What is a baseball card worth?

[obcbobd]

Originally Posted by BobbyStrawberry

Perhaps it's just me but I'm confused by your question. How can you put a specific dollar value on something that you define as being worth than money?

How much would you spend on a card if you knew you could never sell the card ? Another way of saying it is how much is a card worth to you?

[BobbyStrawberry]

Ah, I get it now. Very interesting question! Probably 2 or 3k at most.

[Schlesinj]

Is the question what is the value of nostalgia?

I am now mid 40s and remember my parents friends wanting/owning old cars 1967 Mustangs, Coke memorabilia, records of their parents music. Certainly cards were nostalgic then, but as a mid 40s guy lived through the the 80s/90s junk wax and played with 2nd generation Gi Joe’s/ Transformers and watched Star Wars and Karate Kid 100s of times. It really does not matter what it is mostly everything from that era is now “valuable”. Graded Nintendo games from 1993, toys whatever we all want that feeling of what it was like being a kid. In 20 years my kids will be talking about Silly Bands and Paw Patrol and how I threw it out.

“Luckily” I still have some of my favorites cards/memorabilia from then and now I can get some of the items I saw in magazines like Goudey #144.

[brianclat11]

I guess my answer would be in the 5K to 10K range. Only because I have spent this much and don’t intend to sell them or count on them increasing in value. I collect because I like holding a piece of history and enjoying having them around.

[frankbmd]

a 1 of 1
or
a 1 of 10,000,000

I would say they are roughly equal.

As kids they were entertainment.

As collectors they were history

As sets they are obsession.

As investments they are a crap shoot.

Bitcoin trading cards are hot!

As a waste of time, they are priceless.

I haven't voted, but would probably select the lowest category.

[Snowman]

I think this would be a more interesting question if it were worded as 'what percentage of your net worth is a baseball card worth to you?' Otherwise it's mostly just a function of how much money someone has.

[obcbobd]

Originally Posted by Snowman

I think this would be a more interesting question if it were worded as 'what percentage of your net worth is a baseball card worth to you?' Otherwise it's mostly just a function of how much money someone has.

Good point. I thought of that, but decided to keep it simple, no math required.
Another good poll would be "what % of your net worth is in Baseball Cards or Sports Memorabilia?"

[RL]

zero...

[BobbyStrawberry]

Originally Posted by Snowman

I think this would be a more interesting question if it were worded as 'what percentage of your net worth is a baseball card worth to you?' Otherwise it's mostly just a function of how much money someone has.

I completely disagree. I think it's quite likely that respondents to the poll, if sorted by response, will have wildly different net worths within a group that answered identically.