Dealer? “Dealer”/Collector? Or Collector only!

[ullmandds]

I am mainly a collector going on over 40 years now. I DO occasionally buy with the intention of reselling to try o make a profit usually to fund other card purchases. But I rarely sell these days! It used to be quite easy to buy a group of vintage cards...sell most and end up with one or a few for free. That's how I obtained my former t206 green cobby. Much harder to do these days esp with the cost/time of grading to resell.

[cardsagain74]

Here you'll find:

- many collectors only
- many who mostly collect and sell off extras
- a handful of full time dealers
- some who are looking to invest money in cards
- some who think that "invest" is a dirty word here(because cards are intangible assets or how increasing values causes them to spend more money)

As far as being an inspiring vintage dealer: the rising values of the last 12 months have made it seem easier than it normally is. If you're selling on ebay, then between their fees and taxes, you're giving up almost 20% off the top to both buy and sell the same product.

That makes focusing on forum transactions much better for the bottom line, but of course you only a reach a small fraction of potential buyers (compared to those places like ebay/amazon/etc.)

So the best answer may be: there is no clear choice Just have to figure out which venues and practices work best for your particular situation

[Luke]

For me all of these questions kind of worked themselves out. I only was selling because I loved the cards so much and couldn't afford to buy all day without also selling. If you're just going to buy and sell and not collect, I would imagine there are much easier ways to make a buck. Then it comes down to how much self control you have with regard to how much you are smoking your own stash. I have always loved the business as much as my collection so it has been pretty easy to stay balanced.

This next comment is not 100% true across the board, but it's my 2 cents. If you aren't already deeply involved in the hobby because you're compelled to be, I think there's a chance buying/selling isn't for you. In my own personal experience, I never asked any questions like this, I just followed my instincts (followed my heart I guess you could say) and here I am 10 years later after getting into pre-war. I think if you weigh the pros and cons of doing this from an unemotional standpoint, it doesn't make a ton of sense to get into trying to be a dealer.