Posted By:
Aaron M.Great points in this thread. I wholeheartedly agree with those who have pointed to the vast difference in price simply having two determined bidders competing against each other can make. (Especially given that there is a relatively small consumer base for most of the vintage, higher-end cards and memorabilia we collect.) I have had the pleasure of being part of several one-on-one bidding wars that have significantly driven up the price on an item to the point where I will almost certainly lose money were I to re-sell.
I have two competing views on the whole "investment" topic. On the one hand I try and follow the adage to collect what I like regardless of value. But on the other hand I bet I would probably spend maybe a tenth of what I normally do if I didn't know that most of the items I buy will hold their re-sale value.
I think that's the real question for investors vs. collectors. If you knew what you were buying had no monetary value and you would never see that money again (kind of like travel -- great experience, but you can't recoup the money), how would it effect your buying habits?
If you would spend significantly less then even if you consider yourself the purest of collectors, you are an investor in a large way.