I was talking with another forum contributor who said that this would make for an interesting group topic. My opinion is that unfortunately much like numismatics, autograph collecting is a dying hobby. History is becoming lost and it seems as if most of the younger generation aren’t overly interested in preserving it. I’d venture to say that most of us are in our 40s, 50s, 60s or 70s on this forum. 

I don’t see a resurgence in the hobby as Sportscards has done. With that being said, what’s your opinion? Are we holding soon to be depreciated investments? I understand not everyone is looking at the financial aspect of the hobby, but many of us are. What’s everyone’s opinion regarding the “State of the hobby”?

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Consider the original comparison to sports cards. The current scope of that hobby looks nothing like it did a few decades ago. Someone who collected in the 70s, 80s into the 90s and then stopped might be especially horrified by the current look of things (graded card shenanigans, a flooded market resulting in forgettable card series, expensive packs of cards that might prove to be worthless unless you score a good insert, gimmicks galore, etc). What one person might see as a resurgence, others probably view as the death of the hobby.

Good food for thought. So you’re suggesting a $4,000 “box” of 6 cards that usually nets $250 of resell isn’t a wise investment? 😎

 I can't influence the hobby much at all. Sure, PSA & Gleason. One signer with one company. Like Ralph would say - "BIG DEAL!" 

The state of the hobby? The state of my collection is what I am interested in. Hobbies, or the expression of them, or how items are collected, has changed without doubt as Rich says. Like certs, stickers, or companies from auction houses to the graders/authenticators - they can and do  change, even if only over time. Even the nomenclature - in Numismatics we saw the elimination of the term "Select MS-63," and the slide down of the term "Choice" from 65 to T he 63 slot, rendering a "Gem" a 65 and no longer a 67 (now called "Superb Gem"). It is much easier to make (slab) a "Gem" now, and that term GEM still carries weight, especially to the newer collector.

When I went to collect the AU-58 coins for my display I was shocked. Dipped out, worn, even graded examples were sub-par. The coins I did select could pass for 63's years ago, but for a bit of slide or friction. Those are the 58's I was looking for - those of years past. Yes, you could always buy over-graded AU coins. But today, an undipped true AU Merc or, heavens forbid, a crusty Walker? Not so easy anymore. If 65's are now 63's (by term, not number) where does that shift the perception of everything else?  60 is Basal, and to go to micro grade (61,62, 66, etc.)  is fine, but the term Select FIT. Anyway, The coins are the same. The numbers/adjectives shift. So I don't really pay attention to that, just the item. 70 used to be theoretical. Not anymore.

MY point is that hobbies  will unavoidably change, just as I will grow older and my collecting narrows(?) or focuses. Certs change, even after time alone, and some become worthless. Companies come and go. My collecting is comparatively stable. So, I collect what I like to my specs. That was the point I think? To have fun?

And then there is the computer/Internet/technology. That certainly caused come of these changes, good or bad. EBay and so many superb sites have vastly increased my "reach" and, most importantly, my knowledge base. In turn my collections, to put it mildly. This is one such site.

I mentioned fun. This is fun. This is the first time this Owen Corning glass block from the 1939 New York World's Fair has been illuminated in 85 YEARS! Closed in 1940. This block was rescued in 1941 from the demolition. Flipping the switch was really satisfying. It also looks better than the Christmas tree IMHO. The Saturn Lamp on the top shelf is by Leon Houze. The '39 poster above is by Albert Staehle, who created Smokey the Bear and Butch the Dog.

Correct blue bulbs for the block arriving very soon! I have another block for the opposing side that will be orange, the NYS colors.

Why is it that your posts are the ones I reread multiple times for enjoyment? 😊

I can’t disagree with anything you’ve stated. By the way, when I collected, I LOVED PCGS AU-58 down to 50. It was a price point that I could generally afford for key or semi key to a series and was still very attractive. 

My favorite coin is the 1937-D 3 legs. Always will be. 

And here, with the blue! Lit for the first time in 85 years! Beneath that is a new toy from  1956 for my 1939/40 NYWF 35mm slide collection. A TDC Model 1080 Project-or-View. One can use it this way or on a screen like home movies. I have my parents 1957 screen in it's box.

Sweet! 

The hobby is stronger than ever. A-List celebrities routinely conduct private signings where collectors pay $500 and up for a signature. Newer collectors slab everything in sight and pay crazy multiples for a cut from a $50 signed book just because it's in plastic. 

The hobby has certainly changed significantly, and some would argue not for the better. Though the mail is all but dead... signed books are only popular so people can cut out the signatures for slabbing, and much more. 

Al that said, even with changes that some people perceive as negative, I think there are more collectors dumping more money into the hobby than has ever been before. 

I’ll save this when I feel grumpy old man hobby syndrome coming on. Thanks Steve! You certainly have a pulse on the hobby greater than most. Appreciate the contribution and perspective. 

Going better than ever, so long as you look past the astroturfed/heavily-overinflated sports card autograph sector.

I’m glad I dipped out of that market 

I realize I was kind of glib in that last post, so I'll expand.

I don't see the signed book market in any danger of "dying". Not by any means. In fact, it's the defacto method of older authors getting signed works out to the community. Hate to say it, but even conventions are relatively small-scale affairs in the grand scheme of things when you can have artists/authors and the like drop thousands of books in one shot across the globe, and (depending on who the artist is) their fanbases lose their minds.

It's a legitimate marketing strategy/essential part of the distribution plan for many current writers, musicians and sports figures. Kate Bush probably spent all of 30 minutes signing pages for that "How to Be Invisible" signed drop at indie shops/Waterstones last year, and it sold out in minutes while having everyone go apopletic over it. And no, I don't think signed books are "just" for cutting signatures out. The hundreds of thousands of signed books on Abebooks alone are proof positive of its enduring success.

My "collecting horizon" has changed significantly over the last couple years, as I'm sure it has for many collectors. Both in terms of the types of books I collect and where I collect. Buying at thrift previously formed the bulk of my collecting hobby, and I still do it, but I'm more likely to buy rare pieces direct from a dealer or marketplace if there's something I want bad enough. The market is mature enough that you can get in at just about any level, monetary or otherwise, outside of the big artists that form the top 10% of the market.

I haven't necessarily seen examples of history being "lost" insofar as major collections or artists that have fallen prey to apathy. The world market going into a recession has caused private collectors to start offering up rarer pieces that we didn't see before the pandemic kicked off.

That being said, I tend to avoid a large amount of modern works, both in terms of signed cards (won't touch the sector; the cards have gotten smaller, the quality is worse and the ROI is horrid) and works outside of what I usually collect. I see the signed market going strong for many years yet.

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