How do you value a collection?

[mrmopar]

Do you collect George Brett? Among many other areas of interest, I do have an extensive Steve Garvey collection. His appeal seems to have diminished over the years as he went from sure bet Hall of Famer to whatever you'd describe him now. I have many, many signatures, most of his cards (pre and post retirement) and A LOT of oddball stuff that I value a great deal that may have very little collector value to anyone but a similar Garvey collector. How he will be received in the future, especially if he never makes the HOF through one of those veteran committees is anyone's guess?

Originally Posted by mybestbretts

I would appreciate input on how you place a value on your collection.

[mybestbretts]

Curt, I do hear you. Yes I am a Brett collector. A number of years ago I sent a Steve Garvey collector a bunch of cards. I was curious to see what people had to say. We see collections featured and auctioned. Just this week a collection of autographs was featured and I am curious to see what happens in the future with some of these "modern collections". If you are a player collector you have "stuff" and yes it does have a value. You probably couldn't put a collection together again with all of the items. Does that have value?
Who knows. I have a collector friend that will help my children and I will help his, that is our promise to each other so that is covered. But I do wonder with
the PSA registry for one, all these player collections what one will really bring at auction(not sold off one by one) and I wonder what a total player collection will bring. Maybe one of these days we will see.

[homerunderby]

Value on a normal collection of players, teams, etc is really tough. If you believe Beckett my collection is worth $125k but that's using their inflated values as single cards (I collect a team).

My collection is in no way liquid- it is extensive but anyone who would want to have it would either already have most of it, or want to collect it themselves. After all, that's part of the fun.

To answer your question, I value my collection on what is liquid. My vintage cards and higher value rookie cards are the main things that come to mind. Stuff like my 1989 Score team set isn't even part of the equation because it isn't at all liquid. Same thing for some of my more scarce things like my 2003 Kanebo Silver parallels.

[mrmopar]

Lots of good points here, especially any large collection will have many pieces that everyone else has or doesn't want. The really unique and tough items in a large collection are what would drive the end price probably more than anything else. I could not even imagine what my collection is "worth" in Beckett value. It seems reasonable that an "average to above average" extensive collection could easily top $1 Million in BV. That is only 100,000 $10 cards after all!

I can't say that I have ever seen a really nice and extensive collection of anything sold in one lump sum, at least not on eBay. Lots of "collections" with a few eye catchers and pounds of junk.

Years back, before it was common to have free listings, I decided that I would try to sell it all when there was a free listing day. However, I was not prepared at all and when I created the listing, I tossed out a huge number to protect myself and then set out to backfill the photos and details. I never got around to actually adding anymore details though and wasted my listing. I had no grand illusions that anyone would buy my collection in an eBay auction in one shot, but it would be fun to see how high a great collection might go in an open auction.

Originally Posted by homerunderby

Value on a normal collection of players, teams, etc is really tough. If you believe Beckett my collection is worth $125k but that's using their inflated values as single cards (I collect a team).

My collection is in no way liquid- it is extensive but anyone who would want to have it would either already have most of it, or want to collect it themselves. After all, that's part of the fun.

To answer your question, I value my collection on what is liquid. My vintage cards and higher value rookie cards are the main things that come to mind. Stuff like my 1989 Score team set isn't even part of the equation because it isn't at all liquid. Same thing for some of my more scarce things like my 2003 Kanebo Silver parallels.

[mybestbretts]

I agree Curt, and its bound to happen sooner or later. If you are a true collector of a player or team, etc your collection can go from very rare to junk, all in one place. What the unknown is the time, if you could ever, put it together again. One of these days we will see one go up for auction. I notice a few year PSA sets are going up to for sale, not the same thing but an interesting thing to see what they bring.

[clydepepper]

My valuation is probably not very accurate at all...I tend to value it like most of my possessions: by my cost.

When you make purchases emotionally an accurate e-val frequently flies out the window.

[Exhibitman]

For insurance purposes, I try to get a rough market estimate. I have maintained pretty good records of what I paid for things over the decades so I have that data too. Given the relatively modest cost of collection insurance (you can get a collectibles policy in six figures for several hundred dollars a year), I don't sweat it too much as long as the estimate is in the ballpark. If there is ever a loss, we will have to go through an adjustment and/or appraisal process anyway.