Last week, I visited my LCS to see what was new. Because of the rookie rage this year (JUDGE, Benintendi, Bellinger, etc.), most products have become too expensive for me to afford. That wasn't a problem this time, because the only baseball product available was 2017 Tier One.
So, I'm not going to fork over $150 for two three cards. It just ain't gonna happen. However, the owner had something else that I wanted, and trust me - this piece will be a centerpiece item. I didn't have the cash for it at the moment, but he agreed to hold it for me and let me pay it out. I'll let you in on what it is in a later post. (Oh, the suspense!)
Anyway, I went home and started looking for semi-valuable cards that I had in my collection that I wouldn't mind letting go. I never thought about it, but I checked to see what I had of Aaron Judge in my collection. Turns out, I had a silver ice and a blue parallel of Judge from 2014 Bowman (oh, if they would have only been a year older!) and a Clubhouse Collection relic from 2016 Heritage Minors. Then I started looking at what I had from this year's cards and I found rookie cards from Diamond Kings, Heritage, Gypsy Queen, and Series 1. IN all, I found ten cards. Instead of trying to sell each one individually, I decided to put them all into one lot:
I list the group at $100 or best offer. I am thinking I will be happy with $60. I wait for a few days and nothing happens. No bites.
Then, something magical occurred. While I am at the theater watching the new Spider-Man movie (which was great, by the way), Mr. Judge decides to do this:
Thank you Mr. Judge!
I walk out of the theater around 12:30 and check my phone and viola, I have an offer much higher than I expected! So I hit 'Accept' and smiled all the way home. The item I want is that much closer to being mine!
How, I feel the need to say that I am clearly not in the hobby to make money. I do it strictly for the enjoyment. That being said, I am on a grad student budget, which means that I don't have the luxury of having a ton of cash set aside for my hobby. Therefore, I have to sell cards that aren't central to my collection to get cards and items that are. So if it bothers you that I sold those cards, then I'm sorry. But it's how I grow my own collection.
Anyway, I hope everyone is having a great day!
Good for you! I hope you're able to buy that centerpiece item you teased before too long.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I don't think what you're doing is using the hobby to make money... because you're putting that money right back into your collection. Sounds to me like you're trading cardboard for other baseball related items and the greenbacks are just kind of a middle man. #winning
Absolutely the way to do it. I'm not a grad student anymore, but I'm still on a budget, and I'm not always patient enough to wait when certain nice PC items become available. The only way I can stick to my budget is to offload items I don't really cherish (thank you Mr. Judge) and funnel the proceeds back into items I will appreciate.
ReplyDeleteObviously this plan works best if you buy low and sell high, but I prefer to call it "profit taking" rather than deliberate flipping. Looking forward to reading about your treasure, but meanwhile I'm busy trying to sell off this stack of Brien Taylor and Gregg Jefferies cards so I can retire...
You had a good stack of Judge cards! The way I see it, you're not making money, but using the sale to sustain. You sold some and bought something you wanted. Essentially, it was a trade.
ReplyDeleteI did the same when I dug a couple Judge cards out of an old box. Part of the hobby is simply funding it. No shame in it at all.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see the centerpiece item!
I think it's crazy that there are people out there who frown upon collectors who sell their cards. I mean... I understand someone shaking their head if I turn around and sell a card another blogger just gave me. I could also understand people getting upset with me if I try to profit off the death of an athlete. But selling cards you've purchased or pulled at the peak of their collectibility? That's just good business (-Hondo Ohnaka). I mean... where would us collectors get our singles if EVERYONE held onto their singles? Obviously our hobby needs collectors... but we also need sellers too.
ReplyDeleteShoot. If I had any common sense... I'd dump all of my Judges too. I'm just way too lazy to list them. Kudos Meeks! Can't wait to see this centerpiece collectible.