I'm considering a 5k card
 

With 5k in todays market, what would you put on your list ? Should I stick with PSA or other companies ok ? Always wanted something high end. Will 5k do it ?

It depends (shocking answer). :eek:

Are you looking for pre-War, post-War vintage, junk wax era, shiny modern? Are you looking for a PSA 10, 9, high-grade for the era, rarity, HOF player? I would think 5K would get a very nice card that you could be proud of. Here's a list of post-War ~5K cards that I priced today:

1956 TOPPS 33 ROBERTO CLEMENTE WHITE BACK 8 5,146
1954 BOWMAN 65 MICKEY MANTLE 7 5,110
1953 TOPPS 220 SATCHELL PAIGE 8 5,055
1957 TOPPS 35 FRANK ROBINSON 8 4,993
1949 BOWMAN 226 EDWIN SNIDER 8 4,980
1979 O-PEE-CHEE 18 WAYNE GRETZKY 6 4,888
1961 TOPPS 300 MICKEY MANTLE 8 4,884
1967 TOPPS 581 METS ROOKIES B.DENEHY/T.SEAVER 8 4,766
1956 TOPPS 30 JACKIE ROBINSON WHITE BACK 8 4,719
1948 LEAF 93 BOB FELLER 5.5 4,500

Don't Forget Eye Appeal
 

That was nice of Bob F! Great list.
My two cents would be go for eye appeal and stick with PSA. IMHO graded eye appeal starts with PSA 6 on up, depending on the year and design of the card, of course. Put another way, if you were going to crack out whatever card you had just paid $5000 for, would you be happy with the way it looks and want to show it off raw to family and friends? Enjoy this great hobby. Peace.

I just read another thread where you were considering a 30K Mantle?

If short-term resale value is your primary concern, it's currently PSA and then everyone else. That's not necessarily good nor bad. It's just the current state of the hobby.

If you're looking to hold long-term, the answer becomes a bit more complicated. For example, there are many who would say, "PSA is not ok" due to BODA before/after photos, etc.

Providing a relative stranger with advice on how to spend $5,000 is something I'm not willing to do. So, all I can tell you is how I approach sports card purchases.

Personally, I have cards in PSA, SGC, and Beckett holders and continue to pick up material graded by all three companies. HOWEVER, I don't blindly trust the TPG. I tend to pick up cards I'd also be comfortable buying raw, such as T206 and 50s to 90s mainstream cards. So, the TPG "grade" is just one of many factors.

I've taken some time time learning about the sets I collect, which helps me more than the opinion of some random grader at PSA/SGC/Beckett. Don't get me wrong, I see the value in third party grading, especially when I can't inspect the card in-hand. Ultimately, though, I trust my eyes and experience more than I'd trust a TPG flip.

Hope this helped a little...

In terms of a collection I'd be happy collecting, I would rather spread $5K around on a combination of collector-grade post-war HOF RCs like Clemente, Koufax, Brooks and Frank Robinson, Maris, Rose, Ryan, Reggie, etc rather than get a single "high-grade" single non-RC that I'd be paying a ton for. Can you still get a Good 1951 Bowman Mays RC for $5K? If so, I'd buy that and throw the remainder at the other HOF RCs mentioned in my first sentence. If not, I'd focus on those.
What are you going to do with these cards? Put them in a safe or show your friends and family? Would you rather show them a smattering of all time greats or a single "condition rarity" that was probably bleached and trimmed to get in a holder? When you sell it, would you be complicit in fraud of selling it at the grade a TPG gave it?

These are the kinds of questions you have to ask yourself about where to put your money. I am not my brother's keeper.

If you want a tip on short term investing/flipping I don't have any intelligent advice for you. As a collector, I think you have it backwards. It’s good that you want to acquire quality cards, smart move as they will always hold their value. I'm also assuming you are talking post war because you posted here.
I would suggest that you start exploring what players, sets, cards strike a cord with you personally, do some research on them and then watch the market. For example, the first card I ever paid big money for was a 4.5 54 Wilson Franks Ted Williams, I watched the market for 6 months, learned and waited, when the right one came along I knew it immediately and bought it. It's rare and imo one of the best Williams cards out there so I enjoy having it in my collection no matter what I paid for it. The fact that it's worth more than what I paid for it is icing on the cake. I would have regretted buying a lesser copy.

Prioritize what you really want and what you want your collection to look like. Never buy a card that doesn't excite you just because someone tells you it's a good investment. Make a list, you'll have plenty of opportunities to spend 5k on a great card from that list.

Good luck and happy collecting!

+1

I don't like TPG, but they are a necessary evil if you are going to sell. As another commentator said, I would buy collector grade without TPG if I was going to buy it in order to retain it long term. But, since you seem to want TPG, buy the card and not the holder!

I like what Casey2296 said about buying what you like. Don't buy a $5k card just to have a $5k card. Buy a favorite player, favorite team, etc.

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I never understand threads where people say they have a certain amount of money, what should they buy. Find out what you like and then spend accordingly. Makes zero sense to me to do it the other way around

5,000 $1 cards. They only have to go to 2$, and you've doubled your money.

Isn’t this board supposed to be about the love of the cards and not the profit opportunities that exist. Yeah right I guess only in my own little world.

I get the concept sort of, but in a field where there are just so many choices, and knowing nothing about the person's likes and preferences, how can you possibly advise? I mean if he had said I have 5K to spend on a Mantle card, one could make suggestions. But out of the whole world of baseball cards or even post-war baseball cards?

100%.

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Nice options. From this list... 1) Seaver; 2) Paige; 3) Gretzky