Few questions for a returning collector

[kylemclaren7]

Hey, I've been away for about 3 years, but I've been back about a month now - and I've got a few questions I'll list in order of importance for the gang here

1) PSA vs BGS. I'm not asking which is better or which holds value more, but simply where are they more popular. Previously it was the junk era and before where PSA was more popular and for stuff like YGs and FWAs and The Cup, BGS was the more popular company. With all the online 'professional investors' (IE dudes who don't know jack about the hobby) pumping PSA10s and stuff (and seeing PSA9s and 10s of junk era flying)... I'm wondering if this means PSA is now more popular across the board in hockey. I've always been partial to BGS (particularly 9.5 since I can't afford 10s lol) YGs. So wanting some input to make sure I haven't missed a big shift in hockey

2) We gotta believe card companies will not replicate their mistakes of the junk era and overproduce the next couple of years due to this newfound crazy demand? Right?

3) At the higher end, high rated big-name YGs/FWAs - I know I'm buying at a high, but their floor is pretty safe? Not the speculative players like a Laffy/Makar or other recent rookies, but the established Crosby/McDavid/Ovie/Datsyuk/Stamkos/Tavares/Matthews, etc, etc.

Thanks for the input in advance everyone

 

[Triple B]

Welcome back


1) PSA vs BGS. I'm not asking which is better or which holds value more, but simply where are they more popular. Previously it was the junk era and before where PSA was more popular and for stuff like YGs and FWAs and The Cup, BGS was the more popular company. With all the online 'professional investors' (IE dudes who don't know jack about the hobby) pumping PSA10s and stuff (and seeing PSA9s and 10s of junk era flying)... I'm wondering if this means PSA is now more popular across the board in hockey. I've always been partial to BGS (particularly 9.5 since I can't afford 10s lol) YGs. So wanting some input to make sure I haven't missed a big shift in hockey

PSA seems to have leapfrogged BGS across the board. The new collectors/investors coming in have seemingly latched on to PSA because they're what the "professional investors" have been pushing. The problem with both BGS and PSA is accessibility for Canadians. I was strictly BGS for the longest time because I didn't have access to PSA. I discovered submission groups that handle Canada Customs and such and now I'm almost exclusively PSA. That being said, both companies are facing bad turnaround times, but PSA is figuring theirs out while BGS just keeps extending it (last I heard they were at 7 months!). That shift in hockey is happening because of that Gretzky sale. Now the "investors" are finding out about hockey and YOUR trick is to stay ahead of the curve.

2) We gotta believe card companies will not replicate their mistakes of the junk era and overproduce the next couple of years due to this newfound crazy demand? Right?

Uh...sure? UD has ruined their own products with ePack. That has taken the wind out of the sails of values for a few years now. Topps is coming out with 10 versions of the same product and calling each release "limited". It's the same as the junk era, just presented differently.

3) At the higher end, high rated big-name YGs/FWAs - I know I'm buying at a high, but their floor is pretty safe? Not the speculative players like a Laffy/Makar or other recent rookies, but the established Crosby/McDavid/Ovie/Datsyuk/Stamkos/Tavares/Matthews, etc, etc.

If anyone knew what was really going on, we'd be able to make millions off of these cards. Are these fractional ownership groups going to be successful? Are these new money collectors going to keep investing in cards or will they move on to the next thing in a few months time? Are companies going to price the "small guys" (like me) out of the hobby? Are people hoarding and when they cash in, will there be a glut of any one card that causes values to crash?

Personally, I'm heading towards cashing in this year and then buying back if there is a crash. IF. It's hard to tell where this is all heading but right now, it looks pretty amazing. I'm grading everything I can in anticipation of a great sell off. Fingers crossed that this carries on over the next 11 months and that this pandemic slows.

 

[creasecollector]

Welcome back to the hobby !