Cards = Investments

[ullmandds]

Most of my collection I have owned for decades...and these have turned out to be excellent investments over the years...but the fact is they were never purchased as investments...just cards because I love them! In more recent years I have bought and sold a few cards here and there and made a little money in most cases...lost some in some cases. It used to be a lot easier to buy lots from auction houses and sell some of them and recoup all of your initial investment...and then keep the rest.

Those that can successfully "invest" in vintage cards have a lot of knowledge...and do a lot of leg work to find these deals. The avg joe will not be successful at this.

[mawitzi]

I do not believe that buying baseball cards is a smart investment. They do not pay interest or dividends. They increase in price only if the market for them gets bigger. If the collector base for cards does not grow you will not see prices increase.

Before investing in cards you need to be sure that the number of people that will want them in future will grow. So, are you sure of this?

I collect because I enjoy it. I hope my cards hold their value, but I don't really know what will happen in the future. I also hope prices don't increase too much, as this would price me out of my hobby.

[pcoz]

[QUOTE=mawitzi;1080178]I do not believe that buying baseball cards is a smart investment. They do not pay interest or dividends. They increase in price only if the market for them gets bigger. If the collector base for cards does not grow you will not see prices increase.

There are many investments that don't pay you back interest or dividends, ie...art, sportscards, commodities, growth stocks for that matter. If you look at the prices of "most" prewar cards the past 10+ yrs, they've appreciated significantly. Even "E" cards, which have recently been soft, have exponentially grown. As for the collector base...none of us were around 100 yrs ago, so I'm not concerned with a solid base in the future if I needed to sell my cards, as I'm sure others will come into the hobby of the sport we all love. If you're concerned with this aspect, then collect the high-end rare pieces that you know collectors will gravitate to anytime. We all are in the hobby because we love the cardboard. But, anyone that says they can spend 5-10k for a card and not care what its resale value down the road isn't being honest. No one wants to see their investment not be worth at least what they put into it if not more over time. Most great cards have been excellent investments as well as enjoyment for those who own them IMO.