State of the Hobby

[kellsox]

Wondering what people's thoughts are about the direction that the game used hobby is moving. Seems like more and more teams are marketing their own items and the number of items being made available is increasing rapidly. Teams can set the supply and they are happy to put things out there Jerseys are worn for a handful of games (if even that much). GU balls are all over the place. Seems if you want an item you can readily obtain it. For a true "collector" I guess this is good. But will things hold any sort of value. Will prices plummet with the saturation of the market?

[rufusandherschel]

Wondering what people's thoughts are about the direction that the game used hobby is moving. Seems like more and more teams are marketing their own items and the number of items being made available is increasing rapidly. Teams can set the supply and they are happy to put things out there Jerseys are worn for a handful of games (if even that much). GU balls are all over the place. Seems if you want an item you can readily obtain it. For a true "collector" I guess this is good. But will things hold any sort of value. Will prices plummet with the saturation of the market?

The game used 'hobby' (soon 'industry') appears to be going the way of the card collecting 'hobby'/industry. I don't see this as a good thing for the 'hobby'. What's next?

[BergerKing22784]

I like it. I want the market flooded. There are plenty of baseball cards that I own that I could careless if they are basically worthless because to me they look cool. I would love to own a Chipper Jones game used jersey and I wish he had wore 162 of them each season I could get one for a few hundred bucks instead of the 1,000 they normally run. If your in the hobby to become rich and not because you love sports its a shame.

[Mulligans]

If your in the hobby to become rich and not because you love sports its a shame.

What's wrong with wanting collect things that have financial value?? That's a shame? Really?

What's wrong with collecting stamps, coins, sports memorabilia as a Hobby/investment? I collect for the love of it, but my collection is also an investment to help pay for my kids college.

I'm pretty sure not everyone shares your opinion.

[Mulligans]

Kelly-I do think things are changing for many collectors. I like Football Jerseys and there are many NFL teams that I longer want to collect because there is just too large of a supply out there. IMO we need either more collectors to join the hobby or fewer items available to keep it interesting and exciting.

[georgia1011@yahoo.com]

In regards to game used bats... Teams are now grabbing the cracked bats rather then letting the bat boys or players give them out. So there is not more supply of game used bats. Just that the bats will be available for the working adult rather then the kids with dreams.

[BergerKing22784]

If your in the hobby to become rich and not because you love sports its a shame.

What's wrong with wanting collect things that have financial value?? That's a shame? Really?

What's wrong with collecting stamps, coins, sports memorabilia as a Hobby/investment? I collect for the love of it, but my collection is also an investment to help pay for my kids college.

I'm pretty sure not everyone shares your opinion.

Not saying everyone has to... I do see it going the way of the baseball cards though and I thought most people would also.. Maybe because the most expensive thing I have bought game used was $500 that my collection is nothing of lasting value because I do not have any high end items?

I just see people pay $1,000, or $2,000 for a random jersey that was worn on any random day of the current "hot" player and a year down the road they are lucky to get back 1/4 of that.

Sure you might get lucky and pick up an item of a player before they become a superstar but I feel like the average collector is going to have more misses than hits. I am not sure what your collection consist of and I sure hope you can pay for your childrens college with it I just know with the things that I own anything I have recently tried to sell I have taken a loss on. Once that players time in the lime light has come and gone their demand goes out the window.

I've had baseball cards once worth $200 now sell for $5 or less on ebay.

I cant give away a Clinton Portis authentic signed jersey that I have over $250 in on here or ebay for even $60 bucks.

I have only been able to get back roughly 75% cost on the game used items I have sold recently. Who knows maybe if I kept them for another 20 years they will have gained value? I just think by at that time all of today's current players retire the teams will have pumped out so many game used items of theirs that it will be hard for anyone to get their cost back..

[beaglegypsy003]

The focus of my collection is with football players from the University of hawaii. As you can guess most of what I collect would be considered common players. Most times I'm able to buy them at a bargain price but if it something I really want I would overpay in which case it would be highly unlikely to make my money back. I have no illusions of getting rich. I just enjoy tracking a jersey down and adding it to my collection. Because I'm a collector i rarely sell anything though I do consider trades. To me my hobby is to make me happy and not make me a profit which would be difficult if I don't sell anything.

LIKE THEY SAY: COLLECT WHAT YOU ENJOY.