It is becoming quite clear that there is a massive disconnect in activity between the high end of the antiques and collectibles trade and the lower end. This is nothing new. The top 5 percent of many collecting categories tend to react differently to leading economic indicators like inflation, unemployment, and interest rates. This is simply because the collectors buying these items at this level are immune from most economic volatility due to being, in most cases, extremely affluent. I have often argued that it is a major miscalculation to analyze the top sales in the trade and assume how the entire antiques and collectibles trade is doing based on these results. Case in point, the ultra-high-end market for extremely sought-after vintage comic books is still booming at present time. Titles that sell for six to seven figures are still selling for these amounts. Unfortunately, however, other vintage comics books that routinely sell for thousands of dollars at present time are almost flat across the board. Make no mistake, these books are still selling, but they are not hitting record-breaking price levels like they were just a few short years ago. In an upcoming article I plan to discuss the changing demographics of the vintage comic book market and how collectors can best prepare. While vintage comic books are definitely not a dying collecting market as of yet, younger collectors are not as interested in this market as Gen-Xers and Baby Boomers are. The demographics are slowly changing away from vintage comic books and moving towards up-and-coming collectibles like Pokemon and vintage video games. Pokemon is extremely popular with millennial age collectors and younger generations across the board. However, sports cards, collectible card games, and factory sealed toys from the late 1970s and 80s are another story entirely. LCG Auctions just sold a Masters of the Universe Castle Grayskull factory sealed playset graded by AFA (Action Figure Authority) in 90 condition for $209,410. And in that same auction they also sold a 1978 Kenner Star Wars Luke Skywalker 12-back double telescoping action figure in factory sealed condition, also graded by AFA in 90 condition, for a record sum. I hope you are sitting down because this action figure sold for $161,458! The prices I am quoted include the 20 percent buyers premium that LCG Auctions charges. Heritage Auctions is also not immune from record-breaking sales either, and they just sold the most expensive sports card ever on Aug. 23, and it went for $12,932,000, eclipsing the previous record-breaking sale that was set back in August 2022 for the infamous 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card that sold for $12.6 million. The new record holder is a 2007 Upper Deck Dual Logoman card graded by PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator) in 6 condition. The card was signed by both NBA greats, Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. Kobe Bryant is sadly no longer with us, which adds to the overall appeal of this card. The buyer made an appearance on CNBC and was revealed to be none other than Kevin OLeary of Shark Tank fame. OLeary stated he bought the card with a group of two other high-profile collectors as an investment. Sales like this are quite common across the upper echelon of the collectibles trade. On the lower end side of the trade, modern era mass produced Pokemon cards are nearly impossible to get at retail stores like Walmart, Target, and Game Stop. Resellers are swarming major retailers and finding out when restocks are being made and fighting to get their hands on any new product releases. This is having a disastrous effect on the market as parents are complaining that they have to pay extraordinary markups to get the cards on sites like eBay to keep their children happy. Unfortunately, Pokemon has become the new go to mass-produced collectible that is being hoarded. And while the market has a lot of organic collectability since Pokemon has been in existence for almost 30 years with vintage cards selling for incredible sums on the secondary market, you still wouldnt be wrong for comparing this frenzy to what took place during the mid-1990s when Beanie Babies were the hottest (cough) guaranteed investment. Only now, since Pokemon has survived this long, collectors and speculators are arguing these cards will only continue to go up in value. How long will this current trend last? Your guess is as good as mine, but I wouldnt be refinancing the house to buy modern era Pokemon cards, regardless as to what any one on social media tells you. Other collecting categories that are making waves right now are higher end graded U.S. coins and currency. Whenever gold and silver prices increase like they are now, interest in higher end coins and currency also sees increased demand. And given that this is one of the most liquid markets in the entire antiques and collectibles trade, I dont see this market slowing down any time soon. In conclusion, I often recommend that collectors and investors operating in these markets look beyond the headlines. Every time a major sale occurs in the trade, the mainstream news media goes into overdrive to report on it. I am very cautious of a lot of collectible markets right now, and one should be asking why Kevin OLeary, also known as Mr. Wonderful, immediately wanted everyone to know that he was one of the buyers of the now infamous most expensive sports card ever sold. It is very easy to create artificial demand and hype in an unregulated market such as this. Add in the added layer of emotional attachment, and sadly it is easy to see that prices can go even higher over the short term. That said, what buyers should be asking is what are these high-end collectibles going to do over the long term? That unfortunately, is an article for another day. Until next time, remain level-headed and always remember that something is only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it at the exact time of sale. Enough said. Shawn Surmick has been an avid collector since the age of 12. He currently resides in his hometown of Boyertown, Pa., and is a passionate collector of antiques and collectibles. His articles focus on various topics affecting the marketplace.