If you have 20k in cash and want to invest in one post-war card...

[Vintageclout]

Originally Posted by Phil68

Which would you target? Why?

Here are some solid options. Remember, great eye appeal is a “must” for any purchase:

- A dead-centered PSA 5 1951 Bowman Mantle Rookie - way undervalued vs. it’s 1952 Topps Mantle peer. Lots of growth potential. But, it has to have 55/45 to 50/50 centering.

- A PSA 5 #53 Yellow Goudey Ruth or PSA 6 #144 or #149 Goudey Ruth - these cards are exploding in value and I really don’t see any end in sight. Especially the ones with super aesthetics. Nice Goudey Ruth’s are “Money in the bank”

- A PSA 6 T206 Ty Cobb Red Portrait; Bat On or Bat Off. Again, must be well-centered with bright colors. A Beautiful PSA 5 Green Portrait Cobb works as well. T206 Cobbs continue to rise in price, especially the examples that present extremely well. Put one or two away & watch your money grow. One of the classic cards in the hobby

- A super eye pleasing PSA 5/6 1948 Jackie Robinson Leaf Rookie. It may be the hottest card in the hobby right now. If you can find one for $15Kish, use the remaining $5K to purchase a 1947 Bond Bread Jackie Robinson “Portrait” issue. It is Jackie’s “true” rookie card and was released in June/July 1947. - Jackie Robinson “rookie-era” card’s have no limits with regard to their investment potential. Jackie’s popularity is second to none and his early cards are on fire.

- a PSA 3 1914 Cracker Jack Cobb. In my opinion, one of the top 10 classic cards in the hobby. Cooled off somewhat with regard to pricing spikes, but it will certainly realize another pricing uptick in the next several years.

- a PSA 3 1948 Leaf Satchel Paige. One of the most desirable & significant cards in the hobby. A short-print that is so tough to find with great eye appeal. It MUST have superb resolution/registration & fine centering. Many examples have skewed images. Be patient & look for the right one.

- Early 1920s Babe Ruth Black & White issues. Try for a nice PSA 3 1921 E121 Ruth subject. It portrays Ruth in his classic pitching pose & wearing a Red Sox uniform (the image was actually taken in March 1915 so it is a true Ruth rookie image!). These black & white Ruth’s are still undervalued considering their rarity vs. Ruth goudeys. I firmly believe early 1920s Ruth Yankee cards will realize huge pricing spikes in the next 3-5 years.

- a very nice PSA 1.5/2 1909 E90-1 Joe Jackson rookie card. Simply stated, you cannot go wrong w/a “Shoeless Joe” rookie. It will continue to experience a steady rise in value.

Note, these are just a handful of examples to invest your $20K. Obviously there are so many more options, but the ones I suggested are bona-fife “sure things.” You also might want to consider buying some great modern cards like Jordan, James, MaHomes, Brady, Bryant, Trout, etc. since they are realizing some extraordinary price tags. If that is an option for you, speak with someone who is an authority on the high-end modern cards....it’s certainly not my area of expertise. With regard to vintage, blue chip immortals like Ruth, Cobb, Mantle, Robinson, Paige, Jackson, etc. are very safe investments. MOST IMPORTANT - please be very patient in finding exceptionally high-end eye appeal cards. That is the key for any issue. When you go to re-sell, you will definitely maximize your investment via aesthetically pleasing subjects. Great eye appeal translates to huge premiums paid for vintage cardboard. Good luck & happy hunting!