The Quest for an Authentic 1909-11 T206 #499 Honus Wagner

[T206Collector]

...if you began the search 40 years ago... or even just 10 years ago. But since the market for most cards has leveled off or receded in recent years, this is going to be a much steeper climb. But good luck!

[teetwoohsix]

I wish you the best,and I hope it works out for you!!Good luck

[jmk59]

If you make 10% each flip, after 80 flips you end up just over $100K, which might get you there. Figuring 2 months per flip puts you at 13-14 years. Add 50% for lags, occasional misses, etc, makes it about 21 years.

Someone check my math? I think that's right but am not doing this on paper.

The biggest problem I see with what I just wrote is that it's unlikely that $100K will still get you a Wagner in 21 years. Selling for > 10% profit will help (although I'm sure that you would always sell for the most possible). Less obvious would be the effect of quicker turnarounds. The price of the Wagner would not gain as much if there is less time per turn.

But taking the effect of profit and turnaround time together, it's easy to see how one monster deal (or monster loss) could have a big impact on the time it takes to do this. Even really big profits or quicker turnarounds early on would help. Let's say that you get to where you buy one for $100 and then sell it for $200 instead of the 10% of $110. That may seem like an innocuous amount, but it cuts the same time off of the process as buying one for $50,000 and selling it for $100,00 immediately (thus reaching the end point in this hypothetical) without going through $55,000, etc.

It does sound fun though. I hope the analysis above didn't deflate the fun aspect of by making it too numerical.

Joann

[autograf]

Coupla dudes in Cincinnati will be glad to help out......

[Leon]

Originally Posted by autograf

Coupla dudes in Cincinnati will be glad to help out......

I think I know where one is for 100k or less .

[sox1903wschamp]

Best of luck. I think your going to need some immense breaks. There was someone on the CU board that attempted to trade from an 86 Topps common to a 52 Mantle. In about 2-3 years they made it to a 51 Bowman Spahn in PSA 8 but it appears the project ceased at that point. It will be fun to watch and I am pulling for you.

[barrysloate]

You probably could trade up a hundred times in a row if you know what you are doing. But the hardest transaction will be the last one, because you will be asking someone who owns a T206 Wagner to trade it for something less than a Wagner. That's where I think the buck will stop. But it will be an adventure.

[sportscardtheory]

Thanks for the well wishes everyone. I am already stuck on finding item #1. Figures, I can blow any dollar amount on great deals daily, but now that I start this I can't find anything worthwhile. lol Such is life. I'll find one sooner or later.

[Doug]

Originally Posted by autograf

Coupla dudes in Cincinnati will be glad to help out......

Originally Posted by Leon

I think I know where one is for 100k or less .

I didn't know my neighbors had a T206 Wagner!

[FUBAR]

there was a recent story how a guy turned his cel phone into a porsche boxster simply by making trades on craigslist, so this is possible, you just need the right deals!

[botn]

Great story

http://www.digitaltrends.com/computi...ia-craigslist/

[Il Padrino]

Don't forget to deduct taxes on "flips", the gooberment and all its new shiny IRS agents are watching EVERYTHING.

[BigDan502]

I guess this falls under the fail category.
Great in theory