• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Get Sports Collectors Daily via EMail
    • Advertise with SC Daily
    • Write for Sports Collectors Daily
    • Write About Your Sports Collection
    • Where Can I Sell My Baseball Cards?
  • Hot on eBay
    • Most Watched Graded Rookies
    • Most Watched PSA 10 Cards
    • Most Watched BGS, BVG Cards
    • Most Watched SGC Cards
    • Most Watched CSG,CGC Cards
    • Most Watched Baseball Cards
      • Most Watched 2023 Baseball Cards
      • Most Watched 2022 Baseball Rookie Cards
      • Bowman Chrome Cards
      • Ronald Acuna Jr. Cards
      • Shohei Ohtani Cards
      • Mike Trout Cards
      • Fernando Tatis Jr. Cards
      • Babe Ruth Cards
      • Hank Aaron Cards
      • Jackie Robinson Cards:
      • Mickey Mantle Cards
      • Willie Mays Cards
      • Vintage Baseball Card Sets
      • T206 Cards
    • Most Watched Basketball
      • Top 100 Most Watched Basketball Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2022-23 NBA Rookie Cards
      • Victor Wembanyama Cards
      • Michael Jordan Cards
      • Kobe Bryant Cards
      • LeBron James Rookie Cards
      • Nikola Jokic Rookie Cards
      • Giannis Antetokounmpo Cards
      • Luka Doncic Rookie Cards
      • Prizm Basketball Cards
      • Panini National Treasures
    • Most Watched Football Cards
      • Most Watched NFL Rookie Cards
      • 2023 NFL Rookie Cards
        • CJ Stroud Cards
      • 2022 NFL Rookie Cards
        • Brock Purdy Rookie Cards
      • 2021 NFL Rookie Cards
      • 2020 NFL Rookie Cards
        • Joe Burrow Rookie Cards
        • Justin Herbert Rookie Cards
        • Jalen Hurts Rookie Cards
      • Josh Allen Rookie Cards
      • Patrick Mahomes Rookie Cards
      • Tom Brady Cards
    • Most Watched Hockey Cards
      • Top 100 Most Watched Hockey Rookie Cards
      • Most Watched 2021-22 NHL Rookie Cards
      • Most Watched 2020-21 Rookie Cards
      • Most Watched 2019-20 Rookie Cards
      • Connor McDavid Cards
      • Wayne Gretzky Cards
      • Bobby Orr Cards
    • Most Watched Soccer Cards
    • Most Watched UFC Cards
    • Most Watched Golf Cards
    • Most Watched 1 of 1 Cards
    • Most Watched Topps SuperFractors
    • Most Watched Racing Cards
    • Top Sports Card Dealers on eBay
    • Most Watched Memorabilia
      • Vintage Sports Memorabilia
      • Vintage Sports Tickets, Stubs
      • Most Watched Autographs
  • Ending Soon on Ebay
    • Baseball Cards
    • Basketball Cards
    • Football Cards
    • Hockey Cards
    • Soccer Cards
    • Golf Cards
    • UFC Cards
  • Top - Ad

Sports Collectors Daily

Sports Collectors Daily

Sports collecting news - Sports cards and sports memorabilia industry news.

When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network and Amazon.com.

  • Sports Memorabilia News
  • Sports Card News
    • Modern Sports Card News
      • New Sports Card Release Calendar
      • Shop Talk
    • Vintage Sports Card News
      • Affordable Vintage Cards, Collectibles
      • Old Baseball Card Sets
      • Old Basketball Card Sets
      • Old Football Card Sets
      • Old Hockey Card Sets
      • Vintage Pack Facts
  • Business/Industry News
    • Sports Memorabilia Business News
    • Sports Memorabilia Industry News
  • Around The Hobby
    • Editor’s Blog
    • David Cycleback’s Identification and Authentication Advice
  • Popular Stories
  • Sell Your Cards
You are here: Home / Editor's Blog / Now What?

Now What?

March 15, 2020 By Rich Mueller

So here we sit. 

Sportsless.

Anxious.

Unknowing.

It’s a crappy feeling.  And weird. Really weird.  Like hopping into a sports time machine set to about 1855.

We are the most spoiled sports generation in history.  There are so many games now, they all kind of intersect. Spring baseball.  Spring football. Spring basketball. Spring hockey. 

Golf. Racing. Tennis. 

Pro. College.

Men. Women.

We can watch sports virtually 24 hours a day, seven days a week and can bet on most of it. We can watch games on our phones. We can manage our own “teams” through fantasy sports.   And much of it still all relatively new.  Pro basketball in its current form didn’t even exist until the late 1940s.

We can collect stuff associated with the games, too.  That’s why you’re here, right? 

So what’s next for hobby in the weeks to come, assuming things get worse?   What’s a collector to do? What’s a dealer to do?  An online seller?

The good news is that while the games are shut down, the cards and other stuff are not.  Our card show experiences may be limited or non-existent but unless things get really bad, the postal service and package companies will continue to pick up and deliver. If you’re at home more often than usual, this might be a really good time to settle in and unload that stuff you’ve been wanting to sell.

There are anxieties about the economy in the wake of the coronavirus and that’s to be expected.  Businesses who see a slowdown in traffic may lay off working collectors who suddenly find there’s no disposable income anymore.  Others will be selling because they’re jittery, bored or impatient. On the other hand, if you’re confident of staying employed for a good long while, it might be a good time to buy.

The market itself will bear watching, especially when it comes to current era cards. Prices are often driven by performance and when no one’s performing, it’s easy to see that things may stall for a bit. We hope the NBA and NHL will resume their seasons at some point, but we don’t know for certain.

That doesn’t mean Zion, Luka and Ja will drop out of hobby consciousness and their card prices will hit the floor like a deflated Spalding. It just means the more explosive parts of the market may pause. And it could be a long wait before things ramp up.

CDC recommendation of no events of 50-plus people for next two months comes as a number of NBA owners and executives increasingly believe a best case scenario is a mid-to-late June return to play — with no fans. League’s scouting for possible arena dates all the way thru August.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 15, 2020

The same goes for baseball, where collectors and dealers have been waiting to see which young players will take the next step on the hobby hot lists.  The wait will continue, maybe until sometime in June.  With a shortened season, 2020 may result in less market activity, especially until late in the year.

The NFL plans to keep its current draft date but will it be possible to create the kind of trading card products we’re used to seeing between July and September?  Will the NFL Rookie Premiere be delayed or happen at all?

Expect card companies to continue releasing late winter and early spring products as planned. Upper Deck says it will push out 2019-20 NHL SPx this coming week with O-Pee-Chee Platinum and then Credentials to follow.

There are other new products in the pipeline, of course, but it’s possible if the coronavirus hits hard, the card companies’ constant work on future products may slow or come to a halt.  They’re no different than any other business and rely on a workforce as well as other companies and processes to make it all happen.  Gathering player autographs may be tough for them for awhile, which could impact future releases.  

Card shops have begun taking precautions to limit the potential spread of germs.  Some have put their singles boxes away and are asking customers to be reasonable about touching packaged products in the store.  Others have cancelled trade nights.  Some will focus more attention on online box breaks and online selling for a while.  If you want to support your local shop, buying a gift certificate for later use might be a good idea.

It’s likely visits to shops and conventions by authentication companies won’t be happening for a while. PSA pulled out of the Chicago Sports Spectacular last Friday, just before it was shut down by a state mandate on public gatherings. 

“Most of the work that I do is remote. It’s on the road,” said Beckett autograph authenticator Steve Grad in a weekend interview with SWAU Graphcast.  “I’m traveling and going to conventions and shows.  (Now) I’m shut down.  We have some contingency plans at Beckett but business is going to change.  We feel like we’re ahead of the curve right now, offering specials and I’m getting people to send me stuff and offering free shipping because we would still like to do some work, but it’s going to be a tough time.”

Most of the sports memorabilia auction companies are smallish and we suspect business will continue as usual although it’s reasonable to think their consignment road trips may be affected.

The market for vintage cards and memorabilia will depend on the seriousness of the situation and the impact on the economy.  As of now, it seems there has been little change from the robust market it has been.  If folks are spending more time online than in public, it’s possible there may even be a spike in online transactions, again assuming the situation doesn’t become far worse than we imagine. 

Hobbies have always been a way to turn down the stress.  They’ll be even more important in the uncertain days to come and with no games to watch.  There’s plenty for collectors to do. Sort that box of cards that’s just a big mess right now.  Organize your card room. Make an online trade. Put a few bucks in your pocket by selling on eBay. Answer a newbie’s question. Buy something from a small time dealer or shop owner who might be worried what this is going to do to his business.

For dealers, it’s a great time to work on your marketing game and organize your inventory so it’s more sellable. Ramp up your social media efforts and make personal connections with customers and potential customers. Put some buying ads out there.  Price stuff that needs pricing. Create a website and put some content on it or invest in a revamp of the one you have.

No one in the hobby should be bored.  There’s always something to do.

We’ll appreciate sports a lot more when they come back, that’s for sure. The hobby is more energized when it moves along with the games. That time will be here before you know it and it’ll be OK to be among large groups of others again, but be safe and smart until then.  

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Facebook Messenger

Related Stories:

Notes: The Guy Who “Stole” Second Base at the 1979 World Series Is The Show a Go? Depends on Where You Live, Size of Event Richard Childress to Auction Original Dale Earnhardt No. 3 Car, Memorabilia Notes: Topps On Demand; Bench Takes a Break; Worst Junk Wax Sets; Hot Hoops Market Directory of Sports Card Shops Offering Online Selling, Breaking During COVID-19 Spielman’s Auctions Inspire Sports Talk Host to Assist Needy Colleagues 2019-20 Neon Green Hoops Parallels Exclusive to Australia 2020 Strongsville Show a No-Go

About Rich Mueller

Rich is the editor and founder of Sports Collectors Daily. A broadcaster and writer for over 40 years and a collector for even longer than that, he's usually typing something somewhere. Type him back at [email protected].

Filed Under: Editor's Blog, Popular Stories Tagged With: 2019 MLB rookies, 2019-20 nba rookie cards, Coronavirus, vintage sports card market

Primary Sidebar

Our articles may contain affiliate links. When you click on links to merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network. 

Shop Sports Cards on Ebay
  • Football
  • Basketball
  • Baseball
  • Hockey

High End Cards and Memorabilia

  • BBCE, PSA Authenticated Boxes, Packs opens in a new window
  • Graded pre-War Card eBay Auctions
  • Graded Rookie Cards on eBay opens in a new window
  • Authenticated Photos on eBay opens in a new window
  • Graded Tickets & Stubs opens in a new window

Bargain Corner

  • Michael Jordan cards $5 and less opens in a new window
  • Kobe Bryant cards $5 and less opens in a new window
  • Mickey Mantle Cards Under $150 opens in a new window
  • Graded T206 Cards Under $150 opens in a new window
  • Pre-War Cards Under $100 opens in a new window
  • Pre-1980 Graded Baseball Cards $10 and Less opens in a new window
  • Pre-1980 Graded Football Cards $10 and Less opens in a new window
  • Vintage Graded Basketball Cards $25 and less opens in a new window
  • Vintage Graded Hockey Cards $10 and Less opens in a new window
  • Complete Sets $20 and Less opens in a new window
  • Baseball Hall of Famers for $5 or Less opens in a new window
  • Football Hall of Famers for $5 or Less opens in a new window
  • Hobby Boxes Under $30 opens in a new window
  • Pre-1986 Rookie Cards Under $1 opens in a new window
  • Buy Boxes Directly from Topps opens in a new window

RSS Auction Report

  • Goldin’s Current December Elite and BBHOF Auction Ends December 30, 2023
  • Fanatics Auctions “Ultimate Auction” – Ends December 18-21, 2023
  • Pay It Forward Auction End of Year Auction Ends December 17, 2023

Footer

Categories

  • Around the Hobby
  • Business/Industry News
    • Sports Memorabilia Business News
    • Sports Memorabilia Industry News
  • David Cycleback's Identification and Authentication Advice
  • Editor's Blog
  • Featured Articles
  • Hobby Shop Talk
  • National Sports Collectors Convention
  • Popular Stories
  • Rich Klein's Ramblings
  • Sports Card News
    • Modern Sports Card News
      • New Sports Card Release Calendar
    • Vintage Sports Card News
      • Old Baseball Card Sets
      • Old Basketball Card Sets
      • Old Football Card Sets
      • Old Hockey Card Sets
      • Vintage Pack Facts
  • Sports Memorabilia News
  • Uncategorized

Sponsor Links

  • Sports Card Forumopens in a new window
  • Buying Vintage Sports Cardsopens in a new window
  • Championship Rings For Saleopens in a new window
  • Autographed Baseballsopens in a new window
  • Vintage Graded Baseball Cardsopens in a new window
  • Sports Collectors Storeopens in a new window

Pages

Ending on eBay Soon
  • Baseball Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Basketball Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Football Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Hockey Card Auctions Ending Soon on eBay
  • Vintage Sports Memorabilia on eBay Ending Soon
Top 100 on Ebay
  • Top 100 Most Watched Baseball Rookie Cards on eBay
  • Top 100 Most Watched Basketball Rookie Cards for Sale on eBay
  • Top 100 Most Watched Hockey Rookie Card Auctions
  • Top Authenticated Vintage Unopened Sports Card Boxes, Packs on eBay
Most Watched on eBay
  • 100 Most Watched Graded Rookie Cards for Sale on eBay
  • 100 Most Watched Tom Brady Card Auctions on eBay
  • 50 Hottest Hobby Boxes at Auction on eBay
  • 50 Most Watched Golf Trading Cards on eBay
  • 50 Most Watched Wrestling Trading Cards on eBay
  • 75 Most Watched Bowman Chrome Cards
  • Most Popular Bobbleheads on eBay
  • Most Watched 1/1 Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Basketball Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Complete Baseball Card Sets at Auction on eBay
  • Most Watched Football Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Football Rookie Card Auctions
  • Most Watched Goudey Baseball Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Hockey Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Racing Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Soccer Cards for Sale on eBay
  • Most Watched Sports Autographs on eBay
  • Most Watched Sports Jerseys on eBay
  • Most Watched Unopened Sports Card Boxes, Packs on eBay
  • Most Watched Vintage Sports Memorabilia on eBay
  • Hottest Panini National Treasures Cards on eBay
  • Hottest PSA 10 Cards for Sale on eBay
  • What’s Hot on eBay
Sports Memorabilia
  • Sports Card Bargain Bin
  • Sports Memorabilia Auctions Ending Soon on eBay
About Sports Collectors Daily
  • Advertise with SC Daily
  • Contact Us
  • Get Sports Collectors Daily via EMail
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
Sell Your Cards
  • What’s It Worth
  • Where Can I Sell My Baseball Cards?

Copyright © 2023 SportsCollectorsDaily.com | Web Design by Wickam Groupopens in a new window