Best non prewar mainstream card to invest on

[Mark17]

For people looking for an alternate investment to cards, consider this:

Many years ago, an AH focused on Game Used jerseys, primarily the older stuff. They named their company Grey Flannel. While other AH frequently offered vintage GU flannels, Grey Flannel specialized in them.

Last March, Grey Flannel held an auction featuring just bats. Their previous auction that included jerseys was November 13, a full 6 months ago. Since then, they've been taking consignments, gearing up for their next auction, on June 11 of this year. They put up their full preview the other day. Here's what's surprising to me... Out of 1365 total lots in their upcoming auction, only 21 are flannel baseball jerseys (or full uniforms.) That works out to well under 2% of Grey Flannel's total offerings.

Yes, I know, basketball and football jerseys have become a big part of the AH scene, and I'm not knocking this auction because there is a lot of really great stuff in it. My point is, flannel jerseys are really drying up.

On an anecdotal note, I got a 1960 Indians home jersey (Dick Stigman) on ebay for $1065 with shipping and insurance 2 1/2 years ago, during the so-called covid boom. Last weekend I was the underbidder on a very similar 1960 Indians home shirt (Walt Bond) at Heritage, that went for twice as much. Had I continued to chase it, who knows where it would've topped out.

Overall, across all AH, flannel offerings are getting scarce, which means values are bound to move north.

[BeanTown]

Originally Posted by Mark17

For people looking for an alternate investment to cards, consider this:

Many years ago, an AH focused on Game Used jerseys, primarily the older stuff. They named their company Grey Flannel. While other AH frequently offered vintage GU flannels, Grey Flannel specialized in them.

Last March, Grey Flannel held an auction featuring just bats. Their previous auction that included jerseys was November 13, a full 6 months ago. Since then, they've been taking consignments, gearing up for their next auction, on June 11 of this year. They put up their full preview the other day. Here's what's surprising to me... Out of 1365 total lots in their upcoming auction, only 21 are flannel baseball jerseys (or full uniforms.) That works out to well under 2% of Grey Flannel's total offerings.

Yes, I know, basketball and football jerseys have become a big part of the AH scene, and I'm not knocking this auction because there is a lot of really great stuff in it. My point is, flannel jerseys are really drying up.

On an anecdotal note, I got a 1960 Indians home jersey (Dick Stigman) on ebay for $1065 with shipping and insurance 2 1/2 years ago, during the so-called covid boom. Last weekend I was the underbidder on a very similar 1960 Indians home shirt (Walt Bond) at Heritage, that went for twice as much. Had I continued to chase it, who knows where it would've topped out.

Overall, across all AH, flannel offerings are getting scarce, which means values are bound to move north.

Good point Mark! It’s like RMY auctions bringing type 1 photos to the market on a regular basis and making them mainstream and now most all AHs are offering them. Hakes is really good on pins and Cuban items I’ve seen over the last decade or so. Lipset back in the 90s is what got me collecting postcards, which at the time was a nitche. REA seems to be the leader on 19th century items and all around memorabilia with HA being close behind them. Goldin and PWCC are pushing shiny high graded modern cards as their bread and butter.

It would be nice to see more specialty auction houses to come into the market with items that not might not be mainstream yet. Heck, I feel I could start a company auctioning off auction catalogs, that have been sent to me over the last 4 decades including hobby publications.

Jerseys, bats, trophies, etc… Can get some serious money and I consider more mainstream than items listed in poll above. Interesting to see supplements are gaining support in the poll for having a lot of room for growth.

[oldjudge]

Since, in polls like this, people tend to vote for what they already own I maintain that the best investments are sheet music and pins since the fewest number own them. Since this is a hobby of lemmings, once a few more deep pocketed collectors get interested in them the prices will skyrocket.

[Aaron Seefeldt]

Originally Posted by oldjudge

Since, in polls like this, people tend to vote for what they already own I maintain that the best investments are sheet music and pins since the fewest number own them. Since this is a hobby of lemmings, once a few more deep pocketed collectors get interested in them the prices will skyrocket.

+1
Pins & sheet music are also much scarcer than cards (on a whole)

[Chris-Counts]

I believe the values of pins will eventually surpass nearly everything because so many are extremely rare and attractive, and collectors are just beginning to realize this.

[BeanTown]

Originally Posted by Chris Counts

I believe the values of pins will eventually surpass nearly everything because so many are extremely rare and attractive, and collectors are just beginning to realize this.

Let’s not forget they are easy to store and display which Is a plus.

[BobC]

Question(s), in which of the four poll categories/choices offered should each of the following be included, or is it possible there should be more options, or at least a "None of the above" included in this poll?

Silks/Leathers (S74-1, S74-2, S81, S110, L1 Leathers, etc.)

Pennants (BF2, Cravats, etc.)

Felts/Blankets (BF18, B104, Ferguson Bakery Prize, etc.)

Stamps/Tattoos/Transfers (Red Sox Tatoos, Centennial of Baseball Stamps, German Baseball Stamps, German Baseball Transfers, Helmar Stamps, Piedmont Art Stamps, Postaco Stamps, Pritchard Publishing Giants/Yankees Stamps, Rinkydink Stamps, Sports Stamps-Various Newspapers, etc.)

Game Cards/Pieces (WG1/Allegheny Card Co., WG6/Tom Barker Game, WG2/3 Fan Craze, Inside Base Ball-Game Pieces, WG7/Walter Mails Game, 1921-20 Major League Die-Cuts, WG5/National Game, Parker Bros.-Tris Speaker, WG4/Polo Grounds Game, WG8 S&S Game, E.R. Williams Game, etc.)

Discs (Colgan's Chips, Colgan's Red Borders, Colgan's Tin Tops, Ju-Ju Drums, PX3 Double Header Coins/Discs, PX7 Domino Discs, etc.)

Flip Books/Movies (Goudey Thum Movies, Goudey Flip Movies, Wheaties Babe Ruth Flip Book, etc.)

Also, some of the aforementioned categories/choices aren't always so separate or exclusive. For example, you can find magazines with ads and comics for the Wheaties Babe Ruth Flip Books, so should the flip books and magazines be considered as somewhat the same or in the same category? Or, in regard to Jay's comment about sheet music and pins possibly being the two most likely choices for investment purposes, you can go for a copy of the "Babe Rith, Babe Ruth, We Know What He Can Do" sheet music AND also try to find the pin that was also put out in 1928 specifically publicizing that song and the sheet music.

[Snapolit1]

Originally Posted by Aaron Seefeldt

+1
Pins & sheet music are also much scarcer than cards (on a whole)

Lots of things are scarce. That doesn’t make them desirable.

Photos of Babe Ruth with horses for example are very scarce. Don’t make them desirable or a good investment.

Sheet music is interesting and indeed scarce, but don’t plan to retire on it. One persons undervalued is another persons “prices have hardly moved in 20 years for a reason”.

[obcbobd]

Buy what pleases you. If it appreciates in value and you resell; good for you! I would not necessarily count on that happening though. I don't think there are many undervalued baseball collectibles out there, and someday, perhaps well into the future, the bubble may burst

[darwinbulldog]

Originally Posted by obcbobd

Buy what pleases you. If it appreciates in value and you resell; good for you! I would not necessarily count on that happening though. I don't think there are many undervalued baseball collectibles out there, and someday, perhaps well into the future, the bubble may burst

Good point. Certainly the current prices we see for these things are out of proportion to the popularity of baseball itself.