Buying Vintage Cards – Buy Now or Buy In 12 Months

[Republicaninmass]

Likely a crash then plateau a bit higher than it was in 2019. Who knows when, but everything reverts back to the mean.

[bnorth]

Anytime is a good time to buy. The big thing is stay away from the current cards that are being pumped and dumped otherwise known as the hot must have cards.

[RhodeyRhode]

Don't think the big time cards are going down, doesn't matter the market. Maybe you get a weak auction here or there but those are outliers imo. The Wagners, Ruths, Jackson's etc aren't going down other than a random dip at auction here or there.

[Leon]

I agree with all that has been said. When I see a card, that to me really stands out, I try to acquire it. My only issue is having enough money to buy anything decent. I usually settle for leftover crumbs, but it's still fun. As mentioned many times, when I saw this I knew I wanted it, even though I have another nice one. The best of the best (untrimmed with big borders) will always have great demand.

[pcoz]

My advice is when you have the money, BUY! Just like the stock market, which has been up almost 70% of the time over history, why try and time it? I'd guess the vintage card market has been up even more than that. The further we get away from the early 1900's, and the more collectors/investors migrate to vintage in the years to come, the harder the cards you're looking for will pop up. You may get a better price on an item if an auction is diluted with great stuff, but amazing deals in the vintage market are few and far between. Just my thoughts..

[Yoda]

Originally Posted by pcoz

My advice is when you have the money, BUY! Just like the stock market, which has been up almost 70% of the time over history, why try and time it? I'd guess the vintage card market has been up even more than that. The further we get away from the early 1900's, and the more collectors/investors migrate to vintage in the years to come, the harder the cards you're looking for will pop up. You may get a better price on an item if an auction is diluted with great stuff, but amazing deals in the vintage market are few and far between. Just my thoughts..

Pete, totally agree. I believe that those of us in the hobby that are in it for the long game have prospered with pre-war and a statistical analysis will reveal that fact.
Now that Wall Street has accepted that quality sports cards are a personal admitted asset and the massacre of modern basketball still going on (that money has to go somewhere), I would buy now, sit back and relax. But then, I have been at this a long time and sleep pretty well at night.

[JustinD]

Personal opinion is if it is something you can buy at anytime or comes to auction a few times a year...I won't touch it with a ten foot pole at this moment and I have lived with this philosophy since 2020.

On the other hand, if it's something you never see or pops up once a blue moon...then it's always the time to buy or live with regret while you wait the next 10 years for the next one.

I know it's a conflict, but it's been an easy one to live with the past 3 years while I have fun with oddball and error cards as the madness fades away.

[brian1961]

[QUOTE=JustinD;2380029]

On the other hand, if it's something you never see or pops up once a blue moon...then it's always the time to buy or live with regret while you wait the next 10 years for the next one.

THIS IS VERY GOOD ADVICE. READ THIS STATEMENT OF JUSTIND'S 6 TIMES, TO COMMIT IT TO MEMORY, OR BETTER YET, WRITE IT DOWN ON A PIECE OF CARDBOARD AND PLACE IN VIEW OF YOUR COMPUTER SCREEN.

Personally, I have waited for some things to pop up for years, and years, AND years. When they did, I did not quibble. Then there have been things I never knew existed, or things I never thought would pop up for sheer rarity, and they all of a sudden popped up----I did not let the sun go down on the chance; the item became mine THAT DAY. One of my favorite examples was a 1962 JELL-O Mickey Mantle box, unfolded, in the rare Apple flavor no less. I spotted it in the center of one of Mr. Mint Alan Rosen's All-State display cases at the big Philly show in the fall of 1988, on the first night, WITHIN THE FIRST HOUR. Alan and I discussed it a little bit. SOLD! It came from a find of 85 of those unfolded boxes, and there was only 1 of each player involved. So, this was the ONLY Mickey Mantle. I was a rare, exotic, non-mainstream Mickey Mantle maniac. I bought it, right then, right there, even though I knew nothing about where it came from. My collecting instincts said this must be a rare regional / food item. This time my instincts were right.

Bringing this back to PRE-WAR, if any of you lads come across a 1910 Washington Times Ty Cobb, or a 1920 Headin' Home Babe Ruth, you had better not leave the table it's on, or the computer screen offering it; you best do something if you want it.

Then again, he's looking for mid-grade, so if it's common as dirt, who cares?

The once, or twice, or thrice in a lifetime are in a league of their own. Few talk about them, for fear of creating more competition. If we're dealing with, let's say, common as dirt mid-grade rookie cards, then again, who cares? They'll still be around next year, in 10 years, in 25 years, in 50 years.....

Not all I've written is pertinent, but this is the type of subject that brings up many pieces of advice, prognostications, and memories good, bad, and ugly.

Let's all have a good Thursday. --- Brian Powell