I would buy every Topps Braves base card I'm missing for my run. $10,000 should cover it easy. :D

10k
 

A nice Matty autograph

A nice psa 10 aaron judge signed rookie refractor :D

Card wise, I'd look into a Ruth, Jackie Robinson, early Mantle, Shoeless Joe.... see what I could find but I'd also really hope to get some old stadium pieces; maybe an Ebbets seat, possibly Fenway (wood of course), also see if I could find old ticket price signs. I enjoy relics from the past that can be incorporated as décor.

You haven't been to a National, have you? :)

If I were still "in the game", I honestly would not wish to divulge to you what I was looking for. While someone on here might say, "Hey, I've got one I'd be willing to sell you", I would fear raising up more competition for what I really want. I speak from the standpoint that when I was in the game, I was on the prowl for some pretty rare, or scarce, and highly-desirable Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris items.

Now, after I successfully tracked down my rare game, sure, then I would enthusiastically talk about it.

----Brian Powell

Dude, what this thread is actually about is sending out decoys to distract people from what you're really looking for. All this talk about 52 Mantles is just a smoke screen. The thing to do is raise your price on everything that's NOT getting mentioned in this thread.

Would love to see how you are using relics as decor currently... sounds awesome. I have always dreamed of a room with seats from different stadiums. Have friends over to watch a World Series or All Star game and can pick where they want to sit!

Hobby history and its nearly continuous growth over decade after decade is shouting out pretty loudly, though. I wouldn't bet the farm on baseball cards, but it's a very attractive area for some diversification in investments.

Regards,

Larry

Good strategy, Brian, and one I've adopted for quite some time. Who needs competition, less to no availability, and/or higher prices?

Best wishes,

Larry

My experience has been that a lot of the personally desirable material I find at the National was sourced from auctions in which I've already participated. Are there any "dealers" anymore that are uncovering new material from basements and attics and offering them to collectors for the first time at the National? If so, would love to visit your booth.

The answer is obvious. I would buy $10,000 worth of the greatest, most valuable vintage cards possible, and then I would immediately go to everyone's favorite thread on here and trade them for only $2,000 worth of worn out cards, so that 'Adrian Jr.' guy could use them for his ULTIMATE TRADE UP!!! Let's get it going, boys!!!

Has anyone been in contact with Adrian lately? Wondering what happened to that dude and what he's obsessing about collecting nowadays.

I'd stay home and let my 10k buy me about 3k more in the next major fall auction than what I can get at the National.

For 10k, the choices are unlimited as to what I would invest in...I would definitely invest in close to flawless cardboard without a doubt


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I can't argue with you, Larry. I just think trying to forecast appreciation of various issues, even where based upon prior performance, is risky business.

And, to actually respond to the original post, if I had $10,000 I didn't need I would probably buy the best CJ Jackson I could afford.

Mark

Sporting Life Walter Johnson, Honus Wagner and Smoky Joe Wood.

For me, I would purchase a couple of the 1933 Goudey Babe Ruths. I've always wanted one.

A super duper light... to see cards at Gizmos table

I'd stay at home and wait for the next stock market correction, then go shopping there.

But if the $10,000 came with the stipulation that I had to spend it at the National, then aside from my project, I'd pick up a few nice Allen & Ginter's. I've always liked the look of them.

So since I said pretzels and beer, do you recommend hot dogs and whiskey? Not a bad idea......:D

+1

I would spend $9,000 on a 1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle. Then, I would use the rest on some low grade T206 cards.

No, lol, but you also don't know how many cards I need ;)

Scott I totally agree, wait for the next downturn in the us stock market. Buy on a discount. My number one investment rule; Take all emotion out of the equation :-).

emotions...
 

Jeez, its really hard to take all the emotion out of investing in baseball cards. Emotion is fun. Emotion is what makes it more than just an investment. Emotion is why I am here writing this right now. Emotion is why my face lights up looking at my Cobb's. Emotion is seeing my Walter Johnson's who my grandfather saw and said was the best pitcher ever. Emotion is seeing my Nolan Ryan's who I saw and was the best fastball pitcher ever. Emotion is looking at my Hank Aaron's and remembering as a kid the HR chase to Ruth's record.

Long live the emotional tie to baseball cards! The day comes I really, honestly, truly need the money I do feel I would sell. But for right now, I will keep the emotions, er, cards.

Thanks, Larry. I wish you the very best as well. I sincerely hope you will come upon three choice gems to add to your collection over the course of the rest of this year. I frankly do not know a dealer who still helps collectors locate "the tough to find", and most toughies wind up in auctions. However, since there are so many auctions, choice items sometimes are not showcased or advertised enough to attract many bidders.

I will say this. My prized pieces were always ones that I paid top dollar for at the time, whether via auction or private sale. They have all appreciated; some have skyrocketed. The sad part today is that top dollar can be unnerving and downright mind boggling.

DO NOT GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAM CARDS / COINS / ET AL!

Seriously, you might consider placing an ad for specific wants in Sports Collectors Digest. Make the ad at least 1/8 page, so it will be noticed by the dinosaurs still holding onto their collections. Most of these guys couldn't / wouldn't pay the price of having their cards graded. You never know. It will cost something for the ad, which will last at least two weeks before SCD's next issue.

Many of the dinosaurs have an idea of what their cards are worth if graded, but they're content to still sit on them. However, most of the great collections have already been submitted to Mastro Auctions, when they were still a business, and other firms. Most of the pioneers are now deceased, as well.

Look closely at some of the currents ads in SCD. They're indicative of helping someone find cards they want. Again, you never know; leave no stone un-turned, as my dear mother used to say.

The thrill of the chase is great, but the thrill of successfully hunting down a dream item is much, much greater, particularly if it results in what would be termed "a great sea story", which is what I stuffed into my E-book on a CD, NEVER CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN.

While I haven't sold many copies, you would think by the jacked up prices of the post-war regional / food issues, my book's subject, every dealer / seller bought a copy and studiously absorbed its 478 pages!

I better go---getting verbose. Cheers, mate. ---Brian Powell

The Emotional ties to baseball are great, I love and cherish them too :-). However I won't mix the two when it comes to investing in baseball cards. As for collecting it's a totally different story, emotion always comes into play for me. To each there own, it's just my style. I want everyone to be happy and have fun, that's number one when it comes to collecting :-).

I'd take the $10,000 and find Charlie Sheen. Just sayin. Guy could use some cheering up.

Lol.:D Yeah, unfortunately he's looking pretty rough.

Whatever I could afford from this group:

N172 Cusick, McCormick, Nichols
W600 Plank, Lajoie
D355
1887 Souby Studio New Orleans Pelicans cabinet
H812 O'Rourke
N258 Walter Johnson
1872 Warren Studios CDV
1928 Star Player Lefty Grove

Currently it's old wood seats, framed programs and pennants. I have vintage small articles displayed in cases, B/W photos, some older color photos, many signed, a couple baseball lithographs. Some re-pop tin signs ( it's too hard and costly to find originals). Some of the stuff is displayed on a brick wall that replicates Wrigley's outfield brick without the ivy.