Will economy affect hobby?

[cjclong]

Do any of you see the current economic situation starting to affect either your decision to make purchases or the price realized from sales?

[3arod13]

Do any of you see the current economic situation starting to affect either your decision to make purchases or the price realized from sales?

If I really want it, I'm getting it. However, I find myself being a little more selective in what I get.

[harpt]

The economy has not affected my buying in any way because I can never find any of the items I'm looking for whether I have money or not

[karamaxjoe]

The economy has not affected my buying in any way because I can never find any of the items I'm looking for whether I have money or not

Scott, you hit it right on the head. Ninety five percent of the stuff I'm looking for pops up once or twice a year. No matter what my financial situation is, I will go hard after those items and worry about paying for it later.

[ziggy]

yes

[joelsabi]

when a albert pujol game used hat goes unsold at $250 and the seller relist it at $200 or best offer, you got to ask yourself what is going on. people are saving their money more for rougher time and regular fan who have a few items are willing to part with these items. if the economy was better i am sure the regular joe the plumber would keep one or two keepsakes instead of thinking to sell for extra cash.

personally, i think its a good time to buy but when there is nothing offered that you are looking for it doesn't really matter.

[gatorcollector]

I was really hoping GUU was going to be the one place I wouldn't hear about Joe the plumber. Oh well.

[joelsabi]

I was really hoping GUU was going to be the one place I wouldn't hear about Joe the plumber. Oh well.

i could have made my point without it. my bad.

[Chris78]

I would think that many of the people in this hobby have a decent income and unless their job is insecure they will continue to buy. Although there are more items game used now than there was before, it is not like these items are plentiful either so as long as there are collectors, there will always be demand. I have also started to notice that more teams are starting to do the game used area, which means that each year you are probably gaining more collectors than losing them. I think that this hobby has more room to expand.

Chris

[skyking26]

While there will always be the hobby, I think if you peruse the GUU auction and where the numbers are, it is way off from where it could be. Friend emailed me last night about a Catfish Hunter jersey that went for $8K a few years ago and a like example just went for $2500. I think that reflects alot. I've been trying to sell some stuff and contacted a guy who usually buys and he said "times are tuff, maybe at Christmas I'll buy something." He may answer 1 out of 10 emails.

I myself have curtailed expenditures big time. If it is a unique GU item sure I'll pop for it like usual. However, the oddball stuff and autographs I will not indulge in at this time...

RK