Are Pre-War Baseball Cards "Solid" Investments?

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Posted By: warshawlaw

Frank: “I think lots of money that would have gone into stocks has wandered over into baseball cards, and screwed up the prices.”

I disagree. It isn't the Ford workers who are buying heavy cards. Folks who are stupid enough to tilt their retirement portfolios into cards invariably are the baboons who got nailed in the glut of post war and 1980s rookie cards. In my view prices on prewar cards are being driven by several hundred (perhaps a few thousand) relatively high income collectors. I stress collectors. I have seen quite a few record-setting cards go into private collections that will not see the light of day for decades, perhaps never if the next generation cares for their Pops’s collections. When it comes to cards of that sort, the demand is always there. If you have demand and you have rich people, you will have strong prices.

Edacra: “Two months ago, a lot of nice cards were going bidless, or selling at their opening price with one bid.”

That happens every year before the National. It is the worst time to sell on Ebay and the best time to buy. Lots of buyers are selectively pooling their cash for the show and/or are not watching the listings with their usual attention. Lots of sellers are liquidating inventory below market to generate cash for the show. I picked up a few real steals during the month before the National.