The Question of the Day is a way to facilitate community discussion to help members ponder the unanswered questions of the world that are somehow relating to the hobby. Questionsj are many times open ended and up to interpretation. Feel free to post your thoughts in as much or as little detail as you’d like.
Helpful Considerations may or may not help some people focus their answer, these are blurred to not bother those who have their own ideas.
Today’s Question: QotD: How much is too much for a card?
Helpful Considerations: $50, $500, $5000, $50,000, $5,000,000? Regardless amount, regardless of you personal finances, what price do you think would realistically make any card too much?
I don’t ever see myself being able to justify spending more than $1500 on a card. I think $1300 is the most I ever spent on a card (Pokemon or Sports) and I had a hard time justifying that. Even when my purchasing power grows, that will probably be my ultimate limit.
Any amount that would directly impact having a pension/retirement investments.
I’ve made what I consider a solid and high offer for the last card I need but I wouldn’t buy anything at a price that stopped me being able to retire at a decent age
Thinking of the absolute roof if it’s four figures it really has to be something completely exceptional and basically one of, even three figures requires something special from the card.
But really most of my purchases are cards were even 1$ is too much
My first expensive slab was $200 and I felt very irresponsible paying that much.
Then it went up to $288.
Then it increased for a grail to $540.
I’d like to believe $540 was my cap but when I’m desperate on the last few Snorunts in my master set (currently pop 0), it might get a little irresponsible because of competing with master setters
I just spent $50 on a near perfect condition Fossil Mew and was like, “eeehhhhhh do I really???” the entire time considering it. For me, it’s more about the feeling I have about the card and if it causes a negative emotional response when thinking about owning it for a certain price. I’ve actually even sold cards that I felt I overpaid for, just so they wouldn’t haunt me.
Six or seven years ago, I would’ve said anything over £50. Then it became £100. A few years ago, “great” deals suddenly fell into the £200-£300 bracket.
Now the highest I’ve spent is £700 on a single card, and I’m actually contemplating spending a few £1000’s to get a 1st Ed Charizard. Finances aren’t the problem, it’s the fact I regularly remind myself these are bits of cardboard at the end of the day…they don’t actually do anything or have any other function than to look nice in the hands of children and nostalgic millennials.
My ongoing project is for my entire collection to have cost me $0. If i buy a card, i must sell a card to offset the cost. I would much rather have 10 “lesser” cards than 1 “grail” card for the same price.
95% of my cards were bought for under $10. The most I’ve spent on an ungraded card is $50, and the most i’ve spent on a graded card is $150. To some it would be pocket change, but I would find it personally irresponsible to go anywhere near 4 figures for a card.
If i were to hit the Powerball i would buy all the cards i could never justify, even back in the good ol’ days. I’m looking at you Tamamushi Hypertest Magikarp…
Like always it depends on the money you have. Most cases in life are ruled by money, sad to say but it’s the truth. I said for most people but still have a few exceptions.
I’m not a wealthy man but sometimes theres so much excitement of buying a card I really want that I’m happy to pay (sometimes overpay) and not give it a second thought. However, there are times when the excitement does not outweigh the price and I’ll have to let it go. Case in point, Ive wanted a trophy kangaskhan for the longest time even in a low grade it would still be significantly more than Ive ever spent on anything in my life besides my home. I could put it on a credit card and pay it off over a very long time or just save up for it but tbh the excitement of even considering that is quickly outweighed by the anxiety of how reckless that purchase would be. Ultimately Ive accepted that I cant own every card I want.
I’m trying to pinpoint the method I use to determine if I card is too expensive. Cause a 1st Ed base 9 Charizard for 12k can be a steal, but a 9 jungle card for 300$ seems absurd to me.
I guess the answer would be if the price is significantly higher than it has been trending at for the past year or 2. But even that is kinda vague
I’m willing to spend much more if the card is funded through consolidating my collection. I have a hard time spending more than a few hundred on things that I’m not specifically consolidating/shifting for. But I’d drop 5 figures on a pokeman if I recently sold 5 figures of other pokemans from my closet. Taxes accounted for, back off IRS.
The few hundred dollar mental limit has defintely decreased over the past few years. I’d rather spend additional funds on a vacation, or (fingers crossed) a house project if we’re able to find a place.
For context, I don’t have debts and my retirement is in a good place, otherwise would need to shore those areas up first.
