Priced Out?

[japhi]

As a long time collector I have a hard time relating to these types of posts. I have always been priced out of certain segments of the market, yet have no problem finding affordable areas to collect. Too many good options IMO.

Last few years been focused on set runs and raw cards with great eye appeal.

[FrankWakefield]

Ben, James, and Matt have it... don't spend money on high condition graded cards. Paying someone for a card is one thing; paying someone else for their plastic opinion of that card is another. They're right.

It's an unfortunate mess.

[Johnny630]

Sell it All besides your favorite 10 cards. Save the money and wait for a 20% correction to invest in all in the S&P 500.

[Seven]

We've seen a number of these threads pop up within the past couple of years, my two cents is as follows:

I'm happy our Hobby is doing well, I'm happy there is interest in it, and I'm glad that those who make a living off the hobby are doing well for themselves. It does sting a little bit when you see some of these prices if you're on any sort of fixed income though.

I think another point that isn't addressed enough concerns the time each of us have in the Hobby. In my opinion, it's very easy for someone who collected in the 1970's to say how the rising prices are just the nature of things, when Ruth's, Gehrigs, Cobbs, Wagners, Mantles, Mathewson, etc I can go on, were available for penny's on the dollar in comparison to today. For argument's sake lets say a 33 Goudey Ruth, literally any one of them, was 100 Dollars in 1975, if you adjust for inflation, that card would be $700 today. We all know that isn't the case with the current prices.

I wasn't alive in the 1970's or 80's for that matter, unfortunately. So I can't say "well I regret not hoping on that ship" because that's impossible. I love card collecting, I love this hobby, I will continue to do it for a long time, but it's disheartening at times. I can't help the fact I wasn't physically living when the prices on these cards were a bit more reasonable for the average Joe.

[philo98]

Originally Posted by Johnny630

Sell it All besides your favorite 10 cards. Save the money and wait for a 20% correction to invest in all in the S&P 500.

I like this advice. I had several friends who put all of their savings into the S&P over a 10-12 year period and all of them retired between the ages of 38-42. They then moved out of the country and traveled the world. They never married or had kids which helped, but the power of the US markets is unbelievable. Its a boring, non-sexy investment style but it works.

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by philo98

I like this advice. I had several friends who put all of their savings into the S&P over a 10-12 year period and all of them retired between the ages of 38-42. They then moved out of the country and traveled the world. They never married or had kids which helped, but the power of the US markets is unbelievable. Its a boring, non-sexy investment style but it works.

Yeah, kids will do you. I figure mine has cost me about half a million dollars, post-tax, including college and grad school. Wouldn't change a thing but it will keep me working an extra 20 years to make up for it. Plus I had to liquidate a lot of cards and not buy others when it looked like medical school was on the horizon, which probably cost me six figures in missed appreciation during the run-up. Fortunately, she did some clinical volunteer work and discovered she's a misanthrope like her old man, so a 'caring' profession involving four years of school at $70K per wasn't in the cards.

"Once my kids leave the house, I'll finally be able to do what every man is supposed to. I can watch TV. I can... well, I don't know but it doesn't matter. It's still better than having a screaming, crapping, money-sucking little vampire bobsledding me to the graveyard."--Al Bundy

[JollyElm]

235. Too-Too Clock
Although everyone is (rightfully) complaining about how expensive cards are getting these days, the simple truth is cards have always been way ‘too’ expensive since the beginning of time. Even when Mays and Mantle cards could be gotten for $5 apiece, that was considered a ludicrous price.

[Seven]

Originally Posted by JollyElm

235. Too-Too Clock
Although everyone is (rightfully) complaining about how expensive cards are getting these days, the simple truth is cards have always been way ‘too’ expensive since the beginning of time. Even when Mays and Mantle cards could be gotten for $5 apiece, that was considered a ludicrous price.

Always love these collectorisims you come up with, gives me a chuckle whenever I see one.

[commishbob]

I had been on a mission to complete the Topps sets I remembered and loved from 1957 to 1979. Over the past decade I'd made good progress with just a few sets still to complete. But the crazy prices I faced when dealing with the '67 high numbers over the last year or two had me rethinking that original goal.

I've turned my attention to building my publication collection (Baltimore Orioles, Colts and NY Rangers programs), finding wire service photos of players I collect, and piecing together some fun non-sports sets I's been slowly building over the years.

I still have a hand in the baseball/football card market. When attempting a set I almost always started with a single purchase of 100-200 commons in a lot and there were usually some stinkers mixed in. With some patience and perseverance I've found that there are nicely conditioned commons still to be had a good prices.

So I'm staying active in the hobby but it seems unlikely I'll do another set chase any time soon.

[joshleon]

Originally Posted by JollyElm

235. Too-Too Clock
Although everyone is (rightfully) complaining about how expensive cards are getting these days, the simple truth is cards have always been way ‘too’ expensive since the beginning of time. Even when Mays and Mantle cards could be gotten for $5 apiece, that was considered a ludicrous price.

This is exactly right. It's always been relative, but always expensive.

[seanofjapan]

I try to follow the principle of "Hitting them where they ain't" to collecting (not just cards but everything, I have a lot of collections on the go).

Avoid the stuff everyone is going after and try to find things that have these two qualities going for them:

1) They aren't being actively pursued much by people with money so the prices are low; and
2) They have some innate quality which makes them of interest, suggesting that the reason they aren't being pursued is just because the market under appreciates them and not because they suck.

The problem with this strategy is that eventually the market catches up with you and starts plowing money into the neat under-appreciated things you were buying up cheaply and suddenly you find yourself priced out of the market and forced to move on to something else.

Which is what is happening now of course.