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.

[kellsox]

I was in an MLB ballpark recently where "Team Issued" jerseys were being sold by the team in part of their game used store. Not a big deal, but I had to scratch my head when I saw that they were from current players from the 2012 season. Can it be anything more than a cash grab when a team sells "issued" items 1/3 of the way through the season. If they sell, whats to stop them from cranking out jerseys, "issuing" them, then putting them up for sale????

[David]

It points to the longterm desirability and value of vintage.

I know people who collect Pre-War baseball cards, and to them modern cards is a different world.

[legaleagle92481]

The hobby is fine. People just need to use common sense. If your "investing" don't invest in stuff from non-historic regular season games from teams that sell their stuff through a game used department or partner. There are still alot of teams that don't have much out there. As a football collector I can tell you certain teams are very scarce. Steelers, Texans, Ravens (despite 1.5 years with JO) and Pats to name a few. And you can never go wrong with vintage stuff and stuff of stars who retired more than two or three years ago.

[sox83cubs84]

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.

I'm curious just how many teams are doing this, although there is no doubt that at least some are. A friend of mine approached a Cubs player who cracked a BP bat last month about getting the bat. The player (not sure who) responded "We can't give 'em out anymore. We have to turn 'em in for the team store". My friend has a habit of wearing players down due to always asking anyone and everyone for stuff and not being very genteel about it, meaning some players tune him out. I wasn't sure if the Cubs player's response was fact or a line to get rid of my friend, but it's looking like it was the former and not the latter.

Dave Miedema