Selling 80% of your collection for ‘52 Mantle - would you?

[Belfast1933]

I am toying with an idea of liquidating a large % of my collection to try and build enough of a kitty to buy my first ‘52 Mantle.

Even with that, the best I can probably afford would be a reasonably decent eye appeal 1.5….

Have other Net54ers ever done anything like this? Happy you did? Or filled with post transaction regret??

I’d love to hear your stories and/or your advice… sell most of your PC to add the hobby’s most iconic card?

Thx all

Jeff

[Exhibitman]

Nope.

[mrreality68]

I have sold my entire collection of good but assorted non focused cards. It was a diverse collection of vintage cards from CJ cards, to T206, t205, m101-4/5 , Felix Mendelssohn etc for 1 card.
I was tired of missing out on some of the rarer or higher bucket list cards I wanted because it was all tied up in my total collection. And I could not raise funds to get the dream cards/bucket list I wanted.
Made the choice and sold, traded etc and worked my way up to purchasing my Rookie Ruth. Then had only 1 and since then slowly building up my collection with more focused to the cards I really wanted. Takes lonelier but I find this approach is perfect for me.

[Tyruscobb]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

Nope.

I echo this succinct response. Although I would enjoy looking at a ‘52 Topps Mantle, I’d miss looking at all the cards that I sold to obtain it way more than the enjoyment.

[butchie_t]

I could sell 200% of my collection, it would not even buy the holder.

Gotta pass.

Butch

[kmac32]

Absolutely not

[oldjudge]

I prefer one great card to a lot of good cards.

[Sean]

Yes, I've done this. I had a 522 set of T206. I sold all of my binder cards (about 450 cards) and a Cobb Red/ Lenox SGC 2. I only kept my back runs, My Cub HOFs, and a few of the biggest stars in the set. I bought a Cobb/ Cobb back. I never tried to rebuild the set, either. I just went off and collected other cards that I liked. I have fewer than 200 cards today, but I much prefer the ones that I still have.



Edited to add: To be clear, the cards that I sold only covered 1/3 of the cost of the Cobb. The rest came from savings and a 401K loan.

[doug.goodman]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

Nope.

I second that emotion...

[Hxcmilkshake]

I would in a heartbeat. I've toyed with the idea but I have a massive room of crap. I would need some baller to just come over and clear out 50k worth. Otherwise its a long and tedious process for me.

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[G1911]

Never.

[Peter_Spaeth]

If you are asking as a collector, which I assume, no, I think you will regret it.

[JollyElm]

A collection is comprised of a group of things, so if you dump it all for a single card, then you would no longer be a collector, but a 'specificor.' A valuable card is great, but at what (literal and figurative) cost?

[Jewish-collector]

I would not. I prefer a quantity of cards rather than one expensive card.

[bnorth]

This is something I have also put some serious thought into.

I was thinking of selling and trading the majority of my cards to end up with 3 big cards. For me it would be a T206 Red Cobb with an Old Mill back, 1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle, and 1952 Eddie Mathews.

I have had the Cobb and Mathews before. The Cobb had a Piedmont back so didn't mind selling it. The Eddie Mathews is one of the very few cards I wish I wouldn't have got rid of.

So yes I would do it.

[jingram058]

Originally Posted by G1911

Never.

+1000 on that. It isn't even a good looking card. It and the 53 look like childish cartoons. And it's just one card. Frankly, for the life of me, I do not, cannot and will not EVER understand why it's so effing valuable. I CAN understand why a Honus Wagner t206 is.

But there I go again, ranting and raving over something that isn't even rational.

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

While I like it quite a bit, I don't like it enough to gut my collection to obtain one. And, honestly, I would rather have a '51 Bowman Mick. I have always liked that card, but everyone is different.

[Rich Falvo]

If I had a lot of cards that I didn’t pull out and look at often, I would definitely sell the bulk of my collection to buy one of the iconic cards of all time.

I would much rather have a small collection of maybe my fifty favorite cards than a bunch of stuff that sits in drawers.

[RCMcKenzie]

Like Don's thread, I don't have enough information to advise you, and lacking information, I would say for you, no.

I would not sell 80% of what I have put together since the mid 1970's to buy a 1952 Topps Mantle in SGC 1.5.

Would I sell $20,000 worth of cards to buy a 52T Mantle? yes.

I thought Don meant he was meeting up at a Denny's parking lot with a duffle bag of cash to exchange with a craigs-lister for a T206 Demmitt with a Polar Bear back. I didn't know he was buying a Sporting News Wagner from an online retail Baseball Card dealer like 707 or whatever it was.

Especially if you are sort of new, say a 5 year old collection, feel free to start over. I'm too old to start over.

[theshowandme]

Originally Posted by RCMcKenzie

Like Don's thread, I don't have enough information to advise you, and lacking information, I would say for you, no.

I would not sell 80% of what I have put together since the mid 1970's to buy a 1952 Topps Mantle in SGC 1.5.

Would I sell $20,000 worth of cards to buy a 52T Mantle? yes.

I thought Don meant he was meeting up at a Denny's parking lot with a duffle bag of cash to exchange with a craigs-lister for a T206 Demmitt with a Polar Bear back. I didn't know he was buying a Sporting News Wagner from an online retail Baseball Card dealer like 707 or whatever it was.

Especially if you are sort of new, say a 5 year old collection, feel free to start over. I'm too old to start over.

It was an IHOP which I figured was a bit more classy! And most of it was rolls of quarters

-Don


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[savedfrommyspokes]

Seven years ago, I sold off the cards from my Yankee Topps team binder (contained all but the 52 Mantle) and bought a PSA 1.5. Mantle. My reasoning was simple, as much as I enjoyed my Yankee binder, all of the cards in this binder were duplicates as I already had all of these cards in my completed Topps sets. The only Topps set I had not completed at that time was the 52 set. I knew if I wanted to finish the set, the Mantle hurdle would need to be cleared....after that card, the rest of the set was downhill and I now enjoy looking at my Yankee cards from my sets instead of my team specific binder. If your scenario involves feeling you won't miss the cards you sell, go for it.

[RCMcKenzie]

Originally Posted by theshowandme

It was an IHOP which I figured was a bit more classy! And most of it was rolls of quarters

-Don


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Sounds like a good deal. Congrats on the Wagner.

---

To answer Fred's question, I guessed 20K, but prices vary based on condition without regard to the technical grade.

One thing to think about is that the card will be available when you are ready to spend for it.

[Mike Eisenbath]

I probably could sell ...slowly...80 percent of my collection and buy a 52 Mantle. But I don't know what grade. While I know what Mantles sell for (it's all we hear about), I couldn't tell you what I'd get for my cards. I likely could name my most valuable 50 or so but don't have a clear idea what they would be worth.

That's because I never could sell them. I got them as a kid or over time because I was building toward collection goals. They mean something to me.

It would be nice to have that Mantle. And a Wagner. And Ruth rookie. But if I end up with only 406 of the 52 set and 520 of The Monster while also taking the family on vacations and helping pay for my grandkids' sports teams, that will be a fine way to remember my time in the hobby.

That said... I think about the option every once in a while. Then I realize I'd be pursuing someone else's collecting goal, not mine.

Good luck in the decision.

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[Smarti5051]

I would probably do it if it was the only reasonable way I could attain a grail card. Let's say your current collection is 20 great HOF cards in low-to-mid grade that sell for about $2500/ea. You can hold on to 4 of your favorites and liquidate or trade the others for $40,000 in spending cash. You then scour the internet for the best deal you can find on the 1952 Mantle. As time passes, you can set aside funds and buy back the cards you let go as you save up, one by one.

By contrast, you keep holding your 20 cards and pass on the Mantle. You start setting aside some money and are very disciplined, not spending any of your savings in the hopes of acquiring the Mantle down the road. Not knowing your specific financial situation, let's assume it would take you a few years or longer to save up $40K in discretionary funds to make the purchase. Unfortunately, there is the very real possibility that the Mantle will continue to appreciate, leaving you in a race against the market to see if you can ever catch up and acquire the dream card.

[rjackson44]

Nope

[MR RAREBACK]

Every time I’ve thought about it,
I always said to myself na, I would rather have a Cobb or Ruth,
Or Mathewson young Johnson, or a rare back.
But if your selling mostly 1950s cards and up.
I would say go for it.
It would probably make sense to me to sell or trade off my 1950s and up, and buy more of the older cards I like, and perhaps a 52 mantle, but I would probably be happier with more older rarer stuff and no mantle

[babraham]

Originally Posted by Belfast1933

I am toying with an idea of liquidating a large % of my collection to try and build enough of a kitty to buy my first ‘52 Mantle.

Even with that, the best I can probably afford would be a reasonably decent eye appeal 1.5….

Have other Net54ers ever done anything like this? Happy you did?

Hi Jeff, I did something very similar a couple years ago. Sold maybe 30-40% of my collection to pick up the best low grade 52T #311 that I could find. The nice thing about that is that it also allowed me to focus my collection a bit more. The cards I sold I haven't missed and since then I've just been picking up cards that fit in my collection more. I am happy that I did it!

[Belfast1933]

Originally Posted by babraham

Hi Jeff, I did something very similar a couple years ago. Sold maybe 30-40% of my collection to pick up the best low grade 52T #311 that I could find. The nice thing about that is that it also allowed me to focus my collection a bit more. The cards I sold I haven't missed and since then I've just been picking up cards that fit in my collection more. I am happy that I did it!

Wow! Showing me that a 1.5 can look as great as yours does make this decision a wee bit more likely!

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Originally Posted by Belfast1933

Wow! Showing me that a 1.5 can look as great as yours does make this decision a wee bit more likely!

To be fair, as the auction that got that card graded for the consignor, that may be a once in a lifetime 1.5 It also sold for a significant amount more than a normal 1.5, as could be expected.

[parkplace33]

For a 1.5, no. If it was higher grade, I would consider it.

[yanksfan09]

Also, here's my 1.5. I could care less about technical grades. Love the eye appeal on mine with a nicely placed pin hole at top of the cap, likely by the original child owner!

[NYYFan63]

I did a trade at the National in AC for a 52 Mantle PSA 2. I traded 13 cards, mostly vintage, for the Mantle.

I ended up selling the card a couple months later as I picked up 52 Mantle PSA 2.5.




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[Directly]

If you happen to own a little farm ground around Dubuque Iowa sell say 10 acres = $306,000

Farm ground sold around Dubuque 59.32 A $30,600/ A= 1 Million eight (average farm land values in Iowa range from $12,000 Acre to the sky's the limit? )

**********in retrospect definitely go for the Mantle if you can--MOO******

[donmuth]

While the idea of liquidating a bunch of cards to get a really big pickup, like the '52T Mantle, or any other big card may be tempting... I don't think I could do it.

I've spent 38 years working very slowly on the T206 set and many 1950s-1970s sets, plus adding to my HOF collection. Over 95% of my collection is raw/ungraded cards too just because I prefer them that way. So selling them may require getting a bunch graded to help maximize the return... so that would take time and upfront $.

There are so many great players. I would like to have cards of all of those great players, versus one (or even a few) high valued cards of a much fewer number of players.

Yes most of those other cards could be replaced over time. Maybe in collection 2.0 I could re-focus and target higher eye appeal cards or whatever. It would take a long time though... probably not 38 years... but several years at least. And some of the cards, while not rare are irreplaceable because they are tied to the memories of purchasing them (my first Mantle - a '65T bought back in the last 1980s) or getting them autographed in person (Willie Mays '69T, Richie Ashburn '52T, etc.).

Good luck on it if you decide to do it though!

[LEHR]

I wouldn't do it for a 52 Mantle because I've never liked that card and consider it grossly overvalued.

But with that being said I have sold a chunk of items a few times to buy a rare/expensive piece that I wouldn't normally buy and have had ZERO regrets.

There's 2-3 items that come to mind right now where if they became available I'd happily sell up to 80% of my collection to acquire them. For me it's always quality over quantity.

[mordecaibrown1]

I did it years ago for a high grade 52 Mantle so it all depends on what you are giving up?

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

I personally appreciate the biographies of far too many other players and get a little tired of constantly hearing about the big names. If it was me, I wouldn't even consider it. I've heard enough about Mantle to last ten lifetimes.

[Rad_Hazard]

I've sold chunks of cards for 1 bigger card many times. I tend not to go for a HUGE cards though. They tend to be tougher to unload in the future.

[JimmyC]

Nah - wouldn't do it...prefer the '51 Bowman card anyway - better looking card IMHO....think the '52 is overvalued.....

Now if we are talking a Mantle Game Worn Jersey? Now you are talking....

[Exhibitman]

Nicolo, I agree with your comments on the math, but I am not sure whether it makes better sense in the context of a card investment. The math is not the end of the game. Heck, I wish you were right, because I have lots of lesser cards but none of the super-duper ones; I wish my collection had grown in value like the marquee cards have. It hasn't. There is also the mechanics of realizing my gains. I can sell a $100K card in one auction and I probably can negotiate back a piece of the BP too. That is not realistic if I have 100 $1,000 cards to sell. If I have multiples of the same card, even if they went up a lot, it is even worse. I can't just throw them all into a single REA auction; I'd get killed. I have to sell them over time in different venues.

I don't think there is one good answer to the question. Liquidity is an element that definitely comes into play. I've never been one for having a 25 or 50 card collection, but in considering how to unwind a collection of thousands of items, dumping 80% for one or two items sure does sound appealing conceptually. If I wasn't planning on doing a multiyear-controlled liquidation once I retire, I might consider it.

[Snapolit1]

Nope. Never wanted one.

[Foo3112]

Easy no for me too.

[Yoda]

Leon, even though I can't remember the names of my grandchildren, I do recall well selling you you my E102 Cobby for about a grand. At the time, we both considered it his RC, that is until Rob Lifson came out in favor of the Dietsch PC and muddied the waters. I still believe the E102 is his first card in the traditional sense. I hold one now, but it is not as nice as the one I sold to you. I also recall that, about the same time, you stole a beautiful '38 Goudey JD for pennies but I don't hold a grudge. Yoda

[darkhorse9]

When I'm gone my "collection" goes to my son. It's almost entirely made up of complete sets.
He's not a collector. If I'm gone, selling it would be difficult for him since he knows nothing about the hobby and breaking up the sets to get maximum value would be out of the question..

I have toyed with the idea of selling off all of my collection and converting it to a few key notable graded cards that would be much easier for him to track and sell when the time comes for him to do that.

[3finger1908]

I like the process of upgrading and concentrating, but with less than 200 cards today, I wouldn't sell 80% for a grail.

[theshowandme]

I would do it.

80% of a collection is going to mean different things for most board members. If you’re able to keep the top 20% like you said, I think it’s a no brainer.

Good luck, hope you get what you want

-Don


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