I'm bringing back a feature that I haven't run in almost seven years.
Beginning in July of 2009 and running through February, 2016, each month I would post the prices of Topps complete sets from 1969 through the present. I go back to 1969 because that is the first year of my run of complete sets.
I used eBay to determine the set prices. I would find the five most recent auction sales of the set and average the prices. The time to do it eventually was too much and I gave up the feature. I have some more available time now that I am retired, so I thought I'd bring it back.
I was shocked at how much the set prices increased over the past seven years. I know that the influx of collectors due to the pandemic caused a general price spike. I had no idea just home significant the increase was.
Take a look at that I found:
| YEAR | 1/22/2023 | 2/1/2016 | % change |
| 1969 | $1,729.81 | $787.21 | 120% |
| 1970 | $1,625.99 | $869.15 | 87% |
| 1971 | $1,782.90 | $704.01 | 153% |
| 1972 | $1,916.20 | $749.11 | 156% |
| 1973 | $816.80 | $361.60 | 126% |
| 1974 | $346.30 | $252.85 | 37% |
| 1975 | $786.91 | $195.48 | 303% |
| 1976 | $369.20 | $186.99 | 97% |
| 1977 | $264.69 | $135.70 | 95% |
| 1978 | $171.91 | $81.19 | 112% |
| 1979 | $157.35 | $77.51 | 103% |
| 1980 | $213.20 | $65.26 | 227% |
| 1981 | $68.18 | $28.02 | 143% |
| 1982 | $62.95 | $34.22 | 84% |
| 1983 | $85.50 | $26.95 | 217% |
| 1984 | $36.30 | $26.70 | 36% |
| 1985 | $28.30 | $17.70 | 60% |
| 1986 | $22.40 | $4.35 | 415% |
| 1987 | $10.50 | $7.00 | 50% |
| 1988 | $18.53 | $8.40 | 121% |
| 1989 | $14.09 | $7.26 | 94% |
| 1990 | $16.98 | $8.19 | 107% |
| 1991 | $9.47 | $8.59 | 10% |
| 1992 | $11.60 | $8.29 | 40% |
| 1993 | $52.48 | $13.42 | 291% |
| 1994 | $23.10 | $22.60 | 2% |
| 1995 | $24.90 | $22.24 | 12% |
| 1996 | $19.58 | $15.19 | 29% |
| 1997 | $32.30 | $31.79 | 2% |
| 1998 | $31.70 | $22.40 | 42% |
| 1999 | $26.30 | $21.44 | 23% |
| 2000 | $25.88 | $10.95 | 136% |
| 2001 | $68.00 | $42.64 | 59% |
| 2002 | $41.33 | $25.99 | 59% |
| 2003 | $34.85 | $27.71 | 26% |
| 2004 | $46.00 | $16.29 | 182% |
| 2005 | $40.40 | $33.14 | 22% |
| 2006 | $45.93 | $22.11 | 108% |
| 2007 | $31.32 | $27.47 | 14% |
| 2008 | $50.98 | $30.70 | 66% |
| 2009 | $75.40 | $41.80 | 80% |
| 2010 | $43.80 | $23.57 | 86% |
| 2011 | $110.80 | $27.79 | 299% |
| 2012 | $52.58 | $28.00 | 88% |
| 2013 | $70.66 | $34.19 | 107% |
| 2014 | $174.71 | $39.11 | 347% |
| 2015 | $47.50 | $44.79 | 6% |
| 2016 | $69.59 | | |
| 2017 | $136.20 | | |
| 2018 | $197.80 | | |
| 2019 | $94.23 | | |
| 2020 | $37.12 | | |
| 2021 | $22.16 | | |
| 2022 | $28.80 | | |
There are some pretty significant increase in prices! The biggest bump was with the junk-wax era 1986 set, which went up 415%. However, in dollars it was an increase of just $18. In actual dollars, the 1972 set would cost you almost $1,200 more. That's a pretty big chunk!
Overall, in February 2016, it would have taken $5,232.23 to get one of each of the 1969 - 2015 sets. Today, the same sets would run you $11,736.56. That's $6,504.33 more and an increase of 124%. Any financial people out there know how that compares to the stock market of the same time?
