Cold Feet

[gfel2795]

I am a lifelong collector, 42 years young, and I'm forever unable to sell high end cards, graded cards, etc. The story is always the same: trade/buy a high end card with the intent of selling it at a later time, and then it becomes part of the PC because I cannot part with it during the appropriate time to sell.

I subbed some of my best cards to PSA back before the price hike at the end of February '21 with the idea that I would sell them off and buy raw ones since I was never a fan of graded cards.

Fast forward to now, and once again I am sitting on them. I'm not sure what the attachment is...at the end of the day they are just boxes full of cardboard. If I would have sold when I got them back in June I would have gotten much more for the submission that came back. Now, it seems like they will sit for awhile longer.

Does anyone else struggle with this? I love my cards and love collecting, but I could certainly enjoy myself on the $ if I were to sell. I always try and draw from other streams of income and not touch the sports cards.

I'm not sure where this will take me in the future, and I'm also not sure where the hobby is going. It seems like it exploded after Covid and is now correcting.

As always, I appreciate your guys' input here...how do you guys handle this?

[RGM81]

I think we all go through ebbs and flows in terms of how we feel about the hobby, collecting, and what could be done if we were to finally part with all the cardboard that sits in boxes. A couple times over the years I've dealt stuff away and used it to fund a vacation, do some charitable fundraising, etc. For the most part there's no regret--it "would be nice" if I still had such and such card(s) but the memories created with the proceeds certainly help ease that sentiment.

[doniceage]

Sell the stuff and do not look back. I like yourself have a ton of stuff but I have no attachment. My main problem is the time to truly try to sell it. I sold a few things when the market went up and made a nice profit but sold way to early on some stuff that went up another 2 or 3 times what I sold for. Of course I made a profit and that is all that matters to me. So, many folks try to get the top dollar and imo many of them are still sitting on the card later when it no longer hot, desired, etc.

Hey, in the end it your cards and you need to do what works for you.

DON

[mooneyes]

I find buying much easier than selling.(fun vs not really fun)
Click some buttons...and open some mail! Instant gratification!
Selling...isn't like that.

If you really love hockey, and hockey cards, like I do, than I'm not sure it's a good way to invest. I've got a few big Ovy's with that in mind but now the idea of not keeping them isn't too appealing to me. Maybe if the price goes really nuts...but than again everyone will be doing the same thing. How many of his YG's will hit eBay the day, if he breaks the record, will there be?
I guess one really has to focus and prioritize what cards they really want long term vs not, and keep it fun, because who knows what tomorrow will bring.

[Cunnuc]

As doniceage says... "sell the stuff and don't look back"

Okay, so I am basically a hoarder. But I like to think that everything I hoard is very liquid. I was forced to sell my stuff to float my business many years ago but I amassed quite the Red Wings collection. It's almost all gone (95% so let's say it's all gone).

So two things I take from that;

1. I was forced to sell. I auctioned everything. I never looked back to crunch numbers. On some I lost, on some I gained. It's okay, I know I have gained many times.

2. It is SO much fun collecting! Yes I feel bad (terrible, even) about the difficult sets I almost had complete but at the same time I like the hunt, I like the acquisition and I like the gamble of busting wax.

If I have to sell... I have to sell. It's one of my many liquid things but... I am VERY fond of the Red Wings logo :D

[scarrman]

Some good comments. I just started selling this year, up until then i was/am certainly a hoarder. Every card I buy I keep, haven't sold a card until this year. I have wanted to start selling cards for years, just felt like too much work. Once I started it was awesome, made some money back and paying down some debt. Some card values are still up, but I think i missed the COVID boat. But I have had success selling higher end cards, seems those still hold value vs lower value or speculative rookie type cards..

I haven't looked back, they are just cardboard, knowing I had some really cool cards is enough for me. But I am still hanging on to a lot of cards, certain players and low print runs. Maybe when retirement hits I'll move some, but for now I am making decent money on what I thought were lower value cards!

[sports4-ever]

I'm sure every collector has a bit of that "Hang on to it " mentality . We all have a fear that the minute we part with something it will sky rocket in price. Kinda like how I feel about disposing of material and chunks of lumber in my work shop . I am convinced that the minute I throw away that plumbing coupling or that 12" piece of Black Walnut , I will need it to enhance a project .(LOL)