I find it interesting that so many people..

olb31

are willing to part with such great cards. i will pick the 1988 Fleer Jordan for example. I counted 17 PSA 10's (the regular card) for sale on EBAY this weekend. There are around 550 PSA 10's in the world. Thus, 5% of the POP was up fora sale all at once. Are there no collectors any more? I have lots of nice cards, but find it very difficult to part with them, knowing there is little chance of me owning one again. For this example, to get unopened packs to find a possible PSA 10, it would cost you around $300 per pack. A hefty price. $10,000 for a box.

I sale PSA cards on EBAY, but rarely do I sale the great ones because I'm also a collector. I would have a rough time listing a 1988 and older Jordan PSA 10 for sale because of this. The value of these cards will only go up and up and the replacement cost is way too high. Just my take.

80sOPC

I don’t find it surprising at all that collectors would take profits at all time highs.

80sOPC

To add, lots of collectors are old, some could use the money for a trip, car, down payment, to start a new business.

I sold a hockey hof collection that had some real nice hard to replace cards. They sold for a fraction of what they worth today. Sale was required at the time, was between jobs and needed the security that cash offered. Slept way better with cash in the bank then slabbed cards in a drawer. Don’t regret it at all.

I know people say they are taking their cards to the grave but does anyone actually do that? Let a 6 figure collection expire with them? Why wouldn’t you sell and exit the hobby at some point and use the funds to set up a spouse or kid. May as well maximize value and people selling today are doing so at prices they never could have imagined 2 years ago

PACKER221

I agree. Several real gems out there that I personally wouldn't sell

handyman

"

are willing to part with such great cards. i will pick the 1988 Fleer Jordan for example. I counted 17 PSA 10's (the regular card) for sale on EBAY this weekend. There are around 550 PSA 10's in the world. Thus, 5% of the POP was up fora sale all at once. Are there no collectors any more? I have lots of nice cards, but find it very difficult to part with them, knowing there is little chance of me owning one again. For this example, to get unopened packs to find a possible PSA 10, it would cost you around $300 per pack. A hefty price. $10,000 for a box.

I sale PSA cards on EBAY, but rarely do I sale the great ones because I'm also a collector. I would have a rough time listing a 1988 and older Jordan PSA 10 for sale because of this. The value of these cards will only go up and up and the replacement cost is way too high. Just my take."

Maybe the are selling to buy 25-30 PSA 9s of the same jordan. Instead of owing .0018% of the Highest population they may rather own .005% of the next best thing.
Or would you rather own 100 PSA 10s or 2500-3,000 PSA 9s?
I think it would be pretty cool to have 3000 9s.
Own 1/5 of the pop in 10s. Or over half all 9s graded. I would also hope if you reviewed the best 500 of the 9s you would probably get pack 20-25 10s.

Stone193

Are there no collectors any more?

That's a great question.

With no simple answer.

Everyone collects here for different reasons and perhaps vastly differing goals.

I like respecting everyone - so I have just as much respect for someone who's in it for the "flip."

I'm the "inquisitive" lost in the weeds type of collector who sees no reason to sell unless I - all of a sudden - needed quick dough.

I have to say tho?

I wish there were more threads about collecting and the "story behind" the items written about....

edit:

For anyone that would like to read - from the Aug 2020 SMR - and here's a summation from Sports Collectors Daily - the incredible story of Uncle Jimmy and his collection.

LINK

He died at the age of 97 - from a respectably humble background as a janitor in a high school - a veteran of WWII - and a collection that would be the envy of anyone rich or no so.

Jimmy never sold anything and operated strictly on the "pride of ownership."

He had, e.g. 6 33G signed Ruth cards alone!!!

Afterwards, it appears that the flips were changed to give an attribute to the flips out of respect for Uncle Jimmy:

blurryface

this is kinda why i've always liked collecting multiples. even as a kid, the hunt wasn't over once i pulled that gregg jeffries rc. and i definitely wanted the most juan gonzalez reverse negatives on the block. as a kid on the brink of collecting right when toploaders, supplies became the norm and fleer, donruss & multiple manufacturer rookies cards became the thing, i believe this became the new norm vs buying packs to complete a set.

anyways, i don't blame a soul for cashing out at some of these prices. especially if they have multiples. to me, having multiples makes the decision extremely easy on what's first to go.

Vagabond

I find it more interesting that people would spend 10K on a box to hopefully pull a 6K card out (and the odds generally aren't in the buyers favor.) I would rather just buy the card I want rather than take a huge gamble and most likely get burned. I am a collector. I have sold a lot of my cards and probably today own less cards than 99% who come on here. I do have some heavy hitters but I am more about quality versus quantity type collector.

Then I also know folks who love to flip cards. They seem to make pretty good money but I'm sure many generally don't speak about their failures. Lots of great collections out there but how many folks are actually in debt with most of their paycheck going to monthly payments such as credit cards, PayPal installments and then having to sell their cards to be able to make payments in regards to continue trying to impress people that they will never know. There's just so many different reasons why people collect and do the things they do and everyone's situation is different,

1951WheatiesPremium

still holding

craig44

I think it is all in what people value. I have always enjoyed cards more than nice watches, fancy shoes or clothes or even fancy cars. I am an incurable collector at heart. always have been. unless emergency strikes, I plan on passing down my collection.

Skynyrd

I have sold many cards over the years and most for short money, like half a dozen Tom Brady rookies for $10-$20. But at the time I believed it was the right thing to do. Now I collect for enjoyment and ripping packs with my son still gives me a thrill. I too plan on passing my collection down to my son and grandson. I think it would be cool to own something that once belonged to your grandfather. I know that I don't.

daltex

@craig44 said:
I think it is all in what people value. I have always enjoyed cards more than nice watches, fancy shoes or clothes or even fancy cars. I am an incurable collector at heart. always have been. unless emergency strikes, I plan on passing down my collection.

I can completely understand that incurability.

craig44

@daltex said:

@craig44 said:
I think it is all in what people value. I have always enjoyed cards more than nice watches, fancy shoes or clothes or even fancy cars. I am an incurable collector at heart. always have been. unless emergency strikes, I plan on passing down my collection.

I can completely understand that incurability.

It drives my wife nuts. she doesn't have that gene.