When to SELL / What IF...

[LEHR]

I've been selling off my sports and non-sports collection for the last two plus years. At first it was just to regroup and reorganize; you know, less is more. Then I sold a couple key pieces and realized I didn't really miss them like I thought I would, so I kept selling.
I currently have 10 pieces in my sports collection that I'm keeping for now, about 20 items listed on eBay, 20'ish more items ready to list on eBay, and one piece consigned to REA's spring auction (see avatar). After that I'm moving on to some other interests. It's weird because I've collected sports cards and memorabilia for 35+ years, but I'm ready for a change.

[thatkidfromjerrymaguire]

I can't say for sure exactly when I'll cave and sell my more expensive cards, but I can guarantee you it will likely be at the absolute wrong time.

I'll either sell too early and watch prices continue to soar, or I'll hold until this bubble bursts and the prices plummet.

Because that's how my life goes

As for a serious answer, as of right now I'm still enjoying the hobby. While I'm on pause for any major pickups right now, I'm still filling out commons and minor stars needed for my sets. And although I don't have many high value cards, I was lucky enough to pick up a couple over the last few years that are seeing surprising gains (including one that seems to have just ticked over into five figure territory which I NEVER thought would happen).

I don't NEED the money, however I have two kids on their way to college in the next several years, so extra money would be nice to have. Assuming that prices don't drop instantly in the near future, if it looks like the market is starting to level off, I'll probably cash in my profits to help defray tuition costs. And it would be very satisfying to see my little hobby play a part in helping to fund my kids' education. Maybe I'll hold back a little to buy beater copies of the cards I sell just to keep my sets intact.

But with prices still seemingly growing exponentially month by month (if not week by week) I feel like I would be kicking myself later if I sold now.

And if the worst case scenario comes true and the cards plummet in value before I sell...well, I have luckily lived by the "buy what you like" rule, so I'll still enjoy looking at my old baseball cards...because I think we can all agree that vintage baseball cards are just really, really cool.

[jcmtiger]

Originally Posted by LEHR

I've been selling off my sports and non-sports collection for the last two plus years. At first it was just to regroup and reorganize; you know, less is more. Then I sold a couple key pieces and realized I didn't really miss them like I thought I would, so I kept selling.
I currently have 10 pieces in my sports collection that I'm keeping for now, about 20 items listed on eBay, 20'ish more items ready to list on eBay, and one piece consigned to REA's spring auction (see avatar). After that I'm moving on to some other interests. It's weird because I've collected sports cards and memorabilia for 35+ years, but I'm ready for a change.

Same thing happened to me, final straw was move to Florida from a 4000 sg foot home which included 2000 sq foot finished basement where everything was displayed. No basements in Florida, no space. Still have my 19th. Century stuff & some display items.

[bmattioli]

I'm a collector who never sells..

[bnorth]

I have sold hundreds of cards in the last several months. Sold everything from junk era singles to a almost perfectly centered Red Cobb.

I only sell to buy new items for my collection. Luckily the cards I sold had greatly increased in price. Even better the memorabilia I am buying with the money has not had the huge price increases.

[Exhibitman]

My daughter is just getting her grad school admissions back and the leader so far is hella expensive so if that is the choice I my need to cash in a few highly appreciated cards to cover the balance of it beyond our savings. That would be worthwhile.

[68Hawk]

I've sold perhaps 65% of my collection over the last 18 months, of course if I'd waited to let it all go in the last 4 weeks I'd probably have doubled what I made.

Kept my absolute best stuff and will never sell it. Wife/kids will get it as part of the Estate I leave and do much better selling it then because it will be far better tax treated.
I decided that I'd managed to buy what I have with money that could have been used on other things that simply disappeared as a consumable, and instead will have residual and hopefully far better value. And having largely finished collecting I now see it as outside our needed per diem.
It's the apple stock I was never smart enough to buy, earned through spending hundreds of thousands of hours learning everything I could about players and their cards and perusing millions of pages of on-line auctions.
I've earned them all, I love them all, and someone else can let them re-appear to the public market once they are no longer under my protection.

[Tao_Moko]

I have a 6 figure collection, until I try and sell. I figure I'll hold on for awhile and buy while prices are up and sell when they're down.

I also bust everything out of their slabs so I can get less when the time comes.

[icollectDCsports]

Originally Posted by 68Hawk

Wife/kids will get it as part of the Estate I leave and do much better selling it then because it will be far better tax treated.

Yep. The better tax treatment of valuable items left to heirs (vs. selling while the collector is still living) is something more collectors should be made aware of so they can factor in when considering when to sell.

[todeen]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

My daughter is just getting her grad school admissions back and the leader so far is hella expensive so if that is the choice I my need to cash in a few highly appreciated cards to cover the balance of it beyond our savings. That would be worthwhile.

Exciting! What's her area of study? Congrats.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[LEHR]

Originally Posted by jcmtiger

Same thing happened to me, final straw was move to Florida from a 4000 sg foot home which included 2000 sq foot finished basement where everything was displayed. No basements in Florida, no space. Still have my 19th. Century stuff & some display items.

I’m in the opposite situation. We’re having a house built that is currently scheduled to be finished May 1st. We’ve been apartment city dwellers for the last decade so now I’ll finally have the space to explore some other interests, like pinball/coin-op and cars. I really want a restored 1968 Charger or something similar. My first car was a 68 Charger and I owned a half dozen 68-71 Chevelle’s in the 90’s.

[2dueces]

Everything I own has a price with the exception of my dog.
If I’m forced to live under a bridge she’s coming with me.

[troutbum97]

Originally Posted by 2dueces

Everything I own has a price with the exception of my dog.
If I’m forced to live under a bridge she’s coming with me.

Fantastic answer.
God bless ya & your pup.

[Madi$on18joshua]

I needed more cash to buy another house in Big Bear that we now rent through Airbnb. Check it out Zen Lodge Big Bear. We are trying to get enough passive income so we dont have to work. Needless to say I sold a lot of cards that I wish I hadn't as it would cost me a LOT more to get them back just a few months later. Some of the highlights I sold were a 61 #8 Chamberlain PSA 6, 51 Mantle PSA 2, 51 Mays PSA 1, 39 Williams PSA 1, 38 DiMaggio PSA 1, 79 Gretzky PSA 3, 72 Erving PSA 8 (which i paid $1k for about 2 years ago!) and many more. I have contemplated selling all of my my collection but I am a much better buyer than I am a seller!!! Here are couple of picks of at the time were scary purchases which created some issues with my wife but turned out to be smart decisions. I paid $11k for the Jackson and the $4,600 for the Nagurski.