[rjcj2017]

I think your comments are what's driving up prices. People are hoarding product hoping the for the next Trout, so it's driving up prices. When someone actually pulls those prized pieces (Zion or Tatis or Trout), the price is going up because so many people are chasing singles since they're priced out of boxes/packs/cases.

The people that's pricing us out of product isn't necessarily the people driving around and following the distributor (I personally know a guy locally that does it, and he makes a killing because people will pay his overinflated prices. He doesn't have a job, just lives off that).

Anyway, the people driving the wax/pack/case prices up are the breakers. People can't afford to buy those products, so they're willing to spend whatever they want on a team type break. So the breakers know they can pay whatever because people will buy into their breaks.

As a result, distributors can charge those breakers what they want because the breakers will buy because the people like you and me are going to buy into their breaks.

It's a really sad "bubble" we live in. I'm not sure if it'll burst. But some of these prices I'm seeing have gotten nuts. I'd rather spend my $500 on a Bank or Aaron or Mantle over some guy that's never taken an AB or pitched an inning in an MLB game.

I will give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that I'm misreading some of this.

I want to make sure that you understand that people like me - as true and actual collectors - are not driving up prices.

Because if that's what you were indeed insinuating, I resent the hell out of it.

Case in point ... I've been looking for Leaf Draft Football from basically the time this quarantine started, so about a month and a half.

The Target in my area finally restocked the card section yesterday, and they had about 8 blasters of Leaf Draft Football.

I am a Detroit Lions fan, unfortunately. I wanted the first cards of their second round draft pick, D'Andre Swift.

I bought one blaster. One. I pulled each of the three different Swift cards in the set and was thrilled, especially after such a long wait. Those three cards probably sell for about $10 total on eBay.

But they're not going on eBay ... they are going in my Lions PC.

So if buying one blaster and keeping the cards for my PC is "hoarding" to you, I can't help you.

You know what else I'm not doing? Being an ***** like your buddy and buying the other seven Leaf Draft Football blasters and selling them online for a profit.

Why? Because I have a job, in which I make a contribution to society.

I'm not going to judge your friend and assume that he's on some sort of government assistance - like the kind that I pay for with my taxes - which would allow him to drive around all day and clear out retail stores while I'm at an actual job doing actual work.

And maybe he's not - you said yourself he "makes a killing" ripping people off.

(I added the ripping people off thing, you didn't say that. Because that's what he's doing. Are the buyers acting like sheep for being willing to pay it? Sure. But that doesn't make it right. Your buddy is no better than the guy who bought 17,000 bottles of hand sanitizer at the beginning of the pandemic.)

So, yes, as for the laughable part about he's not the one driving up prices ... dude, that is literally the definition of driving up prices. If he buys a blaster for $20 and sells it for $30, that is driving up the price.

It would be great if he showed the same motivation for hoarding retail product in trying to get an actual job.

To be honest, your buddy is worse than a pack searcher, which I used to consider the lowest bottom feeding scum in the hobby.

At least the pack searchers leave some of the product behind for the rest of us to pay suggested retail price for.

As for your case breaker theory, it sounds plausible to me. I have no idea. I don't do case breaks. Nothing against them, never tried them, have no opinion on them.

But, no, I'm not the one driving up prices, period, end of subject.

Again, I hope I'm misreading what you were trying to say.

---

How is the centering for your Zion and Ja Optic RC's? Seems to me the centering on alot of Optic cards this year has been pretty bad leading to many pissed of collectors.

No pissed off collector here ... the centering on both is great!








In fact, there is a great story on how I got this blaster in spite of all the retail hoarding that's been going on:

https://www.beckett.com/forums/thread-1616720.html

Enjoy!

---

My first thought too. That's nowhere near their value. Even graded they're half of what you quoted. Unless you're referring to "asking price" on eBay which isn't "selling price".

Yeah, asking prices are a joke. With the Zion kid specifically, his low end autos book for around $600 and the eBay folks are asking 2Gs, LOL

[kerryandbeth]

Wow, a lot of opinions coming out of this. Some from Mars, though. LOL.

Anyway, here's another opinion...prices are up due to supply and demand. But, what is causing it?
1. Retail grubbies who resell at a unjustifiable profit
2. Box breakers who get product at a discount and bust at a profit
3. Personal box breaks with hits that get listed immediately on eBay

The end.

[zeprock]

You know what else I'm not doing? Being an ***** like your buddy and buying the other seven Leaf Draft Football blasters and selling them online for a profit.

Why? Because I have a job, in which I make a contribution to society.

I'm not going to judge your friend and assume that he's on some sort of government assistance - like the kind that I pay for with my taxes - which would allow him to drive around all day and clear out retail stores while I'm at an actual job doing actual work.

And maybe he's not - you said yourself he "makes a killing" ripping people off.

(I added the ripping people off thing, you didn't say that. Because that's what he's doing. Are the buyers acting like sheep for being willing to pay it? Sure. But that doesn't make it right. Your buddy is no better than the guy who bought 17,000 bottles of hand sanitizer at the beginning of the pandemic.)

So, yes, as for the laughable part about he's not the one driving up prices ... dude, that is literally the definition of driving up prices. If he buys a blaster for $20 and sells it for $30, that is driving up the price.

It would be great if he showed the same motivation for hoarding retail product in trying to get an actual job.

To be honest, your buddy is worse than a pack searcher, which I used to consider the lowest bottom feeding scum in the hobby.

crazyforkinsler5 never said the guy was his friend or buddy. He said he personally knew a guy. I know a guy who's a self-confessed pack searcher. I have to work with him but he's not my friend.

[rjcj2017]

crazyforkinsler5 never said the guy was his friend or buddy. He said he personally knew a guy. I know a guy who's a self-confessed pack searcher. I have to work with him but he's not my friend.

Fair enough. I retract the buddy references and will go with "acquaintance."

I remember your co-worker guy, didn't he get fired or something?

[zeprock]

Fair enough. I retract the buddy references and will go with "acquaintance."

I remember your co-worker guy, didn't he get fired or something?

No. His house caught on fire and he burned his hands putting it out. He's feeling better now but probably still pack searching.

[rjcj2017]

No. His house caught on fire and he burned his hands putting it out. He's feeling better now but probably still pack searching.

Oh yeah, that's what it was. Karma.

A force of nature that will one day come back to bite all of these lowlifes.

[rjcj2017]

Wow, a lot of opinions coming out of this. Some from Mars, though. LOL.

Anyway, here's another opinion...prices are up due to supply and demand. But, what is causing it?
1. Retail grubbies who resell at a unjustifiable profit
2. Box breakers who get product at a discount and bust at a profit
3. Personal box breaks with hits that get listed immediately on eBay

The end.

Agreed ... what is not on that list is ...

Guy like RJ who buys blasters here and there for fun and PC adds

[DrMitchJ]

When I first saw this thread I misread and thought it was a baseball card bubble gum thread figuring it was a light and enjoyable little thread reminiscing about that old confection that started this industry .. boy was I wrong.

So wherever there is the illusion of easy money, there are speculators. (Sports cards, comic books, toys, etc)
Speculators ruin the hobby by affecting the flow to the collectors causing inflation and increased costs.
The manufacturers saturate the market to try and take advantage of the speculators while in turn screwing the collectors.
Then when the speculators catch on that this is not Wall Street they leave the collectors holding the bag.
When it is all over and done, the manufacturers try to seek the collectors forgiveness to save their skins.
And the cycle starts over again.
Collectors are like battered spouses, always coming back for more abuse until they die from the injuries or find a new hobby/spouse to abuse them.

[fred bear]

When I first saw this thread I misread and thought it was a baseball card bubble gum thread figuring it was a light and enjoyable little thread reminiscing about that old confection that started this industry .. boy was I wrong.

So wherever there is the illusion of easy money, there are speculators. (Sports cards, comic books, toys, etc)
Speculators ruin the hobby by affecting the flow to the collectors causing inflation and increased costs.
The manufacturers saturate the market to try and take advantage of the speculators while in turn screwing the collectors.
Then when the speculators catch on that this is not Wall Street they leave the collectors holding the bag.
When it is all over and done, the manufacturers try to seek the collectors forgiveness to save their skins.
And the cycle starts over again.
Collectors are like battered spouses, always coming back for more abuse until they die from the injuries or find a new hobby/spouse to abuse them.

I'm sorry for posting what may be a dissenting opinion, but I see this sentiment a lot and I couldn't disagree more.

'Speculators' or investors don't ruin this hobby and they aren't drawn to 'easy' money. They're attracted to 'value' and I think investors/speculators fill a much needed space in our hobby. I wonder how much of a hobby we'd have without them, honestly. We certainly wouldn't have a resource like Beckett who provides input on 'value' or grading services to preserve/enhance 'value'. In my opinion, the entire idea of trading is based on the premise that one person (collector or investor) places more value on an item than another person. We don't normally talk about it in those types of terms, it's usually just a comparison of a 'need/want' list versus a 'duplicate/trader' list, but it's really who places more 'value' on a card, right?

Sure, investors/speculators will come and go, but it's based on value and they do the same thing on Wall Street. Amazon doesn't trade at almost $2400/share because someone is 'hoarding' it or trying to keep it away from somebody else, it's because that's it's value at a given time. Nearly 6M shares get traded a day and you may see fluctuation, but the demand is what drives the price.

Similarly, the auction of a PSA 1 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle can draw 50-100 bidders and result in a price over $5,000. What's wrong with some of those bidders being 'investors' trying to get a deal? I don't own one - should they all get out of my way and let me have it for $50?

Collecting baseball (sports) cards, done as a hobby or as an investment, is up to the individual and how they derive their enjoyment from it. I mean, if my hobby ever makes me feel like a 'battered spouse', I'm out.

[Don't get me wrong. People can do unscrupulous things, but I've had that experience with 'collectors' and 'investors' alike.]

[zeprock]

fred bear.

You a Nugent fan?