If I was to tell you that you can get rich off of investing in sports cards, would you believe me? If you don’t, just ask the guy who sold the Honus Wagner T206 tobacco card, which is deemed as the most valuable ever, selling at $2.8 million in auction.
How about the 1951 Mickey Mantle Bowman card PSA grade mint 9 that sold for $750,000 in 2018? Or the Derek Jeter rookie card which sold for $99,100 in 2018?
A LeBron James rookie card sold for $312,000 in 2016 and two Tom Brady rookie cards sold for $250,000 and more than $100,000 this year aline.
Sports cards have made a comeback and the collector/investor market is on fire for Baseball, Basketball, and Football cards. As a kid, I remember getting beyond excited every time my mom took my brother and I to a sports collectible store to purchase packs of sports cards.
If you had a PSA graded mint 10 Luka Doncic rookie card just this past year, you could offload it for $15,000-$20,000 if you want based on the current market value and what sold on Ebay.
There are a few things you should consider before investing in Sports cards:
1. Make sure you are indeed a fan of Sports
It helps to have knowledge about players and teams and making the right purchase will require extensive research and player projections.
If you’ve been a long time collector, you know there are certain “star” players that you want to hold onto. You may have their rookie cards or you see something in them before the rest of the market does and you purchase a bunch of their cards so when they reach stardom you’re able to cash in.
Without a love for sports and the athletes, sports card investing probably won’t be for you and if you dive in without the knowledge piece, you’ll get discouraged rapidly.
2. You need to get your most valuable cards graded by PSA or Beckett
Most of the cards you pull in packs are worth pennies unless you’re fortunate to pull an autographed card or a true rookie card then it goes up in value.
Investors only want graded cards from the two largest grading companies. PSA maximizes the security, value and liquidity of your trading cards.
The difference in a couple of hundred dollars or several thousand can be solely based on the grade of the card.
It’s the simple concept of supply and demand. Even over-produced cards, when in high demand, become much more limited in availability and experience an increase in value.
Study the grading standards put out on PSA, SGC, Beckett and other companies on their websites and in their publications. It’s all there in black and white even though the grading process is still somewhat subjective, you’ll know generally what to expect before submitting. Get to know each and every flaw that will result in the card being downgraded. Pay special attention to the centering requirements of a card, which have been known to turn a ‘9’ into a ‘7’ faster than you can say “PSA”.
3. Don’t Be Afraid To Test Or Lose
Submitting cards yourself is the best way to get a handle on grading standards. Make notes on what you think each card’s flaws are and grade it yourself. Then, when the cards come back, compare your notes with what the grader decided. Get together with some collecting friends and see if you can get enough cards together to send in under the ‘bulk rate’. The more cards you can examine, the better you’ll get.
Buying graded cards through Ebay auctions is also another great way to experiment. Buy your favorite players graded cards. Chances are you can access some undervalue. I recently bought a Mint 9 graded Yordan Alvarez card because I’m betting that he’s going to be a star in years to come.
4. Buy and Hold
Sports cards are another form of Real Estate. If you want to maximize cash flow and build up equity you hang onto the property for years and it keeps increasing in value. SAME with the right sports cards.
If you are one of the few who has a low production card and a high grade, you could be sitting on gold over a period of 10–30 years. If you had access to the above Roberto Clemente card from 1955 Topps and it was a 10 mint condition, you could have cashed between $400,000-$500,000 based on prior auction values.
Start looking at Ebay and making smaller purchases through auctions. Don’t think you’ll get rich quick though. Some inherit these old cards, if you’re in that boat then own it but most of it won’t and aren’t.
In conclusion…
Sports cards have proven to be a profitable investment vessel if you do your due diligence and are patient yet strategic with the type of card, year, and player you’re investing in.
Here are some players and sports cards on my radar for this year and years to come:
NBA: Ja Morant, Any older graded Kobe Bryant cards, Trae Young, Jayson Tatum, Caris Levert, Luka Doncic, Zion Williamson, Russell Westbrook, Lebron James, James Harden, Anthony Davis, and De’Aaron Fox.
MLB: Mike Trout, Yordan Alvarez, Gavin Lux, Jose Altuve, Aaron Judge, Kris Bryant, Ken Griffey Jr. graded, Bo Bichette, Barry Bonds graded, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1951 Bowman set graded.
NFL: Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs, Patrick Mahomes, Tom Brady, Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, Josh Jacobs, and O’dell Beckham Jr.
BASEBALL COLLECTION FOR SALE!
Over 70,000 Cards including Top Rookies, Autographs, Relics & More!
Valued at OVER $82k on Beckett.com. Asking for $50k!
For more Information or to view collection:
Call 1-800-618-5463 or email otlsports1@yahoo.com