How does a 19 year old have $1,500 in 1972?

[39special]

I don't have $1500 in 2011!!

[vargha]

Better value performance than a 1972 Ford Pinto, that's for certain.

[fkw]

I wonder how many T208, T211, T214, T215, etc. cards you could have got back then for $1500?

[tjb1952tjb]

Got a good laugh from that, Steve. Thanks!!

[sports-rings]

As good as that sounds from an investment standpoint, there is a TON of stuff you could have bought 40 years ago and made way more money than that Wagner card. Just a simple investment of $1500 in a mediocre stock portfolio that you dont touch for 40 years probably does better. Not to dimish the Wagner story, it is cool and I like it, but sometimes people forget the time value of money when reading stories like this.

The wagner in the photo looks to be in very good shape and better than a PSA "1". say it is worth 400,000 today.

that's 267 times higher than than the initial investment. using simple interest and not compuding interest, divided by 40 years is an annual return of 660% per year!

What stock or investment has approached this?

[sportscardpete]

Originally Posted by sports-rings

The wagner in the photo looks to be in very good shape and better than a PSA "1". say it is worth 400,000 today.

that's 267 times higher than than the initial investment. using simple interest and not compuding interest, divided by 40 years is an annual return of 660% per year!

What stock or investment has approached this?

Bank stocks, right?

[prewarsports]

That is the power of compounding interest. Nothing makes 660% per year, but you start compounding interest on a decent stock portfolio over the long haul and that $1500 for 40 years makes more than that Wagner.