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Collectibles

Inside the Stanley tumbler collector economy

by Janet Nguyen
Jan 12, 2024
“Are there better things I could spend my money on? Absolutely," said one collector. "But am I taking out loans to afford Stanley cups? Absolutely not."
Buy, hold, or sell: Just like the stock market, some Stanley owners are selling their cups now that their value is rising.
Stanley via PR Newswire
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Why does it sometimes take so long to manufacture and ship action figures?

by Janet Nguyen
Dec 22, 2023
You might have to get approval from another company if you're making an entertainment-related toy, and bigger figures entail a more sophisticated manufacturing process.
A view of Reva (played by Moses Ingram) in Lucasfilm's "Obi-Wan Kenobi,." The collectible company Hot Toys announced last year that it would be making a collectible of her character.
© 2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.
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Alternative investments went on a wild ride during the pandemic

by Justin Ho
Dec 19, 2023
Many investors dabble in collectibles, wine and art. The pandemic caused some to re-think that strategy.
Alternative investment opportunities, like rare trading cards or art, can be unstable in value. Magic the Gathering card collector Seth Robertson says card values skyrocketed at the start of the pandemic and have since fallen.
Ollie Millington/Getty Images
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Looking for an escape, more adults are buying childhood toys

by Addie Costello
Nov 29, 2023
From Tamagotchis to Star Wars, the number of adults buying new and old versions of their childhood toys has continued to climb.
Tamagotchis and other toys from the '90s are becoming popular collectibles for adults looking to reconnect with their childhoods.
Gorlov / Getty Images Plus
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"Beanie Mania"

Why the Beanie Baby bubble burst

by David Brancaccio , Alex Schroeder and Erika Soderstrom
Aug 10, 2023
According to the "Beanie Meanie," a collectibles and antiques expert who was skeptical of the craze all along.
At the height of the Beanie Baby craze, people were making average profits of 500%. Then, as with all investment bubbles, came a crash.
Chris Hondros/Getty Images
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"Beanie Mania"

Remember when Beanie Babies were valuable?

by David Brancaccio
Aug 7, 2023
Econ Extra Credit newsletter #160
Joyce Naltchayan/AFP via Getty Images
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Will the sports collectibles market have another good year?

by Matt Levin
Jan 5, 2022
The trading card business has soared during the pandemic. In the future, innovation may help drive growth.
A man sells vintage baseball cards outside Yankee Stadium. The trading card industry is marketing to millennials now.
Chris McGrath via Getty Images
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Vanishing America

Remembering Downriver Rookie, a beloved Michigan sports-card shop

by Rose Conlon
Sep 1, 2021
"You can almost smell the cards when you think about it hard enough," said high school teacher Ken Cameron.
Ken Cameron still has the baseball cards he bought at Downriver Rookie. "Baseball was such a part of my grandfather's life, my father's life, my life," he says.
Courtesy Ken Cameron
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COVID-19

Baseball card collecting during pandemic hits prices out of the park

by Jasmine Garsd
Nov 11, 2020
Nostalgia, art and investment potential have led to an increase in the sports card market, one expert says.
A boy looks at a display of baseball cards at the Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia in 2018.
Hunter Martin/Getty Images
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Shelf Life

How much would you pay for a "defaced" baseball card?

by Bridget Bodnar
Mar 26, 2019
Turns out, quite a lot.
Summer Dunsmore/Marketplace
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