Help with higher end card purchases

[Mbjerry]

I am one of the ones that got back into the hobby in 2020. Except this time I quickly gravitated to vintage and have been here ever since. But I have mostly been collecting lower end cards. The most I have spent on a card to date is about $750. My wife and I have recently agreed to up my card budget to allow for a few higher end cards per year (2-3k per card). I am looking to you all for advice. Do you have any advice for someone new to this higher end price? Also, do you have any recommendations on cards to look at? While I am collecting, I do want these cards to appreciate over time. Trying to think through if I should go after some higher grade easier to find cards from late 50s and 60s. Or if I should look to the lower grade tougher cards like a short print 53 Mays. Any other good short prints to look at?Or maybe a combo of both strategies.

So, open door here… any advice or thoughts?


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[pawpawdiv9]

when you mentioned the word 'appreciate over time' - it seems like more of a investment. If so, you can't go wrong with a Mantle card.
Now if for just enjoyment to collect, go for what you like,
but try to buy the better centered cards and better sharp corners, then again eye appeal is all that matters.
Its up to you to decide if this is for pleasure or investment.

[BobC]

If looking for longer-term investment, growth, and safest cards to invest in (least likely to drop in future value), the newer saying is pretty much true. Buy the highest condition card, of the most well-known, famous, and/or iconic/HOF players, in the most popular and highly collected sets, you can afford!

[BobC]

And if not looking for safe, long-term investments, and are truly just a collector/hobbyist not concerned at all with future value or value retention, simply buy what appeals to you and that you like and makes you happy.

[Mbjerry]

Originally Posted by BobC

And if not looking for safe, long-term investments, and are truly just a collector/hobbyist not concerned at all with future value or value retention, simply buy what appeals to you and that you like and makes you happy.

Good question. My purely collector/hobbyist budget is still fairly low and I will remain in the lower end cards there. These few bigger cards a year will sort of serve a dual purpose with a blurry line between hobby/investment. We believe that financially we will never need to sell these bigger cards but want to buy cards that hold their value well in case we do. For example, if in 15 years, we don’t quite have a semester of college covered for my girls, we can sell a card to assist. I am buying hoping to never sell but need that as an option just in case.


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[BobC]

Originally Posted by Mbjerry

Good question. My purely collector/hobbyist budget is still fairly low and I will remain in the lower end cards there. These few bigger cards a year will sort of serve a dual purpose with a blurry line between hobby/investment. We believe that financially we will never need to sell these bigger cards but want to buy cards that hold their value well in case we do. For example, if in 15 years, we don’t quite have a semester of college covered for my girls, we can sell a card to assist. I am buying hoping to never sell but need that as an option just in case.


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Then I would follow my advice in post #3, and regardless of whether you have a big card budget or not, still always try to buy the best condition graded card you can afford. If you can't afford a card for a certain player/set in a 7-8 condition/grade, maybe just a 3 condition/grade, buy one in the 3 condition/grade, and don't just settle for a 2 (or lesser) graded condition one of that exact same card that you could possibly have gotten cheaper. Again, nicest graded condition of only the best/greatest players possible, from the most popular/collected sets. Consider it similar to buying a blue chip company stock versus buying a more volatile, speculative, or fairly new, more unproven company stock.

And if the card(s) you do end up buying following such a plan also happen to satisfy that collecting itch, and make you happy as well, then that is a super win-win!

And for the sake of transparency and honesty, being more of a set collector, I do not myself religiously follow and employ this exact same methodology of always only buying the best card, of the best players, from the best sets, when it comes to cards I acquire and collect.

[Mbjerry]

Originally Posted by BobC

Then I would follow my advice in post #3, and regardless of whether you have a big card budget or not, still always try to buy the best condition graded card you can afford. If you can't afford a card for a certain player/set in a 7-8 condition/grade, maybe just a 3 condition/grade, buy one in the 3 condition/grade, and don't just settle for a 2 (or lesser) graded condition one of that exact same card that you could possibly have gotten cheaper. Again, nicest graded condition of only the best/greatest players possible, from the most popular/collected sets. Consider it similar to buying a blue chip company stock versus buying a more volatile, speculative, or fairly new, more unproven company stock.

And if the card(s) you do end up buying following such a plan also happen to satisfy that collecting itch, and make you happy as well, then that is a super win-win!

Thank you


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[BobC]

And also, if just a true collector/hobbyist, buy the card and not the holder. But the exact opposite is often truer if you're more interested in investment and value. In that case, you may want to look more at the holder than the card itself.

[Mbjerry]

Originally Posted by pawpawdiv9

when you mentioned the word 'appreciate over time' - it seems like more of a investment. If so, you can't go wrong with a Mantle card.
Now if for just enjoyment to collect, go for what you like,
but try to buy the better centered cards and better sharp corners, then again eye appeal is all that matters.
Its up to you to decide if this is for pleasure or investment.

Good question. I should have put this in my original post. Check out my response to BobC.


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