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Stories Tagged as

Collectibles

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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Bang for your brick: behind Lego’s thriving secondary market

by Justin Ho
Mar 4, 2019
Lego fans and investors maintain a robust, independent online market for rare and valuable pieces.
At age 15, Kaleb Johnson sold some of his Harry Potter-branded Legos, which included a similar Mad-Eye Moody figurine. That sale netted him $2,000.
dbowker3d/Flickr
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Hobby investments can't escape that darn global economy

by Justin Ho
Feb 13, 2019
Hobby investments are a fun alternative to the stock market. But they aren’t immune from the ebbs and flows of the economy.
The Beanie Baby craze in the '90s is an example of hobby investing.
Joyce Naltchayan/AFP/Getty Images
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The resale market for sneakers is red hot

by Sally Herships
Jan 10, 2017
Some savers invest their hard-earned dollars in footwear.
Sneakers on display at Sneaker Pawn, The Bank for Sneakers in New York.
Sally Herships/Marketplace
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