I'm talking about 30% of low book value, in a bulk transaction.
I offer you fair market value for your collection... do you sell?
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I'm talking about 30% of low book value, in a bulk transaction.
Yeah, my dad told me "you don't collect for the money." Which is entirely true.
I hope one of my girls takes to it, even if only a fraction of what I do.
I hope so. She has her moments but for the most part she will help me try to sort stuff, she likes opening boxes the best and looking for Angels for her collection.
Dennis
My daughter would be very upset with me if I did. We have collected for five years now and she would be devastated if sold it. I've been collecting since 1980 (granted with a gap from 1989 through 1999 - my money went to cars and bars duting this time) and have about 100 complete or near-complete sets about 20,000+ singles. Also, I have quite a few cards which I received as gifts from family members over the years that I could never part with.
I would not sell my Gehrig collection. That one is going with me to the end. But, as I get older, with different priorities, it has become clear that I don't have the passion I once had. I am working on closing out some sets but other than that do not see my collection going to much farther. Trading is tough these days and am considering selling a bulk in one big lot as well. Who knows what I will get.
I have tried, sold quite a bit of my football and basketball base/inserts and random #'d/GU/Auto's I would never be able to move even trading. Sold it all to a guy that was interested in buying all of my Shaq collection and keeping it a PC. Well as he started getting interested in all the other stuff I had it became clear he was a dealer in the making so I stopped at the boxes he already was buying and said we could talk about the rest once he payed for the Shaq cards. Wanna say at the time I told him $1000 cash because was closing on my house in less then 2 months and then our wedding was in like 5 months. Told him he could have all my Shaq cards except for 1 non certified autograph. He was quite impressed, "thats a very fair price for all of these" and said he would keep this for his PC but would have to wait until next week to come up with all the cash blah blah blah. He then kept wanting to see what else I had since he would like to buy even more stuff today after I took a pretty low price on the few boxes I sold him under the assumption he was going to buy my Shaq collection. Said I don't really have the time to pull out even more stuff and make sure I got the few things out of all the boxes I'd want to hold onto for myself. Almost 2 weeks later I text him asking when he planned on buying the Shaq collection...oh I can only give you like $300 because thats all I think I will be able to make off of it all in a week or so. Needless to say I still have it all, and deleted his number entirely.
Long story short if someone came to my house and said hey I'll buy your entire card collection and not for the price you could make right away piecing it out on trading sites or ebay within a month I'd bust out everything except for my TTM/IP folders and Tigers autograph folder (mostly TTM/IP but some cert's) Heck I'd even go get all my non HOFer/future and or possibly HOFer autographed pucks if they were into that also. I have pretty much came to a dead end on getting massive amounts of Shaq cards trade wise (everyone seems to want to sell or want mid-high end cards when they have 2 $10-20 inserts that I can buy on ebay for dirt cheap). While I have no problem trading BV for BV I'm also not stupid when I have a card I know I can sell for X and the cards that total up to the same BV can be bought for half of that. Plus I have plenty of other things to spend my spare money on now that I have my "man cave". More intrested in getting nicer autographed memorabilia then cards now. Always wanted the nicer autographed memorabilia then cards but I had no room to display much of it or really the money to buy the stuff.
Long story short if someone came to my house and said hey I'll buy your entire card collection and not for the price you could make right away piecing it out on trading sites or ebay within a month I'd bust out everything except for my TTM/IP folders and Tigers autograph folder (mostly TTM/IP but some cert's) Heck I'd even go get all my non HOFer/future and or possibly HOFer autographed pucks if they were into that also. I have pretty much came to a dead end on getting massive amounts of Shaq cards trade wise (everyone seems to want to sell or want mid-high end cards when they have 2 $10-20 inserts that I can buy on ebay for dirt cheap). While I have no problem trading BV for BV I'm also not stupid when I have a card I know I can sell for X and the cards that total up to the same BV can be bought for half of that. Plus I have plenty of other things to spend my spare money on now that I have my "man cave". More intrested in getting nicer autographed memorabilia then cards now. Always wanted the nicer autographed memorabilia then cards but I had no room to display much of it or really the money to buy the stuff.
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I would sell it if I got a fair market value for my collection. Best regards, David
True enough, but you also don't collect to throw away money. Almost anyone who collects anything has an eye on the cost vs value aspect. It's why when things start getting designed to be collectibles, they rarely are. It's also why people get disillusioned. ANY time a hobby becomes mainstream, it's followed by the 'bust' period. Things you collect because you enjoy suddenly have more than sentimental value, and that new found value attracts others to the hobby, the more mainstream it gets, the more money gets involved, and that leads to disappointment from all parties. The 'collectors' resent the newfound costs/price increases/ added competition associated with that hobby, and the people who got in because of those price increases expect it to keep increasing. Inevitably, the bust looms, and when it hits, those who were drawn in by the $ are burned and get out, and the ones who were collecting 'for the love of collecting' tend to resent the added attention and resulting explosion of items to add to their collections.
To answer the original question, add me to the 'yes' camp. If I could get some semblance of fair market value, take it all. I'd miss it and I'm sure seller's remorse would hit hard, but the fact is, there is no real rhyme or reason to what I have, so no theme means a bit of everything. I met a buddy of mine at a local show yesterday. Twenty table show in a mall, I think only 12-15 tables actually sold. here's what I ended up with:
1984 Fleer Update #U-70 Mark Langston $5.00
1989 Topps Glossy All Star insert Ryne Sandberg #14 of 22 $0.50
(the one from the 1989 Rack Packs, not the mail in set)
1990 Fleer #621 George Brett Players of the Decade Error (10 .390 hitting seasons) $2.00
1999 UD Retro Inkredible #SC Sean Casey autograph $15.00
2003 Donruss Season Stat Line #302 Eric Karros /73 $4.00
2006 Topps Turkey Red Red Border # TRA DJ Dan Johnson autograph /475 $10.00
2006 Upper Deck Clear Path to Greatness #108 Josh Willingham autograph $8.00
Prices listed are BV, I paid $7.50 total and likely could have gotten it cheaper, I paid the asking prices, no negotiation. That's about 17% high BV, or around 35% low BV. If I'm buying from dealers at 30-35% of low book, them buying from me as a bulk lot would likely be closer to the 10-15% of low book someone else mentioned. That hurts just thinking about it. Picture a card with a $100 high BV, low book is often around $60, so you'd be talking $6-9 for that card. Ouch.
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No I have added a bunch of cards 54,000+ in my becket organizer not including another 30,000+ I still need to add even at that the average card is 4.89 cents per card ( not including the NA price. plus its been 24 years of my life of collecting.
Now when I am in my 70s I might sell so my family wont have this huge collection to mess with but that's another 30+ years so will have to ask again later
Now when I am in my 70s I might sell so my family wont have this huge collection to mess with but that's another 30+ years so will have to ask again later
To really answer that question, there would actually have to be money on the table. Hypothetically, i could say or think anything. I have a number of valuable sub-collections, some of which would sell strongly now and some that might take some work, but in the end I have a great deal of value in my collection and what I collected early on I consider to be quality stuff that will sell better in the end. jThe wax and singles that i bought in the 90s would just be chalked up to getting sucked into a movement that didn't pay off, but those 90s singles are picking up a little ground, but are a far cry from the glory days when it comes to value.
Just taking a simple Steve Garvey certified autograph for example, I'd say the average one sells for at least $5 every time. I counted them out in my collection a couple years back (including low print runs, 1/1s, etc) and I had close to 900 at the time. Obviously I could get more than $5 for a card #'d to 5 or a 1/1, but for argument sake, let's say i sold the lot at $5 each and someone bought them all at that rate. I also need to assume i have probably added another 100 or so since i last counted. That is $5000 is just Garvey certified autographs.
So, to think someone would buy everything I have at average ebay prices at one shot is a pretty crazy idea. if someone did, the answer would be a definite YES. I'd win in many cases, where i found incredible deals at shops, shows and on ebay and i'd lose in many cases where i paid "fair market value" at the time and the market has since softened. Overall though, it would be a sweet pile of money and too much to pass up at one time.
Just taking a simple Steve Garvey certified autograph for example, I'd say the average one sells for at least $5 every time. I counted them out in my collection a couple years back (including low print runs, 1/1s, etc) and I had close to 900 at the time. Obviously I could get more than $5 for a card #'d to 5 or a 1/1, but for argument sake, let's say i sold the lot at $5 each and someone bought them all at that rate. I also need to assume i have probably added another 100 or so since i last counted. That is $5000 is just Garvey certified autographs.
So, to think someone would buy everything I have at average ebay prices at one shot is a pretty crazy idea. if someone did, the answer would be a definite YES. I'd win in many cases, where i found incredible deals at shops, shows and on ebay and i'd lose in many cases where i paid "fair market value" at the time and the market has since softened. Overall though, it would be a sweet pile of money and too much to pass up at one time.
To answer the OP's main question, you have see what your TRUE intention of your "PC" is. If you honestly enjoy what you collect AND are financially secured, then it's a simple "NO". If you ever elvaluate/re-evaluate your interest level in your PC OR money is tight or in need, then I would imagine the answer would easily be "Yes".
In addition, although I agree one should collect for fun and not for money. At some point, your fun will end when there is no money left or becomes an issue; therefore, you have to have the hobby work for you, so that money doesn't ever become an issue and that you can continue to collect for fun.
In addition, although I agree one should collect for fun and not for money. At some point, your fun will end when there is no money left or becomes an issue; therefore, you have to have the hobby work for you, so that money doesn't ever become an issue and that you can continue to collect for fun.
On some stuff yes. I have some items I'd just want to keep.
@jaderock...
Although I'm not in it for the return and don't NEED the money right now, at some point it makes sense to try to recoup some of what you spent, if not for yourself, for your family. That is not being in it for the money, but simply being fiscally responsible with something of value. In my case, if someone were offering a tidy sum for me to make it that easy, I'd cash out for sure. That doesn't mean I don't enjoy it anymore, but the urge to make it that simple would be too great for the right money. The alternative is to leave it to family when you die for them to sell (difficult for them), sell it off piece by piece before you go (difficult for you) or don't worry about any monetary value and sell it lump sum or give it away (easy, but foolish).
Of course that answer will probably differ greatly depending on a collectors age. Someone in their early 20s is not thinking about the end and their thought is on the building of the collection and not the dismantling of the collection. Someone in their 50s or later (maybe even their 40s, like I am starting to do) is probably thinking about it at some point, maybe frequently.
Most of us have probably spent a decent chunk of money on our collections and there is decent value to some percentage of each of our collections, even if it is a small percentage. To simply neglect that value when the time is right is foolish, as I noted before.
Although I'm not in it for the return and don't NEED the money right now, at some point it makes sense to try to recoup some of what you spent, if not for yourself, for your family. That is not being in it for the money, but simply being fiscally responsible with something of value. In my case, if someone were offering a tidy sum for me to make it that easy, I'd cash out for sure. That doesn't mean I don't enjoy it anymore, but the urge to make it that simple would be too great for the right money. The alternative is to leave it to family when you die for them to sell (difficult for them), sell it off piece by piece before you go (difficult for you) or don't worry about any monetary value and sell it lump sum or give it away (easy, but foolish).
Of course that answer will probably differ greatly depending on a collectors age. Someone in their early 20s is not thinking about the end and their thought is on the building of the collection and not the dismantling of the collection. Someone in their 50s or later (maybe even their 40s, like I am starting to do) is probably thinking about it at some point, maybe frequently.
Most of us have probably spent a decent chunk of money on our collections and there is decent value to some percentage of each of our collections, even if it is a small percentage. To simply neglect that value when the time is right is foolish, as I noted before.
I would sell my collection in a heart beat if offered enough money for it. I am currently starting to sell off my collection on EBAY. Im going to keep a couple of my PCs but most of my collection Im going to start selling off. Part of the reason is that I dont have the passion for it like I use to. As I get older, i often wonder, why do I spend money on this stuff? im never going to get 100% of what i spent on it and if i sell it on ebay, ill have to pay taxes on what I sell, so why bother buying more? another reason as mentioned above by other members, its better to sell now while i know what cards are worth rathe rif something happened to me, im not sure if whoever inherits my collection will first know what to do with all the cards and second if they will know the difference between a 1955 topps koufax rc or a 2013 bobby smith card! or know the difference between a $200 card or a 50 cent card! to them they just see boxes of cards without knowing what is worth something and what is not. so i figure if i sell of 90% of my collection now (and hope to recoup some of my money back) then i can probably use the money now to pay off a bill or two!
I agree. Leaving it for family who most likely have no idea of the rarity or value of any of it is more of a burden to them than anything. The toughest part is in your first sentence "...if offered enough money for it" Most of us have very unreal expectations for what our collections are worth. Between buying high, sentimental value, and stuff that is just plain hard to get an accurate value for (TTM autographs come to mind), and the amount of time and effort it would take for a buyer to turn over the bulk of most collections,, it makes coming to dealing with all the low and no demand stuff to get the stuff that WILL sell, agreeing on prices is always the sticking point
very true. i feel that if i sold my cards now, i at least will have some clue to what to expect for my cards. i can see if my family sold my cards, not knowing the value or prices, then maybe someone will take advantage of them and say things like, "well, these cards arent worth much" ill give you $20 for this complete set of 1953 topps! or, this babe ruth autographed baseball isnt authenticated so i can give you $100 for it! or all these ip/ttm cards you have like mays, mantle, koufax, musial , aaron, arent authenticated, so how do i know they are real. ill give you $50 for all of them! (I dont own any of the above, just using them as examples) or one more example (you get the point!) "ill give you $20 for this box of old vintage cards! so that is my worry as i can totally see some **** bag taking advantage of people they know dont know much about baseball cards.
I don't even worry about that end of it much. While I know there are always some who would take advantage, I think most of the dealers around are decent. I think just as much of the problem is sellers not being realistic. I see it at shows all the time, people come in with collections and numbers in their head they see on ebay, or beckett, or COMC, etc. They expect to get close to that figure by selling to a dealer. Once you explain the dealer has to figure in what he is likely to get (ebay prices at best) the time and cost it takes to list them, the condition issues that vintage cards are subject to, that all affect the prices he can hope to get, the resulting offer is often a lot lower than they are thinking. Some get offended at being cheated or lowballed, when it's just as much unrealistic expectations. Most retailers I know work on at least a 50% markup. That means that $100 BV card they are selling for $30 on ebay they should be getting in the $10-15 range. You see a LOT of people getting upset at those kind of offers. As you pointed out with the TTM autographs, the dealer is taking your families word because YOU were sure they are real, now we take that another step and the dealer has to convince a buyer they are real based on what your family told him about how you got them. Some of them you picked up online, some you got TTM, some IP. Most aren't worth authenticating, even at the basic $5 JSA quick sticker, how much are you going to sell a Junior Ortiz or Tim Foli autograph for? I figure any TTM is worth $1 or so, simply based on the two .46 stamps it takes to get it to the player and back to you, but at the same point, there are a whole lot of players I'd pass on at $2 each, even if they were authenticated. If a dealer has to sell them for $1 or $1.50, you're talking about him paying .50 each to buy them. Most people want to get retail prices, or close to it, by selling to someone who gets retail prices, and that doesn't work so well.
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That is exactly how i feel about scrub autographs. Unless you can get them in person, at a minimum, you'll be spending nearly a buck (or more depending on envelope and card costs) for any signed card you obtain TTM.
If I can get a buck for unwanted signed cards, I feel it is a fair price to a buyer and I am happy with that, although I have been known to offer at less than a buck, sometimes down to the 50 cent ranges as well to try to get some bulk movement. However, I often find myself balking at 99 cent autos as well, thinking i just don't want that particular card at that bare minimum pricing. You can get them cheaper in bulk or if you are lucky, but most sellers start their signed cards out at a buck or more.
If I can get a buck for unwanted signed cards, I feel it is a fair price to a buyer and I am happy with that, although I have been known to offer at less than a buck, sometimes down to the 50 cent ranges as well to try to get some bulk movement. However, I often find myself balking at 99 cent autos as well, thinking i just don't want that particular card at that bare minimum pricing. You can get them cheaper in bulk or if you are lucky, but most sellers start their signed cards out at a buck or more.
I never really had a high end collection. I came up through the 80's and 90's junk wax era and my collection is mostly that, with a few rookie cards, inserts, etc. that have some book value. About three years ago, I was going through my closet and found that I had about 10-12 750 count boxes of cards of baseball, basketball and football from that era. I emptied about 6 binders worth of cards as well to bring the count to about 15 boxes.
I kept about six boxes of different partial sets, mostly Topps, and then put the rest that contained Donruss, Fleer, Upper Deck, Score, etc. from that era on Craigslist for $5 per box (which is less than $.01 per card). I had a few inquiries, and then a math teacher offered to buy all of them from me for $75. I immediately jumped on that offer and cleaned out a good portion of my collection and opened up some shelving for other items.
I've maybe picked up about 700 cards for IP / TTM purposes in the meantime since I made that sale, but I am happy with it and feel I got fair market value. I know many who just get the cost of shipping for large amounts of commons.
I have a similar issue with my 12" records. I DJ'ed for the past 15+ years, and once Serato hit and DJ's didn't need to bring their crates out with them, a majority of DJ's across the country emptied their collections. I was late to getting Serato, so I held onto my records longer than others and the value of the records have dropped immensely to the point where I can't even get $1 for a lot of them. I would definitely take a bulk offer on about 80% of my collection if I could keep about 6 crates. I've sold bulk a few times for about $2 per record, but I have a few crates where I would take $1 per. I guess many DJ's / vinyl enthusiasts have a similar problem. It would help to declutter things.
I kept about six boxes of different partial sets, mostly Topps, and then put the rest that contained Donruss, Fleer, Upper Deck, Score, etc. from that era on Craigslist for $5 per box (which is less than $.01 per card). I had a few inquiries, and then a math teacher offered to buy all of them from me for $75. I immediately jumped on that offer and cleaned out a good portion of my collection and opened up some shelving for other items.
I've maybe picked up about 700 cards for IP / TTM purposes in the meantime since I made that sale, but I am happy with it and feel I got fair market value. I know many who just get the cost of shipping for large amounts of commons.
I have a similar issue with my 12" records. I DJ'ed for the past 15+ years, and once Serato hit and DJ's didn't need to bring their crates out with them, a majority of DJ's across the country emptied their collections. I was late to getting Serato, so I held onto my records longer than others and the value of the records have dropped immensely to the point where I can't even get $1 for a lot of them. I would definitely take a bulk offer on about 80% of my collection if I could keep about 6 crates. I've sold bulk a few times for about $2 per record, but I have a few crates where I would take $1 per. I guess many DJ's / vinyl enthusiasts have a similar problem. It would help to declutter things.
