[chester2002]

In 1981 I was introduced to sports cards, specifically Baseball Cards. I was hooked from day 1. I loved trading, I loved going to shows and haggling with the guys behind the tables (even though they had no issue ripping off a 10 year old) and I still remember the first Beckett price guide I ever bought, the second issue with a Willie Mays Topps card from, I believe, 1966 on the cover if I remember correctly.

In my 35 years of collecting I have tried everything from attending multiple National Conventions to hitting up the 15 table Holiday Inn shows. I attempted a blog, a website, and sold on ebay. I attended organized events for trading cards where collectors came from miles around and filled a hotel ballroom just to cop a squat on the floor and trade.

I spoke to and conversed with some wonderful people, and I also dealt with some of the most miserable jerks I will ever come across. I have talked industry shop with distributors, designers, dealers, and collectors.

I have come to realize and settle on a few things...

1. No matter what, no matter how rare or how cool, in the end, it is a piece of cardboard with a picture on it.

2. The card companies will canabalize last years product to get you to pay for this years product. Nevermind the fact that product from 5 years ago isn't worth the cardboard its printed on.

3. If you collect, be prepared to use your creativity to keep things fresh...the card companies wont help with that as they just reprint the same crap over and over. One day you are a player collector, the next a team collector, then a set collector....it never ends and you will trade/sell off the "collection" to pay for the next thing....

4. Wait another decade to purchase Mike Trout and/or Kris Bryant rookie cards, auto's , etc... of huge value (See any of Albert Pujols rookie cards as an example, or just about anybody who came along in the 90's or 80's)

5. The industry and anybody making " a living" on it will find a new way to get you to gamble away your money on product. (see, chase cards -> SP's -> Game used -> Auto's - > Patch cards -> Laundry tags - > shoe pieces -> Box Breaks -> Case breaks -> Set breaks -> next?)

6. If you want to invest, only buy cards from pre-1972 that are graded. In 10 years if you sold them you might make a 1-4% profit after fees, shipping, etc....

Enjoy, and have fun. I am out.

[rmpaq5]

You know, I can't disagree with you on much. But remember its a hobby. WE control what we collect, go after etc... Don't get discouraged by the Dbags out there (and that includes the companies) and if its just Cubby cards you like, be it base or whatever, go with it. The high end chase/scam put on by Topps is a waste of time, I agree. $10000 for a pack of whatever...to hell with them. Take joy in the base card of your favourite team and just ignore the high end, in it for just the cash stuff. I do, and it is what keeps me sane in the hobby. Whatever you choose, godspeed.

[flamethrower]

... its a hobby..

And that's how it should be thought of. I bet most on here feel the same, they love the sport and this side fun that it brings. If you are here for an investment and didn't realize that was foolish 25+ years ago... then that is your fault. Speaking for myself, I bet most of us are here to enjoy, collect, and trade. The values just make sure we are all on an even field.

In the end, my boys are going to get a killer collection, a glimpse into the past through my eyes. What they choose to do with it is their decision. If they aren't baseball fans, so be it, get a few hundred dollars and go have some fun, it's not a loss. If they are into it, cool, keep the tradition alive and pass on great history, it's not a loss. I had/have so much fun doing it, it's not a loss. Bottom line, it is not a loss. Seems like you may have been into it for the wrong reasons from the get-go. I am sorry you are sour now. The few that are on here will most likely begrudgingly agree however, we will carry on. Because it's fun.

p.s let me know what you want to offload, I'll give you 25%BV! HAHA

[chester2002]

You are the minority guys....I promise you, and it is a shrinking minority. I have no problems with the industry being about money, I mean lets be honest, when you pay $2.99 minimum for a pack, there better be some monetary investment in it.

My only gripe is the investment never holds or matures. it just slowly drops at the first sign of a new product or a slump at the plate.

Here is a good one....2003 Bowman Chrome Ryan Howard.....Card once sold for over $30 per.......now $3

What the heck did Ryan Howard do to devalue his cards that much?

I will tell you, he is not the flavor of the moment....he is the flavor of yesterdays moment......

[zeprock]

This is the difference between collectors and investors. As a collector, I hoard cards because I like looking at them, reading them, organizing them, cataloging them, showing them off, building sets, trading my dupes and filling holes in my collection and searching for more. The monetary value is secondary to the sentimental and enjoyment value.

I started with stamps as a kid because my dad gave me his stamp collection. I have a big album full of (worthless?) stamps from all over the planet. I don't look at them anymore. I moved on to record albums and currently have more than 6000 and another 2000 45s. I stopped collecting those when it became more difficult to get vinyl and rarely fire up the turntable anymore. I will probably part with them at some point because I can find most all of the music online now and they take up so much space.

The baseball cards are different. My father chastised me in my younger years because I spent so much "wasted" time with them. My wife tolerates my obsession because she knows it gives me pleasure. My kids could care less. It is the one thing that keeps me from going stir crazy during these long Maine winters. I can sit for hours shuffling cards through a binder. I love baseball. I loved playing baseball. I love watching baseball. I am not just a fan. I am a fanatic. I am proud to say I am a collector and this is my hobby.

It's foolish to think you're going to retire off your card collection. Don't get into it for that reason. Yes, Topps has gotten lazy with their product and I miss the days of the innovative inserts but I know each year there will be new cards with new players mixed with my old favorites and I can't wait to get my hands on them.

[kerryandbeth]

I have seen prior comments from Chester2002 that basically tell everyone that collecting cards is not a hobby and only an investment. The argument has a few points that most would agree (values drop for no reason, yesterday's stars are forgotten for the newest prospect), but he is wrong in saying that the minority collect for fun.

Goodness sake, that is the majority of guys on this site...trade for cards that mean something to them, whether it be a player, a team, a type of card. I have never worried about whether Kirby Puckett's cards go up or down in value. I will always collect him and tons of other players because I like them and the style of the cards they are on, not because it may pay for something down the road.

The minority is the group of guys that open products and immediately put them all on eBay to sell while they are hot. Wow, what a shame! Think of all the things you have spent money on in your life and have nothing to show for it...dining out, vacations, latest clothing craze, alcohol, and so on. So, yeah, this hobby can get expensive, but I have tons of binders to look at for years to come.

I say collect who or what you like, and not worry about what everybody else is collecting, selling, trading. Because in the end, then it does not matter what the market values do.

[DrMitchJ]

This is the difference between collectors and investors. As a collector, I hoard cards because I like looking at them, reading them, organizing them, cataloging them, showing them off, building sets, trading my dupes and filling holes in my collection and searching for more. The monetary value is secondary to the sentimental and enjoyment value.

I started with stamps as a kid because my dad gave me his stamp collection. I have a big album full of (worthless?) stamps from all over the planet. I don't look at them anymore. I moved on to record albums and currently have more than 6000 and another 2000 45s. I stopped collecting those when it became more difficult to get vinyl and rarely fire up the turntable anymore. I will probably part with them at some point because I can find most all of the music online now and they take up so much space.

The baseball cards are different. My father chastised me in my younger years because I spent so much "wasted" time with them. My wife tolerates my obsession because she knows it gives me pleasure. My kids could care less. It is the one thing that keeps me from going stir crazy during these long Maine winters. I can sit for hours shuffling cards through a binder. I love baseball. I loved playing baseball. I love watching baseball. I am not just a fan. I am a fanatic. I am proud to say I am a collector and this is my hobby.

It's foolish to think you're going to retire off your card collection. Don't get into it for that reason. Yes, Topps has gotten lazy with their product and I miss the days of the innovative inserts but I know each year there will be new cards with new players mixed with my old favorites and I can't wait to get my hands on them.

+1 well stated!
Regrettably the OP is jaded and 'The Thrill is Gone'. Happened to me twice before.
I never invested, but always used that to justify my habit to my parents at first, my friends the second go-round, and to my wife this time around. I love buying and collecting. I have never sold a card. I rarely trade them either. I love nearly every card i see/buy/touch ... sure, I love it when a card I pulled 4 years ago becomes 'the flavor of the month' and increases in value, so I pop it in a one-touch. If it drops in price ... oh well. Needless to say, I'd certainly feel upset to buy a card for $50 and it becomes a $5 card later on, but, again, oh well. I buy only what I enjoy. I picked up an expensive (to me at least) Jose Fernandez auto card, knowing full well that his career is over (tragically so), he will never be elected into the Hall and his card value will no doubt plummet at some point in time. But I loved the way the guy played the game and wanted something he touched to be a part of my collection. 'Actual' value $100. Sentimental Value ... priceless.

[oneofakindcards]

Good points, especially this:
"Wait another decade to purchase Mike Trout and/or Kris Bryant rookie cards, auto's , etc... of huge value"

Except I'd change decade to even just a few years! A common selling tactic anywhere (not just cards) is to instill a sense of urgency in buying anything. But rest assured, almost everything in our hobby will be available in the future, especially when zillions of them are produced every year.

Too many people in the hobby have to sell to stay in it. Add the people who only sell and prices are artificially high on new "products" (notice the vernacular, too many hobbyists say 'product' instead of 'card' or 'set'!). Make no mistake: Topps likes it this way as it greatly adds to their bottom line.

It's a hobby travesty that historical price data is not readily available. If it were, any rational buyer would put off buying a while.

[pjrussell529]

This is the difference between collectors and investors. As a collector, I hoard cards because I like looking at them, reading them, organizing them, cataloging them, showing them off, building sets, trading my dupes and filling holes in my collection and searching for more. The monetary value is secondary to the sentimental and enjoyment value.

I started with stamps as a kid because my dad gave me his stamp collection. I have a big album full of (worthless?) stamps from all over the planet. I don't look at them anymore. I moved on to record albums and currently have more than 6000 and another 2000 45s. I stopped collecting those when it became more difficult to get vinyl and rarely fire up the turntable anymore. I will probably part with them at some point because I can find most all of the music online now and they take up so much space.

The baseball cards are different. My father chastised me in my younger years because I spent so much "wasted" time with them. My wife tolerates my obsession because she knows it gives me pleasure. My kids could care less. It is the one thing that keeps me from going stir crazy during these long Maine winters. I can sit for hours shuffling cards through a binder. I love baseball. I loved playing baseball. I love watching baseball. I am not just a fan. I am a fanatic. I am proud to say I am a collector and this is my hobby.

It's foolish to think you're going to retire off your card collection. Don't get into it for that reason. Yes, Topps has gotten lazy with their product and I miss the days of the innovative inserts but I know each year there will be new cards with new players mixed with my old favorites and I can't wait to get my hands on them.

This 1000%

The only time I have sold any cards was back in 2002(or 03) when I got out of collecting. It wasn't to make money, it was just to clear space and I had other things that took up my time. I got back into collecting in 2013 and have not sold a single card because that's not why I collect.

As with probably 95% of all purchases you will not get much if any money back. Of all the purchases I have made in my life the only one that I have come close to recouping my money was my house. Cars, tvs, furniture, etc have all been almost completely a loss. I use disposable income for card purchases and I don't expect a return.

I'm happy with the majority of what I have. I enjoy looking at them, sorting, organizing, and displaying them. Probably my favorite part of card collecting has always been reading the backs and looking at stats. Which is probably why my favorite set is Heritage.

Best of luck to you in your next adventure...ENJOY and HAVE FUN

[Hofcollector]

You are the minority guys....I promise you, and it is a shrinking minority. I have no problems with the industry being about money, I mean lets be honest, when you pay $2.99 minimum for a pack, there better be some monetary investment in it.

My only gripe is the investment never holds or matures. it just slowly drops at the first sign of a new product or a slump at the plate.

Here is a good one....2003 Bowman Chrome Ryan Howard.....Card once sold for over $30 per.......now $3

What the heck did Ryan Howard do to devalue his cards that much?

I will tell you, he is not the flavor of the moment....he is the flavor of yesterdays moment......

What did he do? You mean what didnt he do... and that's hit.
He's a 36 year old with a career .258 BA and under 1500 career hits. His cards are devalued because at this point in his career he's a below average player. He can never amass any impressive career numbers and he's considered a flop. Pujols cards are devalued? Most of them, yeah. The one's that count like his Bowman Chrome continue to grow in value. If you're a player collector, team collector or set collector you're bound to lose money if you're in it for an investment. However I don't believe most of those guys and gals are, in which case carry on. I'm sorry you got a distaste for the industry but it seems that your issue is more that you chose to invest in the wrong cards, not that there's no money to be made because I assure you there is. People can have fun collecting and still invest. They just need to be more disciplined with their buying, come up with a plan and realize that if you're ripping wax, it may not always pan out in particular if you're buying sigle boxes or packs. Anyone that chased rarer inserts or rc's from the 90's on up can tell you the market is extremely strong. 2nd, 3rd, 4th year base cards? Of course they'll hold no value. The hobby evolves every few years and you just need to evolve with it.

---

Good points, especially this:
"Wait another decade to purchase Mike Trout and/or Kris Bryant rookie cards, auto's , etc... of huge value"

Except I'd change decade to even just a few years! A common selling tactic anywhere (not just cards) is to instill a sense of urgency in buying anything. But rest assured, almost everything in our hobby will be available in the future, especially when zillions of them are produced every year.

Too many people in the hobby have to sell to stay in it. Add the people who only sell and prices are artificially high on new "products" (notice the vernacular, too many hobbyists say 'product' instead of 'card' or 'set'!). Make no mistake: Topps likes it this way as it greatly adds to their bottom line.

It's a hobby travesty that historical price data is not readily available. If it were, any rational buyer would put off buying a while.

Historical price data is readily available on multiple sites. My weapon of choice goes back 12 years.