Posted By:
warshawlawI would spell out the terms of the transaction in writing before doing it and have both parties sign it.
I second the suggestions above that you not go after a particularly expensive card if you are going for the dreaded "investment". A well structured collection of solid cards of major, high-demand HOFers is likely to be easier to sell and a safer bet over the long haul than one or two mega cards. It is called diversification. Plus, you get to lovingly gaze at a pile of beautiful cards instead of just the one. If I had $10,000 to spend and I was looking for a long term buy and hold situation with good liquidity, I would probably buy the following, all graded by the company or companies of my choice:
T206 Cobb vg or better
T206 Johnson vg or better
T206 Young vg or better
T206 Mathewson vg or better
1933 Goudey Ruth vg or better
1933 Goudey Gehrig vg or better
1941 Play Ball Williams vg-ex or better
1941 Play Ball Dimaggio vg-ex or better
1954 Topps Aaron nm or better
1954 Topps Mays nm or better
1961 Mantle nm or better
1963 Koufax nm-mt or better
You could turn out a collection like this in a week or two if you had to, and come out ok.
All that being said, I think you are infinitely better off choosing a particular type of card you really like and sticking with it. If you are into T206's, don't go into CJ's looking for a sexy investment. Concentrate on buying a really solid T206 collection instead.