O/T: Employment in the hobby

smtjoy · #1 02-04-2010, 12:02 AM

I really think a lot of it boils down to how much money would you need to earn. I would bet if you are in the market for entry level stuff then you would have a chance. The grading companies would be at the top of my list then the auctions houses. See if you can find something of value that they might need, like James and his writting. Heck I would say talk to PSA about the SMR, that thing needs tons of work and imo if done right really could be a credit to the hobby and not the current joke pricing.

As far as being a dealer, as other have said start small. You will need a couple important things, capital and inventory. You need capital/cash to be ready to puchase good deals when they arrive and inventory to have stuff to sell.

In my own side card business I carry about 40 cards worth around 5-6k in my ebay store, I sell about 5-10% (2-4 cards) each month. Thats only about $250 - $500 of revenue a month, I do make a nice margin on most of the items about 25% (after fees) but that means I make a profit of only about $62-125 a month. The good side is I put all my profit back into inventory and it has doubled in 2 years ago.

My suggestion is save up some cash and start buying/selling in your area of expertise and work your inventory up.

For me I would need to grow my inventory another 80 times what it is now or about $500,000 for me to consider doing it full time, haha, guess I am sticking to the full time job for another 20 years.

Good luck!

barrysloate · #2 02-04-2010, 05:45 AM

Rob- since I have been a full time dealer since 1983, maybe I can put some perspective on your quest. If you are able to get a full time job with an auction house or grading service, that sounds like a reasonable way to go. But those jobs don't last very long. The turnover is great and you may find yourself unemployed in a couple of years.

Starting your own business gives your more control but it is not as easy as it looks. Back in the 90's I could, for example, buy a T206 set at auction, break it up, and come pretty close to doubling my money. And I could do it regularly. Not anymore, however. Those days are over. Today, you might find yourself paying closer to 80% of retail, and sometimes even more, for most large groups of cards. It's a grind. Add the fact that the economy stinks, and I can assure you at times you will buy inventory for a dollar, and sell it for ninety cents. It's happening to everybody these days. So if you have a solid job right now, don't give it up. You'll find yourself having to sell your collection to make ends meet, and when that is gone your love of the hobby will diminish greatly.

And what about benefits? If your job offers medical benefits, and you give them up and then get sick, you will be in really big trouble. If you have a medical emergency and don't have insurance, you can get wiped out. Not worth the risk. If you have a wife who has benefits for the family at her job, then you are okay.

My advice is bite the bullet and keep your job, and see if you can make a little money on the side to supplement your income, and your hobby. I know working sucks, I gave it up a long time ago, but I think you should stick with it as long as you can.

pgellis · #3 02-04-2010, 07:10 AM

I also think it would be difficult sometimes becoming a dealer after you have been a hobbyist for so long. I think it would be difficult at times selling a card you loved, at a loss just so you could pay some bills.

I own my own business and know how irritated I get some times (to myself) when customers come in to my business and try to nickel and dime me on some goods. It's as though they think at times that when I sell an item for $15 that I just made $15. And that is obviously not the case. I have to pay my lease for the shop, lease for equipment, shipping of the goods, etc., etc.

With a business that also was my hobby, I could see how frustrating at times it would be and how difficult it could be at times to take your "hobby hat" off and put your "business hat" on.

Good luck in whatever you choose.

timzcardz · #4 02-04-2010, 07:14 AM

Forgive me for being a master of the obvious, but . . . for you, Topps is just a ferry ride away!

http://www.topps.com/abouttopps/Subm...icantInfo.aspx

They are in a very nice building. We're moving our NY office into the building at the end of the month, and even though I will not be working for Topps, I am looking forward to seeing "The Topps Company" above the door as I enter the building every morning.

Robextend · #5 02-04-2010, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by timzcardz

Forgive me for being a master of the obvious, but . . . for you, Topps is just a ferry ride away!

http://www.topps.com/abouttopps/Subm...icantInfo.aspx

They are in a very nice building. We're moving our NY office into the building at the end of the month, and even though I will not be working for Topps, I am looking forward to seeing "The Topps Company" above the door as I enter the building every morning.

Hey Tim,

Funny you mention Topps because I applied last week. I actually work around the corner from them.

Thanks - Rob

Robextend · #6 02-04-2010, 08:47 AM

My initial thoughts were in line more or less with what Barry and Leon stated.

Medical insurance would be a big issue unless I worked for an established company like Topps. Also, I will always be a collector at heart, so there always would be that internal struggle that I am sure is tough for some dealers.

I wanted to see if I was missing something, and I got a couple ideas here. I will probably look into doing something small on the side (low risk) and see what happens. Thanks to everyone for your thoughts. much appreciated.

Rob

barrysloate · #7 02-04-2010, 09:03 AM

Rob- a final thought: it's great that you applied to Topps, but even if you get a job there it is no guarantee you will like it any more than your current one. I'm sure the Topps Company hires many drones to do the accounting, bookkeeping, and all the paper pushing that goes with corporate work. If you think they will be hiring you to design, print, and sort baseball cards it probably won't happen. It's a corporation and the day to day work can be as boring as anywhere else.

At least a job at an auction house, if such a thing is available, would allow you to handle a lot of neat artifacts. That could be fun. The year I worked at Sotheby's cataloguing the Halper Collection was one of the most challenging I've ever had, and even though I've had my own auction business for many years, I never handled as many rarities as I did there. Now that was fun.

Orioles1954 · #8 02-04-2010, 09:08 AM

Rob,

Having handled many of the most important cards in the hobby, all I can say is that it takes a lot to impress me now. It seems like you have a good job with good benefits. There are a lot of people out there looking for work now. Perhaps, keeping vintage cards as just a hobby or side business might be a good idea?

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Even the so called good guys...ugly hobby?	wonkaticket	Net54baseball Vintage (WWII & Older) Baseball Cards & New Member Introductions	210	05-18-2009 10:21 AM
A Collector, Mastro, PSA & Our Beloved Hobby	Archive	Net54baseball Vintage (WWII & Older) Baseball Cards & New Member Introductions	85	05-31-2008 02:55 PM
How Would You Change The Hobby	Archive	Net54baseball Vintage (WWII & Older) Baseball Cards & New Member Introductions	54	04-06-2008 03:32 PM
The first published hobby article, 1935....noted here	Archive	Net54baseball Vintage (WWII & Older) Baseball Cards & New Member Introductions	15	07-25-2007 09:43 PM
Hobby History 101	Archive	Net54baseball Vintage (WWII & Older) Baseball Cards & New Member Introductions	4	09-16-2003 03:59 PM