What to Consider Before Investing in Sports Cards
By Space Coast Daily // December 11, 2021
Every market has its challenges, and sports cards are not an exception. If you think investing in cards is another “get rich quick” kind of a venture or some super-easy way of turning millions, then you may be in for a rude shock. It’s not the kind of investment where you’re going to make decisions based on Tweets.
Before anything else, you should treat this as a hobby before you begin thinking of the returns.
If you treat it as a business, it’s pretty volatile with so many ups and downs. You could easily lose money here if not educated. You’ll need a good number of hours to study the grading companies. For instance, there are a few elements to consider, like buying raw and selling raw.
Following are some things you need to think about
Raw vs. Graded
IF you don’t understand the grading infrastructure and how to grade on the eye, then avoid buying a whole lot of raw. If you’re on a tight budget, raw is where you can make all the money. Buying raw and selling raw gives you a great opportunity in the market.
The emergence of other brands
Different brands are known to support other games like Panini, basketball, and Topps-baseball, but there’s no guarantee that the story will remain that way.
Things may change with time, and older companies like Nike could be taking over any time. Thus you need to play a perfect mix of the new and the older cards.
Player rankings
When it comes to card collecting, player names are critical. The all-time player names have lots of influence and therefore matter. If a footballer like Christiano Ronaldo goes ballistic for the next ten years and is considered the best, that’s going to matter. Therefore when collecting cards, you have to put that in mind.
Beware of the shipping cost.
When buying cards on a website, you may focus on the price of the card and forget the shipping costs. Some sellers may take advantage of this and charge artificially high shipping prices. Always check out the shipping prices because that will eat into the profit you’re making when reselling the card.
The price history of a card
This is a critical role in the list, and most of the sports cards investors get wrong. Never purchase a card until you know it is worth by checking out how it sold recently. Even when in card shows, it’s prudent to step away from the dealer’s table and check your phone for the price history. That way, you avoid buying a car at a very high amount when it’s going at a lower one.
Negotiate
It’s a hobby, and therefore everyone expects a negotiation. You don’t just get into the site and hit the “buy” button. Check out for an opportunity where you can make an offer. Check out for a fairer price than what the card is listed for.
Do not get into it with a “get rich quick” mentality when investing in sports cards. Get a reputable online cards shop and get cards that will give you value in the long term.
