One piece of advice for a vintage collector starting out

[mrreality68]

If they are buying as a collector.

It would be buy what you like, buy the card not the grade and enjoy.

If they are buying as an investor/flipper

Focus on the big name players of the era they are buying and stay focus on their collection strategy

[MR RAREBACK]

Depends on the amount of money
I would start out with in order
Cap Anson
Ty Cobb
Babe Ruth
Wagner
Mathewson
Walter Johnson
Cy Young
And my advice is don’t get all excited and sell when they go up 50%, you’ll make way more in the long run, there are so many people with sellers remorse, wish I would of held it longer…..

[Snapolit1]

If you are going into the hobby to try to supplement your income or fund your retirement, buy PSA graded only.

Never assume that you can submit a card and have it regraded and improve the grade.

If you really like a card, buy an even better one.

[JustinD]

Same as any young collector I talk to -

1. Don't get in over your head.

2. Buy cheap ungraded older collector cards so you learn the feel, look and general knowledge of what you are collecting prior to real spending. I have met so many people that get in and get victimized fast.

3. Knowledge is power, learn everything you can. Add a Standard Catalog to the back of your toilet for many years so you can peruse in your business time, lol.

4. Absolutely nothing is guaranteed, only new collectors think nothing can ever go down. It can, and hard. Perhaps the 40+ year collector guys like me have had a decent majority go up, but so does the value of a dollar in comparison. If you are in for the short haul, honestly stay the hell out for now. Buying at a peak lost at lot of people a fortune in the last year. If you are in for life, buy what you love and enjoy. If you hold it for a decade or more, you will probably make more than your interest on a bank account.

[oldjudge]

Buy cards of players who are not only popular now but who will be popular in twenty years. I would eliminate Anson from any list.

Buy cards of great women athletes--woman's sports will only gain in popularity. This isn't necessarily vintage but good general advice.

[Casey2296]

A lot of good advice here.

I would only add "Research", part of the fun for me is researching sets, players, rarity, etc. Understand the stories of candy & tobacco cards along with other issues. The history of this stuff is half the fun.

[Yoda]

Be very careful with high-grade raw vintage of key players. Many have been altered and rejected by grading companies. That is why they are being sold raw.

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by JustinD

Same as any young collector I talk to -

1. Don't get in over your head.

2. Buy cheap ungraded older collector cards so you learn the feel, look and general knowledge of what you are collecting prior to real spending. I have met so many people that get in and get victimized fast.

3. Knowledge is power, learn everything you can. Add a Standard Catalog to the back of your toilet for many years so you can peruse in your business time, lol.

4. Absolutely nothing is guaranteed, only new collectors think nothing can ever go down. It can, and hard. Perhaps the 40+ year collector guys like me have had a decent majority go up, but so does the value of a dollar in comparison. If you are in for the short haul, honestly stay the hell out for now. Buying at a peak lost at lot of people a fortune in the last year. If you are in for life, buy what you love and enjoy. If you hold it for a decade or more, you will probably make more than your interest on a bank account.

To expand on the part I made bold. The majority of people in the hobby WILL try to take advantage of you. It is why many get into or come back to the hobby only to get right back out of it. It is a small pond hobby full of big aggressive fish.

[todeen]

Originally Posted by JustinD

2. Buy cheap ungraded older collector cards so you learn the feel, look and general knowledge of what you are collecting prior to real spending. I have met so many people that get in and get victimized fast.

This. Buy non-graded, and then move into graded. You need to hold cards first for the most knowledge.