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Baseball Collectibles as Investments Part 2

Posted on May 18th, 2012 by admin | Posted in Baseball Cards, Bats, Uncategorized

(Continued from Baseball Collectibles as Investments Part 1)

Baseball Collectibles as Investments Part 2

Part one discussed current and future players that baseball collectors should consider “investing” in, as their value will more than likely increase over time.  This article will continue to delve into baseball collectibles as investments, but in this case providing five principles to consider when investing.

As stated in the previous article, the economy isn’t in the best of shape right now, making investments in places such as the stock market very risky, with drastic changes occurring more often than not on a daily basis.  A great way to diversify your investments is to consider baseball collectibles that will increase over time if kept in the right condition.  Here are five principles to keep in mind if you are trying to invest in baseball collectibles.

Price

It is important to realize that price plays a considerable role when it comes to baseball collectibles.  What makes baseball collectibles such a great investment is that there is an up-front cost to purchase the particular collectible, along with any sort of protection for it such as a case.  After that though you don’t have to do anything, just sit back and watch the item appreciate over time.  Therefore, make sure to keep this in mind when purchasing a baseball collectible.  It may cost you more upfront to get the added protection, but it will be well worth it in the end.

Buy and Sell at the Right Time

Like the stock market, there is a time to buy and a time to sell when it comes to baseball collectibles.  In order to get the most money off of the baseball collectible you must buy it when the player is the least well-known.  Perhaps and injury occurred or this particular player had an offseason.  Whatever the case, it is always best to avoid buying collectibles of a player when they are in their prime, as there will be potentially less room for appreciation.

Buy Genuine Collectibles

What do I mean by this?  Make sure that the collectible is authentic and real before even considering buying it.  If you really want to build up sound investments of baseball collectibles, all of them will have to be authenticated in some way or another, so as to allow their re-sale value to be as high as possible.  If you don’t buy a collectible that has been authenticated you run the risk of it being a copy or a fake, which not only means a loss of money but a loss of time and effort as well.

Less Signing is Better

Generally speaking, it is always best to buy autographed collectibles from baseball players who rarely sign things as opposed to players who do it often?  Why?  It is simply a matter of supply and demand.  If there are a lot of autographed collectibles out on the market by a particular player, the value of them will more than likely be low, whereas if there are few the prices of them will go up considerably.  Remember, less signing is better when it comes to players and autographed collectibles.

Focus on High Quality

Last but not least, in order to have a sound baseball collectible as an investment it must be of the highest quality possible.  There are some instances where there are collectibles that will be in fair condition no matter what due to age, and that is okay, so long as you know it is one of the best-conditioned collectibles out on the market today.  Only buy from the most reputable dealers, and as stated earlier always make sure that it is authenticated.  If you follow all of these principles you should do fine for yourself when using baseball collectibles as a form of investment.

Current Pitchers Baseball Collectors Should Pay Attention To

Posted on February 9th, 2012 by admin | Posted in Baseball Cards, Baseball Hats and Caps, Bats

Current Pitchers Baseball Collectors Should Pay Attention To

Baseball is a great sport for collecting for many reasons, one of which is the history and tradition surrounding it.  Baseball collectibles have been around for well over a century, providing lasting memories and great amounts of money for them.  However, baseball collectors should also focus on the here and now, especially those who are serious about the sport and want to get a heads up on everyone else.  Here is a list of four current starting pitchers that baseball collectors should pay attention to, for the value of their collectibles should rise dramatically over the coming years.

Justin Verlander

When Randy Johnson won his 300th game, some baseball analysts have predicted that there may never be a starting pitcher who will achieve this milestone ever again.  One pitcher who may prove them wrong is Justin Verlander.  Verlander has been in the Major Leagues since 2005, and has continuously improved every year since.  After a low point in 2008 where he won 11 games and lost 17, Justin has had three consecutive years of win totals hovering around 20, with 2011 being the year where he finally broke the mark.  In fact, in 2011 Verlander won both the American League MVP and Cy Young awards, amassing a 24-5 record with a 2.40 ERA, 250 innings pitched, and 250 strikeouts to his credit.  Why should you pay attention to him at this time?  Verlander is a workhorse with a blazing fastball, and will certainly be around for quite a long time.  He has the best chance of any starting pitcher right now of reaching the 300 win mark, and it is for this reason that baseball collectors should start picking up his memorabilia.

Clayton Kershaw

Clayton Kershaw is only 23 years of age but has already had four full years of Major League Baseball under his belt.  Similar to Verlander, Kershaw has consistently improved over his four year career to this point, starting with a 5-5 record in 2008 and transforming it to a 21-5 record in 2011.  Kershaw won the National League Cy Young Award in 2011 with a 2.28 ERA and 248 strikeouts as well.  The fact that the team he played for in 2011 was mediocre should show collectors his future potential.  Not only does he have a great pitching delivery that should help him to have a long career in baseball, but he is still at a young age and could certainly be up there with Verlander in the race to 300 wins if he can maintain consistency over the next few years.

Tim Lincecum

Tim Lincecum doesn’t have the gaudy win totals that a Verlander or Kershaw has, and in fact he only compiled a 13-14 record in 2011.  However, when examining his other stats it becomes apparently quickly that Lincecum has a great deal of upside.  Since 2008 Tim has averaged at least 220 strikeouts, 210 innings pitched, and in three out of the four years an ERA below 2.75.  He has a great deal of consistency in only the handful of years he has pitched in the Major Leagues to this point, and these numbers are a good sign for baseball collectors to start paying attention to him before his prices really start to rise.

Mat Latos

You may not have heard much of Mat Latos, and for good reason.  He has not put up the numbers one would expect out of the previous two pitchers mentioned.  In fact, he has only pitched three years in the Major Leagues, and for a small market team in the San Diego Padres.  However, his recent trade to the Cincinnati Reds should give a good reason for baseball collectors to take an interest in him.  In his three years with the Padres Latos has a 27-29 record, but also an ERA of 3.37 and 413 strikeouts.  He pitched almost 200 innings in 2011, with 185 strikeouts and a 3.47 ERA alone.  He has tremendous upside now that he is on a better ball club and should continue to improve at only 23 years old.  Make sure to get in on his memorabilia before it is too late.

Most Expensive Baseball Collectibles of All Time

Posted on January 3rd, 2012 by admin | Posted in Baseball Cards, Bats

Most Expensive Baseball Collectibles of All Time

Collecting baseball memorabilia can be fun for all ages and for all income levels as well.  What is great about baseball collectibles is that there are so many to choose from.  Whether one is interested in collecting baseball cards or autographed jerseys, there is something for everyone to enjoy having in their possession.  When it comes to baseball collectibles there are also many expensive rare items that one may never get to see or hear about in their lifetimes.  The purpose of this article is to go over some of the most expensive baseball collectibles of all time to show you what they were, how much they went for, and so on.  Who knows, maybe you may come across one of them in your lifetime!

Mark McGwire 70th Home Run Ball

1998 was a great year for baseball, as Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire reignited the sport through their home run chase.  McGwire would ultimately beat out Sosa to the record, and his final home run ball of that season sold at auction for just over $3 million.  Could you imagine ever spending $3 million on a baseball?  It is truly a phenomenal amount for a baseball collectible, but there have been others that have fetched prices at or above $1 million.

Honus Wagner Baseball Card

Honus Wagner is considered by many baseball historians to be the greatest shortstop to have ever played the sport.  He has a career average of .327 and well over 3,000 hits, and was also known for his gold glove defensive abilities at the shortstop position.  With that said, many of his cards have feted a pretty penny over the days, and one of the first baseball cards to have come out with his picture on it has sold at auction for over $2 million.

Babe Ruth Game Used Bat

Babe Ruth is considered by most baseball fans and historians as the most influential player to have ever played the game of baseball.  He was more known for his power than anything else, with 714 career home runs, a feat only surpassed by Henry Aaron and Barry Bonds.  He was also a very good pitcher before converting into an outfielder, winning almost one hundred games with an era under 2.30.  Not a bad career, right?  Practically any memorabilia related to Ruth is expensive, and his first ever game used bat has sold at auction for nearly $1.3 million.

Shoeless Jackson Game Used Bat

Shoeless Joe Jackson has one of the most recognizable names in all of baseball history, and was it not for the 1919 World Series he may have been the greatest hitter of all time.  Jackson was supposedly involved in intentionally losing the World Series that year to the Cincinnati Reds, in which he along with other players were bribed by powerful gangsters and mafia members.  Jackson had a career batting average of .356, one of the highest in baseball history.  He was banned from baseball and never allowed in again, thus making his memorabilia that much more collectible.  A game used bat of his went at auction recently for nearly $600,000.  Not in Babe Ruth territory, but his memorabilia has been steadily rising in value over the years and should continue to keep going up.

Items to Protect Baseball Collectibles

Posted on September 28th, 2011 by admin | Posted in Baseball Cards, Baseballs, Bats, Gloves, Jerseys


Best Ways to Protect Baseball Collectibles

One of the great things about being a baseball fan is that there are many fantastic collectibles to choose from.  Once you get a baseball collectible, what do you do with them?  Do you stuff them away in some trunk or shoe box?  Many people who have baseball collectibles do this, and it is not a good thing to do.  Why?  The item will deteriorate over time if it is not maintained properly, and simply storing it away without any regards to protecting it will not only cause you to lose enjoyment of it in its current condition but there will also be money lost as well.  Instead of having to go through the disappointment of finding your collectibles to be in severely bad shape, make sure to get proper protection for them.  Here are five great ways to protect baseball collectibles.

Baseball Holder

A baseball holder is a great option for any baseball you may own, whether it is a foul ball or an autographed one.  There are also holders that have a combination of both a baseball and a baseball card; so for instance, if you have an autographed baseball and card from someone it would be best to get this combination.  If you have multiple baseballs there are many sports collectibles places that have a multiple baseball display case.  To preserve the life of the ball it is always best to get a baseball holder, and they can range anywhere from around a dollar to over one hundred dollars depending on how much you are looking to invest.

 

Pocket Pages

Pocket pages are a great way to protect baseball cards that are of some value.  These pages usually come with 9 pockets, although there are some on the market today that have as many as 20.  One of the great things about pocket pages is that they are relatively cheap – one can purchase a page for around a quarter.

 

Card Sleeves

Card sleeves are especially for those who don’t have very many baseball cards but are looking for a safe way to protect them from the elements.  One can find packs of them for less than a dollar at most stores today, so they are a viable alternative to pocket pages.

Toploaders

Toploaders are for baseball cards that are more valuable than usual.  For instance, they may be a rookie card or a game worn jersey card.  One can find basic toploaders at a sports collectible store for around fifty cents.  Here is some advice: to get added protection for the card, it is always best to put the card in a card sleeve first and then put it in a toploader.  That way you have double protection for the card.  If you have a thick baseball card that may not fit inside of a regular toploader there are thick card toploaders available for around four dollars for a pack of 10.  Lastly, there are much bigger toploaders available for both regular sized pictures and documents if you are a collector of them.  These types of toploaders are a bit more expensive and can be priced around the thirty dollar range.  It is well worth the cost though if the collectible you have is at least somewhat rare.

Snaps and Holders

The ultimate protection one can provide for their baseball cards is an acrylic card holder, which is priced around four dollars just for one of them.  If you are not looking for something that fancy then a screw holder or mini snap should do the trick.  A screw holder can keep a baseball card in place better and a lot longer than a mini snap can do, and costs about fifty cents more than a mini snap does.  In any case you can be assured that your baseball card is well protected and will last for many years into the future.

1992 Blue Jays World Champs Bat

Posted on May 31st, 2011 by admin | Posted in Autographed Baseballs, Autographed Bats, Baseballs, Bats, Featured

Take a look at this these three incredible items from the 1992 Toronto Blue Jays World Series Champs. Each of these items is hand SIGNED by 25-26 Blue Jays players and coaches and EACH comes with it’s own certificate of authenticity from Toronto based Argus sports. All the signatures are bold and clear. Pat Borders has signed “MVP” after his name on each item. The signatures include the entire regular starting lineup, all the starting pitchers, all of the key relievers and the entire coaching staff. I have owned all of these since 1992.

1. The bat is a World Series Commemorative one and is numbered #443/1992. It is signed in black sharpie by the 26 players and coaches listed below. This does not mean there are 1992 signed bats, just that there were 1992 of this commenorative bat made. There are likely only A FEW that are also signed by the team!

2. The team photo measures 16″ x 20″ and is numbered #6/100. It is signed in black sharpie by 25 of the players and coaches listed below (no Stieb). It is a thicker photo paper rather than poster paper.

3. The Official 1992 World Series Baseball is signed in blue ball point pen by 25 of the players listed below (no Ward).

The 26 signatures on the three items are:

  • Joe Carter
  • Dave Winfield
  • Pat Borders MVP
  • John Olerud
  • Jack Morris
  • Kelly Gruber
  • David Cone
  • David Wells
  • Dave Stieb (not on the photo)
  • Devon White
  • Tom Henke
  • Jimmy Key
  • Candy Maldanado
  • Manny Lee
  • Roberto Alomar
  • Duane Ward (not on the ball)
  • Juan Guzman
  • Derek Bell
  • Mike Timlin
  • Todd Stottlemyre
  • Cito Gaston (manager)
  • Gene Tenace (bench coach)
  • Larry Hisle (hitting coach)
  • Galen Cisco (pitching coach)
  • Rich Hacker (3rd base coach)
  • Bob Bailor (1st base coach)

These items are listed for $7,999 or best offer.

Take a look at some more deals on vintage baseball bats and balls.