Whats the most expensive mistake you made in the vintage hobby

[maniac_73]

veryone has at least one: a card they sold too early, a fake they bought, a raw card they thought would gem, a grading fee disaster, a trimmed card they missed, an auction house surprise, a pop-report trap, etc.

What’s the hobby lesson you had to learn the hard way?
Figured this could be a good thread for newer collectors to learn from.

Mine is spending too much on lower grade cards thinking I would upgrade later. Buy in the best condition you can.

[ValKehl]

Don't you just love it when someone starts a thread asking members to post their best, favorite, worst, most expensive, etc. whatever, but doesn't post their own item? To me, this is a total turnoff!

[maniac_73]

Originally Posted by ValKehl

Don't you just love it when someone starts a thread asking members to post their best, favorite, worst, most expensive, etc. whatever, but doesn't post their own item? To me, this is a total turnoff!

Sorry to ruin your day


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[Peter_Spaeth]

I think one of the biggest mistakes people make, and I've been there too, is passing on cards because they're slightly overpriced relative to perceived current market. I know several people, for esample, who passed on a 101 Jordan over a few hundred dollars, then the card took off on them. Same with the 311 Mantle.

[Wanaselja]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

I think one of the biggest mistakes people make, and I've been there too, is passing on cards because they're slightly overpriced relative to perceived current market. I know several people, for esample, who passed on a 101 Jordan over a few hundred dollars, then the card took off on them. Same with the 311 Mantle.

This.
The reason I’ll likely never own a 51B Mays, E90-1 Speaker or a 14 CJ Speaker.

[BioCRN]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

I think one of the biggest mistakes people make, and I've been there too, is passing on cards because they're slightly overpriced relative to perceived current market. I know several people, for esample, who passed on a 101 Jordan over a few hundred dollars, then the card took off on them. Same with the 311 Mantle.

*angry recently purchased a N172 King Kelly noises*

"I'm not ready to spend $1000 on this card." turned into "I'm not ready to spend $3000 on this card." turned into a much more expensive landing point...

[maniac_73]

Originally Posted by BioCRN

*angry recently purchased a N172 King Kelly noises*

"I'm not ready to spend $1000 on this card." turned into "I'm not ready to spend $3000 on this card." turned into a much more expensive landing point...

Yes! Reminds me of when I passed on a 52B Mid Grade Mantle for 700. Still kicking myself


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[parkplace33]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

I think one of the biggest mistakes people make, and I've been there too, is passing on cards because they're slightly overpriced relative to perceived current market. I know several people, for esample, who passed on a 101 Jordan over a few hundred dollars, then the card took off on them. Same with the 311 Mantle.

Bingo. Guys 20 years ago that said the 311 was too much are now saying the same thing.

If you want a quality card, spend the money. They rarely go down in price.

[Johnny630]

Originally Posted by parkplace33

Bingo. Guys 20 years ago that said the 311 was too much are now saying the same thing.

If you want a quality card, spend the money. They rarely go down in price.

I agree on both of your comments with one caveat if the card looks really nice. It makes it even easier to overspend. If not, it’s OK to pass, but if it’s a beauty and it’s very expensive and overpriced, buy it anyway you only live once.

[Smanzari]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

I think one of the biggest mistakes people make, and I've been there too, is passing on cards because they're slightly overpriced relative to perceived current market. I know several people, for esample, who passed on a 101 Jordan over a few hundred dollars, then the card took off on them. Same with the 311 Mantle.

Pretty much mine; multiple times including one priced reasonably well ~+/- $4k in 2017/18; saw same card sell for almost $19k in like 2023 (was auth/altered in a way you can't forget - IIRC, missing borders to make it "standard card size"; was BVG Graded)

[Chris-Counts]

When I was about 16, I bought a 1952 Topps Mantle for $75 and sold it a few weeks later for $150. I thought I was a genius.

[ctownboy]

I am sure that everybody can look back and see some small deals (relative to their income or net worth at the time) that they can regret not buying either because the items have increased in value or because of how rare they are.

One of mine was not buying a stack of Curtis Ireland Candy cards plus some other cards from the early 1920's for $1,300 in the early 1990's.

The big boy, however, was not buying this 1914 Joe Jackson Cracker Jack in 2008. It was at a local auction and sold for $5,000. I would have had to dip into my IRA to buy it.

I know, saving for retirement was the right thing to do but at that time I was 38 and would have had time to make it up. Also, looking back I have to wonder if I could have / would have invested the money in the IRA the right way to match the amount that card has increased over the last 17 years.

[Exhibitman]

1925 Exhibit Gehrig, Babe Ruth RC, 1933 Goudey Ruths, 1934 Goudey Gehrig portrait: all items I did not purchase because I was too busy buying something else far less important.

1952 Topps Mays, 1954 Topps Aaron PSA 7, 1954 Topps Mays PSA 7: all sold too early and not replaced.

In 1987, walking past a table of 1986 Fleer to buy...a Willis Reed card.

[Orioles1954]

Sold an EPDG Cobb Bat Off PSA 3 for $1500
1933 Goudey 181 Ruth PSA 3 for $1800


Yeahhhhhh…….

[Stampsfan]

If you're a hobby veteran (20, 30, 40 years), pretty much any vintage could have been picked up for a fraction of today. T206 Cobbs, 1933 Ruths, Mantles, and any other sport out there. I had about 8 OPC Gretzky RC's at one time, and sold them to buy diapers for our first daughter.

Later I moved a 1936 WWG Dimaggio for $14K. Likely a $50-75K card now.

Could have bought a full 1911-12 C55 hockey set for $1500.

But overall, most purchases I've made have ended up OK. Vintage is blue chip IMO.

[steve B]

So many cards or lots of cards I didn't buy in the late 70's to maybe 83.

T206 Hof ers at $10 each... including Young. Eventually most were $20.
Goudey Ruths at $100, at least 5 of them the guys in the shop handed me saying "you need to buy this"
Orr Topps Rookie for $100, crazy for a hockey card at the time.
A boxful of Topps felt backs for what ever tiny price they wanted. 60? 100 probably at least 200 of them.
"Give me 10K and I'll find you a Wagner" Credible at the time....
52 Mantles at 1977-83 prices. Not an easy card despite being a double print, but not unavailable if you had the money.

And of course a bit later on the 86 Fleer. I bought a handful of packs to see what they were like, went back the next week for more and what had been and entire 4x4 island in McRorys was gone. Of course, then passed up a full set for 600 a few years later.


On the other hand, I did get a bunch of stuff that while it isn't worth life changing money would be very hard to get today.

[SeventiesCard]

I thought I'd be outbid on a set last week. Turns out I won it. I only needed 10 cards to finsh the set but my 1979-80 Topps hockey set just arrived today.