What is your definition of vintage? I am going to assume before 1980 for my answer. I would buy the following: 1) 1971 Terry Bradshaw rookie - $850 2) 1972 Roger Staubach rookie - $100 3) 1969 Bart Star - $50 Yep, I am a football collector. My top collected football collections are the players above plus Barry Sanders, Payton Manning, Walter Payton and the Steelers from the 1970’s. Thanks for your videos!!!
Anytime is a good time to sell. I've been buying more "thinking" prices may be coming down🤣. I don't really see it. Next year will see a slight difference in buying strategies for me. Stay tuned.
Hi Graig. Well said in your opening dialog. Your channel is not only about showing cards specifically, even though we get to see some real beauties, I believe it is mainly about using your brain to think. You also include a lot of thoughts and opinions from your viewers, that add to our hobby. Talk soon my friend.
For the vintage starter collection here is what you should buy for $1,000: 1960 Topps Mickey Mantle. 1956 Topps Jackie Robinson. 1957 Topps Hank Aaaron. All 3 of these guys seem to hold their value and almost never go down. Buy them raw or low grade with good centering & eye appeal.
If I had $1000 to start a vintage sports card collection, and could only start with three cards, I would start with a 56 Jackie Robinson, a 53 Yogi Berra and 55 or 56 Ted Williams. (3 iconic players and two are also war heroes) Before watching this video, I was on eBay and picked up one of my goal cards for this year. Got a sweet looking 61 Carl Yastrzemski in an SGC 4. The card is under-graded and looks a lot better than a 4, and it really pops in that tuxedo holder. The card was listed at $86, and I had it on my watchlist. Then I got an offer from the seller for me to buy it at $80. There are 3s listed on eBay for more than that, so I jumped on it. By the way, Davis Mills is still in the NFL. He's holding the clipboard in Houston as CJ Stroud's backup.
Great video Graig! 100% agree, timing any market is impossible. Buy when it makes sense financially and sell when you need to. For next week, if I had $1000 to start collecting, I'd pick up: - 1989 Upper Deck Griffey in a 9 ($200) - 1950 Bowman Berra in a 3 ($400) - T206 Eddie Collins in a 2 ($400) I feel like those are all iconic cards, from iconic sets, spread across pre-war/golden/junk wax eras. Its a good foundation! For a future video, re-ask this question with a bigger budget (like Mike Petty sized). That could be a fun one!!
I believe it depends on each individual’s situation. If you need the money, selling your cards makes sense. If you don’t, hold onto them and enjoy the collection. For those who simply appreciate the hobby, focus on the joy of collecting. But if you see it as an investment, sell when the time feels right.
Perfect reply. Is it just me, or does it seem the reply to the question is obvious? I will still watch the video to hear if Graig says anything more or different.
@@mikewrobel2881 if someone is holding these for investment purposes, they need to sell now. There’s no price support for almost any of the stuff discussed on this channel. We have a permanent supply / demand mismatch driven by age demographics. This mismatch will continue to grow.
If I was starting from scratch I would focus on Koufax only. I think his cards are very undervalued. You can get his 55 Topps rookie in a low grade for around $1000. I personally spend a few thousand a month on cards and am buying more rare Koufax cards like Venezuelan and regional food issues like Bell Brand.
For the question this week on what 3 vintage cards you should buy if starting with $1000: 1968 Topps Johnny Bench Rookie (PSA/SGC 6) 1956 Topps Jackie Robinson (PSA/SGC 2) 1960 Topps Willie Mays (PSA/SGC 6) My general opinion is Mays is the best 5-tool player of all time, Johnny Bench is the best catcher of all time, and Jackie is as iconic as they come… yet all 3 of these cards are still reasonably affordable, are unlikely to ever lose much value, and look beautiful on display. Each of them carry their own talking points if someone sees your collection and wants to ask about it, plus when all 3 are in horizontal configuration they’ll fill more space on your display when you’re starting fresh. Kind of that “hold the fish further out from your body when getting a picture of it” approach to a collection 😂
3 cards for $1000 to buy now-- I would buy a centered low grade 33 or 34 Goudey Lefty Grove, Carl Hubbell and Dizzy Dean. Because they are 3 greats of the games that are under valued in the market. And my Strongsville targets next year
My three cards to start a vintage collection for $1000, using prices I actually paid this year: 1956 Topps Jackie Robinson PSA 4 for $550; 1967 Topps Mickey Mantle PSA 5 for $360; 1958 Topps Ted Williams All-Star SGC 4 for $90.
For $1,000 dollars. I would just buy the best ''eye appeal'' Sandy Koufax rookie card that I could find. I would be okay with, passing on 2 other cards since the Koufax is the one I've wanted since I was a kid. Sort of like how you, bought the Ernie Banks rookie card that, was the right one for you at this year's National.
as I mentioned before here, I did just get back into the hobby and pretty much had nothing. within the rules of the hypothetical question, I would do 2 cards that I actually did pick up and one that I didn't. idk if I'd be able to pick up another '56 Jackie in an SGC 5 for $750 like a recent eBayer was able to, but that is awesome. with my other $250, I'd pick up 2 cards that I have obtained in the last few months.. I am very drawn to players who seem destined for the HOF even if they were overlooked initially, so players like Flood, Tiant, Keith Hernandez, Lou Whitaker, etc. I'd pick up a Tiant rookie in a 7 (which I did... got one raw for $35 and it graded an SGC 7 which was awesome) and a '75 Hernandez in a PSA 8 (which I did.) 🙂
I think I'd buy a Mantle for around $500. I prefer a 56 which was his triple crown year. I'd then spend $250 on a Jackie Robinson 56 and a Clemente 56 as well. Can you tell I really like the 1956 Topps set. I've changed my collecting habits to concentrate on less cards but more expensive ones. For me I enjoy the bigger cards where the smaller less expensive cards aren't really valued after some time.
Hi Graig, thanks for the preamble. Perhaps to a fault, I try to leave the videos with answers, though I should only expect opinions. You did clarify, at the end of your videos, that your analyses are merely based on a sample. There are a lot of variables which are not considered.
Collectors don't stop buying cards because prices are too high any sooner than people who eat food to sustain themselves stop buying groceries and starve to death because prices got too expensive. Checking prices every few months sounds like day trading and flipping to me, not a long term sustainable path to collection building. Maybe check prices once every 5 years at the most, once every 10 years during periods of lower fluctuation. Vintage card prices are very stable. There is an old adage (related to dollar cost averaging), "Time in the market is better than timing the market". If you bought a 52T Mantle (or T206 Wagner or 48 Leaf Robinson etc) it would be worth more today that it was 10 years ago, when it was worth more than it was 20 years ago, when it was worth more than it was 30 years ago, when it was worth more than it was 40 years ago, when it was worth more than it was 50 years ago. If you bought to hold in let's say 1994, it wouldn't matter what month you bought. Wouldn't even matter what year. Even if you paid triple comps at the time, over the long term you would have done very well. Only short term flippers care about minor price fluctuations which are blips over the long term and which are totally invisible to collectors in it for the long haul.
So I think the message was to buy a lot of Davis Mills cards right now while he’s low, or at least that’s what I’m thinking 😆 All kidding aside, I was a “dollar cost average” collector for many years, but I find this conversation more relevant now as I’m targeting a really big card, and would prefer to not toss large sums of money away vs waiting...
For my vintage starter collection I’d go with: -1953 Topps Satchel Paige PSA 1.5 ($650) -1958 Topps AS Mantle PSA 4 ($200) -1961 Topps Roger Maris PSA 4 ($150) In my opinion, the 53 Topps Paige is one of the greatest vintage cards that can be had for under $1,000, period. It would be a great starting centerpiece to a vintage collection build in any condition. With the remaining funds I’d want to get a Mantle, because he’s a hobby legend and maybe the most iconic player from the golden era of baseball. The 58 AS is a perfect choice because it’s beautiful, budget friendly, and important in the hobby being the first All-Star subset. I’d round out the collection with a 61 Topps Maris, representing the great home run record and chase. All three of these cards are instantly recognizable “core” vintage cards to me, and together would make a solid foundation to build off of. Awesome thought experiment, Graig!
To answer your question for next week. Since I am a big Vintage Football Fan and since Rookie QBs are the way to go for starting a collection. My Choices are the 1948 Leaf Sammy Baugh, 1948 Leaf Bobby Layne, and 1948 Leaf Sid Luckman. Not only are these very beautiful and colorful cards, but these three Quarterbacks were the cream of the crop in their day and a great way to start a Vintage Football Collection.
Over the past 2 years, I've been more selective on what I buy. It has to speak to me in order to buy. I'm holding everything just because I'm fairly new to vintage and pre-war so I still love having them in my collection. I will sell in time but I'm not too big on predicting the market. If its fair price or under I'll buy because I like it, not because the market is going up or down.
How has my massive collection of pristine 86 Fleer stars and commons done in price? Does anyone know? My possible two ten grade Johnny Moores (out of six) are asking?
I looked up the Johnny Moore. There was one on EBay for Buy it Now 22,000 plus $1300 tax plus $50 shipping. It has not gone up or down for some time. Note that only 68 grade ten exist compared with about 380 of the Jordon rookies. Bad spot on the master sheets I suspect. The one on EBay looks exactly like the centering on two of my six Johnny Moore cards!
Love this question. I'd want one iconic rookie card inexpensive enough to be able to buy it in a mid/high grade. Johnny Bench comes to mind. Probably the best all-around catcher ever and you can buy a PSA 6 for about $300? Sign me up. It's a great image of him, too. I'd get a Mantle just because Mantles are great and always in demand. The '68 in a PSA 3 goes for about $200. And I would have to get something from the '56 Topps set, which is truly singular. The Aaron in a PSA 5 goes for about $500. I'm sometimes a quality snob, especially on rookies, so I went back and forth on whether to upgrade the Bench to a 7, but decided I couldn't go wrong spending that money on Mantle and Aaron instead. Thanks as always, Graig.
Graig, awesome thoughts! 😊👊 If I had $1,000 to start a vintage sports card collection, I would spend about $500 on the nicest (high eye appeal!) 1952 Topps Yogi Berra I could get for the money. Then I would spend about $300 on the nicest 1953 Topps Yogi Berra I could get. Finally, I would spend the remaining $200 on the nicest 1954 Topps Yogi Berra I could get. Thus, I would have the first 3 Topps cards of an amazing 3-time MVP and the World Series Ring-King, who is well-loved even by those who do not care for the Yankees! Plus, he was an amazing person and is still a cultural icon! Those are 3 of my favorite sets, so it would be cool to have a card from each one to start! 😊👊
I believe this all depends on the collector and what they're collecting. For example, for someone who is seeking out cards that they don't normally see, the choice becomes a bit easier if everything lines up. As Orlando has mentioned in livestreams and his own videos, if the finances line up and you have that opportunity to buy a rare card, you should definitely go for it. When will you have that opportunity again? However, if someone is buying a card that can be easily found online or at a show, that collector has more options and can exhibit more patience on where their money is spent. The beauty of finding a 55 Jackie is that you can probably find one pretty easily on eBay, Net54, Auctions, Card Shows, Card Shops, etc. The key is finding one in the condition preference a collector sets for him/herself. In my opinion, there is no urgency there. It is without a doubt a very desirable card, but it's not a card that you can't find tomorrow. Good discussion. It's an interesting take and as you said, there's no right or wrong answer here. Just a preference on how we approach collecting.
I agree with that. For the rare cards, you've got to act when they're available. But, for an 84 Topps Don Mattingly, you could buy it whenever you want.
“Mrs Mills I apologize” 😂. Another great video Graig. If I had $1000 to start a vintage collection today, I would buy the “Mays dip” and start a run of one of the all time greats. Any combo of 3 Mays cards would do, but here is my choice: PSA 3 1954 Mays $400, a PSA 4 1956 $350 Mays and a 1972 PSA 8 $250. Cheers!
For $1000 I would buy rod carew first three years cards. He was my favorite player growing up. I've always been drawn to the high batting average leaders like Cobb carew boggs gwynn and now arraez
Thanks for the video. I've been reflecting on how my collection has changed over the past 18-24 months as I've been recycling my collection. I have been selling one type of my collection (vintage FB sets) since 2022 and putting those proceeds into another part of the hobby (unopened packs and boxes). I've seen my collecting approach change even over the past 12-18 months within this new focus. My definition of a "great or good deal" 18 months ago would not make the cut here in October 2024 and I'd probably "wait it out" b/c prices may go down, or....if they don't, and I miss the buy, I'm not going to be that upset. I'm looking for really narrow, unique items that fit squarely in my collection vs. just good deals that are broadly connected to my collecting goals. Thanks again.
I appreciate the topic. These market trends come and go. It's a tough economy right now which may be causing some of the churn. I'm always buying and especially during downturns in the market. But most of the vintage I collect hasn't changed much so I'm not seeing many bargains. I am seeing some market softness for the lesser known stars and HOFers. I sell on occasion, especially as I fine-tune what I collect.
Another awesome conversation from the cardmunity. This week's question is a lot of fun. You know me, Graig, I'm a rookie card guy. I'm buying 3 iconic HOF rookie cards that I don't already have. I would probably buy a Bench rookie in a 5 or 6, a Frank Robinson rookie in a 5, and a Henderson rookie in an 8 or 8.5. I think trying to spread that money out equally among iconic rookie cards is going to give me the most bang for my buck when starting a new collection with 3 cards. Thanks as always!😮
Hey Graig, interesting topics on this one - very thought provoking. The question regarding 3 vintage cards with a $1,000 budget had me thinking for a long while. I am not really a modern collector, but I'm also not really a vintage collector. It made me do some research to even know what would be realistic which was a fun ride tbh. Then I had to think about what cards would be justifiable cornerstone's of this new collection. I believe if you love different sports like I do, you should take a diversified approach. So, I would be GOAT hunting in my favority 3 sports - Baseball/Basketball/Football. I'm also thinking that they should be rookie cards of the player in an effort to retain the most value. Additionally, it would be wise to get raw cards to maximize the budget .... which now makes me re-think about how I currently collect/shop... hmm. Anyway, as that marinates in my mind, here are the 3 I'd go with: 1958 Topps #62 Jim Brown Rookie 1961-62 Fleer - #47 Wilt Chamberlain Rookie 1969 Topps #95 Johnny Bench You can easily argue for all 3 of those players as the all-time greatest at their position. You can go a million different ways with this answer, which is why it's such a fantastic question. Thanks for another awesome video man, keep up the great work!
I just did a little research for your question. I would buy the three following cards that I just found on an eBay search. All are Topps cards. 1st-1956 Jackie Robinson SGC 2.5 centered and great eye appeal $440 2nd-1960 Mickey Mantle SGC 2.5. Decent centering and good eye appeal $383 3rd-1965 Hank Aaron BVG 3.5 nice card $175 There you have it. Some classic Hall of Famers and big names in the hobby for right at $1k. I would need to pay taxes and shipping. I would borrow that money from my wife. LOL
If I didn't have any cards with a $1000 in my pocket to start a collection , my primary goal would be get a Mantle. It would be 1959 would be the newest I would purchase. Normally I would say even older than that but I do like that particular card. Beyond that anything else would be far less important, so most of the cash would go for the Mantle. The other cards would be a 58 Mays and a 58 Aaron. That would be the bare bones of a new collection.
Agreed, if you already have the card, you want the value to increase. However, if there is a card that you want and haven’t purchased, maybe it is because you have been waiting for too big of a deal, while you could have paid a little more for the card a year ago and have been enjoying the card all along. I look at that extra $ paid as spent enjoyment value.
Over the next year I expect vintage baseball card prices will be largely flat. I think we have been getting over the pandemic bubble and we are now entering a year of fairly stable prices. Some cards seem to be going for less, but I’ve been involved in some auctions where I’ve been surprised at how high the bids went. Because for vintage cards the supply is set, so it’s all about DEMAND. What makes demand shift now? That’s the question!
Depends on your motives. I’m a curator. I will never sell my collection. So to me it’s a buyers market. It’s why I cover things like 1970 TOPPS football Greg Cook. Who most ask? One of the biggest what might have beens in football history. These are the things I like. The stories. Value matters 0. To me.
I have a collection of about 500 cards.. all sports, all eras pre war vintage moder ultra modern.. they are all high tier HOF high recognition name players… i do a value update once a year in the summer. My collection is down 2% from summer 23 to summer 24… it was the pre-war and vintage that mostly went up in value.. and one particular jordan auto card that is pretty expensive and went up 20%….
Hey Graig, Hope you have been good my friend! I have a few Strongville questions for you at a later time. That hotel must be amazing for you to book so soon😆 I told/asked😂 the wife… I’m going this year!! Man you asksed one of the hardest question I can imagine for this week… I got to go with: 1956 Mickey Mantle, triple crown year along with one of his best looking cards, and gotta put a Jackie Robinson card in there, but to make this doable both have to be low-grade & hopefully find good eye appeal. To cap it off… I’d say the 1960 Willie Mays with whatever is left from the thousand dollars, not much. This would give you 3 of the most iconic players in the golden years! Looked at EBay comps and this is obtainable with patients. Please give easier questions in the future😂 Jeremy, and there is too many Jeremy’s so I gotta get a nickname.
I have slowed down my buying and generally buy higer value cards now.. my last card was a numbered kaitlan clark rookie panini card.. which is strange most all my higher value cards are pre war and vintage.. but is was an out of 10 rookie card… kaitlan clarck has done more for the WNBA then any other player in sports in terms of percentages of people knowing and particpating in the sport..
Hi thx for the video very encouraging ! My wife and I would like to meet u at a show sometime 😀 Kinda of difficult tho we are in Ohio. Take care Jerry and Amanda
Graig, an anology for you, why do you dollar cost average your savings plan investments but employ a day trader mentality with card purchases? Just listened from 20:00, perfect!!
It seems somewhat clear to me that you aren't a fan of a lot of my opinions or what I produce content on. In fact, I'd say that it's somewhat clear that you're not a fan of me. (which is totally fine) My question for you is: why are you still subscribed and why do you still watch my channel, when most of what I have to say, you write aggressive rebuttals in the comments?
@@MidLifeCards Hi Graig, I am sorry you feel that way and view me as aggressive. I watch your videos because I enjoy them and like hearing different opinions, as sometimes they make me reconsider my opinions.
SELL SELL SELL! (If it’s about upside in value) I have a theory that the steroid era extended the health of the vintage market. If Bonds, Sosa, McGwire etc were first ballot guys, more hobby money would have shifted to them. But it didn’t. The future HOF class is going to be strong and in the next 20 years! 50 year old dudes buying 70 year old dudes vintage cards isn’t sustainable.
@jude999 The market is going to crash much worse. Especially if that Democrat gets elected there will be more debt, more spending, more inflation. Massive job losses are coming. The only recent job growth has been in government created jobs, which only produce debt and inflation, and temporary service jobs from people having to work a second job to pay the inflation tax. I am selling some. I stopped buying a year ago.
