1952 Topps set question?

[homerunhitter]

Hello,
Im considering starting a graded 1952 Topps collection (low grade PSA 1-4)

My questions are:

Any advice from you guys on someone just starting out on the 1952 Topps set ?set?

Also, im looking to do this as an investment set to leave my grandkids for when they are adults so my other question is:

Do you think 1952 Topps is a good long term investment that will keep going up in value? Example when our grand kids are in their 50s, 60s, 70s of all the Topps sets will 52 Topps be the one set to have in regards to value? Or the one set that will keep its value or been collected the most? Thanks!

[Gorditadogg]

Buying baseball cards is not an investment. Talk to an investment advisor about how to invest for your heirs.

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[homerunhitter]

Originally Posted by Gorditadogg

Buying baseball cards is not an investment. Talk to an investment advisor about how to invest for your heirs.

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So I take it that you think the 1952 Topps set is not a good investment? (My question is about baseball cards only not non card investment advice as I abreast have that part covered! Thanks

[Gorditadogg]

Originally Posted by homerunhitter

So I take it that you think the 1952 Topps set is not a good investment? (My question is about baseball cards only not non card investment advice as I abreast have that part covered! Thanks

Baseball cards are not investments. Since they are not investments, they cannot be good investments. You can make or lose money in cards by speculating, but you are not investing.

I am glad to hear you have an investment advisor.

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[ValKehl]

Originally Posted by Gorditadogg

Baseball cards are not investments. Since they are not investments, they cannot be good investments. You can make or lose money in cards by speculating, but you are not investing.

I am glad to hear you have an investment advisor.

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You can make or lose money stocks, bonds, and real estate, which are considered investments. What makes you believe cards are different?

[Gorditadogg]

Originally Posted by ValKehl

You can make or lose money stocks, bonds, and real estate, which are considered investments. What makes you believe cards are different?

Stocks, bonds, and real estate generate income, which, as an owner, you share in. Stocks pay dividends, bonds pay interest and real estate earns rents. You calculate the intrinsic value of an investment by estimating its future earnings.

A baseball card has no earning power. The only way you can make money on a card is to sell it to someone for more than you paid for it. It has no intrinsic value.

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[sthoemke]

Originally Posted by homerunhitter

Hello,
Im considering starting a graded 1952 Topps collection (low grade PSA 1-4)

My questions are:

Any advice from you guys on someone just starting out on the 1952 Topps set ?set?

Also, im looking to do this as an investment set to leave my grandkids for when they are adults so my other question is:

Do you think 1952 Topps is a good long term investment that will keep going up in value? Example when our grand kids are in their 50s, 60s, 70s of all the Topps sets will 52 Topps be the one set to have in regards to value? Or the one set that will keep its value or been collected the most? Thanks!

Maybe start on a raw set first, before tossing your money to the grading companies. Maybe grade the key cards first to preserve condition.

Probably not much downside risk buying raw cards other than reselling costs. Probably best to buy lots, at first to save postage costs.

[samosa4u]

Originally Posted by homerunhitter

Do you think 1952 Topps is a good long term investment that will keep going up in value?

No ... no ... NO !!!

The false notion is that the 52T Mantle is "gonna' keep going up." The high-grade examples came down pretty hard over the past few years. The lower-grades have held up pretty well, but that doesn't mean that they are gonna' keep going up. I would not call them "investment cards" because their prices have become ridiculous now and I expect them to correct too someday.

There are way better cards that you can invest in: Leaf Jackie, Bowman Mantle, Topps Aaron rookies, etc.

[ALR-bishop]

You could be right but am glad I have both version of it anyway

[samosa4u]

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

You could be right but am glad I have both version of it anyway

Hopefully you got em' at the right time. Can you show me ??

[ALR-bishop]

Fortunately quites some time ago

[samosa4u]

Very nice, congrats.

[Republicaninmass]

Originally Posted by samosa4u

No ... no ... NO !!!

The false notion is that the 52T Mantle is "gonna' keep going up." The high-grade examples came down pretty hard over the past few years. The lower-grades have held up pretty well, but that doesn't mean that they are gonna' keep going up. I would not call them "investment cards" because their prices have become ridiculous now and I expect them to correct too someday.

There are way better cards that you can invest in: Leaf Jackie, Bowman Mantle, Topps Aaron rookies, etc.

Ship has sailed on most of those. Heading up 20x in 3 or 4 years isn't sustainable.


I'd do most of the lows raw, highs and stars graded. I'd wait out the superstars until bitcoin goes back below 20k and housing drops 50%. I kid, however people will begin to see their paper winnings shrink, start to take profits, and there should be a rush to the exits.

[homerunhitter]

Circling back to this, my original thought was, focusing on a“Sportscards” investment for my heirs, my thought was that when my grandkids are 50-60 years old, they would say thanks grandpa for leaving my a complete 1952 topps graded set! (Meaning it would be a nice chunk of change for them when they are old farts!) vs leaving them a 5,000 count box of 1988 topps!

[swarmee]

I think that would be less interesting to heirs than 10 top Hall of Fame Rookie Cards. And it would take up a bunch more space.

[homerunhitter]

Originally Posted by swarmee

I think that would be less interesting to heirs than 10 top Hall of Fame Rookie Cards. And it would take up a bunch more space.

Hey John!
It’s funny because just after I hit the submit reply button on my message, my brain got to thinking this exact thing! I started thinking, “well, I could continue my other project (I have several different collecting projects im working on currently) of collecting a 1951–1959 topps complete run of cards OR maybe it will be better to focus on some really great cards like a 54 topps Hank Aaron and 1955 topps Roberto Clemente and 1968 Nolan Ryan or 53 topps Robinson, Mays and Paige. More of a quality vs quantity type of vintage collection.

My problem is that in our hobby there are so many awesome cards I want to collect them ALL! But I agree with you my friend and you are 110% right, quality vs quantity might be the better hand to play (and better value wise for my heirs) if I’m reading this right, for example instead of trying to collect a 1952 topps graded set (minus the mantle) or trying to complete a 1951-1959 topps run (minus the mantle) it would be financially better to instead focus on collecting key HOF cards from the 1950’s?

[swarmee]

Originally Posted by homerunhitter

if I’m reading this right, for example instead of trying to collect a 1952 topps graded set (minus the mantle) or trying to complete a 1951-1959 topps run (minus the mantle) it would be financially better to instead focus on collecting key HOF cards from the 1950’s?

Correct, the vast majority of cards have sold for the same amount for the last decade. The ones that have gone up in value are the HOF rookies, for the most part. A $5 common now is a $10 common in 20 years. A $2,000 HOF RC now might be an $8,000 card in two decades, keeping or exceeding pace with the rate of inflation.

[homerunhitter]

Originally Posted by swarmee

Correct, the vast majority of cards have sold for the same amount for the last decade. The ones that have gone up in value are the HOF rookies, for the most part. A $5 common now is a $10 common in 20 years. A $2,000 HOF RC now might be an $8,000 card in two decades, keeping or exceeding pace with the rate of inflation.

Thank you John for your thoughts on this. I truly appreciate you very much for always helping me. I need to really focus my collecting goals as im all over the place because I REALLY love all the 1950’s cards and want to have/collect them all! But I also want to be smart with my money. My thoughts are shifting toward a box of super cool HOFers (Ex. 1954 Topps Hank Aaron and 1952 Topps Willie Mays) might just be better for my goals vs a box of near complete set of raw (or graded) commons from the 1950’s. Thank you again.

[Gorditadogg]

Originally Posted by swarmee

Correct, the vast majority of cards have sold for the same amount for the last decade. The ones that have gone up in value are the HOF rookies, for the most part. A $5 common now is a $10 common in 20 years. A $2,000 HOF RC now might be an $8,000 card in two decades, keeping or exceeding pace with the rate of inflation.

So, in your example, your HOF rookie card is worth 400 times what a common card goes for. You are predicting that in 20 years, the multiple will be 800 times.

Others on Net54 have made similar comments. My question is, why do you think that? What you are saying in essence is that HOF RC cards will double in value relative to commons. What are you expecting will cause that?



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[homerunhitter]

Originally Posted by swarmee

Correct, the vast majority of cards have sold for the same amount for the last decade. The ones that have gone up in value are the HOF rookies, for the most part. A $5 common now is a $10 common in 20 years. A $2,000 HOF RC now might be an $8,000 card in two decades, keeping or exceeding pace with the rate of inflation.

Sorry,
This question was for John (I forgot to use the quote in my response)

Also,
While looking at HOF Topps cards on eBay to purchase. For long term value, do you recommend/prefer signed or unsigned HOF Topps rookie cards? Would love to hear your thoughts on that. Thank you