Never Fall in Love with Your Cardboard?

PSARich

So what do you think?. I had a long time dealer/friend share this with me many years ago. He would say, "if the price is right, let it go, don't fall in love with your cardboard." Now a dealer obviously views things differently than a collector. I have collected for over 40 years and have owned several thousand PSA 9 vintage baseball cards during that time. Now I have been letting go and it is hard. The market is obviously great for high grade vintage baseball, which is what I have collected so I have been sending some of my long time favorites to auction houses. I just can't let go of them all at once as it seems I have enjoyed the chase and ownership for so long. But then again, I love my wife, my children, my grandchildren and my close friends, so when I really think about it....I don't really love my cardboard, I just enjoy these cards an awful lot. I admire them, their history, the stats on the back, and like so many others my age....the memories they provide of me of growing up in the 1950s-60s.

I let go of a large group of 1959 PSA 9 Topps baseball recently to a fellow collector and now I have sent some handpicked beauties to Memory Lane, including a 1970 PSA 9 Clemente. I bought it raw about 20 years ago for about $100 and had it graded. I saw that the most recent auction house sale was in the many thousands for this card so it seems like the time is right. I also released a PSA 9 1934 Goudey card that I will be very interested in the auction result come May. (Did you know that PSA has graded only 179 1934 Goudeys as PSA 9) Included in this lot are several high grade 1940s-50s baseball cards.

I thought hard about which cards I enjoy the most as they will be the last ones to go, hopefully a few years off. These include my collection of 1950-55 Bowmans in high grade, the rest of my PSA 9 1959 Topps (several hundred), and my complete 1951 -1969 Mickey Mantle collection that includes 3 PSA 9s and several 8s. (Unfortunately not my 1951 Bowman and 1952 Topps which are a 3 and 2 respectively) But before I Iet go of those there are many hundreds of 1952-56 Topps in PSA 8 with a handful of 9s (even three 1952 Topps PSA 9s). To let you know what the hobby was like 30 years ago, I bought a couple of those raw for around $50 each and they graded as Mint 9.

My family knows how much I enjoy the hobby and despite the usual teasing about reliving my childhood, they have always been very supportive..However, they would be somewhat clueless as to how to liquidate my collection when I pass on. Therefore, I have provided them with a detailed letter with directions should that situation occur. It is my intent to let go of all my precious cardboard before that happens and the process has begun! During my collecting years I've had several articles published in the "former" SMR magazine and given many takes on the hobby. I have attended over 20 National Conventions and made a great many hobby friends. I've had my share of friends wanting me to buy their childrens'' 1980s-2000s baseball card collections and I've learned how to very nicely educate them on their true value. Then again, I've had several "please take a look at my cards" which turned out to me buying great collections from the 1950s and 1960s. It seems I always overpaid a little which can happen when you deal with acquaintances. In the end I did very well in the long run.

To let go is hard! In my career in education I had many fairly stressful administration jobs and my hobby was always a great way to relax. I had cancer once which required several surgeries and follow-up treatments over a period time. Yet I would go to sports card shows. My wife would ask why I would do that and I would tell her that for a few hours I would get engrossed in looking at sports cards and not think about whether the cancer will return. Fortunately it didn't. You see collecting sports cards has provided me with much joy (and therapy) over the years...but let go I must.

So I have rambled enough. For all of you collecting friends, please know that the time might come when you must let go of your precious cardboard. If you are a modern day "flipper" that will probably not be a problem. But if you have "lived" the hobby for a long time and it has become part of your identity... well....just think about all those who you love most in your world. It will make it a little easier to let go of your cardboard beauties. You will realize you never really loved them as my old dealer buddy once told me not to do....but boy does one enjoy being their custodian for a period of time.

jimq

So you got to enjoy a hobby for most of your life that kept you out of trouble and made you money? You can't do much better than that! Are you keeping any favorites or is everything going? I'm going thru that on a much smaller scale and decided to keep some worthless favorites.

PSARich

I have decided that the last card I will keep is a 1957 Topps Frank Lary. As a young Detroit Tigers fan he was my favorite pitcher, known as the "Yankee Killer". Oh, those dreaded Yankees! This was one of the first cards I bought at a card show in the early 1980s. I sent it in with my first PSA order in the 1990s and it came back PSA 9.

Vagabond

Thanks for the great write up. I feel as though I also would struggle some when the time came. Sure, I would sell but there's also some that I would have a REALLY hard time letting go. Do you have some photos of some of your favorites that you can share with us on here? You sound like you have a really great collection.

Ahmanfan

Great write up, glad you’ve had such a good experience with the hobby. You collected right and enjoyed and will have a nice nest egg to leave. Can’t beat that.

82FootballWaxMemorys

Never Fall in Love with Your Cardboard? or a Dreamer.

Enjoy the 2nd half of your life. I plan on doing the same with my collectibles to retire a bit early.

PSARich

Here's a few of my favorites.




I way overpaid for the 1951 Mantle. It looks like a PSA 7-8 but has a small surface flaw. The 1956 is one of my all-time favorites as I bought it ungraded back in 1995. I was hoping for an 8 and got the 8.5.

maddux69

@PSARich You had a great run as a collector and truly amassed some beauties! Best of luck on your future sales. Love the 51 and 56, you have a great eye. I bet @KendallCat is already in your DMs!

Vagabond

Wow. Those are crazy beautiful. Please, don’t let us stop you from posting a few more 😊

KendallCat

@maddux69 said:
@PSARich You had a great run as a collector and truly amassed some beauties! Best of luck on your future sales. Love the 51 and 56, you have a great eye. I bet @KendallCat is already in your DMs!

Now why would you think that? 🤔 Actually that is one of the 2-3 cards on my list this summer in an 8.5 now that I just picked up my 53 Mays. You know your stuff Maddux! This is an interesting thread and some great insights into the market and mind of a long time collector.

KC

sayheywyo

Thanks for sharing. It's always great to hear and learn from long time collectors. One can feel the passion in your words that connect with many of us as collectors. The chase, joy and therapy and becoming a part of your identity..... well said sir. You've done amazing. What a great hobby............

basketballcollector

You are going to be a very wealthy man once you sell all of your cards !!!

picklepete

Beautiful cards !

I was born in 1957 the one card I always wanted is a psa 57 Topps Ted kluszewski card ! Love that card. That I would keep.
And yes, it's tough as hell letting go.

Dgilbert

@PSARich said:
I have decided that the last card I will keep is a 1957 Topps Frank Lary. As a young Detroit Tigers fan he was my favorite pitcher, known as the "Yankee Killer". Oh, those dreaded Yankees! This was one of the first cards I bought at a card show in the early 1980s. I sent it in with my first PSA order in the 1990s and it came back PSA 9.

Hope you keep it until the end, something that has been connected to you with such love would be a treasure for a grandchild or to keep for sentimental reasons. I myself keep my grandfathers fedora hat from the 1960s, I laid claim to it after it was discarded when he passed. I wear it with pride the odd time and always make sure it is well looked after.

gemint

This has been weighing on me as well. I'm not close to selling my collection and am, in fact, still building it. However, I worry about how my wife will deal with it if I check out before her. I've given instructions on options for consigning it but the bigger challenge is that she will have no clue on how to look up the cost basis and would therefore be taxed at full resale value for most cards.

I hope you'll link us to your auctions so we can track them as you consign them.

Estil

I always taught this in English class...

basketballcollector

You gotta figure out what the hell a collection is worth. Is it worth $20 million like Dr. Thomas Newman's collection. Hell no, of course not. Most of the collectors accumulation is probably worth somewhere in the $50,000 to $300,00 range, so the burden could be overwheming with the family.

1948_Swell_Robinson

Keep a dozen cards that best represent your years of passion and joy.

If you miss the collection after selling, remember, there is always something else to buy. With money in your pocket you have a lot of options. Keep the money and invest or buy a card or set from a different genre(could be cheap or low grade).

In the end, the cards seem to have brought much joy to your life and there is no price to put on that. You already got your time and money's worth. The extra cash in the bank account is just a bonus.

You did very well. Be proud.

PSARich

Gemint and anyone interested. I sent my first lot of 11 cards to Memory Lane last month and they will be in their May auction. These are are sampling of part of my collection so I felt they would provide a good start. I plan on sending a few similar lots to a couple of the other major auction houses and then decide which I want to consign the bulk of my collection. The cards I sent to Memory Lane include:

1934 Goudey #32 Blondy Ryan PSA 9
1935 Diamond Stars #67 Marvin Owen PSA 8
1936 Diamond Stars #22 Jimmy Wilson PSA 8
1950 Bowman #144 Al Evans PSA 9
1950 Bowman #151 Fred Hutchinson PSA 9
1950 Bowman #197 Johnny Wyrostek PSA 9
1959 Topps #20 Duke Snider PSA 9
1959 Topps #457 Dodgers Team Card PSA 9
1959 Topps 509 Norm Cash RC PSA 9
1959 Topps #510 Yankees Team Card PSA 9
1970 Topps #350 Roberto Clemente PSA 9

Please know I am not promoting any auction house or encouraging anyone to bid on these cards. I am just responding to some interest from the posts in case anyone wants to follow the results. Perhaps it will provide an idea of current vintage card values to anyone considering selling their collection. If anyone is not familiar with the normal format of selling through an auction house, the consignor receives the final bid amount on the item and the auction house charges the buyer an additional 20% "buyer's premium" which is how they make their money. The buyer of course has added sales tax if applicable and then shipping and handling costs.

Thanks again to everyone who posted to my story. I appreciate the kind words and being able to identify with so many who share similar collecting experiences. I have recently reflected of how when I started out the hobby was more for enjoyment and pure collecting....investing and profit were certainly not ignored but were definitely a side issue. As it turned out I have benefited from the joy of collecting as well as having what turned out to be a fine investment. The best advice I ever got was to 1) buy the highest graded cards of stars and HOFers I could afford, and 2) if you decide to build a set, buy the most expensive cards first as they are the ones they will increase in value the most over time compared to commons.

Happy collecting dear friends.
Rich

Vagabond

The best advice I ever got was to 1) buy the highest graded cards of stars and HOFers I could afford, and 2) if you decide to build a set, buy the most expensive cards first as they are the ones they will increase in value the most over time compared to commons.

100% Agreed. Solid advice.

Ahmanfan

@gemint said:
This has been weighing on me as well. I'm not close to selling my collection and am, in fact, still building it. However, I worry about how my wife will deal with it if I check out before her. I've given instructions on options for consigning it but the bigger challenge is that she will have no clue on how to look up the cost basis and would therefore be taxed at full resale value for most cards.

I hope you'll link us to your auctions so we can track them as you consign them.

Gem- since cost basis won’t change you could start accumulating that data on a spreadsheet now to make things easier later.

gemint

Thanks for posting the list Rich. I don't think people will be offended by this thread. If you can continue to post what you consign in the BST forum, it will help us track the sales and/or bid on items we're interested in.

Ahmanfan - Yes, this is what I'll have to do. It takes quite a lot of time to research and pull the information and I'm usually just trying to stay updated with the cost basis for what I've recently sold for tax purposes. Usually it consists of digging through emails until I locate the purchase. Of course for items bought years ago without a receipt, it's 0 cost basis.

Ahmanfan

I’d at least add some value to the original long ago purchases if even a small amount. That’s me personally. You know they cost SOMETHING so help yourself out.

craig44

I am all for people collecting how they want/what they want. and selling whenever they want.

personally, I never have been able to understand (other than it being a need for instant liquid capital) why a lifelong collector would decide to sell out. I am not talking dealers or flippers etc. just someone like me who has collected for 30-50 years.

To me, most of my collection is worth far more than the money i could sell it for. I enjoy it worlds more than the cash money i could have sitting in a bank account after selling out. personal opinion only.

I do have instructions in place for the best places and ways to liquidate my collection after I die, if that is what my familly wants to do. like most of us, i have many sets etc with little value, < $100. if that is too overwhelming, they can donate if they dont want to sell. the big pieces are easy enough to package and ship off to auction.

I have been responsible for several passed loves ones earthly possessions. I guess for me it just didnt seem too overwhelming to take care of it. keep what is sentimental, sell what is saleable and donate/toss the rest.

My cards just give me far more pleasure than the money i could trade them for ever would. Just one guys view

best of luck with your sale!

coinkat

Great write up... the one comment I was surprised to read was the last card... a topps 1957 Frank Lary over a 1954 or 55 Kaline. The history of the game and the connection you have to it is what resonates well... what a great collecting experience-thanks for sharing and hope all goes well in your future selling endeavors.

brad31

Good luck with your sales. Looks like you are taking it slow which to me makes sense. If I ever part with anything, I think that is the approach I will take - but I find it hard to imagine.

From what you have shown us you have beautiful cards. Keep showing off - love the pictures. Glad you have had years of enjoyment. Having some graded will make it easier for your heirs if you decide selling off is not for you.

By the way cannot stop looking at your Roberts.

PSARich

Craig44:

I have always enjoyed reading your posts on the forum!

I know what you're saying and because of that I struggled with my decision. I retired at age 65 and have invested well in my lifetime so I don't need the money, at least not right now. Some issues that impacted my decision were 1) could I complete sets?. My 1959 Topps set for example, is 60% complete in PSA 9 but I have realized that I will not be able to complete it due to escalating costs of the major cards I don't have. And as vintage set collectors know, once you get past 50% complete in high grade, the chase becomes very difficult/expensive, and 2) I find there are many cards in my collection that I have not looked at in years, so I won't miss them. These two points made my decision easier. So these parts of my collection will go first. I will take my time liquidating the rest of my collection and continue to enjoy what remains until I get to the last cards to go, namely my Mantle collection. They will be hard to relinquish! . I guess the purpose of my post was to share how difficult it was for me to just make the decision that it is time to start letting go and figuring out how to best do it.

I have set aside some complete sets with minimal value for my grandchildren and they can do with them as they want. i.e. 1980 -1990 Topps baseball sets. I have also made a couple trips to Goodwill with large boxes of overproduced cards from the junk wax era.

I appreciate your passion and enjoyment of the hobby. I miss the days when collectors like yourself made up the vast majority of attendees at card shows. The sports card world is a little more difficult to navigate these days but the opportunity for enjoyment is still there. You clearly appreciate the hobby and the enjoy your cards.

PSARich

Due to requests, here are a few more favorites.

The 1950 Bowmans are my favorite set as the colors just pop off the cardboard. It took me a long time to save up for the 1952 Mick. I bought it in 2015. It seemed the longer I saved up $$, the more expensive the card became so I pulled the trigger at the Atlantic City National Convention. I had the 1968 Mantle for many years in a card saver but had stored it away (actually misplaced it) until I found it this past summer. Sent it to PSA in July and after it was graded I got a nice email which informed me of the grade and that my invoice for grading would be increasing considerably. I was happy to pay it!

Vagabond

Outstanding! What do you think would be the last three cards you would hang onto the longest? Doesn't have to be in terms of value but I am guessing the 52 Mick would be one.

Edit: I dunt spell two gud.

brad31

Love that Snider. You have an amazing collection.

PSARich

Vigabond:
Probably the 1956 and 1952 Mantles and my 1957 Topps Frank Lary.

BLUEJAYWAY

Hope you are not burdened with a large tax bite at time of sale.

Panama Mutiny (Formerly lawyer05)

i am in love with my cardboard, why else would i have it