Starting to invest for the daughter...
 

Hello all, this is my first post on the card side of Net 54.

A quick background on me:

I began collecting cards around the age of 5 back in 84. I sold my card collection nearly 20 years ago to focus on the memorabilia/autograph side of the hobby. Presently, I do not own any cards other than 1971 and 1972 Topps sets I couldn't part with when I was selling off my collection.

Long story, we were at my mother's friend's annual 4th of July party sometime in the late 1980s. Her sons still had their cards at their house, and hearing that I collected cards, they gave me all of their doubles and triples! There was a vast majority of 71s and 72s in those doubles, and that led me to completing those sets at local shows shortly afterwards.

Anyways, I have been putting stuff away for my daughter since she was born. I have some early Pirates stuff, several Wagner autographs, and a Babe Ruth signed cut put away for her to be given to her at a much later time.

Anyways, I want to start investing in vintage cards again. For her. Something I can put away for a rainy day or something like that. Not looking to break the bank. Since you guys have been around the card industry for a more extended period of time than I have, I need your advice.

I want to stay away from modern-era card entirely. I think the prices for them is beyond ridiculous. In watching the vintage card industry from afar for the last few years, I see vintage Mantles are a good bet for investing.

Any and all help would be appreciated.

Like me and many others, I'm afraid you've missed the boat as far as investing in the 1952 Topps Mantle - those prices are WAY TOO high (IMO)!

However, you can still find good pricing on almost all his other issues. Personally, I prefer graded cards for any long-term investments...the established third-party grading companies, while far from perfect, offer a more uniform evaluation of any given card.

Good Luck!

How old is she?

Perhaps the best investment isn't an "investment" at all. If she's old enough show her some stuff and say why you think it's cool. If she takes a liking to a set, no matter if it's 57 Topps or Pokémon, support that and collect together. It doesn't have to be a case of something, just a pack a week at Target or the LCS, or wherever.
Learning to collect for the joy of collecting is in my opinion, worth more.

My kids are 5 and 7, and are starting to take an interest in my hobbies. So far they like Shopkins, and five nights at freddies figures and a few pokemon cards since they've started playing the game. They also sometimes like to hear about daddys very old and special stamps or cards. I make it fun, and don't push it too hard. (So far not much interest in the bicycles, but I'm hoping. )

Nobody has a crystal ball. But assuming you are looking to buy relatively mainstream cards, in my opinion, the cards most likely to appreciate are rookie cards of Hall of Famers.

Early (mid '60's and earlier) Mays and Aaron cards in nice shape.

Mantle, Clemente and Jackie Robinson are going to give you the best return for lower value cards. Then work your way into top name hof rookie cards.

Thanks for the reply all.

She is 7 and has taken a keen interest in baseball since about the age of 5. Her favorite player? Jung Ho Kang. He became her favorite when we took her to the '15 Wild Card game (as us in Pittsburgh call it, "The Arrieta Game."). He was still wheelchair bound for introductions and I think that is what cemented him as her favorite player.

She thinks all of my old Pirates photos (I collect 19th Century through pre-Clemente era Pirates photograph) are "cool" and she has taken a liking to Roberto Clemente since there was a play about him put on at her school by one of the theaters in town. I told her the Tom Walker story about the fateful night and, much to my surprise, she told it at school correctly. I have began to buy Clemente cards for her.

I was going through some of my random stuff I packed away in preparation for our move to our new home later on this year and stumbled upon a Clemente rookie I forgot I held on to.

Yes, she likes her Shopkins. Goodness does she like her Shopkins. And her American Girl dolls. The damage I did in the store in Columbus could've got me a nice little bounty of vintage cards to put away for her, but I digress...

IMHO, the best investment advice I can give is to buy a beater set of a player/team/ or year and let her play with them. Read the back & front together and talk about the players who you like and don't like. Look up the players bios and make a pile of the ones you both like......

These joint experiences will be the best investment you can ever make. Then when she is at the age where she can decide for herself what to collect, you will know what to buy as an "investment". But don't plan on making a lot of money

It might be because I tend to always buy at the top of the market, but I wouldn't make the baseball card collection the investment. A 529 or UTMA that you are comfortable with and you can invest in consistently, be emotionally detached from, and watch grow over time... but I know, that is boring.

If you are buying at VCP, you are looking at having to have a 13-20% return just to break even between fees, BP (assuming that the price is depressed to take that into account), shipping, etc.

I got back into this 5+ years ago and have put probably 100k into my collection in that time. If I had to liquidate, I am guessing that I could get 70-75k on a good day. My first offer would probably be 50-60k as a wholesale offer and that is with nearly 40k worth of slabbed cards that should be a commodity asset. Every day that I continue to collect and buy I go more into the hole on the net spread between what I have into it and what I will get out of it.

Once I accepted that my collection is a "toy" that I get positive utility from, then I was fine with it. I have my investments on the side and that will pay for college, retirement, inheritance, etc. My collection will be a gift for my kids that I hope they have the same passion for, but if they decide to sell it, I'll never know the bath that they take.

In summary, I love to collect and I really love to share the collection with my kids. But, the best way to make a small fortune on a collection (one that you buy now, not one that was accumulated 50 years ago), is to start with a large fortune and keep buying.

Best of luck to you.

duplicate post

Mantle Topps and Bowman Regular issues cards in PSA 7’s and above. I’d rather have one killer 8 then 3 7’s, just my preference. Buy the best examples in grade. Be very picky. Don’t just buy PSA’s 7 and 8’s if they’re ugly, I’ve seen many I wouldn’t want to represent. Focus on centering and print issues.

Just my two cents. I’d much rather invest in the S&P 500 index for long term growth.

Most importantly have fun :-)

You may know this, but her interests are likely to change greatly in the next few years. She may think that stuff is "cool" now, but more likely she thinks her dad is cool. My girl wanted every American Girl doll she could find. My son loved WWE wrestling. The dolls and figures have been sold or given away and they could care less about it any longer. :(

Don't get me started on American Girl dolls. The last one my daughter got, as a child, was taller than she was.

If your investing for monetary gains for your daughter, I would go with silver, gold or stocks with dividends. We did the same but only with stocks for daughter and son

Ah yes, we spent multiple hundreds to have breakfast with the doll in New York City - only to be topped by getting the doll's ears pierced at the store and a new hairstyle. 6 of them now sit alone in the playroom in the basement. But, alas...memories

I would start with a 529 savings plan or other stock/bond investments. You can still do collectibles as well but I would keep it to 5% to 10% the total portfolio.

Since you are looking for advice on cards to invest my suggestion would be to look backwards and see what cards dramatically increased and when. What you are likely to see is that when popular cards in top condition tend to rise when the folks who collected them as kids were able to afford them as adults. I always liked cards from the 1930's And collecting them I met mostly collectors older than me (I am 56) and when I watched men who collected Goudey's as kids talk about them I was jealous. I liked them but those guys loved them. For me 1969 was the set Always loved that set. My son and Daughter did not get bit by collector bug. But them and all their friends know what a Jordan rookie is and A Ken Griffey. And they definitely know what a Jeter Rookie is. Combination of players people watch and have strong memories of and cards that were out of reach to most kids is a powerful force. So cards of Altuve who is champion of the small guy or Mike Trout ..Aaron Judge (maybe) look and see when your kids eyes light up when the see a player hit a Homer or make a great catch. And then light up same way when they see his Rookie card. Then you will know what to put away for them. Those old guys trading Goudey' s never lost that light. Guess that's what makes adult collectors.