Positive comments on the state of our hobby . . .

scotgreb

Not that many of us are in this for investment purposes but it's nice to see our hobby doing well.

Following are post-auction comments from Greg Bussineau:

"The market for rare and/or very high-grade sportscards is the strongest it's been in the last five years. In this auction, a number of popular and important cards sold for the highest prices on record. Also, we added close to 100 ne registered bidders since our last sale, which confirms that interest in sports collectibles continues to grow."

RipublicaninMass

on an ironic note, I sold a card to Keith Olbermann

fiveniner

I never got into this for profit or investment.Been a collector since I was a kid..I stll wish for the days when you could trade your Mickey Mantle for your buddys
Al Kaline.

scotgreb

Tony --

You can still trade your Mickey Mantles for my Al Kalines

Scott

fur72

Nice to see a positive post. I to do not care about value of cards. I am a set collector for completion, the history and the art.

trex

<< <i>I never got into this for profit or investment.Been a collector since I was a kid..I stll wish for the days when you could trade your Mickey Mantle for your buddys
Al Kaline. >>



Tony, when I was a kid I once got a 57 Duke Snider out of a pack form the grocery store across the street. My neighbor offered to trade me a 57 Mantle for the Snider and I wouldn't do it. Snider and Hodges were my favorites at that young age and I wouldn't have traded that card for anything. Like you, it's not for profit it's all nostalgia.

bigreddog

Im glad to see that there are still nostalgia collectors out there.
Todays hobby enviorment tends to force one to play the buying and selling game
to support ones collection needs and Ive never looked at cards as a money investment.
Its nice to think ones colection holds a money value, but the day "whats it Worth", priceguides
and TPGer labels become more important than the CARDS, Is the day I leave the hobby.

John

MinorLeaguer

I am sure that the latest stock market run-up and pickup in employment has helped the industry in the last year. Dare I say inflation may also be helping? Collecting can be for both enjoyment and investing. Buy what you like for enjoyment. For investing, if you do not have deep pockets, I think there are plenty unknown tougher or less followed cards from the late 70's and 80's. But they weren't nationally produced. Use the PSA report, eBay and card encycolpedias to weed them out. A little wind in their sails and they could take off. Now you may not have a $10,000 card someday but plenty of $50 to $100 cards are out there today that could be $250, $500 or $1000 someday. Here's one I thought was a steal on eBay with only 16 ever graded; 3 in PSA 9 and none in 10:
1979 Raines PSA 9

Yes you can find the set. 2 were for sale in the last 60 days on eBay, but you may have to buy 10 sets at $60 each until you find one that will grade a 9 and at 2 available a month, you will need 5 months and we don't know how many sets are still out there that you could even buy that many. But look at the difference in the 1979 Raines in PSA 9 at $68 vs. the 1981 Topps with 1649 graded; 559 in PSA 9 and 45 in 10. Plus add Donruss, Fleer, etc. and well, the 1981 Tim Raines is not rare by any means and you can get a raw one for a few dollars at most. That would be for enjoyment. The 1981 Topps Traded has 240 graded; 91 in PSA 9 and 21 in PSA 10 and goes for about $55 in PSA 9. That is much rarer than the regular issue but not too rare and we are unsure how many ungraded are still available. The numbers tell me the 1979 Memphis Chicks is investment grade and if the population remains low, as I will reckon it will, you could have some nice appreciation. But the caveat is you will need to count on the industry shifting someday to a "stockpickers" approach.

jmmiller777

I'm a collector too, a set builder. I would like to think that most of us here collectors. Ya, I once sold a card, it was that 2007, I think Topps Gold Jeter card with Mantle and President Bush in the pict. I was serial numbered to maybe 250 or 500. I sold it for something like $220. That is really the only thing I have sold, everything has been a trade. I've been building sets of the sixties for 15 years now, but always get side tracked by other projects I find good deals on; 75 minis, kelloggs PSA, 64 PSA coins, and of course buiulding master sets of Heritage baseball.

jmmiller777

<< <i>

<< <i>I never got into this for profit or investment.Been a collector since I was a kid..I stll wish for the days when you could trade your Mickey Mantle for your buddys
Al Kaline. >>



Tony, when I was a kid I once got a 57 Duke Snider out of a pack form the grocery store across the street. My neighbor offered to trade me a 57 Mantle for the Snider and I wouldn't do it. Snider and Hodges were my favorites at that young age and I wouldn't have traded that card for anything. Like you, it's not for profit it's all nostalgia. >>



In 1966, my family went on vacation to SoCal. We lived in NoCal. When my cousin proudly displayed card number 1 to me, the bargaining process began. I felt like I won. I slipped that Willie Mays card in my back pocket and it went all the way back home with me, safely tucked in my blue jeans back pocket. I checked it from time to time on the trip back, looking at stats and records. Once home, I gladly placed that darn no good Drysdale card in an envelope and mom mailed it to him. Shoot, Mays for Drysdale any ole day to an 11 yr old Giants fan. To this day, my 1966 EX+ set proudly displays the only fair to good card (creased & wrinkled) in the set. I wouldn't trade it for an EX+ card either, no way, now how.

bigreddog

<< <i>I am sure that the latest stock market run-up and pickup in employment has helped the industry in the last year. Dare I say inflation may also be helping? Collecting can be for both enjoyment and investing. Buy what you like for enjoyment. For investing, if you do not have deep pockets, I think there are plenty unknown tougher or less followed cards from the late 70's and 80's. But they weren't nationally produced. Use the PSA report, eBay and card encycolpedias to weed them out. A little wind in their sails and they could take off. Now you may not have a $10,000 card someday but plenty of $50 to $100 cards are out there today that could be $250, $500 or $1000 someday. Here's one I thought was a steal on eBay with only 16 ever graded; 3 in PSA 9 and none in 10:
1979 Raines PSA 9

Yes you can find the set. 2 were for sale in the last 60 days on eBay, but you may have to buy 10 sets at $60 each until you find one that will grade a 9 and at 2 available a month, you will need 5 months and we don't know how many sets are still out there that you could even buy that many. But look at the difference in the 1979 Raines in PSA 9 at $68 vs. the 1981 Topps with 1649 graded; 559 in PSA 9 and 45 in 10. Plus add Donruss, Fleer, etc. and well, the 1981 Tim Raines is not rare by any means and you can get a raw one for a few dollars at most. That would be for enjoyment. The 1981 Topps Traded has 240 graded; 91 in PSA 9 and 21 in PSA 10 and goes for about $55 in PSA 9. That is much rarer than the regular issue but not too rare and we are unsure how many ungraded are still available. The numbers tell me the 1979 Memphis Chicks is investment grade and if the population remains low, as I will reckon it will, you could have some nice appreciation. But the caveat is you will need to count on the industry shifting someday to a "stockpickers" approach. >>




Your classic "whats it worth" label collector here. Might as well be blank pieces of paper in the slabs.

Will you still want the card when the population doubles/Triples and the price drops?

sportscardtheory

<< <i>I am sure that the latest stock market run-up and pickup in employment has helped the industry in the last year. Dare I say inflation may also be helping? Collecting can be for both enjoyment and investing. Buy what you like for enjoyment. For investing, if you do not have deep pockets, I think there are plenty unknown tougher or less followed cards from the late 70's and 80's. But they weren't nationally produced. Use the PSA report, eBay and card encycolpedias to weed them out. A little wind in their sails and they could take off. Now you may not have a $10,000 card someday but plenty of $50 to $100 cards are out there today that could be $250, $500 or $1000 someday. Here's one I thought was a steal on eBay with only 16 ever graded; 3 in PSA 9 and none in 10:
1979 Raines PSA 9

Yes you can find the set. 2 were for sale in the last 60 days on eBay, but you may have to buy 10 sets at $60 each until you find one that will grade a 9 and at 2 available a month, you will need 5 months and we don't know how many sets are still out there that you could even buy that many. But look at the difference in the 1979 Raines in PSA 9 at $68 vs. the 1981 Topps with 1649 graded; 559 in PSA 9 and 45 in 10. Plus add Donruss, Fleer, etc. and well, the 1981 Tim Raines is not rare by any means and you can get a raw one for a few dollars at most. That would be for enjoyment. The 1981 Topps Traded has 240 graded; 91 in PSA 9 and 21 in PSA 10 and goes for about $55 in PSA 9. That is much rarer than the regular issue but not too rare and we are unsure how many ungraded are still available. The numbers tell me the 1979 Memphis Chicks is investment grade and if the population remains low, as I will reckon it will, you could have some nice appreciation. But the caveat is you will need to count on the industry shifting someday to a "stockpickers" approach. >>



Nice write up. I never even knew that card existed. I would like to get one now.

melvin289

I am more a coin person than anything else, but it works the same way with sports cards too. It seems like on the coin side that when something comes up with a low population and mention of higher prices they come out of the woodwork. I know I'm not telling y'all anything you don't already know but that's the trouble with collecting modern coins. You just don't know how many are stashed away with someone waiting to capitalize on them.

By the way this is not meant to be a negative statement to ruin a positive thread. As Sgt. Joe Friday said, "Just the facts Ma'am."

Ron

PowderedH2O

I have never cared what the cards were worth. If they were going for what they were when i started, that would be fine with me. I have noticed trends though. On some of the sets I collect, I have set sort of a top line that I am willing to pay for a common. So, when I bid, I take that number and subtract the shipping and my bid is roughly that number, give or take a few cents. I've bought a lot of commons this way. In those same sets, I can't find those commons anymore at those prices. I've had to raise my numbers. The values are going up. At least they are in 50's cards.

MinorLeaguer

Well in this particular case, if the population ever triples to 48 cards ever graded, assuming proportional grades, there would then be 9 in PSA 9 and still none in 10. I'd still gladly pay $68 for it in PSA 9 as and investment -and- enjoy looking at it and showing it off to those that never knew it existed. Best of both worlds, super small investment and enjoyment. Of course, if one has 1,000, 5,000 or 10,000 of these small $68 investments...

jmmiller777

<< <i>I have never cared what the cards were worth. If they were going for what they were when i started, that would be fine with me. I have noticed trends though. On some of the sets I collect, I have set sort of a top line that I am willing to pay for a common. So, when I bid, I take that number and subtract the shipping and my bid is roughly that number, give or take a few cents. I've bought a lot of commons this way. In those same sets, I can't find those commons anymore at those prices. I've had to raise my numbers. The values are going up. At least they are in 50's cards. >>



Ditto on the 60's cards too. I go through the same process as well.