Is the Secondary Market for Hockey Cards taking a really big hit?

[n7unleashed]

This is in regards to products that aren't currently 13-14 released.

Is it just me or is it a horrible time to be a seller on ebay? Don't get me wrong, as a hobby collector I'm loving some of the buys I'm getting, but I'm terrified to post any cards up for auction that aren't rookies of the 13-14 hockey crop.

It may be because of a host of different variables, or maybe the market really is taking a big hit, but this morning I won an 11-12 Rookie Anthology Zack Kassian Silhouette 3 color patch for $20 shipping included. This is a card I remember watching end between the $70-100 range even a year after the product released.

Was I really that lucky? Or was the 8:00am Atlantic time zone auction end of the card (due to seller being from Europe) a factor? Is Zack Kassian no longer a sought after player to collect? I've only been really focused on collecting since the 10-11 season, but it seems like the hobby has changed in the span of only a couple years.

This isn't meant to be a rant, I'm not complaining about anything as I'm more than happy as a buyer, I'm just trying to make sense of the hobby's current situation and whether or not the value of cards I buy now will ever rise or will it simply continue to fall? Maybe I should stop trying to think about any of this as an investment and simply enjoy the cards today.

Thoughts?

[theboxbreaker96]

Yes it has taken a huge hit since Panini came in. Not their fault but its supply and demand. Double the cards were produced prices have to fall. The only things that are steady now are the top rookies rookie cards (Sid, Ovy, Malkin, Toews, Stamkos, Tavares) and vintage.

Hockey cards are not an investment and cant be an investment. This is not 1970 where you can get a pack of cards for 5 cents and in 30 years it will be worth a nice amount. If your investing buy Bonds, Stocks or something else. Almost nothing will rise and if it does wont be much. Whatever you buy now I can almost guarantee it wont be worth the same in a year it will be worth less unless it one of the things I stated above.

[centrehice]

The Secondary Market is honest if nothing else.

I have a huge problem with the Retail Price Point of nearly everything that is produced. $225.00 card boxes are worth no more than $75.00, yet people continue to pay out their Captain's Quarters for virtually nothing, in return or about 15% return.

[canucksfan007]

The Secondary Market is honest if nothing else.

I have a huge problem with the Retail Price Point of nearly everything that is produced. $225.00 card boxes are worth no more than $75.00, yet people continue to pay out their Captain's Quarters for virtually nothing, in return or about 15% return.

And god bless those people ...... where else am I supposed to get my singles from?

[centrehice]

Oh, don't get me wrong, I don't hate people that bust boxes, I disdain card companies that lie and tell you that your $225.00 box is worth so much more than that.

Hockey card boxes or cards from source from 1910 until 1990 provided return on investment. With the Hockey card craze the very next year, that all changed. By the time it all shook out, we still have about 15% of the market that will gladly throw their money away for something new, and yes the market need these folks to do it's dirty work.

[RGM81]

Kassian, like many middle of the road players, dropped off significantly once it was no longer his rookie season. He's settled - he's pretty much at his ceiling now where he'll be a third line player at best for the Canucks. I'm sure that a lot of people would like to see that statement proven wrong. But how many third liners are fetching $200BV ($100SV?) on their cards these days?

Virtually every player sees a drop in sales prices on their cards after a couple years. Why? Because they're no longer "the new hot thing" on the market. RNH cards go for much less than what they did two years ago. Is anybody still buying Chris Kreider RC's? The Nate MacKinnons, Alex Galchenyuks, etc. will be fetching the hot dollars for the next few months, and then once the 14-15 product calendar rolls around it will be all about Jonathan Drouin, Aaron Ekland, Sam Reinhart, etc. That's the way she goes.

[joecoolio]

Oh, don't get me wrong, I don't hate people that bust boxes, I disdain card companies that lie and tell you that your $225.00 box is worth so much more than that.

Hockey card boxes or cards from source from 1910 until 1990 provided return on investment. With the Hockey card craze the very next year, that all changed. By the time it all shook out, we still have about 15% of the market that will gladly throw their money away for something new, and yes the market need these folks to do it's dirty work.

You do have to admit though that hit ratios have gone up in the past 5 years while prices haven't. A good example is Heroes and Prospects. In 04/05 and 05/06, you'd get 2-3 autos or memorabilia per box. In 13/14 you'll likely get 5 or 6.

[centrehice]

You do have to admit though that hit ratios have gone up in the past 5 years while prices haven't. A good example is Heroes and Prospects. In 04/05 and 05/06, you'd get 2-3 autos or memorabilia per box. In 13/14 you'll likely get 5 or 6.

Hit ratios mean squat when your ROI is only 15-25%. 5-6 $5.00 dollar hits in a $125.00 Box is not worth anyone's time.

[cygnusx1]

Yes it has taken a huge hit since Panini came in. Not their fault but its supply and demand. Double the cards were produced prices have to fall. The only things that are steady now are the top rookies rookie cards (Sid, Ovy, Malkin, Toews, Stamkos, Tavares) and vintage.

Hockey cards are not an investment and cant be an investment. This is not 1970 where you can get a pack of cards for 5 cents and in 30 years it will be worth a nice amount. If your investing buy Bonds, Stocks or something else. Almost nothing will rise and if it does wont be much. Whatever you buy now I can almost guarantee it wont be worth the same in a year it will be worth less unless it one of the things I stated above.

Production hasn't doubled since Panini came in. I believe each company gets 10 or 11 products? When UD was the only manufacturer, they made 20-22 products per year.

[FlyingBison]

Hah congrats on the Kassian, I was watching that auction but I fell asleep before it ended because I figured it would shoot up higher like most of the other ones I've watched. Kassian himself hasn't really dropped off too much in value recently. His lowest point was during the lockout last year, when the NHL came back his value went up and has pretty much held steady starting to dip a little lower(maybe 10% up to now). Although I am finding more steals falling through the cracks from time to time, so I try to watch out for those.

I too am I recent collector and for the hobby as a whole I've noticed that there is the big difference in the secondary market post lockout and pre lockout, for whatever combination of reasons. There are still value for the right players and the right products but it really is over saturated.