Where are the new card traders?

[30ranfordfan]

Trading has definitely been marginalized. Between the price of new boxes and all the COVID cancellations and closures it would appear that most of the existing SCF traders aren't adding anything new to their traders. There only seems to be a very small group of us left that aren't posting exactly the same traders over and over again. These days I find myself buying more of the cards on my want list through auctions, money I used to spend on boxes when they were still affordable.

You have a valid point when you're talking about trading. I find it harder and harder to trade. I want to move my lower-ends traders in lots on ebay next fall/winter. I won't get rich with that, but I'll clear some space and have some extra $$$ to gamble on a few boxes. I have over 2500 non-base traders on my list, but I find the lower-end harder and harder to move. A shorter list with only higher-end traders will be much easier to manage.

You guys nailed it for me.

I used to be pretty easy to trade with (and I think I still am, in the right circumstances) but now, not so much.

I have narrowed the focus of what I'm looking for.... not doing sets anymore.... and I buy very little wax (haven't for a few years). Where does that leave me in terms of being able to trade? I still make the odd one here or there, but mostly I end up buying cards I want, and occasionally selling others I don't.

[KingKuba]

Most want to sell not trade.

[scottkoz20]

Most want to sell not trade.

I don't disagree with this point at all. I still believe that if you can find the right trade, it still can be made - I have made a couple in the last week. However, I think @30ranfordfan pointed this out, a lot of collectors have narrowed their focuses due to any number of reasons - some financial but some by the circumstances on where they are life (work, school, kids, health, etc).

Because of this, people find it easier to sell, use those funds from the sale(s) to buy what they want for their collections.

[RGM81]

I don't disagree with this point at all. I still believe that if you can find the right trade, it still can be made - I have made a couple in the last week. However, I think @30ranfordfan pointed this out, a lot of collectors have narrowed their focuses due to any number of reasons - some financial but some by the circumstances on where they are life (work, school, kids, health, etc).

Because of this, people find it easier to sell, use those funds from the sale(s) to buy what they want for their collections.

Financial often comes into play, especially when you're not cracking a ton of wax yourself. A YG of a mid-range player now can be $50. When a lot of us were having a blast here at SCF in the late 00's, a Carey Price YG was $50. He's now like $350-$400. So on those rare occasions where I do break wax and I get a big hit that's a trader....it's not like the old days when I was a little more open to anything. Now, if I hit a Stuetzle YG, that's either getting swapped for a monster Carey or now I have to start thinking long-term and that might be a down payment on a Caufield YG when Series 1 hits in November. LOL

When everything costs more, you want to be sure you're getting the deal you want.