I don't really mean that people are stupid for paying high prices for sketch cards. They're not. I just think there's a very odd imbalance of value in the hobby right now.
$338 was absolutely shocking to me. It was a sealed pack right up until minutes before I listed it. I was going to sell the sealed pack but couldn't bare not knowing if the "wolf on the cloud" sketch was in there. I don't even think I'd get that much for a sealed pack so opening it was a very good move.
Plan,
You raise a fascinating point - and a good one. But I think what this illustrates is that all of these "values", imbalanced or not, are pretty arbitrary. And in the end, no matter how well established a hobby might be, it all comes down to someone, somewhere, just wanting to own the item.
Of course, this changes as collecting hobbies become well rooted, like baseball cards. At this point, I question the values of baseball cards (or even comic books) - insofar that it seems to be a large pyramid scheme of people paying certain prices only because they think OTHER people will pay them more (or the same) later on. I question whether most of those buyers wants to pay to just keep the stuff. At least at those prices... if that makes any sense.
You and I see high sketch prices as kind of nutty, in relation to the original painting prices - and you and I have discussed this - I think we agree.
But I also collect cereal boxes, and candy wrappers - and those items are far more scarce, in a general sense, than even some of the scarcest Wacky Package stickers - yet they are not at all as valuable. Heck, I've got dozens of pieces that are, as far as my other hobbies are concerned, unique.
So when I hear about how rare a die-cut is, and how much it's "worth", I do sometimes raise an eyebrow, because when I compare it to many of the items I hunt for - they're EASY. But my items will probably never sell for nearly what a scarce die-cut sells for. Because I'm one of a few people who appreciates the stuff, or cares to own it.
So there's a kind of imbalance there, too... but only as far as I see it. It really comes down to what people want to own, and will spend, doesn't it?