Taking money out of retirement funds to purchase cards

[Snapolit1]

Easy to pick the one card or one stock that has gone up ridiculously to make an argument for an entire class of assets. I am sure many people have bought individual cards for $50,000 and they cratered. Same with stocks. For every 52 Mantle and Amazon there are many many under performers or simply ordinary performers.

[Brian Van Horn]

"Taking money out of retirement funds to purchase cards"

Please don't.

[Johnny630]

People will do whatever they have to do to own a 52 Mantle. The luster of this has never been stronger. It has a cult-like following that has Zero ends in sight. I’ve had several collectors I’ve known who own this card tell me that they would rather live under a bridge than part with this card. Now that's God’s Honest Truth tell me how I’m wrong on this.

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by Johnny630

People will do whatever they have to do to own a 52 Mantle. The luster of this has never been stronger. It has a cult-like following that has Zero ends in sight. I’ve had several collectors I’ve known who own this card tell me that they would rather live under a bridge than part with this card. Now that's God’s Honest Truth tell me how I’m wrong on this.

I wouldn't go that far but consider this objectively: you can purchase an asset that has a 40+ year track record of price increases well above inflation. Which is more reasonable, to assume that the price of the item will shift downward over the next ten years, or to assume that the price will increase over the next ten years? I'd go with the former. I know that past performance is no indicator of future performance, but a track record is all we have to go with when it comes to hard asset investments.

I bought a lot of cards a long time ago not because I thought they were good investments but because I enjoyed them. The fact that they are turning out to have been a good investment too is a bonus. Confronting today's prices, there are not many cards I would buy, but the 1952 Topps Mantle is one of them, because of all the factors we have been over ad nauseum on this board. Name a single postwar card with comparable recognition and status of the Mantle. Not possible. The interest in the card transcends collectors. Non collectors are impressed with it, same as a T206 Wagner. That tells me all I need to know about the long-term prospects for the card. There are likely to be short term corrections, as with any asset, but the market trend is upwards over the long term.

And cards are really fun to own, damnit!

Thread needs a card image

[Jewish-collector]

This situation was not an average collector saving up all his money, selling some cards, borrowing money, etc,... to buy this Mantle for $50,000. As I understand it, the consigner is very wealthy. So, whatever the payout to him (after the taxes stuff), probably isn't going to change his life at all.