The rise, fall, and rise again of baseball cards

In this Backstory piece, Larry Potash cracks open his baseball card collection and looks at the rise, fall, and rise again of these cardboard keepsakes.

[@andrewclemons9603]

Love this story! Been a collector since i was a youngster in the 70's. Its just been fun!

[@gregorylee3477]

My brother and i had paper routes in the late 50s and 60s. We would buy baseball cards with our profits. My mom never tossed them out. My brother passed away and he ended up with the cards, now my nephew has them. Great memories.

[@vinsonfamilycollectibles8213]

Great story! I began collecting in early 70's in Chicago. It was a fun, affordable, pure hobby along with "up to date" stats on a player. Somehow I kept it up, thru HS, College, girls/women, moves, cars, career. In the junk wax era, it was soooo funny how items were hitting the market and the speculation around. Now, in the digital/ info age it really has gone crazy. "Lottery tickets"..."Investments", "chrome", "autographs" along with players changing teams like t-shirts. A rookie can have 200 cards and I can see each card, stats, girlfriend, home, parents all while walking down the street. A kid really can't start out anymore. And yes, sentimental value is great! Great piece Larry!

[@TheCardDeal]

Love the 1989 Fleer pack half opened with the Ripken FF card. That was so unexpected 😂

[@mark109s]

I seen that too. , I smell BS.

[@pnksmigge5324]

love the people just doing it for fun. hopefully you rip the best cards guys.

[@davidthecardcollector]

When you see this stuff make the news you know the market already peaked.

[@edwarddawson42]

Exactly what I was going to say

[@eazyy76]

So no point in starting ?

[@FSU2001]

I disagree. It’s been going strong for years now and hasn’t slowed a bit. Seeing a tv story about it means nothing.

[@thomasshenton577]

Just imagine if you weren't negative 11 months ago 😮 You be rich today 🤑. It's still going strong 😮 . Just imagine.

[@outwest100az]

Cards are good for the soul, heroes are in such demand today it makes you feel good to see and feel cards from when you were a kid and your favorite team. Many different ways to collect, and I do them all, for the future to leave the grandchildren, PC collection not really meant to be sold, set collecting, the thrill of that last card, selling hot cards on Ebay or wherever, and the last way for me is giving cards to charity or friends or just folk who love card collecting and swapping stories of the chase. Enjoyed the video and thanks for sharing. Last comment and maybe the most important, please under no circumstances go full digital, this would kill what is left of this hobby. We want to hold it, feel it display it and enjoy it. A screen card is a dead card.

[@user-sb1vz9pv5y]

That kid at the begining is an example of everything wrong with collecting. In the past kids collected cards to trade and boast what players they had. Now its just about the money. The kid could be buying cards about anything else and be just as happy. The passion is about the money, Not the sport.

[@MrTripcore]

Facts

[@JeremyMartin-cw6lh]

All the cards I bought when I was a kid in value wise are pretty much worthless but sentimentally are priceless.

[@L0CKTiTE]

I like the video!

[@drewhunkins7192]

Very well done piece.

[@camperoboricua5487]

My childhood baseball cards must be on the same box of old MAD magazines my mother disposed when I graduated from high school and leaved to College.

[@PocketChangeInspector]

Yep. Had both back in the day.

[@PocketChangeInspector]

I had collected 1960's, 70's, early 80's. Sold all in late 2020 and no regrets. My nephews had no interest and I'm no spring chicken anymore. Did just fine.

[@TheEnd-eg6wq]

Imagine saying that pack with the Ripken was factory sealed, it almost opened itself.

[@johnxgalt8312]

The billy ripkin story sounds like bs. He said collecting back in 90s was confusing just try it now . Topps alone puts out more product than ever, the print runs are the same as the 90s. You have 25 or 30 rookie cards to choose from, countless parallel sets, a Beckett price guide is as thick as a telephone book and you need a microscope to read it.

[@VictorLopez-ff1mf]

I learned my lesson back in the 90's when I was a kid. Fool me once shame on you fool me twice shame on me.

[@williammal2166]

thats because the 90s cards were overprinted but the modern ones arent overprinted

[@Runitup2k]

@@williammal2166 modern cards are way overprinted bro what are you saying

[@dancalmpeaceful3903]

you should check out the video where it shows the guy sitting there placing his cards into a shredder....it's hilarious as he bitches about how dealers lied to his ass....

[@mattmelis762]

A lot of collectors seek out high-end hits and low-numbered products. In most cases, they are not getting anywhere near the value they pump into it; of course, ripping and speculating/flipping are very different types of gambling.

[@ctcards2636]

89 Fleer... $20 a pack ! ? You kidding me ? lol

[@bradutterstrom4105]

yeah, that's nuts....it was an interesting news story but I felt missing by that much kinda destroyed the credibility. 89 Fleer is anywhere from about fitty cent to maybe $3 a pack max. I'd say $1 on average when you don't know whether it's from an error run or a later, corrected run.

[@philippemarois5828]

I think he meant the price for a hobby box of 89 Fleer!

[@jasonsmith2439]

Spoiled kid could have cared less about that Ripken error. I would be jumping for joy if I pulled it. Probably the coolest card from that era.

[@thorgoogolhammer7943]

Card dealers in today's world seem to me to be jerks. In the 80's they all seemed like they wanted your business. Today they all seem angry at the world.

[@UNCANNYGEORGE]

It’s seems odd to me that they say “only a few bucks” but then you look at the same card in similar condition for a premium. As a rule, I never sell to dealers/shops.

[@carlogambino1979]

When people say 'what would you do if you could go back in time?'

[@hakuyowane4448]

My baseball cards are in my lock box with my heavy metal magazines.

[@jasonsmith2439]

Keep your mags safe 💯

[@18wheeler76]

lmao the pack they gave the kid was already opened and they just stuck the Billy Ripken in it for the news story.Packs dont open like that sorry

[@Leotv19]

Who cares He’s happy

[@basementcardcollector]

Good video/sad video/cool video. I would buy your box/binder of the 70s. I’m a set builder and would be interested in them.

[@bankonitbilliards300]

You really going to let that snake card dealer fool you? Your cards are worth way more then that if they are in decent condition

[@rentslave]

In 1973,a Staten Island card dealer was selling EX-MT sets of the 1952 Topps for $350. Needless to say,I passed on it.

[@waltercopus1485]

If you like a good read then Google Topps dumps tons of 1952 Topps in ocean.Billion dollars worth in now days.

[@mookz34]

$350 invested in the S&P 500 in 1973 would be worth $44,458 today.

[@Leotv19]

@@mookz34 if he had bought that set he’d be a millionaire

[@melreslor2114]

@@mookz34 In early 2023, $350 in S&P would be worth $14G on avg, $2,000 adjusting for inflation. The '52 Topps or even other sports cards base/basketball, football could beat that, if they weren't worn out.

Unfortunately, it was your loss.

[@michaelangelioliebers7601]

I have autographed cards of past players I wrote too and had them sent back autographed .

[@TheEnd-eg6wq]

Now do part 2 as the cards fall again.

[@fantasy_writer_38]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@karlmoles6530]

And it's going to be a harder fall this time. The speculating is insane

[@bski824]

When u find that one good card then seeing on eBay there are 100s of the same card.

[@chance-m-holton]

Nothing but junk wax stuff. Just love how this guy thought he was sitting on a gold mine😂😂😂😅😅😅😅😅

[@billysikes1374]

It's a shame that Jim Rice and Joe Morgan cards aren't worth much of anything, Joe is the greatest 2nd baseman in mlb history

[@joey2729]

Kid opened that pack pretty easy.

[@BASEBALL69626]

I have 50 5 AM judges Aidan wants a birthday party tomorrow

[@velvetbear7184]

Same people that hoarded cards by the cases in the 90’s are the same people calling it junk wax. Now same people doing the same thing all over again mostly in junk slab. Don’t people learn?

[@mariocisneros911]

Lucky i collected for the love of them at the right time , when they were cheap. Started in 1973 and stopped in 95. I was smart to go backward too and collect every card of my team to 1951. And a few more going every decade to 1909. The hobby became less fun with the addition of too many companies, sets and cost. We bought a pack of cards for .10cts , but now theyre selling for $10. , stupid . The hobby died..

[@chrisrozens1125]

I love the junk era wax collectors that think they have something!

[@thomasshenton577]

Dude didn't know what he was talking about...

[@405adam]

The card hobby is crashing again. I’ve been collecting wax since the late 80’s. The hobby got really popular during this period. When the collapse happened around 1999 I stopped. Started again randomly in 2018 and saw the hobby was doing well with cards like Acuña, Soto and Ohtani. I was hooked again. I did well with year but since then many investments have lost up to 50%. Cards are way down since I started again. This isn’t a good sign. With card companies over producing serial numbered cards and parallels it’s getting ridiculous. Seriously, certain sets have 20 different parallels in it. How in the world could any collector feasibly collect the entire set. It’s impossible. Green, Black, blue, red, purple, pink, camo etc. The list goes on and on. The card companies have ruined the hobby once again. They will keep pumping these cards out as long as the money keeps coming

[@rickyiglesias5384]

how ANYONE would think that cards collected during the junk era would be worth "millions" is laughable.

[@SEANGUS-xe9ib]

Once again the big money Dilbert's have ruined the fun things in life $$$$$$ Your average kid can't even afford a pack of cards and the tight bastards who make the cards can't even insert a piece of gun $$$$$ I have a 40 year collection that I haven't even looked at in years and won't ! I'll let my grandkids have fun with them someday or sell them.Sometimes in life its not about the $$$$$ its about just letting a kid be a kid like we were.

[@shaneshelby9348]

Just don't buy your unopened wax from bbce

[@caesarvalentin6332]

Well I was offered a Roberto Clemente 1955 rookie card for 2,000 dollars in 1992, now is Worth 600,000 dollars in near mint to mint condition or more so invest rookie baseball card in excellent mint condition ir better before 1976 era.

[@scottvaughn9]

Why are they pronouncing Fleer as “flair”? Do some research.

[@caesarvalentin6332]

How about a 1968 Nolan Ryan mint condition rookie card worth 650 dollars in the year 2000 now is worth 65,000 or maybe more. Therefore invest old rookie cards cards issued before 1978.

[@suitedandbooted363]

Anyone collect Boxing cards?

[@ObsessedCollector]

The rise, fall, rise and fall again of baseball cards. There, fixed it.

[@FSU2001]

I’ve been waiting for the fall for the last 8 years. Still hasn’t happened. Way more people collecting now, as long as people continue to maintain an interest, it’s not going anywhere.

[@fantasy_writer_38]

😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@lemini4k]

Centering and corners otherwise it's worth nothing financially. 😂

[@kingdomofslabs]

That’s not the real Billy Ripken story. Look it up.

[@duewhit310]

Its all a hoax. Its just a form of gambling, dont kid yourselves. You pay a THOUSAND dollars for a PIECE-OF-CARDBOARD because you hope to sell it for an exponential profit. It doesnt happen, it never skyrockets like you thought it would. You sell it for $300 to a card shop. You lost $700 gambling.

[@dancalmpeaceful3903]

What this vid shows you is just HOW MANY cards are worthless. Nowadays, it isn't even about completing a set.....sadly. The fact is, only a small percentage of cards are worth anything...and they better damn well be in PERFECT condition. My suggestion - collect for fun...and ONLY fun....otherwise you are going to be seriously disappointed. Do NOT count on collectibles to act as your retirement fund...as you just might be disappointed. I am a dealer (not in sport cards) in other collectibles and you can get burned. Even I have OTHER liquid investments (IRA's, 401K's, mutual funds, etc). A lot of fakes are out there too - buyer beware (Caveat Emptor).

[@brucelee8926]

Cards only go up if KZbin influencers pump up the market. So far three months after this video came out, overall Market is down 20 %.

[@TheBoozer1975]

That 1989 Fleer with the FFace Ripken was already opened and c'mon dude, $20 for a pk of 1989 Fleer??? Very poor and junk content! Any 5th. grader nowadays could do a better job than this! I think you need to find another profession because reporting news is not your thing.

[@billysikes1374]

Agreed, bullshit

[@Leotv19]

Grow up grandpa

[@TheBoozer1975]

@@Leotv19 stick to what you know the most, pop-up books and crayons.

[@Leotv19]

@@TheBoozer1975 yeah good one dude, didn’t realize you were already senile but a comeback like that must mean you are. I’ll pray for ya champ

[@paulharris5426]

Poorly done.

[@Leotv19]

Thanks for sharing Paul!

[@j.tyler2024]

As a collector for 30 yrs snd played pro, cards are absolutely a waste of money