Need some advice before purchases

[camsue]

I have not collected hockey in at least 15 years. The question I have is I am looking to purchase a few high end cards in the near future for my nephews 7 and 3 and setting them back until they are at least 18. The question I have is and need some advice I know Gretzky rookie unless graded stay away from which I am hoping to obtain graded should that be the same for the following also Crosby, Lemieux,Hull,Roy, Jagr, Hasek, Howe, any help would be greatly appreciated thank you in advance

[Rraincock]

TO me the main purpose of grading is really to authenticate first and then to express condition second. A really good Gretzky rookie (6, 7 or 8) can't really be beat... unless you are willing to shell out mega bucks for a 9 or better... but I wouldn't really care about a modern rookie grading unless it was a 9.5 or a 10. In some rare cases (the Cup), a 9.0 is acceptable. Anything less than a 9.0 for modern issues will detract from the value (or be cracked open).

If you are looking to put something away to appreciate value, take $1000 cash and put it on bonds.

If you are looking for something that you can share card culture with them, take some of your cards from when you were a kid (ie a Patrick Roy rookie) and put it away beside a higher end rookie of a player that is from the current time for your kid (or their favorite). If they get into cards (unlikely these days) then show them your cards and one you put away for them.

If you are looking to just put something away for fun, put a box of Upper Deck series 1 away.... and maybe a few other mid to low boxes.

If you are dead-set on a graded rookie, I would almost insist on graded for anything from 1989 and back (for resale value) or just go to a local card shop and have them show you how to tell the difference.


Good luck with your project!

[theboxbreaker96]

As said above your going to lose money most likely. Its not going to be worth what you paid for it in 15 years probably. So if your hoping for it to increase in value this isn't the right way to go.

If I were you I would go with something like a Gordie Howe or Wayne Gretzky or Bobby Orr Or a Lemieux Autograph. A Gretz RC is also a good choice.

[jcharles66]

I am by no means an expert, so this is just my opinion. In fact I'm a beginning card collector. But if you're buying for more than financial reasons (otherwise you might buy mutual funds) then someone like Gordie Howe could be a great idea for your nephews in that it also gives you an opportunity to talk about his legacy as a man, father, husband, friend, and mentor. Just a thought.

[creasecollector]

Another question you need to ask yourself is will they appreciate these cards when they get older? It's one thing when we're talking about cheap cards, but you could be spending a pretty penny when you wonder into graded Gretzky RC's or Graded Howe's. Just sure they'll keep good care of them, or you may as well just buy the cards you like for yourself.

Best of luck!

[Sharky94]

As others have said, as an investment tool, it's a bad place to put money. But if that is your primary purpose, definitely go with PSA-graded cards of older players. Don't touch anyone still playing, and I also would avoid anyone who played in the recent past. The most "modern" player I would touch would be Gretzky, or maybe Lemiuex. You never know how a player's legacy will affect his card value. Guys from Howes/Beliveau's time are pretty much set in how people think of them. Guys that are still playing or still involved in the game can always make mistakes. Their career can go south after an injury, they can cheat on their taxes, they can hit a girlfriend, they can say something that is socially unacceptable, and people will turn on them. And when that happens, the value of their cards plummet. (I bet people who had Bill Cosby autos thought they had a "safe investment" until recently). Doesn't matter what they did during their careers -- if there is no demand for their cards, the prices drop. Also, stay away from guys like Jagr/Hasek/etc. Nobody likes "foreigners" and their cards will never reach top prices. If he aint Canadian (or maybe a rare American), he isn't going to be worth top value, regardless. I am sorry people feel that way, but it's a fact of life, and I thank my lucky stars every day that Tomas Hertl isn't Canadian, so I can afford to collect him.

Also, a reason to stay away from modern players is that there is just too much stuff out there for anyone to know what will be popular two decades from now. If you go for a Crosby rookie, everyone will say his Cup RPA is "always" going to be the most valuable. But you just don't know that. You don't know what the buyers will like most in 20 years. For older players, there was really only one or two options, and you can safely say that in most cases, the OPC rookie is the most desirable.

Stick to graded rookie cards. Stay away from autos or jerseys because you really don't know what the market will be on those in 15-20 years. Who knows what can happen? Perhaps in 10 years a disgruntled UD employee comes out and says that half the stuff released was fake/altered/whatever, and the market for memorabilia cards collapses? Perhaps they just fall out of favor? You never know. But graded rookies will never go out of style.

Are your nephews even hockey fans? If not, they probably wont appreciate the thought you put into this in 15 years. Maybe a gold coin would be better. (The Canadian Mint produced gold coins for the Vancouver Olympics.) But if they are hockey fans and you can build some hockey memories with them while they are young, then maybe a gift when they graduate college or get married would be greatly appreciated.

If you are not too concerned on what it will be "worth" in 20 years, then I would buy the nicest card you can afford of the kid's favorite player. He'll always remember his favorite player, and a nice card of that guy will always mean a lot, regardless of what it is worth. If the 3-yr old doesn't have a favorite player yet, they I would wait until he gets one. Perhaps a way to build one of those moments the kids will remember is ask the 7 yr old who his favorite player is, and then say you want to invest in a card of that player. Take him along with you to a show/store, and have him help you find the perfect card for "your" collection. Over the years you could talk with him about it, follow the player's career, and periodically look up the value of "your" investment. Then on the big day (graduation/wedding/etc.), tell him you have been waiting 15 years to give him "your" card and now it is his. He will remember all the memories of that card and how he had a part in it, and now you are giving him a prized piece of your collection. If the kid has any character at all, then that will mean an awful lot to him.

Good Luck!

[camsue]

Thank you all for the great advice some great things to ponder over for sure