07-25-2012, 02:37 PM)jonathani Wrote: Essentially, I am curious to see if anyone else thinks we may look back on this time in fifteen years and say, "What the heck happened?"

Thanks for your thoughts.

JonathanI
Personally, I think it's a big problem, and we're starting to see the effects, even if we don't realize it, yet. In 1987, a star had essentially three rookie cards (maybe a couple of more with update sets). How many rookie cards does Bryce Harper have? How many are exactly the same, except for manufactured scarcity and card color? Heck, how many 1/1 versions are there of his rookie cards? Dozens? Some players end up with literally hundreds of 1/1 cards. I think all of this just lowers the demand for any of them. If I want a nice Bryce Harper, I have dozens or more to choose from, rather than 3 or 4 different one.

Also, back in 1987 it was entirely possible, and I would venture to guess even pretty likely, that collectors were collecting them all. Now, since you can't possibly collect everything, I think you end up with having the collectors pick a smaller focus. Collecting all of the cards of a single player, could keep you pretty busy each year. I get the feeling that full set collectors are a much smaller portion of collectors than ever before. The end result that I see is base cards are almost an after thought or filler now. I hear stories of people buying full boxes, taking the hits, and leaving everything else behind. Even most of the hits are worth a buck or two, at this point. Is it going to get any better?
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