11-17-2011, 12:57 AM
(This post was last modified: 11-17-2011, 01:11 AM by Merovius.)
Lets talk economics
Lets talk economics
Not really but I just realized something very important as a collector whos come back after a 20 year break. I just picked up an old Beckett from '92 with the Kirb on the cover and started comparing cards from today to cards from 20 years ago to see where the markets gone.
Of course were all familiar with the overproduced cards of the 80s and 90s but I was more concerned with vintage prices. I have a ton of cards from 50-56 so my personal vested interest is significant.
I was shocked to find that on average, actually for about 90% of the cards I looked up, all had decreased in value. Some had decreased by as much as 60% of their 1992 value. Very few had held their value and anything that actually gained any value was marginal at best and a complete anomaly. The gains I saw didnt even account for inflation.
Thus any school boy could conclude that sports cards are a terrible investment for the long run. The short run however paints a very different picture; its much more a shrewd business mans game than a collectors game as those with more capital cut overhead through bulk purchases and move the hottest cards in the shortest amount of time to make the largest gains.
I dont have a crystal ball, if I did I could retire on gold bullion and ETF's, but it is quite clear that collecting for the long run investment is foolish.
Then again I never got into collecting for purely economical reasons. Im a fan and I collect because I love the game. But I think Im gonna scratch the last couple of players off the list and put the cards away for my kids. Ive built a significant collection and Im sure theyll enjoy it just as I did when my father gave me his.
I hate to be the guy shouting "DOOM!" but it just struck me as painfully obvious. Im sure the shop owners have heard it all before and none of this is really news to anyone. Just my 2 cents, lets hear yours.
Of course were all familiar with the overproduced cards of the 80s and 90s but I was more concerned with vintage prices. I have a ton of cards from 50-56 so my personal vested interest is significant.
I was shocked to find that on average, actually for about 90% of the cards I looked up, all had decreased in value. Some had decreased by as much as 60% of their 1992 value. Very few had held their value and anything that actually gained any value was marginal at best and a complete anomaly. The gains I saw didnt even account for inflation.
Thus any school boy could conclude that sports cards are a terrible investment for the long run. The short run however paints a very different picture; its much more a shrewd business mans game than a collectors game as those with more capital cut overhead through bulk purchases and move the hottest cards in the shortest amount of time to make the largest gains.
I dont have a crystal ball, if I did I could retire on gold bullion and ETF's, but it is quite clear that collecting for the long run investment is foolish.
Then again I never got into collecting for purely economical reasons. Im a fan and I collect because I love the game. But I think Im gonna scratch the last couple of players off the list and put the cards away for my kids. Ive built a significant collection and Im sure theyll enjoy it just as I did when my father gave me his.
I hate to be the guy shouting "DOOM!" but it just struck me as painfully obvious. Im sure the shop owners have heard it all before and none of this is really news to anyone. Just my 2 cents, lets hear yours.