IMO Buy something truly rare (not condition rarity ie PSA-10, or artificially rare ie. 1/1 modern shinny stuff).
The cards that have jumped the most and will still jump are very rare PreWar type cards (Tarzan, Big Eaters, Orange Borders, J=K, Derby Cigar, Pebble Beach, Uncle Jacks, T214, T217, D303 Mothers, Holland Ice Cream, etc.)
2nd choice is any period cards of Wagner, Cobb, Ruth, Gehrig, Young, Foxx, Johnson, Jackson, Weaver, Thorpe, etc.
I'll give a philosopical answer : if it was "routinely" possible to make a profit on busting vintage paks then old-timers like Larry Fritsch would have opened all his '70's vintage cases by now. Common sense tells you that Fritsch surely opened cases from each year from the '70s and he knows from experience what these cases will yield over the long haul. As a result he choose to hang on to his unopened product knowing that the value of the paks in their "unopened state" exceeds the value of the cards within. This is no longer a hobby my friends. It became an industry in 1977 and its all about the dollar. If Fritsch and other knowledgeable old-timers choose to not open their cases they did it for financial reasons. If you choose to bust paks do it for the fun and memories the cards evoke. But if you are looking to sink $6000 in hopes of making a profit only two people will make a profit--the seller of the unopened product and the grading companies!!!
"You tell 'em I'm coming...and hell's coming with me"--Wyatt Earp
Bill - investing within the hobby does have a drawback.
If you truly value your hobby and having fun with it - investing is a bit like work - and if the investment went sour - there's a chance your interest and passion for it could become a casualty to that fallout.
My honest take on unopened material is that it's for either collecting and maintaining in that form or for buying and selling - opening is most likely as risky as junk stocks that hit very rarely.
But - if ya find something cool and decide to open it - I wish you the best. mike
I'll echo the general sentiments of the board and say that it is virtually impossible to invest money into unopened packs with the goal submitting the cards and ultimately turning a profit. That said, if you are set of purchasing some unopened packs, I would look at 1986 Topps Football.
A Jerry Rice rookie in BGS 9.5 will easily sell for ~$2,000.00 and a PSA 10 for ~$2,500.00. But even aside from the Jerry Rice, a PSA 10 of any star card will sell for substantial money.
There are a couple problems with 1986 Topps Football though. One reason the cards go for so high is that they are ridiculously though to find well-centered and without chipping. Most of the cards from the packs are in horrible condition. Second, finding upon packs/boxes/cases is next to impossible. BBCExchange has boxes (and in fact has one right now) here for $420.00.
For the longest time, the boxes used to be $375.00. I can only assume that Steve has realized that the boxes are hard to come by now. There was a post a while back on the board seeing if anyone was interested in group break for a case of 1986 Topps Football. Many people were interested (including myself) and someone contacted Steve. Unfortunately, Steve responded and a board member advised that it had been many moons since Steve saw a case of 1986 Topps Football. It would be lots of fun, but bear in mind that it is a hobby and like the board said, it's a pure crap shoot and the odds are severely stacked against you on turning a profit.
Thanks for the replies but this was just a dead thread that my buddy Aragorn drug back up. Had no intention of "investing" any money in unopened material. Guess I did not specify enough. Was basically just looking for opinions on what year, sport and brand of unopened material you would get if you were going to spend $6k with hopes of finding a few gems.
Comments
Buy something truly rare (not condition rarity ie PSA-10, or artificially rare ie. 1/1 modern shinny stuff).
The cards that have jumped the most and will still jump are very rare PreWar type cards (Tarzan, Big Eaters, Orange Borders, J=K, Derby Cigar, Pebble Beach, Uncle Jacks, T214, T217, D303 Mothers, Holland Ice Cream, etc.)
2nd choice is any period cards of Wagner, Cobb, Ruth, Gehrig, Young, Foxx, Johnson, Jackson, Weaver, Thorpe, etc.
This is no longer a hobby my friends. It became an industry in 1977 and its all about the dollar. If Fritsch and other knowledgeable old-timers choose to not open their cases they did it for financial reasons.
If you choose to bust paks do it for the fun and memories the cards evoke. But if you are looking to sink $6000 in hopes of making a profit only two people will make a profit--the seller of the unopened product and the grading companies!!!
<< <i> If Fritsch and other knowledgeable old-timers choose to not open their cases they did it for financial reasons. >>
Didn't Larry Fritsch die?
If you truly value your hobby and having fun with it - investing is a bit like work - and if the investment went sour - there's a chance your interest and passion for it could become a casualty to that fallout.
My honest take on unopened material is that it's for either collecting and maintaining in that form or for buying and selling - opening is most likely as risky as junk stocks that hit very rarely.
But - if ya find something cool and decide to open it - I wish you the best.
mike
I'll echo the general sentiments of the board and say that it is virtually impossible to invest money into unopened packs with the goal submitting the cards and ultimately turning a profit. That said, if you are set of purchasing some unopened packs, I would look at 1986 Topps Football.
A Jerry Rice rookie in BGS 9.5 will easily sell for ~$2,000.00 and a PSA 10 for ~$2,500.00. But even aside from the Jerry Rice, a PSA 10 of any star card will sell for substantial money.
Heck, here's a 1986 Topps Joe Montana PSA 10 that's currently at +$1,200.00, a 1986 Topps Steve Young BGS 9.5 that went for $2,125.00 and a 1986 Topps Reggie White PSA 10 that went for $760.09.
There are a couple problems with 1986 Topps Football though. One reason the cards go for so high is that they are ridiculously though to find well-centered and without chipping. Most of the cards from the packs are in horrible condition. Second, finding upon packs/boxes/cases is next to impossible. BBCExchange has boxes (and in fact has one right now) here for $420.00.
For the longest time, the boxes used to be $375.00. I can only assume that Steve has realized that the boxes are hard to come by now. There was a post a while back on the board seeing if anyone was interested in group break for a case of 1986 Topps Football. Many people were interested (including myself) and someone contacted Steve. Unfortunately, Steve responded and a board member advised that it had been many moons since Steve saw a case of 1986 Topps Football. It would be lots of fun, but bear in mind that it is a hobby and like the board said, it's a pure crap shoot and the odds are severely stacked against you on turning a profit.
/s/ JackWESQ
C'mon do it, you know you want to!