Can anyone honestly say....

[ALBB]

I agree 100%, putting older sets together brick by brick..is more times then not a " money lose " in the end

Its like looking at the price guide of ..for ex- a 1980 set...add up the indv listed price of all the cards $1 or more....that total is way more then the listed price of the compl set

But, the fun is in the hunt, and its an enjoyable hobby

[mintacular]

The purpose of my post was not to discourage collectors from building sets, when I did it with 57 and 71 it was EXTREMELY satisfying and the hunt was fun, and lots of knowledge learned along the way.

However, I don't think I realized the financial downside to it and so if someone entering the hobby is considering "Should I build (insert set)...." I think this info would be useful to know.

[wdwfan]

I've been on both sides of it. I bought a complete 1974 Topps set maybe 2 years ago. Paid $100 for it and broke it apart. Sold it off and made money. Did the same with a 1975 Topps set about the same time. Paid $200 for it.

Around 2012-13, I built a 1958 Topps set. I started with one single card. I traded for a lot of them at the LCS, and I would buy some here and there. Finally by the time I was done, I had about 6 months in it and just over $500. I sold it to Sean for $1,500. So I tripled my efforts. That doesn't happen often.

Now I'm working on building a 1957 Topps set by hand just like I did then. However, it's a little different. The LCS has changed hands, and they don't trade as much (back then I'd trade modern inserts, parallels and RCs for store credit then use it to get cards I needed for the set).

Chase has been more fun (and frustrating because I can't get anyone over here to trade with me/sell to me), but it's been a long road. I've been working on it since about March, and I'm ready to get it done. In the end, I'll end up losing money if I try to sell it. But my goal is to keep it.

Originally Posted by mintacular

The purpose of my post was not to discourage collectors from building sets, when I did it with 57 and 71 it was EXTREMELY satisfying and the hunt was fun, and lots of knowledge learned along the way.

However, I don't think I realized the financial downside to it and so if someone entering the hobby is considering "Should I build (insert set)...." I think this info would be useful to know.

[kailes2872]

I have been looking at that lately as I am considering pivoting off of my current collecting focus. For example, with my 54 set, I bought my PSA Aaron for $1650 in 2014. It is now approaching a $5,000 card. My Banks was purchased for right at $1000 and it is now well exceeding that amount. So, based upon what the stars were purchased for, there is some gain to be had.

Where I find the challenge is all of the fees and taxes. If I am paying 22% BP on the purchase and 10% commission on the sale then it is tough to clear anything inside of five years. If you add in 28% capital gains on collectibles, any gains are quickly wiped out and sent to Uncle Sam as well.

Therefore, I have to accept the fact that there is an "enjoyment tax" that I pay to collect and if it was about investment, I would just liquidate and put into my investment account with my financial advisor - which is a real possibility when you add the risk of theft and fire as the value of the asset grows and I don't want to have to go to a safe deposit box to visit them on occasion.

[mortimer brewster]

I collect purely for the enjoyment. I know completing sets by buying lots and individual cards is a losing proposition financially. I enjoy doing this and do not pay attention to profit and loss etc.

I have been collecting since 1971 and have always collected within my means. After I am gone my family can do what they want with the cards.

[steve B]

I put together a 48 Bowman set in mostly poor condition between 1978 and 1982-3. Sold it in 85? for a bit more than I'd paid. It probably couldn't be done today.
Most of the sets I collected when they were new would sell for more than I paid, but I didn't keep track of costs.

[brewing]

There were 2 sets I built where I acquired large lots at a great price as foundations. Filling in most of the holes with a couple of lots and the rest over a 2-3 year period.

In those 2 scenarios, I made about 20%

I sold most of my other sets 5 years ago (from break even to 20% loss), if I would have waited until this year I probably would have done quite well.

I think it depends on how long you hold it and how vintage it is. Sets from the 70's are price losers when selling as a set.

[puckpaul]

Wouldnt it depend on when you built the set? Certainly the commissions can make it challenging when you sell, but given the appreciation of many cards, if you bought the star cards well and a while ago, you should be able to make money on the set. I have been building a T3 set for years, luckily i bought the star cards first. The Cobb, young Mathewson and Lajoie should put the set value over the top. You always have the option of breaking it up to sell, too, if that maximizes exit value.

Given the appreciation over time, i would buy the most valuable cards first of building.