SGC no longer grading t206s?

[Leon]

Originally Posted by G1911

I agree, personally I enjoy research and positive collectors helping each other, and don’t like the money side. It makes for a healthier, fun time when it’s done this way. It’s tough to find across generations I think, most collectors just want to talk about $$$. I like money because I don’t want to be homeless, I like cards because they take me back to my youth.

I am an optimist and think you can collect and have a lot of fun AND still care about the monetary aspect. Even wealthy people (not me) think about the the money. The problem is a lot of people ONLY look at the money.

I have a lot of SGC cards as they came that way but I doubt I will ever submit to them again.
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[G1911]

Originally Posted by Leon

I am an optimist and think you can collect and have a lot of fun AND still care about the monetary aspect. Even wealthy people (not me) think about the the money. The problem is a lot of people ONLY look at the money.

Certainly can, I don’t mean to insinuate others cannot combine the too. It’s a personal thing, I don’t like that aspect and am not too confident there always going to be a large pool of collectors to sell too. Cards are my break from business, my hobby that serves as an escape from the calculating. If it stopped being that, I don’t think I’d enjoy it so much. But that’s an entirely personal and subjective thing

[Eric72]

Originally Posted by Leon

...The problem is a lot of people ONLY look at the money...

+1

[Rhotchkiss]

Originally Posted by Eric72

..The problem is a lot of people ONLY look at the money...

+1

I think this is much less true with vintage, especially prewar. Very few people are buying 100+ year old cards purely for profit, just like I dont think anyone buys a Monet or Picasso solely for profit. They may be investing in the art, but I bet every Monet-owner proudly displays their painting and looks at it often with pride and awe. Once you get to the cards we discuss here, you likely have an appreciation for them, their scarcity and history, their relevance, etc. I think those people who progress from modern to vintage are investors who learn to really appreciate what they are investing in, and thus, take on attributes of a collector. And I do think people (perhaps many), of all ages, will walk backwards down the number line from modern to vintage; this is exactly what happened to me 30+ years ago

[Mark17]

Originally Posted by Rhotchkiss

I think this is much less true with vintage, especially prewar. Very few people are buying 100+ year old cards purely for profit, just like I dont think anyone buys a Monet or Picasso solely for profit. They may be investing in the art, but I bet every Monet-owner proudly displays their painting and looks at it often with pride and awe. Once you get to the cards we discuss here, you likely have an appreciation for them, their scarcity and history, their relevance, etc. I think those people who progress from modern to vintage are investors who learn to really appreciate what they are investing in, and thus, take on attributes of a collector. And I do think people (perhaps many), of all ages, will walk backwards down the number line from modern to vintage; this is exactly what happened to me 30+ years ago

I would put vintage baseball cards into the same general group with vintage art, coins, stamps, toys, comic books, and antiques in general. If these other collectibles continue to experience heavy interest, and appreciation (which is a positive gauge of interest) then the future of vintage baseball cards will be fine.

Nobody collects 1878 Carson City silver dollars for the sake of nostalgia, and same for tobacco cards. Nobody alive today saw Rube Waddell pitch.

[obcbobd]

Originally Posted by Mark17

I would put vintage baseball cards into the same general group with vintage art, coins, stamps, toys, comic books, and antiques in general. If these other collectibles continue to experience heavy interest, and appreciation (which is a positive gauge of interest) then the future of vintage baseball cards will be fine.

Nobody collects 1878 Carson City silver dollars for the sake of nostalgia, and same for tobacco cards. Nobody alive today saw Rube Waddell pitch.

Is the market for stamps strong? I found a book full of stamps from around the world, 1940 or so. Put it on eBay for $25. No interest.

[jchcollins]

Originally Posted by obcbobd

Is the market for stamps strong? I found a book full of stamps from around the world, 1940 or so. Put it on eBay for $25. No interest.

I would imagine even if old, they have to be the right stamps. I know nothing about stamps. But like that, it's hard to explain to people who know nothing about baseball cards that even if certain junk wax cards are "old", that alone doesn't make them worth something.

[Republicaninmass]

Originally Posted by jchcollins

I would imagine even if old, they have to be the right stamps. I know nothing about stamps. But like that, it's hard to explain to people who know nothing about baseball cards that even if certain junk wax cards are "old", that alone doesn't make them worth something.

I think Steve B is a better authority on stamps. I believe the common stamps and foreign have little interest. However the inverted Jenny's, rare variations and United states issues do hold value. At least the paper its printed on! Aka the currency

[Lobo Aullando]

The top end is somewhat stable, yet I think overall it's in long-term decline. And while there are so many century-old stamps available on the market, coin dealers are having trouble keeping inventories up. (Just try finding decent condition Barbers for a reasonable price.)

I do have this theory that all the psychic energy that's so OCD about centering has migrated from stamps to sports cards. Being off 0.1 mm shouldn't matter, but it seems like those of us that feel that way are getting out-voted.

Originally Posted by obcbobd

Is the market for stamps strong? I found a book full of stamps from around the world, 1940 or so. Put it on eBay for $25. No interest.

[steve B]

Originally Posted by obcbobd

Is the market for stamps strong? I found a book full of stamps from around the world, 1940 or so. Put it on eBay for $25. No interest.

It's strong but polarized.

The good stuff is doing really well, although it depends on what it is.

The vast majority of stamps made between 1930 ish and now are very common, possibly because it was such a popular hobby during the depression.

There are exceptions both ways, some areas like most of South America are not popular, and were very common beginning in the 1890's and sometimes before.
The salespeople for the banknote companies they hired to print their stamps often had the country buy 50,000, and bought another 50,000 for themselves.