Money in the Hobby

[LincolnVT]

Originally Posted by LincolnVT

Buy the best of the best and see an up-side and some financial gain in the long run...or...collect what you like, maybe see some financial gain and be happy in the long run. We're talking baseball cards here folks...America's Hobby...let's not make it only about the money. I've put some hard earned work dollars in to some pieces that I hope will appreciate in my lifetime or in my sons lifetime, but my 1988 ungraded Ken Griffey Jr. Vermont Mariners Minor League card is the only one on the mantle.

PS -- This was an invitation to pick a debate with me about my choice to collect and financially invest in baseball cards.

[seanofjapan]

Originally Posted by LincolnVT

PS -- This was an invitation to pick a debate with me about my choice to collect and financially invest in baseball cards.

OK, I'll bite

Or actually I guess I can't argue since I agree with what you said. I have two kids (both too young to collect, maybe someday but I'm not going to push them into it) and a collection that is worth something but I'm not a blue chip guy or anything like that. I collect what I like rather than what I think will be worth something in the future (partly since I'm pessimistic about the market's future if I viewed it solely as an investment I wouldn't buy anything). I definitely don't view my collection as a serious investment for my kids.

I kind of view the money I spend on cards as being flushed down the toilet, and if in the future they have some residual value then great, it'll feel like I found a bunch of money. I'll either give them to my kids (if they want them) or sell them and divvy up the cash.

My concern now actually is that I have this collection which would easily fetch a decent sum if auctioned on ebay, but nobody else in my family knows what its worth and if I die in an accident or something my wife would probably get ripped off (or at least get a horrible deal) in selling them. This reminds me that I should do something about that.....