Has the Glove Market on Ebay slumped

[softball66]

I would like some of our sellers and frequent sellers to weigh in on this topic. In the past three weeks I've listed two gloves on ebay that I would do very well and opened at prices I thought were fair. Not a nibble. I think this has become a trend right now. I've pulled up completed prices and noticed that the nice conditions and rare gloves seem to do well but anything falling shorts of that, goes unwanted.
I would bet the auction houses are having similar problems with their like products. So maybe the recession is closing in a bit.
Would like to hear other viewpoints.

[MTGLOVEGUY]

I agree completely, I bet I have sold 50 or so in the past month or so and the sales and or final prices are down. Really makes me wonder if the economy is the issue or if the mainstream collectors have what they want already. I know my buying habits have gone a different direction, maybe this is the case for others as well. I think a lot of it has to due with relativly the same stuff being offered week in week out. Maybe I am wrong?

[okdoak]

I'd like to weigh in on this topic as a buyer. I'm starting to believe that our failing economy is a factor in the ebay slump. Every time I watch the news there is a new round of layoffs. I'm into my 3rd week of a short-term layoff at the printing co. I work for. We print inventory and store hang tags. If the goods aren"t moving, obviously we have no work. Also agree that veteran collectors may have narrowed their focus to the few really tough ones they want or upgrades. What I used to think of as minor imperfections (worn patch, small marker on the back, etc.) seem to affect a gloves final price alot more negatively than I would have ever thought. Anyway, if I had a steadier paycheck (and could add an extra zero to it), I'd be buying a ton of gloves from ebay right now! Still looking for Red Rolfe (1940s RR)...

[lefty147]

I think the prices have been down for quite a while now. A couple of years ago almost any split finger you put on Ebay could fetch at least 25.00. People seem to be more focused in their collecting now, specializing in certain brands, time periods and so forth. Also postal shipping prices have gone up quite a bit which hasn't helped either and that must factor into bidding. Oh yea, and the economy hasn't helped much either. Mike

[stockbuddy]

Hi Guys, I agree with Mike and the others on this thread. There does seem to be a slow down. I would think this is offering a nice opportunity for some folks to pick up some nice leathers for a while. If a new group of collectors would come into the fold it would be neat to see.

Dave

[awarsoca]

It is nuts out there. I don't think I will be selling anythin unless it is truly exceptional. It seems that only something rare or exceptional is bringing close to its value. I know this glove is a tad to modern but there is no way it should have only brought $58 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEDWX:IT&item=190282602137
I could kick myself for not staying in on it longer now )c:

[softball66]

Dave is correct about one topic he mentions about bringing new people into the hobby.
I sent this thread to one of my astute collectors, not in this hobby, and he mentioned that he'd been in some small niche collectibles and he said that
interest fell off when they simply didn't bring in new blood or get new collectors interested in their hobby and became a little too sequestered.
Our glove forum, nicely conducted by Brett, is a great way to add new interested hobbyist to vintage gloves. The ideas of glove meetings like Brett is organizing for the Northeast and the long time meetings by the Birmingham Southeast Group lend itself to attract new members to share our hobby. We've got a Dallas meeting scheduled this month.

[awarsoca]

/nod
In fact my modern love is slowly being tempered for the vintage gloves. Looking at the great gloves y'all post has increased my curiosity and desire toward this end of the spectrum.
I'm planning to start slow though, a MM4 rht for me and a replacement MM4 lht for my dad, and then i'll play catch and figure out what to look for next

[Mike**Mize]

I have absolutely no doubt that the uncertain state of the economy has played an enormous role in the decline of glove prices. It's also very true; we do need some new blood in the hobby. When I think of my own experiences in terms of my willingness to take on debt, as in credit card purchases of vintage gloves, I've done a complete about face from where I was five years ago. I don't think I'm alone in this. I can still remember a time when the thought of always paying off the complete balance each and every month was almost absurd. Now I wouldn't do it any other way. I still collect. I just had a very good month and picked up a great Spalding Eddie Farrell in fantastic shape and a beautiful Wright and Ditson top of the line basemitt from the early to mid thirties. Those gloves are paid for. I wouldn't have it any other way. When I was laid off in the late summer of 2006, I had to come to terms with living on a budget. As much as my publishing sector job was a challenge for thirty-three years, this new job of being my own financial advisor is just as daunting a task. You can't close up shop and stop nurturing your passions and interests, but you have to show some restraint. For me, gloves I pick up these days have to look like keepers. I've sold in the past and I'll surely sell again, but I have a hard time parting with favorites and I guess that's the way I like it. There are some real bargains to be had these days even among the real beauties that appear. It's going to be fun to get past this era. For now, it's very much with us.

[oldreliable]

Something is up. A few weeks ago, I won an older Wilson A2000 735 on eBay for a surprisingly low price. I kinda feel bad about it, because the seller deserved more for the glove. I think the glove is worth a good deal more, and quite possibly or even probably belonged a former MLB infielder.

There should have been a shootout for the glove. At the end, only one other person made a weak run at it. I'm thrilled with the glove but admittedly am puzzled by the lack of real interest (expressed by final bids).

I have also noticed much fewer really good A2000s on eBay in the last year or so. BTW, I'm an A2000 man. While there are still a few good ones every now and then, I often come away let down.

Thanks.

John,
Ithaca, NY

[okdoak]

Agree that it is heartening to see a couple new members on the Forum every week, whether they are new collectors or just new to this wonderful site. I've seen that we have a really dedicated base of collectors so I'm not too worried about the future of our hobby. Just really hoping that it will always be impossible for a grading service (ala PSA) to skewer it the way they did with cards! Sure would hate to lose the enjoyment of getting away from the daily grind by cleaning up a glove, checking out ebay, or reading the posts on our Forum.

[GloveCrazy]

I agree that the future of glove values for most gloves are influenced by the growth of the hobby. The good news is that it is relatively small at the moment compared to some other collectibles and has tremendous growth potential.

Of course, we all benefit if we can continue to promote glove collecting and introduce new collectors. Glove collecting has grown over the years thanks in part to Joe's literature and articles in the SCD, and website like the Forum. The new Sports Museum in LA should help a little but local displays help as well. For example, Dave Cunningham and others have done displays in their local libraries, etc. I've also passed on gloves at local flea market in hopes that they will land in the hands of a new collector.

A for ebay, I think what we have right now is a great opportunity. When I first got into collecting some of the older collectors used to tell me of the early days when they would regulalry find several cheap splitfingers at nearly every antique flea market they went to. I was a little disappointed that I missed out then, but it sure seems like that opportunity has re emerged.

It seems like a couple things have come together to create this opportunity, including some large collectors selling large parts of their collections in the same time frame and the economy decreasing the number of buyers. It seems like both of those are temporary. I'm buying!

Rob

[vintagebrett]

It may be slumping for the rest of you but not the gloves I bid on! Doh!

[awarsoca]

it can't be all that bad if you are selling an MM4. I've had 2 bid cancellations in the last week on 2 separate MM4s )c:

[mrice69]

I'd like to weigh in on this topic as a buyer. I'm starting to believe that our failing economy is a factor in the ebay slump. Every time I watch the news there is a new round of layoffs. I'm into my 3rd week of a short-term layoff at the printing co. I work for. We print inventory and store hang tags. If the goods aren"t moving, obviously we have no work. Also agree that veteran collectors may have narrowed their focus to the few really tough ones they want or upgrades. What I used to think of as minor imperfections (worn patch, small marker on the back, etc.) seem to affect a gloves final price alot more negatively than I would have ever thought. Anyway, if I had a steadier paycheck (and could add an extra zero to it), I'd be buying a ton of gloves from ebay right now! Still looking for Red Rolfe (1940s RR)...

I HAVE THE RED ROLFE GLOVE IF YOUR INTERESTED