Spend a little now.....make a ton later!

[Baseball Rarities]

Originally Posted by Joshwesley

As someone mentioned that a Baltimore news Ruth was bought for 6k at auction in 1991 and sold for 695k in 2015.

Just for the sake of accuracy, the Baltimore News Ruth sold in the 1991 Sotheby's Copeland sale for $18,700 and it is still in the same person's collection. FWIW, it is not graded either.

[Joshwesley]

Originally Posted by Baseball Rarities

Just for the sake of accuracy, the Baltimore News Ruth sold in the 1991 Sotheby's Copeland sale for $18,700 and it is still in the same person's collection. FWIW, it is not graded either.

Gotcha..
Thanks...I saw those numbers in another thread...I didnt know the actual deal/accuracy...


As cool as 206 cobbs are... There's just so many of them.
Folks new back then how special he was, so tons of those survived 100 years.
Although, the green Cobb is kind of pricey (I have no idea why....maybe it's more scarce?

Interesting about the rare backs... Lenox/Cb etc..

Have they risen in price the past 10 years or so to see a trend like that for the next 20 years? I'm new to the hobby.

[DeanH3]

As cool as 206 cobbs are... There's just so many of them.

You could say the same about the '52 Mantle, but that hasn't stopped it from huge escalations.

[Peter_Spaeth]

I have no idea. And neither does anyone else.

[pokerplyr80]

It would probably take another card like that to have a huge return, other than the obvious choices like the Gehrig exhibit rc. Some obscure set with a big name HOFer that no one pays attention to right now. There was probably one somewhere in that collection Leon just sold.

[Fred]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

I have no idea. And neither does anyone else.

That's about as accurate a prediction as one could expect.

[Jobu]

I will tell you after I have finished buying all of them

[Jeffrompa]

Speculation , conjecture ... Its excited and addicting .

[Snapolit1]

Am always surprised Willie Mays doesn't get more love from collectors. Overshadowed by others to some degree but what a player.
Wonder if his cards will go up dramatically in the future.

[Mountaineer1999]

How about the 1951 Bowman Mantle? Cash in 2051?

[Yoda]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

Am always surprised Willie Mays doesn't get more love from collectors. Overshadowed by others to some degree but what a player.
Wonder if his cards will go up dramatically in the future.

Didn't a Willie '52 Topps PSA 9 recently fetch close to half a mil? That has to represent a pretty fair price appreciation for the card's owner, or I am going to find another hobby.

[1952boyntoncollector]

Originally Posted by Fred

That's about as accurate a prediction as one could expect.

I shoot smaller..i look for cards in the 400-600 range that I think will sell for close to a 1000....theres a lot of collectors that pay 400 that can also afford a card for 900 or so.....4 years ago I did that with psa 8 Jackie Robinsons 1955-1956s..wish I bought more of them

[ALR-bishop]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

I have no idea. And neither does anyone else.

I think Peter really knows but just won't say

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

I think Peter really knows but just won't say

Billy Ripken FF.

[tennisguy]

How about the T206 Magie Error. Can't see it coming close to 6 figures, but do see the possibility of a good increase in value in all grade levels of this card.

[1952boyntoncollector]

I think we all grew up in this hobby and collected when we were in our teens or younger.....when we thought about making money on a card originally even 30 years later from that point we would of been in our late 40s..so its fun to think about a huge price increase 30 years later and still be in the middle of our lives.......but when we are in our mid 30s and up....I don't think the same benefit is there for us to hold a card for 30 years later for us..though the family gets to inherit cards for free.

I think some of the mentality of making a significant amount of money on a card works lot better when we were in our teens..

so when thinking about a quick 5 year turnaround who knows....

[ls7plus]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

I have no idea. And neither does anyone else.

Sure we have ideas, and the formula is well-known in any form of collectibles: rare and significant in the best condition you can find or afford. Just remember the focus of collecting changes over time in every field, and with it the demand. Q. David Bowers said that with coins (and baseball cards have basically followed coin collecting trends in every major respect--coins have just been around as an organized hobby 120 years longer), the items in fashion in one decade are seldom the same ones as in the next. You have to look for those that are rare and significant in areas that are at present relatively quiet. As I've said before, you want to think a bit outside the box and be on the cutting, rather than trailing edge, unless you've got really big bucks to spend. You're right, Pete, insofar as your post indicates that no one really knows for certain what items are going to explode in value, but using the tools noted above can immensely increase our chances of finding them. It just takes work, but if its your passion, its not work at all!

As to what you consider rare and significant, that is up to you, based on reading, study, research and analysis of both the game of baseball itself, its history, and cards. I have my own ideas as to what items are in for a sizable increase in value when focuses change over time, and frankly don't need the competition for cards that I believe will fall into that category. It was hard enough finally obtaining a 1939 R303A Ted Williams rookie, after being sniped several times with seven seconds or so left in ebay auctions--seems quite a few others were thinking along that line too! Frankly, I was somewhat amazed that I didn't have to pay more for the '39 V351 Williams rookie in the fall PWCC auction, based on my guidelines (I got it for less than half my max bid).

Just my two cents worth,

Larry

[GregMitch34]

Allegheny playing cards. Only one of each ever made as prototype. Can't get rarer than that.

[Snapolit1]

Stamps are fascinating but in my experience a bust as an investment. I remember in the late 70s my Dad an I milling around a stamp counter in a department store in the mall. They had the famous three zeppelin airmail stamps in mint condition, something like $600-$700. Last time I checked forty years later they are going for maybe $1000 for the three of them. And forget trying to liquidate a large collection. From what I hear you might be getting 5 cents on the dollar of catalog value for some of that stuff.

I always did want the plate block of the upside down Jenny planes, but think that ship has sailed (not to mix metaphors).

[ValKehl]

Originally Posted by GregMitch34

Allegheny playing cards. Only one of each ever made as prototype. Can't get rarer than that.

The problem with cards like these is they are too rare, which usually results in little demand.
Val