The Next "Big Cards"

[UKCardGuy]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

Does anyone care about Enos Slaughter? Really?

Hey, I like Enos Slaughter. I wouldn't pay 10K for one of his cards...

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by UKCardGuy

Hey, I like Enos Slaughter. I wouldn't pay 10K for one of his cards...

For you, then:

[Neal]

I think there is a lot of non-collectors jumping in as buyers and holders. For vintage, I don't see this as largely a "flip game" as much as an enjoyable, investing opp. I could be wrong.

That said, they aren't looking for Eddies Collins. Who? That is what most would say if asked. A touch of Gehrig and (optional) Cobb, Jackie and Satch, Mantle and Ruth, Hank and Willie sprinkled in with some Ted, 70s HOF Bigs like Schmidt and Brett, and then there is Junior - whose 89 Upper Deck PSA 10 with a gem rate of 5% will hit 8K plus. Maybe 10K. And soon.

[rats60]

Originally Posted by Neal

I think there is a lot of non-collectors jumping in as buyers and holders. For vintage, I don't see this as largely a "flip game" as much as an enjoyable, investing opp. I could be wrong.

That said, they aren't looking for Eddies Collins. Who? That is what most would say if asked. A touch of Gehrig and (optional) Cobb, Jackie and Satch, Mantle and Ruth, Hank and Willie sprinkled in with some Ted, 70s HOF Bigs like Schmidt and Brett, and then there is Junior - whose 89 Upper Deck PSA 10 with a gem rate of 5% will hit 8K plus. Maybe 10K. And soon.

Did you miss what happened with Project 2020 last May/June? Yes there are lots of people jumping in, but how long are they going to stay? What happens when prices start dropping? Are they going to cash out and move on to something else? If you are in before the run up, you will be up. If you are buying near the peak, who knows?

[Neal]

Originally Posted by rats60

Did you miss what happened with Project 2020 last May/June? Yes there are lots of people jumping in, but how long are they going to stay? What happens when prices start dropping? Are they going to cash out and move on to something else? If you are in before the run up, you will be up. If you are buying near the peak, who knows?

I'm speaking of vintage cards. I bought a few Project2020 on release and a few on the after market but nothing big. I think that was a whole different ballgame than Mantle and Griffey cards seeing substantially higher pricing as of late.

[GasHouseGang]

Originally Posted by UKCardGuy

Hey, I like Enos Slaughter. I wouldn't pay 10K for one of his cards...

I just picked up an Enos.

[jchcollins]

I would guess the remaining 50's Mantles that haven't already skyrocketed will start to move, as people start to pass on the '53 Topps and earlier as being too expensive. '56 for sure, and then cards that are great but somewhat underappreciated like 1959 Topps #10.

The '53 Paige already mentioned is another great example. Two years ago or so I had a nicely centered PSA 5 that I bought for around $400 and later sold I think for like $590. Obviously that was not the best decision.

[jchcollins]

I also think the '68 Topps Ryan RC has some room to climb still based on heights it has achieved in the past. With due respect to cards like the '63 Rose or the '67 Seaver, it's still the marquee rookie card of the decade.

[brian1961]

I would imagine it's time for several of the tougher and attractive Mickey Mantle cards to move, the ones for which there might be one high grade available for every 100 to 500 Mantle gum cards of a given year. --- Brian Powell

[Exhibitman]

Best to get on later Mantles now because they are starting to move even in lesser grades. Latest Sterling results: SGC 3 1956 gray back $960. a 1964 PSA 6.5 for $840, PSA 1 $96. 1955 Bowman PSA 2 $330 PSA 3 $420. 1961 Mantle MVP PSA 7 $450. 1963 SGC 70 $450. 1969 yellow letters PSA 5 $276.

A 1953 Topps Paige PSA 3 sold for $720.

Nothing sold in the last ten years looks like a good idea right about now.

One sure sign of the lunacy: my wife yelled at me yesterday for not spending more money on baseball cards twenty years ago. She said "Why don't you have any of these expensive cards? Didn't you have the chance to buy some?" I said "Sure, but with what? I was sole support for a new house and you and a toddler. What was I supposed to do tell you to skip meals for a week or turn off the heat because i wanted to buy a baseball card?"

[DanP]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

One sure sign of the lunacy: my wife yelled at me yesterday for not spending more money on baseball cards twenty years ago. She said "Why don't you have any of these expensive cards? Didn't you have the chance to buy some?" I said "Sure, but with what? I was sole support for a new house and you and a toddler. What was I supposed to do tell you to skip meals for a week or turn off the heat because i wanted to buy a baseball card?"

LOL.... I'm in a little different "situation". I sold my Gehrig RC, Jeter SP PSA 9, 52 Topps Mantle, etc. over 6 years ago. My wife told me then not to sell. Could I possibly admit that she was right? No way!! I sold those cards to pay for our in-ground pool. I figure that pool has cost us over $200k!! I guess I'll have to keep all of this a secret.

[Volod]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

...One sure sign of the lunacy: my wife yelled at me yesterday for not spending more money on baseball cards twenty years ago. She said "Why don't you have any of these expensive cards? Didn't you have the chance to buy some?" I said "Sure, but with what? I was sole support for a new house and you and a toddler. What was I supposed to do tell you to skip meals for a week or turn off the heat because i wanted to buy a baseball card?"

Adam - thanks for reminding me of the hilarious side benefits of married life. I used to stash my collection in a huge lockbox in an unheated garage because my better half once tried to give it away to a relative while I was out of town on business. That little gift would have included all of the Topps and Bowman sets from '51 to '55 in ex-mt or better, along with numerous other sets from the time period. Granted, it was back in the '80's, but it took all of my self control to keep from putting her tchotchke collection out on the lawn for sale while she was at work. I imagine if we were still attached, there would be a lot of pressure now to sell so that we could get into the lucrative rare tchotchke market.