Scarcity and Value Cards vs Memorabilia

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Posted By: Greg Theberge

Barry wrote:

"Can you imagine holding onto a baseball collectible for 16 years that lost value? It's a bit distressing"

I guess it all depends on why somebody decided to accumulate baseball collectibles in the first place. Why do folks spend their cash on these things rather than fancy cars, boats, country club memberships, season tickets, or anything else for that matter, that don't necessarily hold their monetary value at all?

I do agree that it would be distressing to see things lose their value, but it's not the end of the world. Been there, done that, especially with real estate in the past. Life goes on.

While it's nice to think that whatever we're buying is going to at least hold it's value, if you collect for the shear enjoyment of the item, or just for the sake of collecting and interacting with people of like interest, it won't hurt so much if this stuff does lose value.

I guess what I'm saying is that part of the "value" of anything in this world is the enjoyment it gives us while we're still breathing. I think a lot has to be said of that, rather than what it does to add to our portfolios in the years to come.

People collect for different reasons. Some are really into the financial aspect of it. Good for them. Others (Like Dan for an example, there are a lot of other guys on here with the same philosophy) are in it for the enjoyment of picking up new stuff solely for the love of the hobby and the history of the items. At times it may be expensive picking something up, but that's not why they do it, nor do these folks tend to flaunt how much it cost to do so. These guys, in my opinion, are the true collectors out there.

I've been collecting old beer stuff for thirty years with my dad. I'm happy to report that the stuff has become more valuable over the years, but to be honest, it wouldn't be the end of the world if this stuff got LESS expensive (wouldn't that be great, it would just mean I could get more stuff). I've met and known friends in that hobby for over thirty years. That's a lot of value in my book.

I never once considered our collection to be part of my portfolio, and I honestly don't need to justify myself to anyone that thinks that I'm wrong (or worse yet, IGNORANT or misinformed - oops thinking of a thread on the other side) for thinking that.

What do I think of Hedge funds infiltrating into the hobby? Couldn't care less. I've seen highs and lows in collecting anything for thirty years. If you think you can honestly see what the market is going to bear in the future, I think you may be in for a few suprises. You have no control over the demand for certain items in the years to come.

I have an attic full of beer cans that we thought and were generally speculated to be worth a fortune years from when we bought them. As RI didn't have a return fee back then, I can't even get 5 cents a piece for them now. I've read where the price on toys from the 30s and 40s are dropping as that childhood generation is slowly fading away. Toys from the 60s and 70s are going through the roof however. My generation can't relate to Tom Mix and Buck Rogers, but we can relate to Fred Flintstone and Herman Munster. Who would think think that a 1781 piece of German stoneware is worth less than a 1961 tiki mug?

These are just examples that show you can't always tell what is going to be hot twenty years from now. Some stuff that we can relate to now may be (a mint Herman Munster doll in the box), and a beer can that is only five years younger, may not be.

Anyway, I think a lot of folks have some great remarks on this thread. I especially enjoyed Dan's, Joanne's and Barry's posts further down. It's glad to see more people enjoy this thing we do as a hobby rather than something cold and dictating. I would be delighted if the stuff I am collecting started to get less expensive