WHAT ARE “MODERN” CARDS?

As many of you will know, I love vintage collectables. I have no time for “modern” releases, or unauthorised or pirate items.

Why? Well I have my reasons, but mostly because I don’t see them as “pure” collectables. More about that in a moment.

In the meantime, I have been asked this a few times by people with thousands of worthless Select, TeamCoach, Herald Sun and basketball cards

“You keep saying you can’t help with modern collectables. How do I know if my items are modern?”

I guess the answer is up for debate, but in my mind, two important factors apply:

1. Does your item originate from the 2000’s era, and was it produced in mass quantities?
2. Did your item come as a premium or freebie with another purchase or service – for example gum, bread, cereal etc. or did you buy the “collectable” itself as the actual product?

If you answered “yes” to 1 and “no” to 2, then your items are “modern” my friend, and potentially not very collectable.

Returning to my point above about “pure” collectables. In my book, if a manufacturer of cards, posters, dolls (or whatever else the wonders of modern marketing can dream up) has to tell me that their item is “a collectable” then that’s a red flag for me right there.

Pure collectables became so naturally and organically, over time, fuelled by nostalgia and the simple love of collecting. They were handed out for free, they had no intrinsic value, and no-one graded them, valued them or slabbed them.

They weren’t an investment, they were pure joy – therein lies the difference.