Best unopened modern Baseball investment?

Yankees001

Of the packs from 1986 to now what are the best Box's to pick up for the future? I've been thinking about picking up some promising items while the price is down. Mostly looking at Topps, since the other card companies no longer produce Baseball.

I've pretty much already scratched off most stuff from this era. Anything 1988, 1990-1992, 1986 (No Rookies), 1987 (Major Rookies are linked to PED'S, hurting value).

1989 - Nice Rookies, but they missed Griffey.
1993 - Jeter

Does anyone think that 1987 will ever be worth anything? Will Bonds or Canseco be up in value in the next 8-10 years?

The only boxes I see worth picking up is 1989 Upper Deck.

I've eliminated 1990 Leaf. Series 1's big card has issues, Sosa and PED's. Series 2 has Thomas and Larry Walker. It's series 1 that hurts this set to me.

Opinions on other sets worth looking in to???

Dave

Foo3112

With so many Griffeys graded 10 out there and still many Upperdeck sealed boxes available, I wouldn't even say that that is even a good investment. When you think about it today, Upperdecks first year was in 1989 so that was 14 years ago and yet boxes continue to sell just under 100. I wouldn't call that an investment. There are better things to investment in still such as Topps wax boxes from the early 80's wax and even better if they are in nice condition. The years you mentioned I don't think are ready although 87 and 89 did have a nice selection of rookies but with so much production, its really hard to say today because even after almost 30 years, they still have little to no value.

Meatloaf

<< <i>When you think about it today, Upperdecks first year was in 1989 so that was 14 years ago and yet boxes continue to sell just under 100. >>



Umm....not to be that guy here, but it is 24+ years, not 14. FYI.

Yankees001

I've been thinking about the years I collected the most 1987-1993. I was hoping someone could find something positive about any of the sets.

So, 1989 Upper Deck is the best set. BUT, you think their might me some major hoards of cases out their.

My childhood sucked.

The problem I have with the 1970's to early 1980's is that the prices have already gone up a lot. I can't see them going up much more. The main cards are not raising in value, they are rather stable.

Thanks for the comments.

Dave

brianwintersfan

<< <i>

<< <i>When you think about it today, Upperdecks first year was in 1989 so that was 14 years ago and yet boxes continue to sell just under 100. >>



Umm....not to be that guy here, but it is 24+ years, not 14. FYI. >>



Math is so overrated

Foo3112

LMBO. Dang iPad and my fat fingers. 24 is the number I thought I entered. Too funny.

mattinglymint23

What makes a good investment?
1) desirable players
2) scarcity
3) buyers willing to pay high prices - and access to this market with little overhead

ABellPharmD

None of the Topps in that time is worth it, except for maybe their Desert Shield. If you could land the 93 SP, then you'd be working with something.

Baez578

I'm surprised no one mentioned the Tiffany sets. Those are as best an investment in junk wax era you're going to get. And desert shield.

Watch out for 93SP, Someone on another post made a good point those cards tend to stick together after being so many years unopened.

Juggs

92 Bowman?

CubsKiller99

<< <i>None of the Topps in that time is worth it, except for maybe their Desert Shield. If you could land the 93 SP, then you'd be working with something. >>



+1

Some say the Mendooza line for Topps is around 1985, I personally wouldn't go later than 1983 for investment.
And if I you have deep pockets I'd set the line at 1980.

But just for fun and not investment, any of the 1980s Topps issues are a blast to rip. You can get
1988 and 1989 Topps wax cases for $140 and a box for $8. Then rip away.

rtimmer

<< <i>I've been thinking about the years I collected the most 1987-1993. I was hoping someone could find something positive about any of the sets.

So, 1989 Upper Deck is the best set. BUT, you think their might me some major hoards of cases out their.

My childhood sucked.

The problem I have with the 1970's to early 1980's is that the prices have already gone up a lot. I can't see them going up much more. The main cards are not raising in value, they are rather stable.

Thanks for the comments.

Dave >>



If you're committed to those years I'd go with basketball rather than baseball for an investment.

gameusedhoop

I like Baez's example of Tiffany sets, and would add the 1993 Topps Rockies and Marlins Inaugural Sets to that list. Jeter rookie and limited print run makes it a nice keeper. Can be had EASILY for $100, usually less.

With alot of the wax you have expired redemption cards for the big hits, at least with the sets you aren't paying for something that might be in them, you get the whole thing.

zurbs17

If you consider making 10% per year a good investment then your initial investment needs to double in 7 years I believe. I don't see any of those baseball boxes doubling in that time frame.

WalterSobchak

Assuming you mean boxes that are somewhat affordable (Desert Shield is through the roof, and 93 SP has gotten pretty expensive), I'd have to go with 92 Bowman as the 'investment' box from that era simply by process of elimination. It's the least crappy option.

3BoyzTrading

Agreed, 1992 Bowman would have to be the box to buy. Anything else is either garbage or has already peaked.

doog71

I like to stash unopened Topps Heritage boxes...

ReggieCleveland

There's an array of items from the late-80s/early-90s that run the spectrum from impossible to rare to difficult. The majority of them weren't issued in wax form (or, if they were, it was a fluke mistake that you can't bank on by purchasing unopened from the issue). I think the problem you're going to run into (and will in all of these types of threads) is that if there's something obscure that most don't know about, no one's going to post about it in a thread on a public forum.

I do find it funny though that the era seems to have come full circle. Back then, everyone thought they were going to pay for their kids college by speculating or investing in the baseball card game. Then came the realization that the amount that was produced in the era was borderline unfathomable and everyone spent years lamenting the storage space their kindling was taking up. Now, people are revisiting the era with more speculation and investment talk. You know what the definition of insanity is, right? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

Mapleleaf

<< <i>

I do find it funny though that the era seems to have come full circle. Back then, everyone thought they were going to pay for their kids college by speculating or investing in the baseball card game. Then came the realization that the amount that was produced in the era was borderline unfathomable and everyone spent years lamenting the storage space their kindling was taking up. Now, people are revisiting the era with more speculation and investment talk. You know what the definition of insanity is, right? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. >>



They could have easily paid for their kids college by buying baseball cards and saving them - just not the new ones at the time.

eagles33

I don't thin 93 sp is worth it because the cards stick together and get ruined. You would be way better off just buying a bunch of jeters already slabbed and sit on. Even that prob won't turn out that great because 100s of other people prob think tge same thing. The only thing I think has true potential is desert shield packs in the bbce wrap. I wish I got one a few months ago when they were part of the group rip but backed out when psa balked on grading them.

mygotta

I personally like 1987 despite its over abundance more than 1989. I think the PED's will affect some, but not all of the players. Some players are just well liked while others may wait to get into the Hall as A-Rod, Braun and others get their turn. I dont think its the best investment, but it still has potential with a great rookie crop and HOF'ers including honorary HOF'er Pete Rose.

1985 is relatively expensive compared to any of the years that follow, but 1984 Topps (not counting Fleer or Donruss) still is on the cheap side with solid cards including Mattingly rookie. Even Strawberry in a high end slab commands a few bucks. Plus all the second year cards and then the HOF'ers.

After about 1994 I am in the dark with most of the sets as they are too spread out in varying forms to understand. You would need a good family tree model to really break it down properly.

Yankees001

<< <i>Assuming you mean boxes that are somewhat affordable (Desert Shield is through the roof, and 93 SP has gotten pretty expensive), I'd have to go with 92 Bowman as the 'investment' box from that era simply by process of elimination. It's the least crappy option. >>



That is a set I didn't even think about. I am looking for something affordable. Desert Shield is overpriced in my opinion, and the same for the 1993 SP. Topps Tiffany did not come out in packs.

This was just something I was thinking about, and could only come up with 1989 UD LOW. This is a great set. I do question if their are many out their. Yes, their is less of them then Topps, Donruss, Fleer or Score. BUT, are their major hoards yet to hit the market that will drive the prices down?

This same question comes up with the 1992 Bowman.

Boxes from 1978-84 have gone way up. 1985 is not a year I would touch right now. Will Clemens or McGwire ever go in to the HOF? Will collectors ever go nuts for their rookies and have the value of the cards and packs/boxes go up? This is also a question for 1987 with Bonds and Palmeiro.

Thanks for the feedback.

I'm asking for an investment standpoint. I'm looking at moving out of the country in a couple years, and would like to pick up a few items. I plan on giving these items to my cousin and best friend to hold. In 10, 15, 20 years have him sell them off for me. I might need the money, so I plan on having a backup investment just incase. I might be crazy, but I'm not dumb.

I might look in to 1989 Upper Deck (It is the most popular set of the times) and some 1992 Bowman.

Thanks again,

Dave

ReggieCleveland

The problem with 89 Upper Deck is its entire value is tied up in the Griffey rookie. Considering that UD was literally printing up entire sheets of just the Griffey rookie, I don't imagine there's going to be any kind of drought for the product for quite a long time. Yes, I understand that it's a watershed and iconic card for the hobby but the laws of supply & demand still apply.

It sounds like this is something you're seriously thinking about. If that's the case, I'd point out that all of the product you seem to be mulling over has had 20-25+ years now to appreciate and virtually none of it has. In fact, for an overwhelming majority of it, it's cheaper now than the MSRP when it was released. None of that suggests a solid investment, IMO.

Good luck.

jmmiller777

<< <i>I like to stash unopened Topps Heritage boxes... >>



Me too. Don't be afraid to look at more recent stuff. That 93 whatever stuff still really only brings the Griffey, a single card search out of a box is just not savy. If you want a 93 Griffey, just buy it. I have purchased boxes and cases of Topps Heritage stuff. I'm still buying. I'll tell you why...

Guys like me (58) collected in the 60's. I started in 65 and continued until girls became interesting, but I had all my 60/70's stuff stashed and have been working on those sets for years. It's a work in progress, but when Heritage came out, I really like the thicker card stock, the retro look, and the idea that stars from the 50/60's were included in the set. The Heritage line is now replicating the 1964 Topps set. As we get closer to the 70's. I think there will be a spark of interest from the younger guys and as they start buying those retro cards from the 70's, the Heritage product will be a great alternative to the real deal. We already know that original 70's stuff is way over most budgets.

I have seen 2002/2003 boxes available foe reasonable prices. More recent boxes are very affordable. It would be interesting to see if any of this stuff is moving at the National. Back in the day, Topps made tons and tons of stuff, they only had 2-3 lines they produced. Today, many lines are set to be produced by the pre-orders taken by Topps. So they set production and move on to the next product. As we all know, Topps makes a so many different sets that I think there are a lot of options over the last 10 years to choose from. You don't have to stay in the 80/90's.

doog71

I agree with Jmmiller777 - there are some nice Bowman Chrome boxes to stash with future HOF rookies - they didn't make extreme amounts of that stuff. Those BC boxes that have signed RCs, numbered RC refractors, etc. will be very desirable unopened product in the future.

Some of the 2001 boxes w/Pujols and Ichiro are good ideas to put away too...I personally put away those, Heritage, Bowman Chrome, 1980 Topps, 1981-1986 Topps, Fleer, Donruss, 1992 Bowman, tougher 1993 issues, (like Pinnacle)...

ClockworkAngel

What drives the value of unopened wax these days is the value of High grade cards. 1987 and 1989 unopened wax boxes will never be worth anything because there could be hundreds if not thousands of PSA 10's of every star possible. There's nothing driving the price of wax. A PSA 10 Bonds or Bo Jackson or Larkin RC all exceeds demand.

I think the Dmitri Young auction was an unprecedented milestone in collecting card history as it initiated an explosion in the hobby. It's no coincidence that shortly after this auction is when we saw unopened wax from the 1970's and early 80's really explode. Why? Because 1978 saw a Murray and Molitor RC sell for $5,000-$8,000 each and people saw $300 as a bargain for a box. Same with the Ozzie and 1979, the Henderson and 1980, etc. It's the "what if" mindset that drives wax. What if I pull a PSA 10 out of a 1987 Topps box? Then I have a $5 card lol

SlangNRox

2012 and possibly 2013 Topps Mini boxes.

Yankees001

These are all good points. I have not completely decided to buy any yet. I have a few issues.

When you talk the packs from the 2000's, most of the Rookies have or probably will have a PED link when finished. Sad but true.

1986-1994 Many of the Rookies already have the link. I have noticed a lack of love for most of the players.

Griffey is retired. Of the Rookies from the post-1985 players he seems like the best bet.

1992 Bowman is also a great set, but it's in the middle of the PED era. Their for, will the set have any value?

All the regular set's from the time are junk. All the other 1989 (Griffey) Sets are cheap, and cases are easy to find.

I have always collected with a rule "Collect only what you like, not everything" Three of my favorite sets from my lifetime are 1978, 1979 & 1981 Topps. 1978 & 1979 have already become overpriced, IN MY OPINION. Take it for what it's worth. So far the 1981 rookies have not made the HOF, which hurts the set. Also these packs have peaked, with saying that they will probably double in the next month!!! I just do not feel anything from the Early 1980's and earlier are a value for the price. Anything Post-1985 has other issues (Overproduction and PED'S).

I do like the idea of buying Football or Basketball. Even cards from the 1985-1989 years are still a decent value, and many great players/rookies. I do know they always made less of the other sports. Hockey might also be something to look at.

I guess I have some thinking to do....

Thanks again.

Dave

WalterSobchak

To be clear, my opinion is that you shouldn't do this. But if you're going to do it, I think the boxes that have the best chance to appreciate are 1992 Bowman.

Given your opinions above, maybe 1982 & 1983 wax is your sweet spot. Boxes are still affordable, and the key rookies are pre-steroid era.

Baez578

I would seriously steer clear from 89 UD. That is, simply put, a bad investment.

89UD is an interesting set being their inaugural year and all.
But....facts are facts.

There's over 2million 89 UD Griffey's in production yet only a few thousand 89 Tiffany (both Topps and Bowman). The bubble will continue to burst on 89 UD and you'd be lucky to break even on your "investment" in 15-20 years.

If you're interest is packs and wax boxes. Early 80's Topps is the way to go. Trust me...it hasn't peaked. Ask the guys who thought 75 peaked a few years ago, sold their boxes/cases, and are now kicking themselves after the prices BBCE obtained at this years national.

There's still a way to go with early 80's. Especially 1980.

Rudedawg

A lot of great points and conversation here.

I am with those who suggest looking into basketball and football. If your time frame is 5-10 years, mattymint23 said it well

What makes a good investment?
1) desirable players
2) scarcity
3) buyers willing to pay high prices - and access to this market with little overhead

The dynamics of collecting have changed a lot and BBCE has sparked a lot of attention to unopened, making finding "diamonds in the rough" difficult. As with some here, I'm pretty clueless from 1994 to the present. Your original question of whether 1987 is a good one. When I look at 1987 Donruss, Fleer and Topps..........as a lover of baseball and overall collecting, I think it's a set LOADED with great cards and rookies. However, your concern with PED's makes that year tough to choose. The only solid rookies from the era without PED connections (Bo, Will Clark, etc) won't ever be in the HOF.

All in all, if you invest the same total amount, it doesn't matter whether you have 25 boxes that go from $20 to $40 or 10 boxes that go from $50 to $100. To make any money in the investing world, you buy good fundamentals and things that have been beaten up in price or sentiment.

Best of luck!!!

Juggs

I don't see as much 92 Bowman unopened out there as I do most of the rest mentioned, and with Piazza, Rivera, Hoffman, Delgado and other minor RC's in the set, I think it will always be in demand.

Constantine

<< <i>To be clear, my opinion is that you shouldn't do this. But if you're going to do it, I think the boxes that have the best chance to appreciate are 1992 Bowman.

Given your opinions above, maybe 1982 & 1983 wax is your sweet spot. Boxes are still affordable, and the key rookies are pre-steroid era. >>



This is exactly how I feel when summarizing production, rookies, PEDs, and also nostalgia ripping by collectors. I also like 1990 Leaf which was a memorable premium design. I remember going gaga for packs as a kid. 10s are plentiful as it really isn't condition sensitive, but also boxes aren't expensive either.

WFFL

This has been an interesting read. Great points/posts about possibilities of winners. Speculation with cards is fun and a gamble. It is nice when you get to spend your cash on something you enjoy and have the opportunity for it to appreciate. I have found the last 15 years that purchasing dividend stocks and reinvesting the dividends was a great way to make cash. I then can receive the dividends in cash if I wish to spend on cards I want. Win-win situation.

Time4aGansett

Think of it this way.. if you were investing in stocks, would you put your money in blue chip stocks or penny stocks for long term investing?
That said, I think you will do much better with the early '80s product at today's prices than the late '80s product (excluding the '89 Upper Deck) at today's prices long term.
Sure, some penny stocks could eventually hit it big. But are you lucky enough to know which ones?
I also agree with others on the '89 Upper Deck, '90 Leaf, and '92 Bowman. But I can't envision a scenario where those boxes could exceed supply or demand of the early '80s product.

mesapsa

I'm thinking 1992 Bowman wax boxes will have the highest payback in say 5++ years, Mariano RC is the key here with several other nice cards including Piazza, Delgado, Griffey, Hoffman, C Jones. Another good investment imo would be the 1991 Tools wax cases, the Chipper RC is the key here

WFFL

<< <i>Think of it this way.. if you were investing in stocks, would you put your money in blue chip stocks or penny stocks for long term investing?
That said, I think you will do much better with the early '80s product at today's prices than the late '80s product (excluding the '89 Upper Deck) at today's prices long term.
Sure, some penny stocks could eventually hit it big. But are you lucky enough to know which ones?
I also agree with others on the '89 Upper Deck, '90 Leaf, and '92 Bowman. But I can't envision a scenario where those boxes could exceed supply or demand of the early '80s product. >>



Blue chip stocks = dividend payers...that is why I didn't mention any of the speculation boxes. I too would choose an older card/pack/box, but others have their own likes and styles of collecting and selling.

mgugs46

Thoughts on later 90's wax? There are lots of inserts that sell very well. Mirror Golds, Crusades, some of the Finest refractors, etc.

I know the odds are long on hitting one of the good inserts in a single box, but I'd thing sealed boxes of these would do better than 1987,89,etc Topps, no?

Yankees001

<< <i>Thoughts on later 90's wax? There are lots of inserts that sell very well. Mirror Golds, Crusades, some of the Finest refractors, etc.

I know the odds are long on hitting one of the good inserts in a single box, but I'd thing sealed boxes of these would do better than 1987,89,etc Topps, no? >>



The late 1990's wax probably has more PED issues than early 1990's.

Cakes

How about the 89 Score football? It is pricey though.

ClockworkAngel

<< <i>How about the 89 Score football? It is pricey though. >>



I think it's going to drop big time. There is an over abundance of Sanders and Aikmans in PSA 10. Supply exceeds demand

CubsKiller99

<< <i>I personally like 1987 despite its over abundance more than 1989. >>



So should I get a 1987 vendor case for $90 or a 1988 case for $65?
Prices included shipping. I already have more 1989 than I'll ever want.

mygotta

<< <i>

<< <i>I personally like 1987 despite its over abundance more than 1989. >>



So should I get a 1987 vendor case for $90 or a 1988 case for $65?
Prices included shipping. I already have more 1989 than I'll ever want. >>



I would get 87 over 88 any day of the week. 88 might be under the radar in terms of junk wax, but there really is nothing in it. No rookies besides Tom Glavine. Second year McGwire and Bonds, and late/end of career HOF'ers like Rose, Ryan, Dawson, etc. 87 in my opinion, while the jury is not out on their HOF status, there is good potential with Bonds rookie, Clemens 3rd year, Larkin, Palmeiro, Clark rookies. Nice wood border design that recalls the '62 set. For $40 on BBCE you can get a 3-box rack case. That seems like a good buy in my opinion. Or $80 for a 6-box rack case. I would avoid the vending cases personally.

Whether this is the "BEST" is up for debate. All depends on your budget as well. For $120 you can get a 3-box rack case from 1986. Or for a few grand you can get etc etc. So it does depend on what you are spending and what you want to do. If you want to make a bunch of PSA 10's out of them and flip them, 87 might be a good way to go. If you want to store it away for 10 years, then something else might be a better choice.

ReggieCleveland

<< <i>

<< <i>I personally like 1987 despite its over abundance more than 1989. >>



So should I get a 1987 vendor case for $90 or a 1988 case for $65?
Prices included shipping. I already have more 1989 than I'll ever want. >>



1989. I still need a PSA 10 Mike Greenwell.

CubsKiller99

<< <i>I would get 87 over 88 any day of the week. 88 might be under the radar in terms of junk wax, but there really is nothing in it. No rookies besides Tom Glavine. Second year McGwire and Bonds, and late/end of career HOF'ers like Rose, Ryan, Dawson, etc. 87 in my opinion, while the jury is not out on their HOF status, there is good potential with Bonds rookie, Clemens 3rd year, Larkin, Palmeiro, Clark rookies. Nice wood border design that recalls the '62 set. For $40 on BBCE you can get a 3-box rack case. That seems like a good buy in my opinion. Or $80 for a 6-box rack case. I would avoid the vending cases personally. >>



I was thinking about vending purely for cost and the fact that I wouldn't be keeping anything unopened anyway.
A 1987 wax case is about $160 then add shipping. So the rack and wax cards will cost twice as much but quality obviously
much better overall. A vending case is about 15 cards per player and although the quality is horrendously variable, the chance
to get some really good gradeable cards relatively cheaply is still tempting.