Should We Change How We Collect Sports Cards In 2025?

[@ken-pr2df]

Your lesson at the end of the video about a goal without a plan is just a wish is one of great wisdom!! This inspiring philosophy can be applied to collecting baseball cards or every area of our life!! Always enjoy and look forward to your videos!! Wishing you all the best this Christmas Season Graig!!

[@cardboardandplastic]

I think we will continue to see the same trends in the hobby. High grades, HOF RC, and key cards will continue to climb as the majority of vintage will stay where they are. 90% of collectors and investors are targeting the same cards. When new people get into vintage, they are immediately drawn to Mantle. I am fine with this, because I want the demand to stay low in vintage. There are so many cards I want to get without paying more money for them!

[@edflood]

A provocative post that merits consideration. One thing that I have noticed though is those that sell off many cards in the collection to get the one grail card often wind up wanting to buy back all the cards they miss. It's an impossible situation and makes me think the real thrill is the pursuit of elusive cards and the acquisition becomes the beginning of a letdown. All part of the fun - and insanity - of this hobby!

[@CatDad126]

Great topic of discussion for this week. I agree with some of the comments above that the decline of set building in the hobby has contributed to non-HOF and non-rookie cards being less sought after. I think rookie cards have a certain lore about them because we know how the story plays out for the player on the card, but at the time the producer and buyer of the card did not. It’s always fun to read the paragraph on the back of a HOFer’s rookie card and see how the player not only met but far exceeded expectations. As it relates to my own collecting, my new goal is to have one card I really prefer for every post-war HOFer. Many times that means saving significant money - e.g., I recently bought a ‘60 Banks vs. a ‘54, a ‘63 Koufax vs. a ‘55, and I aim to eventually get a ‘57 Aaron over a ‘54. Other times, it still means shelling out a big chunk of change - my two “grail” cards I would like to get next year are a ‘53 Topps Satchel Paige and a ‘53 Bowman Pee Wee Reese. Long story short, my hope is that the hobby does begin to pay more attention to the beauty of a card over whether it’s a rookie or not. Collecting non-HOFers is just as important. The story of baseball cannot be told by only the players who made the Hall of Fame.

[@DonOlszewski-th1ir]

Graig, I think one big reason non Hall of Famers and mid career cards of Hall of Famers are so cheap is due to the dwindling numbers of set builders. To put some perspective to the value of a vintage set. You have a record of that particular year. When Mantle and Maris battled for the home run title, you have a record of other players they beat and the pitchers and teams they had to beat. Or if you have a 72 football set you see all the players and teams the Dolphins had to beat to be undefeated. Although some sets don’t recognize the accomplishments till the next year. Now to be a set builder requires a little more space, but not really if you collect raw sets in binders then a small stack of graded to go with the binder. It’s also difficult to find unmarked checklists. And it all seems a little backwards when a set value is less than the break up value. My advice to collectors, instead of looking for just the high priced card, start paying more attention to full sets being offered. It just might be an eye opener. I could go on and on. This is already to long. Thanks for everything you do.

[@Tim.K.1976]

This year I am going to target HOFer's 2nd year cards i.e. Aaron, Clemente, F. Robinson because they are so much cheaper than the rookie cards. Now let's talk about Big Klu cards, being a Cincinnati Reds fan I wanted to put together his Reds cards run here is an example of how cheap his cards are and what I paid for them. 57 Topps iconic Guns Out card $24.28 PSA 4, 56 Topps $19.99 SGC 4, 55 Topps $33 SGC 5.5, 54 Topps $36 PSA 6, 53 Topps $25 SGC 3 great centering, 53 Bowman Color $30 SGC 3, the 52 Topps (Raw) is the only card I paid over $50 for at the National. Totaling under $230 for 7 vintage graded cards. Wow I love that value for a Reds HOFer!

[@ACD1994]

Good strategy.

[@markhoyle2275]

Hi Graig. Very insightful show. My collecting pursuit is very narrow And I stay very focused on what I do collect. My watchlist is probably 75+. I may search for a card five different ways. There are many months where I only grab one card maybe two occasionally none. But that’s fine. I’ve spent more money on supplies recently just trying to get more organized. Regarding this weeks question. If they said Hall of Fame or or rookie card is a Red Sox guy. I will buy it if it isn’t. I won’t. It’s very simple in my eyes.

[@W238thStreet]

Nice video young man. I like to compare card collections to art collections. I love looking at Dali's, but im fine knowing i cant buy the painting for my house.

[@AmariAultman1906]

You better preach!! The train is gone!!

[@Vintage_Dave_T]

When I got back into the hobby four or five years ago, one thing I decided to collect was MLB fathers and sons and brothers. Obviously some of those are Hall of Famer‘s (most are not) and I try to pick up a single card for each of them. I typically like to get the oldest card possible, but am not willing to pay the premium to get a rookie card. That has no appeal to me. I’m not collecting for the value of my PC but for the enjoyment. I also collect a few player runs of mostly non-Hall of Famer‘s. Just players that I liked as a boy; think of players like Ted Kluszewski, Frank, Howard, and Ryne Duren. One HOF run I have is Richie Ashburn, who I’ve previously documented in one of my first video. In the end, people collect who and what they like, which makes this such a great community. It’s fun to see KZbinrs show off their cards, which are many and varied. All the best to you, Graig.

[@jasonconte2674]

I think it’s a great time to “collect” Colavito and Kluszewski type vintage players, but I don’t think the trend is reversing where the hobby is moving more and more to iconic cards and rookies in the post-war era. If you care about values or are investing, stick with HOFers and buy as many inner circle HOFer rookie cards as you can. The 49 Leaf Jackie, 51 Bowman Mantle and Mays, 54 Topps Aaron, and 55 Topps Clemente will only go up. Now, it’s a bit different for pre-war because those cards are so much scarcer. People will always want examples of classic pre-war Goudey sets or T206 or Cracker Jack, etc.

[@williampotts7205]

Here's my statement that I tend to try and follow... Failing to plan is planning to fail. I also try and live by percentages. Succeeding at a higher percentage than failing. A slow upward climb. But positive climb.

[@AdamJUlrey]

Hey Graig love this weeks question cause I'm on the opposite end...I collect mostly those players that others don't ...I have Player Runs of my two Favorite players Vada Pinson and Curt Flood, also I have a huge Collection of Don Maynard of the Jets...In Basketball my favorite Player was Randy Smith of the Buffalo Braves along with Bob McAdoo.....I collect Rocky Colavito and just finished a player run of Camilo Pasqual the Pitcher....I also have complete runs of my two favorite Managers Walt Alston and Gene Mauch....I love collecting like Chris from Missouri says Collect what you like and that's what I do...My favorite thing to Collect are Moments, Events or famous groups (Like the NY Sack Exchange, the Fearsome Foursome.....Im working right now on the Doom Patrol the NO Saints Linebackers from 1992 they are the only team to have all 4 LB go to the Pro Bowl in the same Season....Just started working on the Million Dollar Backfield of the 1954-56 SF 49ers all 4 players made the Hall of Fame the only team to every do that....YA Title, Hugh McElhanney, Joe Perry and John Henry Johnson.....Have you heard of the Bull Elephant Backfield its made of about 3 players from the 1951 Champion LA Rams......Towler, Younger and Hoerner along with Hirsch..,..so I love collecting what no one else does....I don't have Mays, Mantle, Aaron, Banks or anything before 1950 in my collection.....I display my cards based on the above...so to me if people don't want the lesser players I'll take them......Love what you do great question....

[@Cb489]

Great show. It’s almost part of being an American today to be caught in the endless competition of comparing. I was laughing when you talked about eBay. I so agree

[@cryptonite8495]

Good advice about specific goals versus vague ones which, after all, are only wishes without a plan.

[@jpcards]

Great stuff to chew on. I pretty much have my goals for '25, but the actual step of writing them out is invaluable. Thanks, Graig.

[@David_Mussari]

One of your most enjoyable videos to date. You had me smiling the entire time, especially when you whispered “If I took my wife to Target” and when you said “I had 62 Saved searches!” 😂. Great advice throughout. Thanks for all that you do, Graig. 🎅🏻

[@chadholt1171]

I think many collectors are going after the HOF rookie cards right now because many of them are less expensive than they were a few years ago. When the card market goes up many people will go back to the less expensive cards.

[@EarthtonesCymbals]

True wisdom is doing what brings joy to your heart and peace to your mind without hurting anyone in the process.

[@Jimmycardcollector]

Agree it is good to have a plan. But also believe you have to know when to deviate from your plan, or to adjust it in the face of new information. It’s the famous quote, “No plan survives contact with the enemy.” So I suppose it is good to have a plan to begin, but don’t stick with a plan that requires adjustment in the face of new information.

[@AverageVintageCollector]

Great video Graig! It was nice to see perspectives from others in the hobby. Merry Christmas!

[@Cb489]

Generally if you are looking to sell your raw cards you no longer want, do people grade the bigger stars of those raw cards before putting them up for sale?

[@SouthernCollector14]

Great video Graig. I love your thoughts on those different aspects. The Nation always comes through with great responses for you as well.

[@DansVintageBaseballPC]

62 saved searches made me laugh out loud, Mr. Narrow! I have 11. Happy Holidays to you and your wonderful family, my friend.

[@eldredbrian]

I don't plan on changing, for the last six months I have been picking up the 59,fleer Williams, and fleer 59; and 60, baseball greats. Also the 62 Ruth cards. Also picking up Hof players from the fifties, for example I just went to two card shows, picked four 59 fleer Williams cards, and six 59 fleer baseball greats. Also 54 Jensen, 64 Stengal, baseball thrills Banks MVP, Bowman Reese and Mathews. Canadian post Bunning, and post Drysdale. Also 62 Ruth the twilight years.

[@mrmjmiller]

Your question is a good one about whether minor stars like Colavito and the big Klu will have value in the future. T206 collectors are people who enjoy the history of that time period. They study and find out about those people that are under the radar. I think the older members of society are into history. They liked these cards because they love history. It is my thought that there is not the love of history in today's youth. I don't think history is dealt with as well in school as it was decades ago. It's almost like some in the education field would like to wash history away. Therefore, until today's youth are enthused about times from the past, the minor historical figures will continue to fall by the wayside.

[@ACD1994]

Well said, Mr. Miller.

[@redrum2612]

"You might also like this." 😂 When I'm buying something new now, I have to make sure that I haven't already purchased it with so many versions/parallel types. This can be extra painful mentally when you are building a collection of an athlete or person of interest. Great subject matter and your thoughts on everything. I enjoyed listening! Merry Christmas!

[@BringingTheHeat-VBC]

whenever I had to do that in the past or better yet buy a duplicate, I would take 3 months off.

[@vintagesanctuary]

Graig, great topic and perfect timing with the new year around the corner! Alas, I'm pretty sure you planned it that way! Oh man, super hot tip: Go buy a 1952 Topps Big Klu! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥I bought mine 3 years ago and my life has never been the same!

[@Tim.K.1976]

I found my copy of that card at the National last year. I paid up for it but that doesn't matter,I love it!

[@vintagesanctuary]

@ Tim, congrats! What an awesome card! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[@cryptonite8495]

In the first few minutes are apt analogies with real estate, driving, physical beauty, golf, a candy store, drugs in an alley and shopping at Target. I think I'll stop counting there. 🤣

[@rw151515]

Great video. When it comes to collecting I have concepts of a plan. In response to your next video I’ve spent the past few years buying high eye appeal non-rookie 50’s and 60’s cards of the players I want to collect, purposely avoiding buying RC’s. In fact I traded a Payton PSA7 RC and a Gretzky Topps PSA6 RC for a non-rookie Pele card. Probably not a smart financial move, but the Pele card meant more to me. The premium attached to rookie cards makes it nearly impossible for me to find cards as nice looking as my non-rookies without spending money I don’t have. Eventually I hope to get those RC’s that fit nicely with my other cards, but the HOF RC collecting mindset that pervades the space makes it not really doable for me at this time unfortunately. Plus in many cases the RC is not the most attractive card IMO and paying a premium for something that is not as appealing doesn’t make sense. In the long run financially speaking I am probably making a mistake as the RC is likely to hold or gain value proportionately more than the non-RC but I view this as a fun journey more than investing. How’s that for long winded??!!

[@brentrichardsbaseballcards]

I have no idea what my card resolutions are for next year, as I find things too hard to predict. I might join a gym, as one of my regular goals is to lose at least 30 dollars a month. 😂 As far as next week’s question, it’s a good one. I think about it a lot. It actually saddens me to see so many people only want to collect players that some writers deem to be worthy. People don’t even collect some of the players they loved watching when they were younger because they aren’t in The Hall. It makes no sense to me. And only collecting RC’s is similar. It’s like there is a peer pressure to collect a certain way, and an investment mentality that drives everything. It stops being a hobby to me at that point. And everything seems to go to the extreme eventually, and collecting the highest tier guys in the earliest cards is the extreme of our hobby. Unfortunately, I don’t see it swinging the other way unless those cards get so unaffordable that people don’t have a choice to collect them anymore. It’s already kind of like that in some cases like Mantle. I really do hope people start realizing how short this life is and only collect what makes them happy while they are still here.

[@DoubleDvintagebaseballcards]

My honest opinion is the lesser stars of baseball have never been as popular as the top guys except while they were playing. Since I was a kid I collected only the stars I never cared about random dudes those went in my bike spokes 😂😂😂. I dont think anything changed and I dont see a world where it ever will. Why would it ? We like the stars unless your building a set or want to tell the history of baseball with your collection. Thats my 2 cents 😜🤙🤙

[@SacramentoKingsCards-kg8rm]

Let me preface this by saying that I mostly collect modern basketball where overproduction has probably reinforced the move away from non rookie cards, but hasn’t the hobby always focused on rookies and hall of famers? 15 years ago when I started collecting, people were still paying way more for a player’s rookie card opposed to other years. I think that is a psychology thing. How can I differentiate between the cards a player has? Which one stands out among the rest? The masses decided that would be the superior one. I think it’s a silly concept, honestly. Why a rookie card be superior rather than a card from the player’s best season? Or last season? Etc? I have a feeling if you asked collectors in a vacuum with no knowledge of what the accepted card preference is (rookies), there would be a lot more variation in response to what the market shows.

[@BringingTheHeat-VBC]

I have a 6 card list for 2025 inspired by Darren. I expect to save a lot of $$$$ this year.

[@ACollectorsDream]

Can’t wait to see your 2025 list!

[@returntocollecting]

💸 Glad I can be your inspiration brother!

[@MidLifeCards]

When you're a guest on a livestream this year, maybe we can talk about you list and why you picked those cards as the targets.

[@BringingTheHeat-VBC]

@@MidLifeCards Hopefully, the list isn't dust by then, LOL

[@larrygitlin6017]

The later cards of stars and Hall of Famers have not held there own and have dropped in price. One reason is there has always been too much emphasis placed on rookie cards in the hobby. Rookie cards are where the money is and why new collectors open packs for that big rookie hit while they throw the other cards away. Also set collecting has disappeared which was the mainstay of the hobby for years until all the insert and autograph cards. You could put together your favorite set in the 50s or 60s or 70s and 80s without a problem since sets were finite. To complete the set even a high number commons were important to obtain. Finally there has been too much emphasis on KZbin on obtaining grail cards which are usually rookie or low pop superstars. We all tend to follow the herd

[@ACollectorsDream]

Awesome video Craig, would be great if you could visit me in South Florida. Merry Christmas my friend.

[@Cardivore20]

Everything is about money now. In today’s America that gets more and more expensive, people are forced to always consider the money part of anything. Even a hobby, we must consider the long term values when we pass our collections down or decide to sell one day. So since HOF rookies are so entrenched in the hobby and media, it’s a safe place to put money to hedge inflation or invest.

[@jeffkoll4002]

Very good video!!! I have a limited number of players I target. I want the cards that look good, mainly action shots, so I don’t only focus on rookies. As you know, I don’t collect a lot of baseball. Not sure this answers your question. Question for you? I am considering going to Strongsville in 2025. Potentially 2 reasons to go > meet the KZbinrs, and see if I can find a 1953 Mantle that I would buy. I need to wait until first week in March to decide, but could reserve a room at the hotel now just in case. Will you be there? Do you know when the KZbinrs are likely to have a meet up? I was thinking come in Friday and go to the show Friday and Saturday, and leave Saturday night. I have miles for a plane ticket, but want to make sure I would have money for the Mantle before I would commit to go. Thoughts? Thanks again for all of your videos!!!

[@ACD1994]

The KZbinrs are signed in with their channel names. Ask at the desk in the hotel (hobby lobby )for, MidLife Sports Cards, Mookie Chillson, Double D Vintage Cards, Sammy Thunder... and Chris From Missouri. Aka the mayor of Strongsville. Hope you have a fun time at the show!.

[@svenpatrick1637]

It is sad that people will never collect non HOF . Like Hank Bauer ! Now that is a player that some 20 year olds need to look up too ! This man put Whitey Ford against the wall on told him don’t mess with my money !

[@A.K.1978]

I want to go after curt ford cards for 2025 and finish up my 1990 marvel universe PsA graded set.

[@ACD1994]

Good question, Graig. I don't know if you want my ''short winded'' answer or my short winded, with no quotations. Why are most collectors not buying Rocky Colavito and Ted Kluszewski? I assume you rarely if ever are buying Rocky Colavito and Ted Klueszewski ? Are you (we) just following the crowd? And there are several factors, why I believe this to be the case. They played more than 60 years ago, and they were really good players, but I am sure there are also former players who have already been forgotten or not on most collectors radar from guys who played ''only'' 30 years ago. Colavito and Ted K. Mostly appeal, (not talking about our eye) to collectors older than you, Graig but also team collectors, and you collect Yankees team captains though, Rocky did briefly play for the Yankees. To play devil's advocate, though. There are some hall of famers who don't command a lot of attention. Don Drysdale, Frank Robinson, Harmon Killebrew, Willie Stargell, Jim Palmer, etc. The list goes on and on. How many vintage baseball card sets do you, currently own? You would have (Rocky C and Ted K) cards if you had the sets. But since, I assume you don't. Maybe your dad does? However, since you are not a Cleveland Indians fan or a Cincinnati Reds' fan ... you are not ''invested'' or as motivated, for their player run. It's interesting, Graig. Set-collecting has been phased out of the hobby. And at the same time, not completely phased out of the hobby. The PSA Set Registry fortunately or unfortunately being, a big part of that. Whether pre-war, vintage or modern. There is a focus on monetary value. And unless your Rocky Colavito or Ted K. Is a PSA 10 or SGC 10. It's not, what most people would then want to have? And thus, less demand and valuable in today's hobby. That's how it is. Will it change? I honestly don't know. I don't try to predict those kind of things. That being said, pre-war, vintage and modern are not without their issues. There's a lot of judgement on both sides of isle, when it comes to who and what we collect. Perhaps, we may feel our collections are not as valuable or as important, or special and unique as someone else's. So, the question may be. How much of our collecting focus is on $. Rather collecting, for nostalgia. And fun. Maybe we are also collecting, to a (KZbin) audience? If you have made it this far. You and whoever else read this. You are the REAL MVP'S. Merry Christmas, Graig. Happy Holidays.

[@Jeremy-VintageCards]

Dude, Western Bacon cheese burger…. I’m on the same page😋 Great video Graig! Funny with some nice insight on future collecting plans. To your question at the end, everything I’m seeing over the years on eBay, Cards shows and Midlife community pickups. HOF player collecting is alive and well, not just RC. Of coarse those big RC are hot and always in high demand. As a player run collector of not just HOF, but a big focus on that I constantly in bids of 10+ on later years of graded HOF cards. For me having a full run of a vintage HOF player is awesome, looking at a wide eye young man and to see that player age to the hall of fame career👍 Your probably at Target now that your wife over heard this video😆