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If you had $50,000 to "invest" in cards, what would you buy?

RonBurgundyRonBurgundy Posts: 5,491 ✭✭✭
in Trading Cards & Memorabilia Forum
Wish I had this much of course, but I was thinking about it and $50K is an amount that presents a lot of options, but you still have to make choices because it won't buy everything.



Ron
Ron Burgundy

Buying Vintage, all sports.
Buying Woody Hayes, Les Horvath, Vic Janowicz, and Jesse Owens autographed items

Comments

  • ChrisCChrisC Posts: 435
    I would do the NFL HOF RC set. I would have to research the costs and determine what grade i could complete it in. Others would be NFL HOF Auto set, 35 Chicle and maybe a Mantle player set.
  • shagrotn77shagrotn77 Posts: 5,621 ✭✭✭✭
    I'd try to get someone to go in with me on a low-grade, graded Wagner. They never go down in price. If I could get 2 investors to go in on a 2, I'm sure we could all make a nice profit in 2-3 years time.
    "My father would womanize, he would drink. He would make outrageous claims like he invented the question mark. Sometimes he would accuse chestnuts of being lazy. The sort of general malaise that only the genius possess and the insane lament. Our childhood was typical. Summers in Rangoon, luge lessons. In the spring we'd make meat helmets. When we were insolent we were placed in a burlap bag and beaten with reeds - pretty standard really."
  • perkdogperkdog Posts: 31,328 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Psa 8 Mantles (50's)
  • TreetopTreetop Posts: 1,474 ✭
    Babe Ruth Cards
    HOF's 1914 Cracker Jack Cards
    Joe Jackson Rookie Card
    Link to my current Ebay auctions

    "If I ever decided to do a book, I've already got the title-The Bases Were Loaded and So Was I"-Jim Fregosi
  • JasP24JasP24 Posts: 4,645 ✭✭✭


    << <i>I would do the NFL HOF RC set. I would have to research the costs and determine what grade I could complete it in. Others would be NFL HOF Auto set, 35 Chicle and maybe a Mantle player set. >>



    50K on the NFL HOF RC set would net you something in the 5.50-6.50 GPA range when complete...

    Jason
    I'm here to question, not to inspire or build up. To live how I want, as I see fit,
    according to my values and my needs. Nothing holds dominion over me, I stand alone as the ruler of my life.
  • originalisbestoriginalisbest Posts: 5,971 ✭✭✭✭
    Decent '52 Mantle, or, HIGH-grade 50's-60's Mantles.
  • BobSBobS Posts: 1,738 ✭✭
    Invest?

    Two options, that's it.

    1) Vintage unopened material.

    2) Mickey Mantle
  • MeteoriteGuyMeteoriteGuy Posts: 7,140 ✭✭
    "50K on the NFL HOF RC set would net you something in the 5.50-6.50 GPA range when complete...

    Jason"

    Cool, that is where I would put the $50,000.

    Mark
    Collecting PSA graded Steve Young, Marcus Allen, Bret Saberhagen and 1980s Topps Cards.
    Raw: Tony Gonzalez (low #'d cards, and especially 1/1's) and Steve Young.
  • lickablebeanlickablebean Posts: 373
    I'd blow it on one card. Not many people have a $50,000 card. image
  • milbrocomilbroco Posts: 2,759 ✭✭✭✭
    I would make my friend an offer for his unopened 1972 Baseball wax box any any other unopened vintage I could find.
    Bob
    ebay seller name milbroco
    email bcmiller7@comcast.net
  • MajorDanbyMajorDanby Posts: 1,343
    Investing is different from collecting.

    If i was investing in cards, i would go with pre war caramels. Next would be high demand rookies (mantle, mays, aaron, maris).

    If i was collecting, I wouldnt "diversify" as much. I would go with the rare T206's (magie, plank, o'hara, demmitt), 1915 CJs and d304's.
    My Auctions

  • bifff257bifff257 Posts: 751 ✭✭


    << <i>Wish I had this much of course, but I was thinking about it and $50K is an amount that presents a lot of options, but you still have to make choices because it won't buy everything. >>



    some pre-war stuff (Ruth, Cobb, etc)

    Also would love to put together a high end 53 bowman color set.
  • yawie99yawie99 Posts: 2,575 ✭✭✭
    I don't know if high-grade '50s stuff - even the major RC's - would be such a smart buy. I'm guessing a lot of it has been flat or even declined since the early part of this decade. I'd go prewar, but I'm not sure where. Caramels have already boomed, so I'd probably try to find series that still have room for that kind of explosive growth. Or go with blue-chip rarities, like the T206 Plank that's been mentioned.
    imageimageimageimageimageimage
  • originalisbestoriginalisbest Posts: 5,971 ✭✭✭✭
    Prewar is not neccessarily any better of a "guarantee" than superb-shape '50s key players. In particular, caramel issues, since more often that not the likenesses aren't as good as on the tobacco issues. Scarcities like George Millers, etc. are neat to own, but possibly not great investment ideas. Probably, sticking with the best-known and loved players of *any* era would be a smart move, and in terms of pre-war, picking their most attractive cards. I'd rather have a superior grade Cap Anson than an average-shape Plank, if investment is the idea.
  • yawie99yawie99 Posts: 2,575 ✭✭✭
    There's definitely no guarantees, but I think true rarities might be safer than condition rarities right now, given all the doom and gloom surrounding the grading and auction industry. (Plus I just like 'em more.) But I do agree that the icons of their era would be a good way to go.
    imageimageimageimageimageimage
  • handymanhandyman Posts: 5,409 ✭✭✭✭✭
    E90-1 Joe Jackson the highest that could buy.
  • originalisbestoriginalisbest Posts: 5,971 ✭✭✭✭
    Not that there's anything wrong with Eddie Plank, of course!

    I guess the ultimate combo of rarity + big name card would be a nice Wagner (and not "the" Wagner, I'd rather have a nice, presentable and uncontroversial copy.)
  • IndianaJonesIndianaJones Posts: 346 ✭✭✭
    I know that the key word is "invest," but honestly, whenever I was buying cards with the idea of investing, for some reason, I couldn't pick 'em if my life depended on it. Besides, then you get consumed with "is this the best time to sell, is this the peak of this particular market, or will it take off again, and so on, and so on....." I thank God that I did not invest in cards much. Now, having said that, IF I had $50K that I HAD to spend on cards, I would choose something that I absolutely loved and was so passionate about that the joy it would give me would be worth every penny of that $50K. If I had had that $50K last December, I would have fought in Mastro Auctions for that 1953 Stahl-Meyer Franks complete set they offered. There were 5 of the 6 PSA9's and all of those were 1 of 1's. Those are some of the most beautiful cards ever made, to me. Their rarity is confirmed again and again, with virtually no chance of a whole slew of them being discovered. Granted, nothing is guaranteed for any card, but we have to make an educated, researched choice SOME TIME. One of the most beautiful, rare, and valuable Mickey Mantle cards is in that set. All the other eight were great or decent players from the three New York teams. I wish I knew the heritage of that particular set. So, it went for $44K, with the juice. I'd hand 'em the $50K RIGHT NOW, take the cards, and run! They could have the change! Going back, if I may, to what I originally said, when I invested, I bombed; when I bought what really interested me and attracted my eye, I almost always got top dollar when I sold. The trouble is, at $50K, you'd want to be pretty sure of what you were spending. I'd still buy that Mastro Auctions' 1953 Stahl-Meyer set!! --IndianaJones
  • fandangofandango Posts: 2,622 ✭
    Long time lurker Indiana Jones?



    i would buy 1914 cracker jacks.....

    and Pujols Auto Rookiesimage
  • originalisbestoriginalisbest Posts: 5,971 ✭✭✭✭
    Well, if I was gonna get the Cracker Jacks, it sure would be nice to find a "factory set" of them, along with the album(s) meant to display them. But that probably belongs in the unlimited $$$ thread. image
  • IndianaJonesIndianaJones Posts: 346 ✭✭✭
    Fandango---Yes, it is I, lurkin' since about 2001, or so. I compliment you on your choice. If a PSA5 or better 1914 Christy Matthewson became available.........ah, what a gorgeous card! I wish you well in your pursuit. ---IndianaJones
  • SidePocketSidePocket Posts: 2,901 ✭✭✭
    High grade Willie Mays cards through 1967. Still undervalued, but the light will come on.

    "Molon Labe"

  • SkinpinchSkinpinch Posts: 1,531
    Man, I would be hesitant to invest in any baseball card right now. I think the better question is which card has the best chance of NOT going down in value(relative to the value of money).

    Even though pre war can't sustain the growth it has seen, that will always retain its value the best.

    I would stay away from investing in ANY PSA 9 or 10 graded card, as they have nowhere to go but down...and could go way down if you have a doctored one.

  • prscott933prscott933 Posts: 1,976
    vintage OPC baseball? otherwise i don't think you can go wrong with rare t206's
    White Whales:
    1996 Select Certified Mirror Gold Ozzie Smith
    2006 Bowman Chrome Orange Refractor Chris Carpenter
  • gregm13gregm13 Posts: 5,798 ✭✭✭
    I'd try and finish my NFL HOF rookie set and HOF auto'd card set. That would cost me at least $50k!!

    Regards,

    Greg M.
    Collecting vintage auto'd fb cards and Dan Marino cards!!

    References:
    Onlychild, Ahmanfan, fabfrank, wufdude, jradke, Reese, Jasp, thenavarro
    E-Bay id: greg_n_meg
  • OimbotbOimbotb Posts: 19
    I would probably start with this

    Joltin Joe
  • fandangofandango Posts: 2,622 ✭


    << <i>Man, I would be hesitant to invest in any baseball card right now. I think the better question is which card has the best chance of NOT going down in value(relative to the value of money).

    Even though pre war can't sustain the growth it has seen, that will always retain its value the best.

    I would stay away from investing in ANY PSA 9 or 10 graded card, as they have nowhere to go but down...and could go way down if you have a doctored one. >>



    a little down on the hobby are you?
  • 1960toppsguy1960toppsguy Posts: 1,127 ✭✭
    EASY, the most under valued card in the hobby . . . 1963 PETE ROSE rookie cards in PSA-8 and PSA-9image
  • cohocorpcohocorp Posts: 1,371 ✭✭
    pretty much any joe jackson and honus wagner cards.
    my ebay listings
  • RipublicaninMassRipublicaninMass Posts: 10,051 ✭✭✭
    Here is a start


    image

    image
  • BoopottsBoopotts Posts: 6,784 ✭✭
    A couple cases of UD Exquisite (basketball) once it comes out would be a fine start. With this rookie class I think this is going to be a terrific buy. What with all the hand wringing out there regarding sophisticated alteration techniques, etc., I would be leary of buying high dollar graded cards for investment purposes.... but a case of Exquisite seems pretty safe to me. I'm still kicking myself for not stashing away some '03 when it came out, and I wouldn't want to make that mistake again.
  • fiveninerfiveniner Posts: 4,111 ✭✭✭
    As many unopened packs of 1959 Topps $50 Grand could buy.
    Tony(AN ANGEL WATCHES OVER ME)
  • fandangofandango Posts: 2,622 ✭
    why 1959? why not 1953 or 1952 for that matter?
  • SkinpinchSkinpinch Posts: 1,531



    Fandango, I'm not down on the hobby. I would just be very careful with my money as an ivestment at this time on some things(some more than others). There is the natural up and down of the hobby, and then there is the looming aspect of the C h i t hitting the fan on a sector. I can't predict it would happen, but it looms.

    I am simply saying to look to 'invest' on things that have the best chance of simply retaining their value(relative to the value of money), so one doesn't take a bath in something. If it is extra money, and you like the stuff that has a chance to decline, then buy it if you enjoy it. If it goes down in value, it isn't any different than the value your car loses when you drive it off the lot. If it gives enjoyment, and you can afford a loss, then go for it.

    Personally, I am looking at the looming expense of an in ground pool, with patio. That is a pretty big bite into any hobby money for me. If it weren't for that, I would be spending on a lot of things.

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