$50,000 investment

[Leon]

To all,
This question, as written, was about INVESTING 50k in the hobby. It was not IF it should be invested. The "if" part is certainly debatable but that wasn't the question.

My answer stands as it is from above......I think a small portion of any portfolio could be in antiquities and "the right" cards are as good any. Just my opinion...

[Robextend]

I think it is pretty tough to predict what might gain value in the future. I would most likely invest in "sure things".

IMO there will always be a market for:

-Mickey Mantle 52 Topps, and high grade Mantle issues
-Presentable T206 Cards
-Any good example of a historic figure (Goudey Ruth, E90-1 Jackson, etc..)

I think there is a good bet that those cards would at least not decrease, and most likely increase in value...but who the heck knows!

[mark evans]

I would amend my above response to note that if an investor could accurately predict the future Hall of Fame induction of an old-timer who appears on only a handful of cards, those could offer a fertile ground for collection. The one card I own that has increased substantially in value is the Dreyfuss Tip-Top for that very reason.

[glchen]

If you can stomach risk, PSA 10 rookie cards of future superstar HOFers. For example, some people think Jeter's SP RC will only gain in value as Jeter passes 3000 hits, and if he can break Rose's record, forget about it. However, if Jeter gets injured or slows down, you're screwed. I would probably also avoid stars with the steroids taint. Bonds with 7 MVP's is arguably one of the greatest players ever. However, nobody cares about his cards because of the taint. So, ARod's cards are iffy. And of course, if you bought Jeter RC's, and if he ever gets outed, you're screwed again.

I also like Jordan RC's. Even though he's been retired for years, everybody still talks about him. Even if you don't collect basketball cards, many, many collectors still want one Jordan RC in their collection. So, even though the supply even in high grades is more than pre-war, there's still a strong demand.

I collect mostly pre-war, so I think the investment quality for these cards are probably going to be mostly cyclical as others have said. I did read an article recently that basically compared a bucket of iconic prewar cards to the stock market, and the analysis was that the increase in value of the cards easily beat the market. Can't seem to find that article, however.

[cobblove]

Nothing PSA or SGC 10

[Peter_Spaeth]

Yeah Jordan RCs in 10s are the way to go for sure. Had you bought them at their peak you would only be down about 70 percent now. So they can only go back up, right?

[tiger8mush]

Originally Posted by glchen

I would probably also avoid stars with the steroids taint. Bonds with 7 MVP's is arguably one of the greatest players ever. However, nobody cares about his cards because of the taint.

This may be a GOOD reason to invest in Bonds stuff right now. The prices are low, and in many years down the road the steroid era could be compared to the Black Sox scandal. Look how many Black Sox and Joe Jax collectors there are. Maybe in the future there will be Steroid scandal collectors of Bonds, Clemens, Canseco, McGwire etc who (perhaps) didn't get into the HOF due to cheating?

Just a thought
Rob

[Touch'EmAll]

$50.k buys you a real stong bet at appreciation with the following:

PSA 5 to 7 and nice for the grade
T206 Cobb's
T206 Mathewson's
T206 W. Johnson's
T206 Young's

cheers !

[tbob]

Originally Posted by Leon

To all,
This question, as written, was about INVESTING 50k in the hobby. It was not IF it should be invested. The "if" part is certainly debatable but that wasn't the question.

My answer stands as it is from above......I think a small portion of any portfolio could be in antiquities and "the right" cards are as good any. Just my opinion...

Leon, you beat me to the punch. The question was which cards would you buy, not should you buy cards. Obviously I agree with the poster who echoed my feelings, that if the cards became worthless tomorrow would you still love 'em? I would. If I had a $50,000 windfall today, though, I would be buying gold mining stock.