For those who believe today’s values are up……

[Balticfox]

Originally Posted by Lorewalker

No actually it is called irrelevant. It had nothing to do with Phil's post. Phil's post did not call for perspective.

Excuse me but Phil didn't need to call for it. Perspective is always relevant. Basically it's almost impossible to function without it.

Originally Posted by Lorewalker

You admitted to having no sympathy but you just told me you have no tolerance.

Well yeah. The one thing would typically lead to the other.

Originally Posted by Lorewalker

You have been on here for just over a year and you are already irritated by this topic.

"Already"? The "Why are prices down? Will they soon recover?" topic has been all over collectible forums in the past two years.

Originally Posted by Lorewalker

Might be best to skip these threads however that would eliminate an opportunity to be snarky.

Discussion forums are by nature precisely that. If a poster doesn't want the whole range of commentary on a subject he's raised, he's in the wrong place. And asking why a purchaser paid that much for a card if it wasn't worth that much to him is most certainly a fair question. It might therefore be best for you to skip these threads if you're offended by such "snarkiness".

Originally Posted by Lorewalker

Personally speaking, generally, I do not measure markets narrowly based on strong or weak markets. I have bought and sold plenty of real estate and cards in good and bad times. Timing a market is not my focus.

Fair enough. Neither of us are short-term players then.

Originally Posted by Lorewalker

"Hopefully" was the word I picked to express a kind sentiment. Sorry that you were not able to recognize that.

That is incorrect. I disagreed because we're not on the same page when it comes to our underlying thinking.

Originally Posted by Lorewalker

I think many hobbyists hope when they buy a card that it will appreciate.

Oh? When I bought cards as a kid sixty+ years ago, I didn't do so with a view to subsequent profits. Neither do I do so today. Nor do many hardcore collectors. Quite simply we hardcore collectors like low prices because it enables us to buy more. Being both a collector and an "investor" actually requires a dollop of schizophrenia. These hobbyists of whom you speak must then be a "curious" lot.

Originally Posted by Lorewalker

Having a dividend stream might characterize something as an investment but absent the dividend, imo, an expenditure can still be an investment such as real estate.

Nothing without the potential of an income stream somewhere down the line can be characterized as an investment. If nobody thought "Moose Pasture Resources" or "Technology Beyond Dreams" could turn into income producing enterprises at some point, there'd be no buyers. Even raw land has the potential to kick off an earning stream since it could be rented out for farmland or campsites or turned into a parking lot depending upon location.

But how can one generate an income stream from a card? By charging people for a look?

If however a purchase has no potential to ever kick out an income stream, it's a straightforward rank speculation. And as a longtime stockbroker I can tell you that the operative phrase then becomes "Well sometimes they go up; sometimes they go down."

Originally Posted by Lorewalker

So now you are characterizing anyone who bought cards in 2021 as being silly?

Only those who paid more than the card was worth to them. Because it's only those who are complaining about being underwater on their purchase today. The others are still perfectly happy with their card.

Originally Posted by Lorewalker

I think anyone who has experience and done their homework, knows there is an inherent risk with spending money on stocks, cards, etc. That does not mean you cannot express a little compassion towards them when there is a correction in the market.

Compassion? The card buyers who paid what a card was worth to them aren't asking for it. The others can go to their dog for unconditional compassion. From me they'll get only tough love, i.e. "Well who forced you to pay so much for that little piece of cardboard in the first place?"