Surviving past the "Covid Crescendo"
Most of us can agree the "Covid Era" was a scary time and is something most of us had never experienced prior.
The Future of Collectibles: Sports Memorabilia Market to Hit $271 Billion by 2034
However on the hobby side of things it was the polar opposite. While shows had to take a hiatus, the online part of the hobby exploded to levels rarely seen before. With unexpected down time and surprise income (Stimulus checks). Our world became almost completely behind screens. What better way to take our minds off scary events unfolding outside our doors? Immerse ourselves in the hobby we love. Many former collectors returned when the nostalgia bug sunk its teeth into them again. People returned to recapture feelings of the past that their younger selves fondly remembered. The extra downtime allowed people to learn and catch up to what was a different hobby than the one they previously left.
The Caitlin Clark Effect In Collectibles Is On Full Display
For those of us in the hobby already partaking in the selling aspect of it, the outbreak took sales to the next level. Almost anything would sell. Wax shelves were cleared off instantaneously, breakers couldn't run enough breaks and many supplies doubled in price seemingly overnight due to supply and demand. I coined it the "Midas Touch" era as seemingly sellers could do no wrong and selling income was constant and steady. Some got greedy and spoiled. However we all know the adage "What goes up must come down" and as we got on the other side of the pandemic to our "new normal" that's exactly what happened.
Restrictions were lessened, people returned to work, stimulus payments were done. Some businesses opened their doors again. Card Shows returned and in some cases new shows were launched. Some new or returning hobbyists not truly enamored with the hobby did not stay active, Others who came in for the "quick easy buck" left when their golden goose flew off.
As a dealer myself since 1987 I did very well during Covid. Like I said I sold things that were stagnant prior, other things I sold realized prices I never imagined. I'll be honest in saying I felt somewhat odd that this was occuring during a time when others were feeling the effects of loss.
So here we are post-Covid. The hobby is still going fairly strong. Cards that were unobtainable due to soaring prices during the pandemic are once again obtainable and in some cases even at lower price levels. I myself have bought cards I couldn't during that time. Some dealer acquaintances of mine had a difficult time with the adjustments of lowering comps and the less "frenzy" of the hobby. I viewed the lower levels as the norm and looked at it more positively in the fact that not only could I get more bang for my buck but fellow hobbyists would too. I think these type of levels are actually healthier for the hobby. When a hobbyist feels they aren't priced out, they are more likely to stay for the long haul. Now if only the wax box prices followed suit..
Has over 40 years of hobby experience as a collector, former LCS owner, and show dealer. He's the host of Sports Card Nation Podcast and has written for numerous hobby entities