Setting aside prospecting.....Does anyone "invest" in sportscards and had a decent return

Setting aside prospecting.....Does anyone "invest" in sportscards and had a decent return

So I got to thinking about future investments such as stocks, bonds and other well known investment strategies but I know next to nothing about these options. I have always been told to educate myself before investing but when one is younger, many times that advice is in one ear and out the other. As I get older and look towards retirement I have been looking at other ways to expand the little bit of retirement income I have and I got to thinking about what I know and that is sports cards.

Let's just throw out prospecting as there is too much volatility there and of course, one needs to study who is coming up in the minors and basically do your homework like you would on stocks. I am not talking about pack ripping as this certainly IS a gamble. What I am talking about is buying raw and flipping once the card is graded. Or buying raw at a good price and flipping it for a profit as a raw card. Basically using your hobby knowledge, trying to find those great deals in which you can make some money and actually going out there and doing it. I am a baseball card collecting purist but as I age I have more knowledge and less desire to collect a mountain of cards my kids will not likely want anyway so I thought I would use that knowledge to make some money on the side. Has anyone done this with any great success over a period of time or has it been not worth the time or effort as the profit that has been made is not significant.

I would love to hear others thoughts and experiences.

Prospecting has been the only way I've been able to make a significant return when it comes to trading card investments. I've tried the rip and flip method over the years and I almost always lose big time but then again, I've never had the money to pick up double digit amounts of cases and I'm always told that is what you need to buy for significant returns. I can't speak to investing in raw cards to have graded as I rarely get my cards graded but I suppose buying and grading in bulk could be a viable investment if done correctly.

I bought two vintage sets (63 fleer and 75 topps) with intentions to grade and flip but just never have. I've made good money prospecting but yes,it's very risky

I do very well on Sportlots with stuff I pull out of dime and quarter boxes at shows. It takes a lot of digging, and the returns per card are smaller, but there's a lot less risk as well. Prospects bust all the time, but I think there's always going to be a market for older inserts.

I don't invest, but I continually profit off of the cards I buy and sell to sustain my hobby. I buy PSA graded rcs vintage and some modern. If you are looking to make money buying new stuff it is a losing bargain.

I've always had a lot of lucky buying high grade raw rookies of modern HOF-caliber players; holding until they're elected and grading to sell. There is typically a 4 to 10 year window though, so it's a long term investment.

DeliciousBacon said:

I do very well on Sportlots with stuff I pull out of dime and quarter boxes at shows. It takes a lot of digging, and the returns per card are smaller, but there's a lot less risk as well. Prospects bust all the time, but I think there's always going to be a market for older inserts.

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99.9% of prospects become busts. A smart prospector will have sold them long before they became a bust (generally before they even reached the majors). It's all about knowing when to sell.

Some people made bank investing in LaPorta...a lot of people got took to the cleaners as well. Same can be said about prospects who may have never even made it to the big leagues.

A lot of high dollar pre-war and high grade key rc's of the 50's and 60's have appreciated a ton. Also most of Jordan stuff has gone crazy. There is some real investment money coming in on baseball cards currently. From my past experience I wouldn't say this is a great time to invest in cards. That ship has sailed and if anything now is probably the time to cash in on some of your baseball card investments. But that is only my opinion and I'm not selling anything major myself. Actually I've been buying but I'm a collector and not an investor. I don't know why it feels like I should cash out but it just does, I guess when a collectible doubles and triples in price in such a short time as key vintage has it makes me feel like it's not sustainable, plus I've seen lots of threads on "investing" in cards. The last time this happened in cards it didn't turn out so well but who knows maybe this time really is different.

Alot of guys buy huge lots, sometimes unseen, and make money on breaking them up.

death2redemptions said:

99.9% of prospects become busts. A smart prospector will have sold them long before they became a bust (generally before they even reached the majors). It's all about knowing when to sell.

Some people made bank investing in LaPorta...a lot of people got took to the cleaners as well. Same can be said about prospects who may have never even made it to the big leagues.

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I hit major on Posey and Bum, lost major on Wood. Now I only buy a few chrome autos here and there so I'm not to invested and focus more on guys that I just like

mmier118 said:

A lot of high dollar pre-war and high grade key rc's of the 50's and 60's have appreciated a ton. Also most of Jordan stuff has gone crazy. There is some real investment money coming in on baseball cards currently. From my past experience I wouldn't say this is a great time to invest in cards. That ship has sailed and if anything now is probably the time to cash in on some of your baseball card investments. But that is only my opinion and I'm not selling anything major myself. Actually I've been buying but I'm a collector and not an investor. I don't know why it feels like I should cash out but it just does, I guess when a collectible doubles and triples in price in such a short time as key vintage has it makes me feel like it's not sustainable, plus I've seen lots of threads on "investing" in cards. The last time this happened in cards it didn't turn out so well but who knows maybe this time really is different.

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This is exactly what I have seen as well. I sold things only to buy things I wanted more, because I am also a collector

Well in 1982 I bought a Ryan RC for $7 and sold it for $30 in 1985, so I'm way ahead there.

But yeah, blue chip 1950s and 1960s RCs are scorching right now, appreciating considerably in just the past six months or so. I spoke to several vintage dealers at the Houston Tristar show last weekend, and they all said the same thing: Aaron, Clemente, and Koufax rookies sell instantly in any condition, and guys like Kaline, Killebrew, the Robinsons, who are maybe a notch below in glamour, sell almost as fast. I don't know enough about the market to predict future movement, if we're still on an upswing in this cycle or what, but I know if I had nutted up and bought that PSA 7 Aaron RC I wanted in February, it probably could be sold for $500 more today.

AnthonyCorona said:

I hit major on Posey and Bum, lost major on Wood. Now I only buy a few chrome autos here and there so I'm not to invested and focus more on guys that I just like

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We have something in common, I also lost dearly on Wood...assuming we are talking about Alex Wood.

mmier118 said:

A lot of high dollar pre-war and high grade key rc's of the 50's and 60's have appreciated a ton. Also most of Jordan stuff has gone crazy. There is some real investment money coming in on baseball cards currently. From my past experience I wouldn't say this is a great time to invest in cards. That ship has sailed and if anything now is probably the time to cash in on some of your baseball card investments. But that is only my opinion and I'm not selling anything major myself. Actually I've been buying but I'm a collector and not an investor. I don't know why it feels like I should cash out but it just does, I guess when a collectible doubles and triples in price in such a short time as key vintage has it makes me feel like it's not sustainable, plus I've seen lots of threads on "investing" in cards. The last time this happened in cards it didn't turn out so well but who knows maybe this time really is different.

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If I had to take a side on this discussion I think I would side with this assessment the most. I do think any significant opportunity to make any nice money in this hobby is gone. Sure, if you stumble on a pristine and untouched collection that includes some nice vintage you will make your money but short of finding a cheap Aaron rookie behind someone's wallboard in an old house, I think the pickings are very slim.

As I said I got to thinking about retirement and any money making options on this hobby but I just do not think a significant amount can be made unless I have a significant amount to invest. Just as the vintage wax market has cooled (mainly mid to late '70's and early '80's) I feel that that prices being paid today for vintage rookies cannot be sustained either. Looks like I am back to finding other ways to pad my piddly retirement portfolio!

death2redemptions said:

We have something in common, I also lost dearly on Wood...assuming we are talking about Alex Wood.

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The great..... and I mean GREAT Brandon Wood

AnthonyCorona said:

The great..... and I mean GREAT Brandon Wood

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Oh lord, not that guy. He's the definition of a bust. I believe his prices were high from the start so not many could have cashed out on him in time to save face.

death2redemptions said:

Oh lord, not that guy. He's the definition of a bust. I believe his prices were high from the start so not many could have cashed out on him in time to save face.

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I still have most of mine, I'm so sick sometimes when I've had a few I still purchase his stuff!!!!

You can always buy up rookies and autos of guys who are reaching milestones. They usually see a short uptick and if you sell then, you'll get some money out of the deal.

I don't sell but I could have done very well with basketball and football stuff. Most decent non-qb players are cheap in comparison to baseball stuff if you want a rookie auto. Buy em up at $10-$15 a pop and just wait for them to...well...do what they do. I was buying Von Miller contenders autos for $13 shipped mid season. Granted he made it to the Super Bowl and did well but all it takes is a good game or two. In Miller's case, I could have sold and made roughly 6 times my investment.

I made over 4k in profit in Fleer PSA Jordan cards in less than 6 months. It can be done now, you just have to be smart, and lucky

In football, almost all talented players get hot once, even if it's just a week or two...