How much do you spend a year and how can you afford it??!!

[ffgameman]

Eh, around $200-400 a year - sometimes a tad more or less. Mainly a blaster purchase here and there.

Each year I'll usually open at least 2-3 hobby boxes (lower-end) but that's it. I rarely buy singles.

 

[lisu]

I used to spend a lot more but I think I'm probably spending around $10k a year that is being offset by selling.

 

[wickedliquids]

I used to spend a lot more but I think I'm probably spending around $10k a year that is being offset by selling.

Ok, so I'm seeing a mix here for 3 digit to 5 digit numbers, which I guess would be realistic if you flipped a lot of cards. I could spend $10K a year, only if I knew that I could flip that same volume, or maybe even a little more.

I've purchased mostly packs and retail and very little hobby as I find my luck about the same either way. I focus mostly on vintage, Pre-war material as those cards are the mainstay and I absolutely love that era of baseball (and those cards have a great way of holding their value).

 

[prospectorgems]

About 2 years ago I was probably spending about 15k a year on cards. Ugh...that just made me sick, not sure if I want to go on.

were you the brad hand collector?

Yes, I had money to burn!

 

[JoshHamilton]

I use winnings from gambling on sports and selling my picks (roughly 75% winners ATS), so it varies from year to year. Between $1k-$10k/yr

 

[Fandruw25]

I probably spend more than I should given what I make, but hey, isn't it a hobby? At least I can recoup something, unlike if I blew all my money at the movies.

 

[TBTwinsFan]

'Sup all!

I don't post very much as I really enjoy reading all the threads that ya'll write about every day - some of it's great and it provides good insight into the collecting world.

Just like many of you all, I returned to collecting after a long hiatus - I first started collecting back in 1986; first ever pack was Topps and I remember trading them all away for some GI Joe comic books. I STILL think I got the better deal hehe I never built sets, but I enjoyed busting wax and did so till about 1993 when my desire to collect started to trickle off a bit. Actually, I think it started in 1992 when I was at a card show and the hot thing that day was all the 1992 Bowman baseball - Piazza, Manny, etc and I was handed a cello pack (hard plastic pack) that I just looked at and put it away.

Well, 15 years later, I'm sifting through some old boxes that I had in storage and I found my cards - including the Bowman cello pack (which incidentally had the gold foil version of Bonds on the front and McGwire gold foil version on the back - go figure right?)

Finding that unopened cello pack made me start looking up cards again and lo and behold, HUGE difference in the market - $300 baseball card packs?? REALLY? :shock:

My question to you all is, how much do you all spend on cards over, let's say a year? I watch on youtube of collectors busting cases worth thousands like it's nothing (we've all seen those guys from the Phillipines I think, busting the high-end basketball cases of stuff).

Are you considered a "whale" of modern day collecting? And if you don't mind sharing, what on earth do you do that allows you to feed your addiction to those levels? If you make $30K a year, is $20K of that spent on cards? Just wondering..... and it's been a question I've been wanting to ask since I returned to the hobby

Not very much. It seems like some people just think I have the dough to drop on hobby, but I only spend about $50 on hobby each year. My parents don't hardly drop a dime on my collection. I might get something for my birthday, but other than that It's all me. I may buy a blaster every couple of months, but otherwise that is it. Most of my money now-a-days is dropped on singles, if it is cards. I spend a little on my vehicle for up-keep... but that isn't a lot. Mostly gas money and cleaner. Pretty soon, after I buy my next Perk 1/1, is going twards TwinsFest, where I plan on dropping a TON of money.

 

[voteEjordan]

5% of my take home pay- hard cap, covers wax and singles. Definitely makes decisions on ebay very easy...I either have the money in the budget or I don't. After letting a couple of nice cards I'd like to have had slip away, I've trained myself to stay in the black. It's tempting to float myself a loan, but I've avoided that rabbit hole so far!

I track all my purchases in a spreadsheet. When I get bored and tempted to bust some wax but don't have space in the budget I work on organizing the collection rather than adding to it.

 

[mudflap02]

I'd say that I spend about 7k a year, but I don't sell much. I did sell off a big part of my Heritage collection in 2006, and even though I needed the money and used it wisely, I still regret getting rid of some of those cards. So the drawback to my collection is that everything has to be bought with "new" money, but the big plus is that once I track a tough card down, it's here to stay.

 

[wickedliquids]

It's really interesting to find out that some of you cap your spendings - I guess you all like to do what I do which is look at what everyone else is pulling and grovel and wish you had that kind of luck. I think there's a thread on the board where it was asked something along the lines of what your best pull of the year would be - other than for an auto Jeter which was pulled with only a few retail packs, most others spent a boatload on multiple cases, which is what prompted myself to open up this thread.

I understand risk vs reward, but I find it amusing that someone will spend $1000 to $2000 on a case of shiny stuff with minimal potential.

Is there a thread on the board, or if YOU have done this, a quick re-cap of what the odds are of you making your money back if you play the volume game? In other words, has anyone spent a $1000 on a case of cards, took all those cards, and resold them - would you be plus or minus? This is strictly out of curiosity.

 

[schillingfan]

Too much. :lol:

I just got back into the hobby this summer and since then, I've spent about $2,500. Everything I buy is for my PC so there's no selling going on here.

I'm young, single, a teacher, no car payments, some student loan payments, and the typical expenses. I tutor before and after school a few days a week which gives me some extra spending money. Otherwise, it's just saving up to buy what I want.

 

[theplasticman]

Before I was married... a lot. I was also working at a card shop and spent a lot more because of the discounts. I was probably doing 15-20k back then.

I'd say maybe 5k this year if I don't count the cases I've flipped... another 15-20k there.

 

[bigpapiMA32]

I spend about $100-150 a year! But still enjoy collecting a lot

 

[nevermore]

Being a student, and having no steady income, money is always tight. I have kept track of my spending over the past eight years since I joined eBay/trade forums. With postage, supplies and other hobby related expenses I have spent a total of $450-475 a year on average, and sell around $300-325 a year, leaving my hobby spending at $125-150 out of pocket a year, or around $10-15 a month.

It has been difficult passing up on so many great high-end cards over the years, but it is rewarding when you finally find a card you want at the right price. I am very happy with the collection I have been able to build. I can't wait to expand on it when I do graduate and finally start working.

 

[Weimer]

On average I'd say I probably spend between $0-500 a year. Wish I could spend more.

 

[AmishDave]

Don't know and don't wanna know how much I spend on singles

 

[aaron41984]

It's really interesting to find out that some of you cap your spendings - I guess you all like to do what I do which is look at what everyone else is pulling and grovel and wish you had that kind of luck. I think there's a thread on the board where it was asked something along the lines of what your best pull of the year would be - other than for an auto Jeter which was pulled with only a few retail packs, most others spent a boatload on multiple cases, which is what prompted myself to open up this thread.

I understand risk vs reward, but I find it amusing that someone will spend $1000 to $2000 on a case of shiny stuff with minimal potential.

Is there a thread on the board, or if YOU have done this, a quick re-cap of what the odds are of you making your money back if you play the volume game? In other words, has anyone spent a $1000 on a case of cards, took all those cards, and resold them - would you be plus or minus? This is strictly out of curiosity.

It depends on the product. I pre ordered cases of Bowman Jumbos for $720 ea and flipped most of them for at least double my investment and then the ones I busted yielded between $1500 and $3k per due to the Strasburg hype along with a solid checklist. I open Bowman only for the most part but a friend of mine busted a case of Ginter and returned about 10% on it, so obiously it goes both ways. Some products are geared more toward collectors whereas others are directed at prospectors.

Back to the first question, I don't think I have spent any "new" money on cards at all this year.

 

[RZimm11]

Too much.

And No.

edit: sorry, thought it said, "can you afford it?" LOL

 

[nosterbor]

7-12k a year. use to bust cases looking for Juan cards, wised up and stopped that in 99. now with the net i just spend on the cards i need of him! and it is getting tuffer by the day. now i buy ALL the more rare cards i can get of him.

 

[Pinbreaker]

Since you are asking about busting cases.. I don't, but I know someone who does..

They bought a case of Bowman and the first box they got a $tra$burg Printing plate.. so for their $1000, the first box yielded 30% return on one card.. Bowman had a pretty good crop this year so the returns were pretty good..

They also got a case of A&G and once again the first box they opened they pulled a rip card that got almost $600.. and a mini that sold for $100.. They got their money back plus on that case as well..

As for myself, I will open a few boxes here and there or some Razor Sig Cuts now and then.. They cost about $80 to $100 and depending on the cut, you can get some decent $$ back.. I pulled a DiMaggio and sold it for $500 on EBAY, so that helps with the money I spend.. Also, I have been taking some of my old boxes to the card shop I go to and he goes through them, pulls out the sellable cards, and then the rest go to another customer who buys all the bulk.. I end up getting credit for his store and I am reclaiming space at home.. I watched "Hoarders" and decided I was going down a similar path since I started collecting back in 1985/1986 and thought it was time to get rid of those old mass produced cards that are more valuable as firewood..

Welcome back and good luck..