Some of these buybacks are a bit silly

[mrmopar]

I had not read all the comments when I responded.

"True Collector" - What is the definition of that again?

I have always considered myself a true collector. I have sold very little over the 40+ years i have been collecting cards and although value does play a role, it must, it is not the reason why I buy these collectibles. I am still debating whether or not to try to sell my stuff, because my hopes that my boys would want it is in limbo now, as neither seems to care one bit at 17 and 19.

I started in 1978 and have dabbled in a little of just about everything. I have spent a lot of money, most of it since ebay became "the place". Still, probably peanuts compared to the "true collectors" who own a PSA 10 1952 Topps Mickey Mantles and other extremely expensive cards!

At some point, I decided to collect anything Steve Garvey as a favorite focus, but still buy anything that catches my eye. Perhaps I am foolish to pay $10 for a stamped Topps buyback card, but I see the same thing as foolish when someone pays $10 for a short print common who played 1 season, when the rest of the cards in the set are $1. That doesn't make either collector any less "true". I gave up building sets, by the way, so commons are almost meaningless to me unless they are Dodgers.

There are plenty of money guys investing in new and vintage alike and it's all about the money. Stamping some vintage cards is harmless in my opinion, if it draws collectors to those cards. I would even go so far as to say, why cap the value? You can pretty much bet that a stamped buyback Mantle 52 Topps, if one existed, would sell for a premium when people are forking over $1000s for a partial card or one that is so heavily creased or worn that you can hardly tell what it was. Maybe that is true collecting to some, but it's foolish to many.

[BCauley]

Overall I think those stamps take away from the card itself, not a huge fan of them.

I believe it was last year when Topps put out their Topps 206 set, they inserted real T206 cards randomly in packs/boxes and at least two that I saw were serial numbered 1/1. Keep in mind that these were just common T206 cards with common backs. I don't know what they ended up selling for but one seller had his listed for $3,000 on ebay, for a T206 common, that Topps just imprinted a serial number. Made no sense to me and I would consider that a flaw on the card.

Back in 2004 or something I broke open a couple of boxes of the Topps Cracker Jack sets and was lucky enough to pull an actual Cracker Jack card though I can't remember if it was '14 or '15. There was no added stamp or anything done to it, it was just in a pack. In my opinion that's how it should be done.

[BCauley]

Originally Posted by mrmopar

"True Collector" - What is the definition of that again?

This term boggles my mind as well and I don't understand why people put so much emphasis into it. It's usually used in comparison to an "investor" and just comes off as some sort of need for one to feel superior to the other. Why? I have no idea. Just do what you do.

[BobC]

Originally Posted by BCauley

This term boggles my mind as well and I don't understand why people put so much emphasis into it. It's usually used in comparison to an "investor" and just comes off as some sort of need for one to feel superior to the other. Why? I have no idea. Just do what you do.

Bill,

I don't necessarily think it has to do with one group being or thinking they're better than another, at least it doesn't for me, but has more to do with how people view the hobby and the influence it ends up having on exactly what/how they collect.

With the recent price surges in cards, even a "true collector" now at least maybe has to start looking at the increasing value of their collection with an eye towards treating it as a type of investment after all. If for nothing more than to maybe plan what is to become of it when left to a surviving spouse, or other heirs.

I don't look down or feel superior to investors bidding on cards I need and want. I just hate them for running the prices up and outbidding me on seemingly everything I'm going after.

[G1911]

A collector and an investor are very different things, value different things (as this thread shows), and see things through different lenses. Neither is "superior" to the other; in fact me being a collector is measurably worse in that I gain no material benefit whatsoever. I lose a lot of money, an investor is here to demonstrably gain. To be cognizant that they are different things is not to say one is inferior.

[BCauley]

Originally Posted by BobC

Bill,

I don't necessarily think it has to do with one group being or thinking they're better than another, at least it doesn't for me, but has more to do with how people view the hobby and the influence it ends up having on exactly what/how they collect.

With the recent price surges in cards, even a "true collector" now at least maybe has to start looking at the increasing value of their collection with an eye towards treating it as a type of investment after all. If for nothing more than to maybe plan what is to become of it when left to a surviving spouse, or other heirs.

I don't look down or feel superior to investors bidding on cards I need and want. I just hate them for running the prices up and outbidding me on seemingly everything I'm going after.

Yeah, I get that and totally understand. My reaction to the term stems from random people here and there I've seen comment on different venues of social media.

I totally get the cost frustration as well. It's definitely slowed me down in regards to buying cards. My goal coming back into the hobby about two years ago was to focus on HoFers from random sets but that's been put on the back burner for now. For a cheaper alternative, I think I'm going to go back and re-start a project I started about 10 years ago but never got really far as I left the hobby and sold everything off. The project being picking up a card of each professional baseball player that ever served in the military. Some HoFers in there but plenty of cards I can pick up on the cheap end and keep me busy until, hopefully, some stuff starts coming back down.

[BobC]

Originally Posted by BCauley

Yeah, I get that and totally understand. My reaction to the term stems from random people here and there I've seen comment on different venues of social media.

I totally get the cost frustration as well. It's definitely slowed me down in regards to buying cards. My goal coming back into the hobby about two years ago was to focus on HoFers from random sets but that's been put on the back burner for now. For a cheaper alternative, I think I'm going to go back and re-start a project I started about 10 years ago but never got really far as I left the hobby and sold everything off. The project being picking up a card of each professional baseball player that ever served in the military. Some HoFers in there but plenty of cards I can pick up on the cheap end and keep me busy until, hopefully, some stuff starts coming back down.

That sounds like a really neat project. Good luck going forward with that. There will still be some big names in that collection, but should also be a lot of other lesser known players that don't otherwise get the recognition they deserve.

One question for you. Does Moe Berg get included?

[BCauley]

Originally Posted by BobC

That sounds like a really neat project. Good luck going forward with that. There will still be some big names in that collection, but should also be a lot of other lesser known players that don't otherwise get the recognition they deserve.

One question for you. Does Moe Berg get included?

Yeah I've only recently started going through names and looking up cards. Obviously, some don't have cards at all while others only have one card ever made. Where my project helps with the bigger names, like Ted Williams, is it really doesn't matter which card I get as long as I get a card of them, so I can keep this project affordable. With that said I'd love to get his '41 Play Ball.

In regards to Berg, I'll likely include him. While he was never in the military, he did work with them some and help them out prior to going into the OSS.

[BobC]

Originally Posted by BCauley

Yeah I've only recently started going through names and looking up cards. Obviously, some don't have cards at all while others only have one card ever made. Where my project helps with the bigger names, like Ted Williams, is it really doesn't matter which card I get as long as I get a card of them, so I can keep this project affordable. With that said I'd love to get his '41 Play Ball.

In regards to Berg, I'll likely include him. While he was never in the military, he did work with them some and help them out prior to going into the OSS.

That's why I was asking. He definitely played a part in both the Pacific and European theaters, yet was never formally in any specific branch of the military. I think it is a good call to include him. Good luck on your project.