NonSports Forum

Net54baseball.com
Welcome to Net54baseball.com. These forums are devoted to both Pre- and Post- war baseball cards and vintage memorabilia, as well as other sports. There is a separate section for Buying, Selling and Trading - the B/S/T area!! If you write anything concerning a person or company your full name needs to be in your post or obtainable from it. . Contact the moderator at leon@net54baseball.com should you have any questions or concerns. When you click on links to eBay on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network. Enjoy!
Net54baseball.com
Net54baseball.com
ebay GSB
T206s on eBay
Babe Ruth Cards on eBay
t206 Ty Cobb on eBay
Ty Cobb Cards on eBay
Lou Gehrig Cards on eBay
Baseball T201-T217 on eBay
Baseball E90-E107 on eBay
T205 Cards on eBay
Baseball Postcards on eBay
Goudey Cards on eBay
Baseball Memorabilia on eBay
Baseball Exhibit Cards on eBay
Baseball Strip Cards on eBay
Baseball Baking Cards on eBay
Sporting News Cards on eBay
Play Ball Cards on eBay
Joe DiMaggio Cards on eBay
Mickey Mantle Cards on eBay
Bowman 1951-1955 on eBay
Football Cards on eBay

Go Back   Net54baseball.com Forums > Net54baseball Main Forum - WWII & Older Baseball Cards > Net54baseball Vintage (WWII & Older) Baseball Cards & New Member Introductions

View Poll Results: What would you pay for '33G Ruth, PSA 5, if it had zero resale value?
Nothing 28 18.06%
Less than $100 45 29.03%
$100-$500 36 23.23%
$500-$1k 21 13.55%
$1k-3k 18 11.61%
It's still worth all 5k to me!! 7 4.52%
Voters: 155. You may not vote on this poll

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 02-06-2018, 03:45 PM
conor912's Avatar
conor912 conor912 is offline
C0nor D0na.hue
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 3,151
Default How much would you pay?

For the sake of this poll, I'm going with a '33 Goudey Ruth, PSA 5. Which of the 4 Ruths doesn't matter for this exercise, nor does the strength of the grade. Assume we all agree that it has a current "market value" is $5k.

I've been thinking about the prices some cards have gotten to lately and the psychology that goes along with them. I'm curious to know what you would all pay for said Ruth if it carried zero resale value. I'm interested in what percentage of the prices we pay are justified in our brains by the fact that we can always resell it if we need to. However, if a card had zero resale value, much like a pair of used socks, how much would you pay strictly for the joy of owning it.
__________________
Items for sale or trade here UPDATED 3-16-18
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 02-06-2018, 05:00 PM
Leon's Avatar
Leon Leon is online now
Leon
peasant/forum owner
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: near Dallas
Posts: 34,196
Default

I said 1k - 3k as the Goudey Ruth (144) is one of my favorite cards in the hobby, if not my favorite. I would pay that much to own a nice one.....
__________________
Leon Luckey

Last edited by Leon; 02-06-2018 at 05:51 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 02-06-2018, 05:56 PM
Republicaninmass Republicaninmass is offline
T3d $h3rm@n
Member
 
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 8,148
Default

I've always loved the color of #181. It reminds me of some candy from the 30s I've never had, but Probably tasted better then than it does now.
__________________
"Trolling Ebay right now" ©

Always looking for signed 1952 topps as well as variations and errors
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 02-06-2018, 06:28 PM
familytoad's Avatar
familytoad familytoad is offline
Br1@n L1ndh0lm3
Member
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Ridgefield, WA
Posts: 1,900
Default Honest

I think I wouldn’t pay anything.
I’m far from a flipper , investor or anything like that but if it had no resale value, I could just print out a (better) picture of Ruth and collect pictures from the internet.
Not many people pay money for things that have no value...I might not be able to get much for my old socks but they provided the $6 of value when I got them

I’m probably straying from the real point, but my answer remains the same.
A picture on cardboard has to have some value or I wouldn’t pay up for it. May as well buy a fake Goudey on eBay , there are plenty...

In my mind, while it could be different in reality, I could turn my collection back into money. A profit or a loss is yet to be determined, but if I knew it was zero, I probably wouldn’t have paid so much for them...
__________________
Thanks!

Brian L
Familytoad
Ridgefield, WA

Hall of Fame collector.
Prewar Set collector.
Topps Era collector.
1971 Topps Football collector.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 02-06-2018, 06:38 PM
Slinger's Avatar
Slinger Slinger is offline
Nick
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 185
Default

I haven't collected in almost 3 decades.

I got back into it to buy with the intent that in another 3-4 decades when I give/leave the cards to my son, they will be worth far more than what I paid for them. That's the hope anyway.

So a $0 value, doesn't interest me for my particular purchase game plan.
__________________
Want List:
None at the moment
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 02-06-2018, 08:04 PM
clydepepper's Avatar
clydepepper clydepepper is offline
Raymond 'Robbie' Culpepper
Member
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Columbus, GA
Posts: 6,928
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Leon View Post
I said 1k - 3k as the Goudey Ruth (144) is one of my favorite cards in the hobby, if not my favorite. I would pay that much to own a nice one.....

I agree with Leon in that #144 is also my favorite, but even hypothetically, I cannot image it not having any re-sale value.
__________________
.
"A life is not important except in the impact it has on others lives" - Jackie Robinson

“If you have a chance to make life better for others and fail to do so, you are wasting your time on this earth.”- Roberto Clemente
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 02-07-2018, 05:44 AM
C-mack C-mack is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 267
Default

I'd pay 100 to 400 for just about anything I thought was neat and had to have it lol so the Ruth would easily fall into this category
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 02-07-2018, 07:33 AM
darwinbulldog's Avatar
darwinbulldog darwinbulldog is offline
Glenn
Glen.n Sch.ey-d
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: South Florida
Posts: 3,231
Default

If nobody other than me cared about baseball cards, I guess I'd value it about the same as some other card that I like the look of, let's say the Stan Hack Diamond Stars card or a T206 Hal Chase portrait, which I'd be happy to pay $10-$20 for even if no one else wanted them just because of how old they are and how cool they look. Same for Ruth.

But this is kind of an old wound. At the risk of going a bit off-track here, I had exactly the card you describe and sold it for $2000 back in '05. Actually had it on eBay with a BIN for $2500, which someone clicked on when he wanted to just make an offer, then told me that he didn't want it for $2500, that he just wanted to offer $2000 but would throw in an extra $50 because he was a nice guy, then (over the next few weeks) bounced a check, then tried to send a second check to a P.O. Box via UPS (who won't deliver to a P.O. Box), then came on the forum when I posted about it to warn other sellers and criticized me for overreacting and not just trusting him, all while I was trying to not be evicted from my apartment because I suddenly found myself $2500 short. I was a student at the time, and that one card accounted for probably like 3/4 of the value of my entire collection.

I just read through the thread as a refresher. It was pretty much just as I remembered.

Last edited by darwinbulldog; 02-07-2018 at 07:34 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 02-07-2018, 08:10 AM
Throttlesteer Throttlesteer is offline
Anson
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 830
Default

You can easilyg answer your question. Check what a 1933 Goudey Ruth reprint is fetching on EBay. Short of something providing obvious utility, wouldn't any objects value be determined on it's resale potential? .
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 02-07-2018, 09:22 PM
Anish's Avatar
Anish Anish is offline
Ani.sh Kan.abar
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 176
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Throttlesteer View Post
You can easilyg answer your question. Check what a 1933 Goudey Ruth reprint is fetching on EBay. Short of something providing obvious utility, wouldn't any objects value be determined on it's resale potential? .
Not a fair comparison because part (or most) of the value in the original is that it was produced nearly a century ago, during Ruth’s career. Even a perfect reprint doesn’t capture that.

I appreciate the historical value of pre-war cards and would pay thousands for the ones I desire even without any resale value. They are just amazing to enjoy up close.
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 02-08-2018, 12:12 AM
Stampsfan's Avatar
Stampsfan Stampsfan is offline
Bob Davies
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Posts: 1,118
Default

Sorry, this makes no sense to me.

How much would I pay for something that has no useful purpose, and has zero intrinsic value?

Uhhh... nothing?
__________________
Successful transactions on Net54 with balltrash, greenmonster66; Peter_Spaeth; robw1959; Stetson_1883; boxcar18; Blackie
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 02-08-2018, 09:46 AM
conor912's Avatar
conor912 conor912 is offline
C0nor D0na.hue
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 3,151
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Stampsfan View Post
Sorry, this makes no sense to me.

How much would I pay for something that has no useful purpose, and has zero intrinsic value?

Uhhh... nothing?
"No useful purpose" is completely subjective. I would argue that the joy of ownership is a useful purpose.
__________________
Items for sale or trade here UPDATED 3-16-18
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 02-08-2018, 09:54 AM
conor912's Avatar
conor912 conor912 is offline
C0nor D0na.hue
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 3,151
Default

I'm pretty surprised that 1 in 5 would pay absolutely nothing for a nice, career issued card of the biggest icon the game has ever known. IMO that doesn't bode well for fandom of the hobby for pure enjoyment's sake.
__________________
Items for sale or trade here UPDATED 3-16-18
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 02-08-2018, 09:54 AM
packs packs is online now
Member
 
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 8,318
Default

If baseball cards suddenly became worthless I would be the happiest guy in the world. I'd eat the loss for my entire collection and then go about buying up all the cards I ever wanted, worthless or not. I certainly wouldn't pay much for them but I'd enjoy them all the same.
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 02-08-2018, 09:55 AM
bbcard1 bbcard1 is offline
T0dd M@rcum
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Roanoke, VA
Posts: 3,318
Default

I would probably pay about $100. That's my limit to go see a concert or a play or something that the reward is being part of the expeience.
Reply With Quote
  #16  
Old 02-08-2018, 09:57 AM
conor912's Avatar
conor912 conor912 is offline
C0nor D0na.hue
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 3,151
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by packs View Post
If baseball cards suddenly became worthless I would be the happiest guy in the world. I'd eat the loss for my entire collection and then go about buying up all the cards I ever wanted, worthless or not. I certainly wouldn't pay much for them but I'd enjoy them all the same.
Amen.
__________________
Items for sale or trade here UPDATED 3-16-18
Reply With Quote
  #17  
Old 02-08-2018, 10:16 AM
Gobucsmagic74
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default

If Ruth cards were worthless I'd have to assume some sort of apocalyptic event took place and baseball cards would probably be the least of anyone's concerns
Reply With Quote
  #18  
Old 02-08-2018, 10:25 AM
frankbmd's Avatar
frankbmd frankbmd is offline
Fr@nk Burke++
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Between the 1st tee and the 19th hole
Posts: 7,231
Default

I think the premise of this thread is flawed.

Granted that the market for my used socks is thin currently, but who knows what the future holds.

To denigrate the value of the used socks ignores the market value of game used socks worn by the “Babe” himself. And what if Ruth’s socks from the game in which he hit #714 came up for auction with photo matching and certified fungal ancestry? Remember to register before you place a bid.
__________________
FRANK:BUR:KETT - RAUCOUS SPORTS CARD FORUM MEMBER AND MONSTER NUMBER FATHER.

GOOD FOR THE HOBBY AND THE FORUM WITH A VAULT IN AN UNDISCLOSED LOCATION FILLED WITH NON-FUNGIBLES


274/1000 Monster Number


Nearly*1000* successful B/S/T transactions completed in 2012-24.
Over 680 sales with satisfied Board members served.
If you want fries with your order, just speak up.
Thank you all.



Now nearly PQ.
Reply With Quote
  #19  
Old 02-08-2018, 10:52 AM
packs packs is online now
Member
 
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 8,318
Default

Does anyone remember what they paid for a Ruth Goudey in 1998? I'm just curious to see how prices have swung in 20 years.
Reply With Quote
  #20  
Old 02-08-2018, 03:41 PM
rhettyeakley's Avatar
rhettyeakley rhettyeakley is online now
Rhett Yeakley
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Idaho
Posts: 2,650
Default

I am coming at this question imagining we are in an alternate universe and trading cards never attained any real following in that universe. In a situation like that I could see the item having some value just based on age and novelty. I would assume a value of $25-100 or so just for those reasons alone.

Strange but interesting question.
__________________
Check out my YouTube Videos highlighting VINTAGE CARDS https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbE..._as=subscriber

ebay store: kryvintage-->https://www.ebay.com/sch/kryvintage/...p2047675.l2562
Reply With Quote
  #21  
Old 02-08-2018, 03:47 PM
familytoad's Avatar
familytoad familytoad is offline
Br1@n L1ndh0lm3
Member
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Ridgefield, WA
Posts: 1,900
Default

I am a huge baseball fan, and my purchase history and collection shows how much I want “the card” and not “ the future value”. I have a lot of cards that I paid good money for that would be snubbed by the investor types for not being nice enough. My fandom isn’t hard to see.

My point in my response is directly to the 33G Ruth. If it wasn’t worth anything, I wouldn’t pay anything for it. That’s a circular argument indeed.

But if I wanted to enjoy pictures of Babe Ruth, I have other opportunities to print off the Internet, and better pictures/ poses etc.

I want a 33 G Ruth someday, but I want all HOF baseball cards. I cannot think of why someone could sell me one for multiple thousands, but I , in turn couldn’t do the same thing to another collector...even if it was less than what I paid for it.
I know I have bad luck, but I would hope the market didn’t dry up on me quite that fast!

Of course, I know your question is mostly hypothetical. Your point is probably more about “ Is money driving your collection habits , knowing that what you buy today may have some value later...or do you not care at all ? “


Quote:
Originally Posted by conor912 View Post
I'm pretty surprised that 1 in 5 would pay absolutely nothing for a nice, career issued card of the biggest icon the game has ever known. IMO that doesn't bode well for fandom of the hobby for pure enjoyment's sake.
__________________
Thanks!

Brian L
Familytoad
Ridgefield, WA

Hall of Fame collector.
Prewar Set collector.
Topps Era collector.
1971 Topps Football collector.
Reply With Quote
  #22  
Old 02-08-2018, 04:50 PM
conor912's Avatar
conor912 conor912 is offline
C0nor D0na.hue
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 3,151
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by rhettyeakley View Post
I am coming at this question imagining we are in an alternate universe and trading cards never attained any real following in that universe. In a situation like that I could see the item having some value just based on age and novelty. I would assume a value of $25-100 or so just for those reasons alone.

Strange but interesting question.
This touches on an important clarification. Yes, the OP assumes cards never had any value to begin with, and not that there was some cataclysmic event that suddenly made all cards worthless.
__________________
Items for sale or trade here UPDATED 3-16-18
Reply With Quote
  #23  
Old 02-08-2018, 05:42 PM
Gobucsmagic74
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default

If cards had no value then TPG companies wouldn't exist, so there wouldn't be such thing as a Goudey Ruth in PSA 5
Reply With Quote
  #24  
Old 02-08-2018, 05:45 PM
conor912's Avatar
conor912 conor912 is offline
C0nor D0na.hue
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 3,151
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gobucsmagic74 View Post
If cards had no value then TPG companies wouldn't exist, so there wouldn't be such thing as a Goudey Ruth in PSA 5
Yes. Thank you.
__________________
Items for sale or trade here UPDATED 3-16-18
Reply With Quote
  #25  
Old 02-11-2018, 03:23 PM
Leon's Avatar
Leon Leon is online now
Leon
peasant/forum owner
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: near Dallas
Posts: 34,196
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gobucsmagic74 View Post
If cards had no value then TPG companies wouldn't exist, so there wouldn't be such thing as a Goudey Ruth in PSA 5
Just take away the PSA 5 and make it an EX card. That said there are still several members who would burn 5k!!

.
__________________
Leon Luckey
Reply With Quote
  #26  
Old 02-11-2018, 03:44 PM
RedsFan1941 RedsFan1941 is offline
Banned
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 1,207
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Leon View Post
Just take away the PSA 5 and make it an EX card. That said there are still several members who would burn 5k!!

.
easier to say yes when it is hypothetical. i wonder if that would be the case when the time would come for the cash to hit the barrel head.
Reply With Quote
  #27  
Old 02-11-2018, 05:06 PM
z28jd's Avatar
z28jd z28jd is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 2,043
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gobucsmagic74 View Post
If cards had no value then TPG companies wouldn't exist, so there wouldn't be such thing as a Goudey Ruth in PSA 5
I would assume that reprints of a worthless item also wouldn't exist, so that wouldn't be an option either. Printing them out would be possible, but who wouldn't just pay $2 if they wanted one bad enough, which would be much better than a printed version.

To answer the question, I would pay about $100 because I would like to have one, but it's not high on my list.

I also buy a lot of cards I don't plan on selling, so with that in mind, I've paid a lot more for cards I just want to have.
__________________
Check out my two newest books. One covers the life and baseball career of Dots Miller, who was mentored by Honus Wagner as a rookie for the 1909 Pirates, then became a mentor for a young Rogers Hornsby. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CV633PNT The other has 13 short stories of players who were with the Pittsburgh Pirates during the regular season, but never played in a game for the team https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CY574YNS
Reply With Quote
  #28  
Old 02-11-2018, 05:58 PM
T20Brew T20Brew is offline
Er1cPr0chn0w
member
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 112
Default 100-500

I’d look at it like an experience since in the OP’s scenario there’s no real resale/future value. What I mean is, what is the experience of owning it worth to me?
I like to go to concerts, and they can cost a nice chunk, but I pay it, and I usually will pay for good seats. It’s an experience for me and something I can remember in the future, although it has no future/resale value.
So what would the experience of having the 33 Ruth in my house for me to look at whenever I want if it had no future/resale value? Probably $100-$500.
Reply With Quote
  #29  
Old 02-11-2018, 06:38 PM
orly57's Avatar
orly57 orly57 is offline
Orlando Rodriguez
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Miami
Posts: 979
Default

You offer the guy $10. If there is no resale value, that is more than he would get from anyone else. But as mentioned above, I understand that is not the point of your hypothetical. Perhaps a better question would be "would you buy a baseball card even if you were guaranteed to make zero profit or take a 20% loss when you sell it?" This may help us get to the root of your hypothetical, which I sense is really asking if we buy for the love of the hobby or solely for the investment potential.
Reply With Quote
  #30  
Old 02-11-2018, 07:46 PM
kailes2872's Avatar
kailes2872 kailes2872 is offline
Kev1n @1les
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Pittsburgh Area
Posts: 759
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by orly57 View Post
You offer the guy $10. If there is no resale value, that is more than he would get from anyone else. But as mentioned above, I understand that is not the point of your hypothetical. Perhaps a better question would be "would you buy a baseball card even if you were guaranteed to make zero profit or take a 20% loss when you sell it?" This may help us get to the root of your hypothetical, which I sense is really asking if we buy for the love of the hobby or solely for the investment potential.
This is my life everyday. I don't know where everyone gets their great deals at. I scour ebay, AH's, BST, everywhere. If I am buying right, it is usually around VCP because there is someone else willing to pay VCP (thus the market price).

I buy these cards for my intrinsic enjoyment. I have a completion gene and each set that I buy I think about getting shoo'd away from the dealer who has the table set up in the middle of the mall. All of the cards that I couldn't afford back then and would only look at in awe now are part of my collection.

However, based upon just getting what I have out of it but paying 10% in ebay fees, paypal fees or AH, I know that I am 13-20% under water just to breakeven. Every day that I buy something, the spread between what I paid for it and what I can get back grows a bit more.

So, in your example, my answer in a resounding yes. It is what I do every day. But, I open my safe and I look at those cards and no one ever tries to shoo me away from my own collection and that is worth the 20% for me.
__________________
2024 Collecting Goals:

53-55 Red Mans Complete Set
Reply With Quote
Reply



Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 10:13 AM.


ebay GSB