Minimizing your Losses

[kcohen]

When selling to a dealer, be it modern or vintage, he will offer only a price at which he believes he can make a profit. So you bought your modern cards at retail and sold them at wholesale, never a formula for making money or breaking even. You are compensating him for doing the work you didn't want to do - selling the cards one by one, maybe having all or some in his inventory in the form of dead money for years. Or doing on-line listings.

I agree with previous posters, collect what you enjoy for pleasure, not for investment. It's gravy if you realize some appreciation.

So minimizing my losses doesn't really matter to me. That said, I made sure that my kids know that the cards have substantial monetary value so they won't just throw them out after I check out.

[bbcard1]

With the exception of some real old-timers, if you remain active you will almost certainly realize less money from your collection that you put into it. I have liquidated a substantial collection for a friend of mine and I suspect I got $50K out of it for his family, but he probably had more than $100K into it. He also got the enjoyment of owning it. That said, had he spent that same 100K going to bars, bowling, or playing golf he would not have had anything to show for it. I figure it will go the same with me.