Thought experiment: You have $25,000 what to do.

[LEHR]

I rarely buy cards anymore but if someone were to hand me a free and clear $50k to spend on the hobby right now it would go towards:

1. A new Graig Kreindler painting(s) (even if I had to wait years to get it). Or...
2. The nicest pre-1970 World Series player or coach ring I could find. Or...
3. As many quality Type 1 photo's or cabinets as I could find, with an emphasis on Ruth, Cobb, Wagner, N173's, W600's, Carl Horner photos, Charles Conlon photos, Louis Van Oeyen photos.

You may find better hot/trendy investments but I'll own things I love.

[HistoricNewspapers]

1922 Caramel Ruth's and Nielsen Chocolate.

I like the 1922 Caramel's better than the 1921 and the price gap is ridiculous from 1921 to 1922. The reason I like the 1922's better is because the 1921 is using an old recycled photo of the Babe. 1922 Caramel's and its Nielsen cousin show the Babe as he looked at that time and is one of the earliest to show an actual photo of Ruth as a Yankee on a card(not a drawing).


1947 Bond Jackie Robinson
1948 Swell Jackie Robinson

The 1949 Leaf is already in the stratosphere and is a great card, but these two cards issued before(and fare more scarce) than the Leaf are still underpriced relative to the overall hobby and to all of Jackie's cards. They will never catch the Leaf, but they are still ridiculous bargains in todays overall hobby prices.

[obcbobd]

I'm a collector, not an investor, but I'll play. Assuming I had $50k that must be used to purchase cards

In lower grade

33 Goudey Ruth #144
E121 Ruth Pitching, Burd, Montage
E220 Ruth

[mrreality68]

Originally Posted by obcbobd

I'm a collector, not an investor, but I'll play. Assuming I had $50k that must be used to purchase cards

In lower grade

33 Goudey Ruth #144
E121 Ruth Pitching, Burd, Montage
E220 Ruth

I have not figured out your Theme

But I Like it

[UKCardGuy]

Great thread.

Like Bob, the E121 Ruth would be on my list.
But the other items in the running would include.

• T3 Mathewson or Cobb.
• Type 1 Conlon Photos (Shoeless Joe, Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Gehrig)

I view Conlon photos as the baseball equivalent of Ansel Adams. As a collector, they just stand out but I also think that over time they'll gain greater appreciation.