Most Upside in Next 5 Years

[Snapolit1]

Cards. There is a defined market for most cards, prices are reported, population reports exist, and enough demand to keep prices up. Other than stubs, the rest of this doesn't have an easily defined population. Keeps prices down.

(Many stubs I am sure are not graded.)

I watched a piece of memorabilia just sell for 15K a few days ago. In 2023 sold for 35K. Happens more often than you'd think.

Many people buy cards as an investment. I'd guess that 95%+ of people who drop $25,000 on a piece of memorabilia really want if and aren't "investors" or even interested in a resale.

[samosa4u]

I agree with the comments on here. Cards will always be king. But the younger crowd really likes them signed. So for example, buying a signed Koosman/Ryan rookie might be better than buying an unsigned one.

And I choose TYPE 1 photos over tickets. Tickets can't match their asthetic appeal.

[Snapolit1]

Lots of aesthetic appeal indeed.

Originally Posted by samosa4u

I agree with the comments on here. Cards will always be king. But the younger crowd really likes them signed. So for example, buying a signed Koosman/Ryan rookie might be better than buying an unsigned one.

And I choose TYPE 1 photos over tickets. Tickets can't match their asthetic appeal.

[oldjudge]

I like autographed cards from an investment perspective, but vintage autographs not modern. An old card with a fountain pen or ball point pen autograph is wonderful, but an early Mantle card with a sharpie autograph is in my mind a joke. It should be worth no more than the autograph and the card individually, and probably less.

[MVSNYC]

Hi Jay (hope you're well!), I think you mean something like this?

I get your point, but I like it, nonetheless.

[oldjudge]

Originally Posted by MVSNYC

Hi Jay (hope you're well!), I think you mean something like this?

I get your point, but I like it, nonetheless.

Hi Mike! Don’t mean to piss in the punch bowl. I think it is neat to have a card that Mantle signed, but if it was a late sharpie autograph I think this is no more or less neat than any other Mantle signed item from the same period. Now a card with a period autograph is a great item, especially because Mantle was not always a willing signer during his playing days.

[Rhotchkiss]

I was at the Philly show yesterday, the place was alive. Very crowded and tons of vintage. This has established itself as the best show short of the national.

Anyway, there was one table that was nothing but soccer, cards and tickets. I walked by the table twice and both times there was nobody at or near the table. One would think that soccer could have legs given its global and recent local popularity, but if this table is a canary in a coal mine, soccer has a ways to go.

I saw several table with graded unopened packs. This is likely an underrated asset. There were several tables with tickets, one table was only tickets, but almost all tickets at the show were football or soccer; aside from the biggies (like Jim brown debut and immaculate reception, Pele debut etc), it seems like these sports have a ways to go before they hang with baseball (or basketball).

There was definitely pokeman, but really not that much. And a few tables with autos, memorabilia, pennants, and entertainment items, and all of these tables seemed to have traffic. Cards composed 80%+ of the tables and I would say 50%+ of those were vintage or had vintage cards.

Using only this show as a measuring stick, it seems like almost all areas of sports “stuff” is desired and popular (expect maybe soccer).

I also got to see a great app that Marc Mandel is developing that, among other things, helps you track auctions for cards you are interested in. I think this could be a great thing - at least I sure could use it- with so many auctions, including eBay, I find it very hard to follow and track who has what that interests me. I mention this because the popularity of the hobby has not only allowed an expansion of interests - from cards into photos, tickets, game used, etc. - but there is a tremendous amount of investment in products (especially technology) related/adjacent to collecting actual stuff.

[puckpaul]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

Cards. There is a defined market for most cards, prices are reported, population reports exist, and enough demand to keep prices up. Other than stubs, the rest of this doesn't have an easily defined population. Keeps prices down.

(Many stubs I am sure are not graded.)

I watched a piece of memorabilia just sell for 15K a few days ago. In 2023 sold for 35K. Happens more often than you'd think.

Many people buy cards as an investment. I'd guess that 95%+ of people who drop $25,000 on a piece of memorabilia really want if and aren't "investors" or even interested in a resale.

Memorabilia can be tricky. Anything that is cool and maybe unique can vary a lot, and often trades so infrequently as to have no established market (off which someone might bid it up because it’s “obviously cheap”).

Photos i have bought and sold have done randomly.

I have had items like Virgil Trucks’s 1945 Tigers championship silver bowl, which i bought at probably a very full price at the National years ago because I was friends with Derek back then (his great nephew and world class guitarist) and thought it was cool and i might never see it again…i auctioned it last year and got 15% of what i paid. It was probably too cheap there but i was moving and wanted to cut down on some bulky items.

Then i also reauctioned a hockey banner of Johnny Bower and got 7x what i paid. Two guys fought over it in the bidding.

With memorabilia, you better love what you buy! I rarely buy memorabilia because i think it’s cheap. Might try that with cards, though.

I do think rarity and significance makes a lot of memorabilia cheaper than i think it should be, especially older gameworn jerseys (hockey and baseball).

[Snapolit1]

Derek Trucks is related to Virgil Trucks!!!! Hot Damm. Can't believe I've not heard that before! Awesome piece of info.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldpbTip2riE

[puckpaul]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

Derek Trucks is related to Virgil Trucks!!!! Hot Damm. Can't believe I've not heard that before! Awesome piece of info.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldpbTip2riE

How many people have this dual-signed ball? :-)