Is this really THAT rare?!

[Maleficent2]

You've got a point there. I moved into an apartment almost 3 months ago and I still haven't bought a couch and my car battery is almost dead, but I'm sitting on Ebay looking for VMK cards instead.

why are you looking at eBay for cards anyway when we have a card traders thread here on the DIS and you can trade or be gifted most any of the cards you might need????

 

[cteddiesgirl]

Babe Ruth has been dead for over 20 years. In the past 5 years, they have printed over 200 different cards from 7 different companies. None of them is worth anything save 1. And when I say 1, I mean there was not one print run, but 1 actual card. It is a Babe Ruth Cut signature card, only 1 made. The packs that it was in sold for $100 each and the card is worth over $50,000. Of the cards of his that were from the original set, only 1 sells for more than it did 10 years ago, and frequently you can find Babe Ruth cards from 50 years ago for less than $30 - which is significantly lower than they were 10 years ago.

as to whether the person was paying too much or not does not really matter, what matters is that "too much" is a relative term. A $900 card might be worth $900 - but 2 years before it sold for $3000. From experience, and many years of card collecting, and 2 years currently running my own card-related store I can say, cards are NOT a good investment, whether it is a mint condition Babe Ruth or Rolly Fingers pack filler, they will ALWAYS decrease in value over time, and worse than that, the value of the dollar decreases so even if you sell the item for EXACTLY what you paid for it, you lost money. Items should appreciate on inflationary value as well.

There is only 1 real solid investment in this world, and that is real estate. everything else is destined to loose money.

What part of my post did you not understand? I think you just like arguing with me.

My post:

Specifically since I did say If it's the right person. Especially if it was an authentic signed card by someone such as Babe Ruth or Lou Gehrig.

Meaning, signed in real ink by a real pen by the actual player. I was talking about the real original cards. Sheesh!
I said nothing about repros. Which is what you are talking about.
And the oldcards, yes, if they are not authentically (key word here) signed they can go pretty cheaply. And that does not mean stamped or imprinted with signatures.

Now: On with the regularly scheduled thread.

 

[mtlhddoc2]

What part of my post did you not understand? I think you just like arguing with me.

My post:

Meaning, signed in real ink by a real pen by the actual player. I was talking about the real original cards. Sheesh!
I said nothing about repros. Which is what you are talking about.
And the oldcards, yes, if they are not authentically (key word here) signed they can go pretty cheaply. And that does not mean stamped or imprinted with signatures.

Now: On with the regularly scheduled thread.

Ummm, are you talking about the kind signed in person? Because those are a dime a dozen... literally. Baseball card manufacturers have been putting out authentic autographs for about a dozen years. Hand signed by a real person. Thousands of them per year actually. You can find hand signed cards for every player in every sport. Even guys who are in AAA ball sign autos for cards. Most fall into the $3 to $5 range. I stick by my stance. Baseball cards are a very very bad investment, whether they are "authentically" signed too. Basically, a card signed AFTER the fact is worth LESS than a card which is pristine. (I am in the card and collectible business, you know) Any card which has been altered after the manufacturer pack inserts it looses value. The ONLY way that it wouldnt is if it was Babe Ruth. Period. No other player is really ever worth anything. And I mean no other player, from any sport. Sure, you will find cards in the thousand dollar range, but that person is not making money on them. He got them by opening packs which cost $100 or more each. Or he bought the "old" card years ago for 3x as much. And to boot, old card, such as the ones from the 40s and 50s, have not appreciated in value in years.

I dont like arguing with you, really, I just know more than you do about this particular topic. I know more than most people do.

 

[tolkien7]

Hmm...wow...maybe I should choose my examples more carefully. Lol! Next time I'll use Disney Pins.

I actually thought it was a good example. I think nothing of dropping big bucks for the latest Coach bag or shoes...so if people want to spend their dough on VMK because it makes them happy, I don't really care.

 

[Iris]

I think nothing of dropping big bucks for the latest Coach bag or shoes...

I hear you! I mean really, can you ever have enough Coach Bags or shoes?

Selling items for outrageous prices on ebay has always been around. Don't any of you ever watch Jay Leno's "Stuff I found on Ebay?" I mean really, somebody sold a cooked Brussel Sprout from Christmas Dinner for $2000!!!!

It takes all kinds and there is always somebody with too much money to burn. If that person is lucky to sell it for $900 and somebody else has the money and the desire to purchase it for $900, than so be it.

(now, where can I found something useless to sell?)

 

[Iris]

oops, sorry please remove extra.

 

[aengus]

I actually thought it was a good example. I think nothing of dropping big bucks for the latest Coach bag or shoes...so if people want to spend their dough on VMK because it makes them happy, I don't really care.

ZOMG!!!! coach bags are not investments!!!!!! EVERYONE KNOWS THAT!!!!

sorry everyone just teasing just poking fun, not aimed at any of you in your debates.

lets talk some more about how much my yellow ariels is worth LOL woot woot!

 

[Mnementh]

why are you looking at eBay for cards anyway when we have a card traders thread here on the DIS and you can trade or be gifted most any of the cards you might need????

Well, obviously, the cards have a two-fold purpose. To amass the collection of cards and also to use the codes to get the items they offer. Personally, I want the cards moreso than the codes, and I appreciate all cards that anyone may be willing to give me. My fiance, however, doesn't care about the cards and wants the items they have on them. The cards satisfy both our needs. So since everyone is donating used cards, I'm looking for unused cards on ebay (though if someone gives me a used card, I stop looking for that one on ebay anyway).

 

[LittleDragonErin]

(now, where can I found something useless to sell?)

Well, if you chew gum...have a concert ticket stub...and have no compunctions about false advertising...

"[insert popular singer here]'s gum from [insert concert venue here]!"

And sell it for thousands...just like those several Britney Spears' used gum a year or so ago.

Or you can always sell your soul. Guy sold his for a couple thousand I believe about 4 months ago. Heh.

 

[Maleficent2]

Well, obviously, the cards have a two-fold purpose. To amass the collection of cards and also to use the codes to get the items they offer. Personally, I want the cards moreso than the codes, and I appreciate all cards that anyone may be willing to give me. My fiance, however, doesn't care about the cards and wants the items they have on them. The cards satisfy both our needs. So since everyone is donating used cards, I'm looking for unused cards on ebay (though if someone gives me a used card, I stop looking for that one on ebay anyway).

actually the trade of cards is between the traders some offer unused codes and some don't.

Try the card traders thread before eBay. Just trying to be helpful.


CARD TRADERS

 

[Mnementh]

actually the trade of cards is between the traders some offer unused codes and some don't.

Try the card traders thread before eBay. Just trying to be helpful.

Thanks for the help, and I sure will check it out. I do feel guilty accepting all of this without giving something in return, though. I wish I could do something for anyone willing to donate cards to me.

There is a slim chance that I may get to go to WDW once before the honeymoon mentioned in my signature. When I'm there, I'm going to try my best to get duplicates of every VMK card available at the park at that time so I can start returning the favor.

 

[neonibbles]

I thought selling the virtual stuff on ebay was against TOS or something...

 

[qruthie]

There is only 1 real solid investment in this world, and that is real estate. everything else is destined to loose money.

Unless you have a toxic waste dump in your backyard. I'm very thankful I haven't come across any buried barrels of toxic soup in my yard. It seems to happen quite often in this area. The other big problem we have in this area is toxic soup leaking from old, unlined landfills.

Or if you invest in beach front property in Arizona.

I think the real rule of investing is... the moment I buy something, it depreciates in value by at least 50%.

One thing to remember about the final bid amounts on ebay... they mean nothing if the high bidder doesn't pay for the item. I once "sold" an item for about $400 but the bidder didn't pay. I relisted the item and it sold for something like $50. That was a major disappointment!

 

[mtlhddoc2]

Well, a friend of mine invested in land that was once a toxic waste dump and then qualified for Superfund and he made, literally, $4 million on a 2 acre lot

But that doesnt happen in every case. For the most part, if you sit on real estate long enough, you will make money.

 

[qruthie]

I wish I had that kind of luck.

I bought my house and land as a place to live, not as an investment. It has probably doubled in value over the last 20 years which is great but that doesn't even cover the interest paid on the mortgage.

My uncle used to buy Victorian houses in Philadelphia and restore them using authentic materials. Then he'd sell them and invest the profits in more houses and restored them. He made a boat load of money! But he was a wise man and had many other investments. That seems to be the key to making money off of investments - diversify.

I don't know much at all about baseball cards but I have a lot of experience with losing money on Disney pins. That is why Disney pins are a hobby for me and not an investment.

 

[cteddiesgirl]

That seems to be the key to making money off of investments - diversify.

Exactly! Never put all your eggs in one basket.
And as I stated, make sure to always do your research before spending your money!
Oh, and real estate doesn't always go up. The house that I originally spent my younger years in didn't make my parents a lot of money after 19 years. Yeah. In dollars it did. But with inflation of the dollar and with the fact that the neighborhood it was in went downhill, they didn't make any real profit off of it.

Nothing is ever guaranteed!

 

[aengus]

ALL very true... which is why I also diversified. I didnt just buy a yellow ariels, I also keep a couple pink tikis around LOL

 

[darkacre]

I just noticed something curious. If you look at the most expensive VMK things that sold on Ebay in the last 30 days, lots and lots of it was scooped up by just one buyer. Someone name of "elementgirl*"

She bought a full lanyard worth of infernos, and used buy it now for almost everything. All 8 of the infernos she bought came from the same seller, one "elievans" While this may just be a case of a rich busy fan of VMK buying her way to being the envy of the kingdom, it looks kinda funny to me. Trying to establish a market? Maybe. Of course, elievans might just be a card dealer making a few bucks. If it's true that yellow ariel chest trades for 3 infernos and a stitch hat, then perhaps she'll soon be selling more infernos to elementgirl*, because she just paid $399 for the yellow ariel chest!

 

[zeniff]

It's funny how people waste their money on a virtual item

 

[tolkien7]

I hear you! I mean really, can you ever have enough Coach Bags or shoes?

See? That's why we are friends, girl! And the answer to that, of course, is a resounding no!

ZOMG!!!! coach bags are not investments!!!!!! EVERYONE KNOWS THAT!!

Shhh...dude, my husband thinks they are!