Figured it would be fun to ask the inverse of the question that was posed in the “Are you still buying?” thread.
I’m fortunate to own alot of vintage PSA 9/PSA 10 cards that have experienced massive price spikes. However, I think that I’ll be holding most of my inventory/collection through another bull market. It has become increasingly more difficult to reup and reacquire anything vintage in higher grades these past few years. Making anything I sell most likely something that I will never be able to reaquire again. Maybe I’m just a mad lad though lol.
If this is peak and everything goes to 0, I will still be very happy with not selling a thing from my core collection. I am selling some non TCG stuff now.
Im a buyer, not a seller. Selling is bothersome regardless of price, mostly for the same reason that its difficult to replace things.
Edit: i also have almost no 10s nor anything worth serious money. The gainz are nice but not as life changing as those collectors with psa10 collections.
I am selling extra cards and reprioritizing certain collection goals over others. Frankly, Pokemon has gotten to a point where the value of my collection is uncomfortably high compared to the rest of my personal financial situation. I had in the back of my mind that I would stock up on extra cards and generally avoid flipping/selling to eventually cash out all my extra stuff and make a significant dent in a house purchase or add to a retirement fund.
Now, I can sell just a few extra cards, maintain my core collection, and receive amounts of money hitherto undreampt of. This market is truly insane, and I think everyone should be seriously evaluating what they can do to capitalize on it. Dumping everything is probably a bad idea, but the beauty of this market is that now you likely don’t have to dump anywhere close to everything to make a significant appreciable change in your quality of life and financial outlook.
I try to maintain a sense of urgency about grading so that I can be ready to sell as soon as possible. But as far as actually selling, there’s no easy answer. I’ve been thinking about it more lately (again.) Holding is the answer, but so is selling. $50K could be a mere stepping stone to $500K and $5K could be a temporary blip of irreproducible, frothing insanity.
I’ve been wrestling with this lately. I think it would be silly not to sell at least a few things right now, but every time I try to pick out some cards to let go I can’t bring myself to do it
If someone offered me silly amounts of mula for a card I own and I know I wouldn’t be able to acquire it again I would most likely let it go. I enjoy my collection , I do enjoy life more and if I can make it better with buying a home instead of renting , 100% will .
May actually give me the push to start collecting more modern sets as I do not buy anything after the Hoenn sets , as vintage is just getting nutso pollazo and I really don’t see it getting better anytime soon
If you’ve been in pokemon long enough you see the market cycles. With each new run there are new all time highs and new floors on the downturns. There’s no reason to wait to sell if you’re already up. Take your wins and buy back when everyone is selling. There will be a time in the next cycle that will make you even more uncomfortable.
It’s easy to say that, but a year ago I thought the same and sold some cards when they quadrupled in price suddenly. I don’t think I could afford to buy back now after they tripled again. You never know what’s going to happen.
I have no trophy cards. All set and niche. I am on pause with grading anything right now which is how I’d make a few extra bucks to buy and get some 10s set aside for future growth. I sold some high grade mostly low pop vintage too early last year, when prices started moving and I thought it best to take some gains. Vintage doubles/extras are mostly sold already. I can hardly look at current prices since it makes me sick to my stomach how much money I left on the table.
So to current, I am buying Japanese that have English equivalents so I can retain the artwork I enjoy since the English versions/lower pops will probably generally keep running. Getting the Japanese equivalent before those become too expensive to buy, too. I am also buying lower grades I can afford for vintage. I am absolutely holding almost everything else. Sell a card here and there. I already could not afford to buy back most of my higher value cards if I sold now. It is uncomfortable, but the sting of not seizing the opportunity to sell and prices tank but I still have my cards is probably no worse than selling “too early” (relatively, since I was still net positive by quite a margin).
It is maddening to keep rethinking what my PC actually is versus what it used to be—everything! But I am convinced more than ever that all things being equal—a big question mark—I think the rarest and best stuff will keep running and less not more will come to market eventually. No chance I could afford to buy back, and “life changing” money is a real possibility for my kid at the very least. So, I’m holding for now (even modern), until it is, or just pass it on. 20 years from now? Either close to zero or not worth selling, or maybe a 1 and a mess of 0s.
Ask this question in 6 months and who knows what I’ll say. Seems every year I contradict myself because I keep getting surprised by the market ups and downs.
Nobody can do this, not even people who have been in for 20 years and atleast some low pop cards you sell now, will not pop back up in the bear market, guaranteed. Yet to see some low pop mews in this run, which popped up last bull. You always take that risk and there is nothing wrong with selling as long as you are aware of it but you made it sound too easy
There’s always going to be a better time in pokemon to sell. My point is if you’re at all time highs and you want to sell you’ve already won. It’s not going to stay like this forever.
+1. It’s a very odd feeling. From Pokemon collector nerd to this. I used to not talk much about my collection to avoid the disparaging snickers. Now the motivation is different. It’s is absolutely crazy where we are.
The money then goes into (i) products that have fallen in price like Tohoku/Hiroshima/Fukuoka boxes for investment and (ii) rare cards that surface to market (due to price increase) for personal collection.
Like mentioned in the other thread. Don’t get rid of everything but if you have the opportunity to significantly advance and improve your life. It is something worth considering
+1 too. The value of my collection has started to make me slightly uncomfortable as well. Never in a million years did I think the $50 PSA 10 cards I was buying in 2017 would be worth what they are now.
This is a great opportunity to level up to higher teir cards, which is something I am considering doing. Suddenly those low to mid teir expensive promos and trophy card prices don’t look so unattainable now.
