Given today's real estate market

[bbcard1]

There seems to be a built in assumption that baseball cards are more liquid than real estate...that is a flawed perspective because of the sickness we share here on this board. Both are only liquid at a price. Maybe real estate is down, but most baseball cards are as well to a great degree except for the thin level at the top.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by bbcard1

There seems to be a built in assumption that baseball cards are more liquid than real estate...that is a flawed perspective because of the sickness we share here on this board. Both are only liquid at a price. Maybe real estate is down, but most baseball cards are as well to a great degree except for the thin level at the top.

Politely disagree. I can sell cards in the next hour to get 200k and have it tomorrow......can't do that with a house. Hell, I have an 815 credit score and can't even refinance!!

[phikappapsi]

Leon. I think his point was, you could probably do that with a house too, if you were willing to sell a 400,000 house for 200k. Maybe the cards you're talking about have a value of 400k, but given the current market, if you wanted to sell them fast, you'd have to underprice.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by phikappapsi

Leon. I think his point was, you could probably do that with a house too, if you were willing to sell a 400,000 house for 200k. Maybe the cards you're talking about have a value of 400k, but given the current market, if you wanted to sell them fast, you'd have to underprice.

I have bought and refinanced several houses. No one can get money the next day through that method. And I think with the cards I have in mind I could get 150% of what I paid and at least 80% of market value quickly.

[barrysloate]

Originally Posted by Leon

I have bought and refinanced several houses. No one can get money the next day through that method. And I think with the cards I have in mind I could get 150% of what I paid and at least 80% of market value quickly.

Leon- agreed that rare baseball cards are a very liquid asset, and that you could get 80% of their value rather quickly. But you would be leaving 20% of their value on the table. I think any asset discounted that deeply would be pretty easy to sell. If your home is worth 500K and you put it on the market for 400K I don't think it would take too long to sell either.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by barrysloate

Leon- agreed that rare baseball cards are a very liquid asset, and that you could get 80% of their value rather quickly. But you would be leaving 20% of their value on the table. I think any asset discounted that deeply would be pretty easy to sell. If your home is worth 500K and you put it on the market for 400K I don't think it would take too long to sell either.

But I couldn't have money tomorrow with the house deal?

Regardless, my whole thoughts were based on what is best for his families living conditions. Since it sounds like the house would be an investment the choice becomes which is a better investment, cards or a house? Most folks would say a house, I have cards . That being said, of course there will be more of our members (except for the folks that shudder to think of our cards as investments) relative to the general population who would take the cards. And lastly when I think of deep discount it's not 20% it's about double that. But that is relative and everyone has their own idea.

[barrysloate]

Fair points but I think any asset that would have to be deeply discounted to sell quickly isn't so great. If you had a stock portfolio (boring) and you had to sell stocks the same day you would probably get 98% of market value. The real asset of baseball cards is the enjoyment factor.

[bbcard1]

Originally Posted by Leon

Politely disagree. I can sell cards in the next hour to get 200k and have it tomorrow......can't do that with a house. Hell, I have an 815 credit score and can't even refinance!!

You have to admit you are unusually qualified to sell cards for nearer retail...which is cool. You are probably well aware that the refi issue is most likely your employment status, not your credit score. I have a friend who runs a rather successful recruiting business with 15 employees. The employees can qualify for loans based on their salary and gainful employment, but he cant' because he is dependent on a company he runs. Even though he is the guy who pays all the other people.

We have had similar problems. Had I not sold baseball cards to a banker for years, I would have probably not been able to get the very small loan I needed to start my company...

But yes, anything will sell at a price. There are plenty of cash buyers for real estate if the price is good enough.

For what it's worth, I am pretty much investing in saving money and keeping it reasonably liquid. I have a son heading off to college next year and a daughter three years after that. I buy cards for enjoyment, though I hope in the long run to at least break even. I buy a little metal, but you have to be in a very specialized place for that to work an it's a pretty small part of my financial equation. I can certainly see an inflation scenario and would think that the factors would point toward that...but I could also see a deflationary cycle with the pressures.

[mrvster]

If u can, have both

If not, a house would have to come first before your cards, like Leon said " you can't live in your cards"....

But if ur half way comfy, and basically don't need an "extra" house, or your doing fine making your mortage payments, then why not collect/invest in vintage???????????....if u don't wan't to deal with investment renting, then my theory is collect/invest....


like antiques=rarity and condition...

i go with rarity, that supercedes condition unless u can afford both inmho...


collect rare, qaulity, desirable cardboard....


i have only seen my t206 rarities appreciate since 1998 at exceedingly crazy rates....

i don't know, but i think the trend is keeping up with wag pushing the investment/collection...



but if your not into t206, there are other issues ....some are too are too volitile...

i love ojs, as a second vehicle, but unless collect the rareer ojs, the commons remained stable...anything 19th century seems like a safe investment also, mayos, ect


i got my quarterly 401 K statement and almost cried the other day, and hasn't gotten that much better over the years, changed the investment mix / diversification doesnt seem to matter either the "investors know what they are doing"



(please excuse me ,old business major here)



I don't care what anyone says, the rare unique desirable cards(in any set, that would be debated in another thread) seem to , dare i say it, recession proof

cardboard is only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it, like anything else in this world.....and if it is rare and desireable enuf, the investment takes fruition....like a small entity,

as long as there are individuals with moola, the desireables will be in demand..


simple economics=


supply and demand....

you would have to take care of maslow's heirachy of needs first and foremost, if you are comfy at the level you are at , then why not collect/invest.... cardsare very liquid( also as leon stated)

collectors are going to cringe when they read what i wrote about collecting as an investment, but these are different times, and these maybe alternative investments for many, instead of the traditional ones...

i always wanted to buy gold years ago, but never did.....that to me is a good investment....education is a good investment.....1988 topps might not be

i like real estate, but i am obsessed with t206


Summation:


COLLECT TO INVEST IF YOU ARE WORRIED ABOUT It, it's not far fetched .......

sell if in trouble...


sell your freak t206 to me is so desired??

peace

johnny

[z28jd]

Someday Johnny, you will work all 11 emoticons into the same post, forcing Leon to create new ones. Keep on working towards your goal my friend!

To answer the question in this thread, I have no clue. I live in an apartment above a garage and almost 90% of my assets are cards, 8% is in 2 antique cars, 1% is silver and 1% is cash. I do have enough cards from the 80-90's to build a house out of them so pish-posh to whoever said you can't live in your cards

Originally Posted by mrvster

If u can, have both

If not, a house would have to come first before your cards, like Leon said " you can't live in your cards"....

But if ur half way comfy, and basically don't need an "extra" house, or your doing fine making your mortage payments, then why not collect/invest in vintage???????????....if u don't wan't to deal with investment renting, then my theory is collect/invest....


like antiques=rarity and condition...

i go with rarity, that supercedes condition unless u can afford both inmho...


collect rare, qaulity, desirable cardboard....


i have only seen my t206 rarities appreciate since 1998 at exceedingly crazy rates....

i don't know, but i think the trend is keeping up with wag pushing the investment/collection...



but if your not into t206, there are other issues ....some are too are too volitile...

i love ojs, as a second vehicle, but unless collect the rareer ojs, the commons remained stable...anything 19th century seems like a safe investment also, mayos, ect


i got my quarterly 401 K statement and almost cried the other day, and hasn't gotten that much better over the years, changed the investment mix / diversification doesnt seem to matter either the "investors know what they are doing"



(please excuse me ,old business major here)



I don't care what anyone says, the rare unique desirable cards(in any set, that would be debated in another thread) seem to , dare i say it, recession proof

cardboard is only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it, like anything else in this world.....and if it is rare and desireable enuf, the investment takes fruition....like a small entity,

as long as there are individuals with moola, the desireables will be in demand..


simple economics=


supply and demand....

you would have to take care of maslow's heirachy of needs first and foremost, if you are comfy at the level you are at , then why not collect/invest.... cardsare very liquid( also as leon stated)

collectors are going to cringe when they read what i wrote about collecting as an investment, but these are different times, and these maybe alternative investments for many, instead of the traditional ones...

i always wanted to buy gold years ago, but never did.....that to me is a good investment....education is a good investment.....1988 topps might not be

i like real estate, but i am obsessed with t206


Summation:


COLLECT TO INVEST IF YOU ARE WORRIED ABOUT It, it's not far fetched .......

sell if in trouble...


sell your freak t206 to me is so desired??

peace

johnny

[mrvster]

Your collection is insane!!!

I seriously think we have a seriuos problem LOL

[z28jd]

Originally Posted by mrvster

Your collection is insane!!!

I seriously think we have a seriuos problem LOL

I think you're right. I definitely don't have my priorities straight in the eyes of 99% of the people I know...the other 1% collects baseball cards too