How do you value a collection?

[mybestbretts]

I find this very interesting that there has been no reply. We are all collectors.
We can value PSA graded cards, no problem. If we collect type 1 Babe Ruth photos, we can value them .... but as real collectors that may collect a certain team, player, etc and collect various items who knows? I know it doesn't matter to some, we don't care, etc. but actually it should care to some extent.
I was just curious as others thoughts, but I guess there are none .....

[Peter_Spaeth]

I think your post was just too vague, we have no idea what you are seeking to value.

[mrmopar]

I think about that a little more each year as I get older and wonder exactly how I will get rid of my collection, or if I will even have the chance. My boys have no interest at all in it at 13 & 15. My wife threatens that she'll "just get rid of it" if I die first, but the reality is that despite a lot of relatively worthless bulk, there is some real value tucked away in it.

The problem is mining that value. My common sense brain tells me that I need to start selling stuff now, but the passionate collector who wants to keep everything is making it hard for that to happen. I would almost rather will it to someone who would appreciate it as much as me, instead of trying to sell it. I can see me trying to sell something "good", get less than I felt is should sell for and get discouraged that I am "giving it away". I have tried to dip my toe in the selling pool recently, but I am starting with basically junk stuff and not surprisingly, I am not having much luck. On top of all of this, I absolutely hate the selling experience online.

Doesn't exactly answer the question posed, but my collection is priceless right now.

To be used as a add on to your Home Owners Insurance for replacement value of your collection

[mybestbretts]

Certainly for insurance purposes. The reason I pose the question is that as a certain team, player, etc. collector you probably own all types of items from from posters, checks, lineup cards on and on. And ... I wouldn't be surprised
for a number of years. There are items that are one of a kind or certainly limited. And I would think there is value in it all being in one collection. We see it all the time in some of the auctions of Heritage, etc.
Those are mostly the very old items, but as the days go by items from the 70's, etc. will be very old. I am just curious.
We see companies that want to insure your collection, at what? lol's

[Neal]

A 1933 Goudey Ruth PSA 3 would be valued at $3kish ..... these can be easily tracked for "value"

A one of a kind item may have a value of less than five bucks .... or one that exceeds 100K.

I "value" my collection based on the current/historic market. I do not place a value on boxes of modern cards. At least not yet.

Originally Posted by mybestbretts

Certainly for insurance purposes. The reason I pose the question is that as a certain team, player, etc. collector you probably own all types of items from from posters, checks, lineup cards on and on. And ... I wouldn't be surprised
for a number of years. There are items that are one of a kind or certainly limited. And I would think there is value in it all being in one collection. We see it all the time in some of the auctions of Heritage, etc.
Those are mostly the very old items, but as the days go by items from the 70's, etc. will be very old. I am just curious.
We see companies that want to insure your collection, at what? lol's

Have it appraised, You should take pictures of your most valuable cards and include the appraised value of each card for your records which will be proof and a benchmark for value at the time of the appraisal for the insurance company

[silvor]

Originally Posted by mrmopar

I think about that a little more each year as I get older and wonder exactly how I will get rid of my collection, or if I will even have the chance. My boys have no interest at all in it at 13 & 15. My wife threatens that she'll "just get rid of it" if I die first, but the reality is that despite a lot of relatively worthless bulk, there is some real value tucked away in it.

One of the top vinyl collectors by band owns the "#1" set, if there were such a thing. On all this albums over $100, he puts a sticker on them. That way his wife knows its worth at least $100, and to sell accordingly. You could do something similar for certain cards. Or just leave instructions on what to send to PWCC or a big auction house or COMC. Not really that difficult.

Besides, if you have kids 13 & 15, you must not be THAT old For now, just enjoy them!

[steve B]

My wife is at least a bit knowledgeable about all my hobbies. So no worries of stuff getting tossed, even if some of it might be someones great find a few years from now.

Value is tough, one way to see it is a bunch of individual cards, each with a value. The other is as a collection (Or accumulation) That has some good stuff and some stuff that's just not so good.
Or something in between. Individually is usually the most value, but also the most work to sell. As a batch it'll be a lot less, but the sale should be pretty easy.

I mostly buy lower end stuff. The most recent batch was a bunch of cards that had been put in holders for sale maybe in the early 90's. Maybe 4-5 cards I knew were pretty good, a couple of the Nabisco signed cards. And the supplies were worth roughly the asking price, so it was a good deal.

[mrmopar]

I will be 49 this year. I agree that I am "not that old", but you never know when your time will come and for some, it unfortunately can be earlier than expected. I had a pulmonary embolism a few years ago and apparently it surprised a few doctors that I walked into the clinic in the state I was in.

I started collecting for the fun of it and continue to do so. I am not a big ticket guy, but have slowly and steadily pumped a lot of money into it. As I said, there is a lot of bulk stuff from buying wax and keeping everything, but I have become more selective in the last 20 years. Still, I focus on what I like and not necessarily what will be most valuable. Of course it's my stuff and I am biased, but I would imagine someone like me finding this collection and going through it and enjoying the discoveries as they went box by box.

In the end, if I don't sell it first, I won't be around to see what happens and that will be my families call. I did start holding on to some business cards as I got them from eBay sellers and such and reaching out to any of them (if they are still around by that time) would probably be the best start for someone who doesn't know what they have. There will probably always be the internet (or something like it) too...

Originally Posted by silvor

One of the top vinyl collectors by band owns the "#1" set, if there were such a thing. On all this albums over $100, he puts a sticker on them. That way his wife knows its worth at least $100, and to sell accordingly. You could do something similar for certain cards. Or just leave instructions on what to send to PWCC or a big auction house or COMC. Not really that difficult.

Besides, if you have kids 13 & 15, you must not be THAT old For now, just enjoy them!