Bonkers Cards Weekly
State of the card grading industry, Vintage Market Update - REA Summer Catalog Results, 1933 Goudey Set Break, and more!
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Market Update - Card Grading Data
State of Card Grading: Strong
Below you will see some data provided by Gemrate, who publish monthly reports showing the total cards graded month over month and year over year.
Through July, you will see incredible results from the grading companies in # of items graded. It is clear that SGC has taken a firm seat at the table at #2 behind PSA for Sports Cards, however PSA’s dominance in the hobby is still very obvious.
It is an excellent sign to see card grading data trending positively - it means there is more transaction volume happening in the hobby, whether it be more dealers sending in cards for grade, or collectors discovering the importance of grading their cards for value and preservation purposes.
Below you will see a break down specifically of the grading companies # of sports cards graded, as most of CGC’s business comes from TCG cards (Pokemon, trading card games etc.) SGC has been increasing their share dramatically in the sports cards, taking away mostly from CGS and PSA:
Below is data showing the “GEM RATE” or the % of cards that are graded at each company, from each era, that come back graded GEM MINT 10
I also love this data - it shows just how difficult it is to grade a GEM 10 grade on cards once you get into the 80s and later. It also shows just how difficult SGC grades - they only graded 1.8% of cards from the 80’s a 10 compared to PSA who graded 12.3% of cards from that era a 10.
If you compare PSA to SGC, SGC is giving 10 grades at nearly HALF the rate of PSA in most sports categories.
I have personally noticed the strict grading standards at SGC, and it is clear in the data they are trying to make their higher grade cards extremely scarce.
More collectors, media attention, and card shows:
Coming off of the National in Cleveland, it is clear that the hobby is hitting its seasonal stride. The growth of the number of collectors in attendance at the National was noticeable, as well as the card grading data above showing more cards than ever are being sent in - likely showing there is more volume of transactions taking place.
Additionally, Fanatics Fest is having its first show next week in NYC at the Kravitz Center, which has already had a ton of media coverage. Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin was on CNBC this week talking about the show and some of the Celebrity guests and athletes that will be in attendance:
Check out this guest list… it’s pretty insane…
This event will no doubt bring more attention to the hobby and likely more collectors. The star power across all eras and sports here is incredible, and there is even celebrities and pop culture figures that will also be in attendance to further broaden the scope of potentially bringing in new people. I am so excited to see some of the content coming from this show.
Market Overview
This data is provided from Card Ladder, and shows the YTD % change on each category of the collectibles industry. The two categories I’m zoning in on here are “Vintage” at just above flat +.78% and baseball at almost +1%.
I personally have seen continually strong demand for vintage baseball, especially anything from the 1950s and earlier. These cards have continued to hold their value, even in the volatility of the markets of other cards and collectibles.
Vintage Market Pulse & REA Results
REA closed their Summer Catalog auction this past weekend and I wanted to take a dive into the results. REA is a great barometer to see how the vintage baseball card market is trending, given their track record and roots primarily in the vintage baseball & memorabilia categories.
I break the vintage market into 4 categories:
Low End (< $1,000)
Mid Value ($1,000 - $10,000)
High End ($10,000-$50,000)
Ultra High End ($50,000+)
Low End: (< $1,000)
As far as low end goes, I have sold thousands of cards in this price range in the last 6-12 months. The demand for low grade vintage baseball cards continues to stay strong, and in my own experience selling these cards prices have been consistent with the broader market as relatively flat.
This is an incredibly important category to show strength in, because this category of pricing contains the majority of the hobbies collectors. If card values drop dramatically in this bracket, that shows that there is a lessening demand for these cards, meaning less collectors in the hobby. There have been no signs of that from what I have seen whatsoever this year.
If you would like to see what cards in this price bracket I have for sale, be sure to be in my Facebook Group and join my TikTok LIVE shows on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays at 8:00PM est!
Mid Value ($1,000 - $10,000)
This part of the hobby has a smaller amount of collectors, but is still incredibly important to see where sentiment is on collectors that are spending larger amounts of money, mixed between discretionary spending and investing.
I picked out this sale from Sunday of a 1954 Jackie Robinson in PSA 8 grade to gauge - a classic card from a classic set, right in the middle of this Mid-Value range.
It closed for a $6300 price realized, which lands it right in that range and close to the average of where they have been selling year over year.
The more you go up the value ladder, I have noticed the cards tend to hold value closer to at least their average in most instances.
High End ($10,000-$50,000)
The 1952 Topps Mantle is a staple card in the hobby, and an excellent barometer for investor sentiment in higher value cards.
This SGC 2 example closed at a realized price of $36,000, which was a very strong result given the card is off center a good bit. The $36,000 price point is 6k above the average sales price in the past year for SGC 2s, and is the highest price for a SGC 2 ‘52 Mantle since May of last year.
Seeing an example like this one continue to appreciate in value is an excellent sign for the health of the overall market.
Ultra High End ($50,000 +)
The #1 Lot in this Summer Catalog Auction was a stunning example of the 1951 Bowman Willie Mays RC in PSA 8.5 grade.
The last time this card sold publicly in this grade was in 2008, for $14,400. It closed on Sunday night for a record sale of $390,935 - more than 26X its last sale.
Take a look at where PSA 8.5 cards have sold recently - this sale shows the market for high grade, low pop cards continues to be extremely strong:
This 8.5 sold for nearly DOUBLE recent comps in PSA 8. Ultra-High End continues to show strength as well.
135/277 Spots Claimed in 1933 Goudey Break! (HALF WAY FILLED AFTER 1 WEEK!)
LAST WEEK I LAUNCHED THE 1933 GOUDEY SET BREAK!
Every spot purchased guarantees a card from one of the 277 1933 Goudey cards in the break! After just one week, we have already filled half of the spots in the break!
(Discount Pricing only available if paid through Paypal or Venmo)
1 Spot: $265
2 Spots: $520 ($10 off)
5 Spots: $1250 ($75 off)
10 Spots: $2,000 ($650 off)
Paypal: Gbonks123@gmail.com
Venmo: @Gordy-Bonker
*If you send payment via paypal or venmo, please caption the payment “goudey break” and add your shipping address to the caption!
Purchase spots through the website link HERE
The full breakdown of the cards and list of the cards can be viewed on the Bonkers Vintage Cards Facebook Group
LIVE Show schedule this week: (I sell cards LIVE on TikTok @bonkerscards )
Thursday 8/15/24 - 8:00PM Est. TikTok
Sunday - 8/18/24 8:00PM Est. on TikTok
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