Investing or collecting

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Posted By: Donavon Arabie

This is a very interesting discussion...one that my wife & I have actually discussed lately. I was amazed with her input. I actually wanted to put my '39 Goudey set on the auction block to buy a new boat. The wife said "NO" (fairly convincingly too). Her reason...you cannot replace history. You can always buy a boat. Needless to say...I'm gonna' have to keep the set & the wife. I am a 30-something myself. As for as my childhood 70's & 80's collection...well, that has all been sold. However, my love for collecting has not diminished. I simply "invest" in the pre-war cards I always dreamed of having as a kid. You know...the Cobb's, Mathewson's, & Lajoie's we all drooled over at card shows in the 80's. I've lost thousands in the stock market over the years. However, I don't think I've lost a dime on any baseball card I've invested in except maybe a few of those steroid junkies cards from the 80's. I've seen prices realized on pre-war cards continue to rise, even through a recession. I just don't see a fallout when people actually do have money to spend again. And...even if there is a fallout, who wouldn't want to own a piece of history? Just my two cents.

Donavon