I think the debate has always gone on regarding collectors vs investors in the card collecting world. Me, I've been a collector off and on since I was a kid. Being a collector means to me that you're willing to pay what you see fit for a card in order to build your collection. Being an investor simply means you're buying for the investment in hopes of someday selling for more then what you paid for.
I've been back into collecting hockey cards and watching the markets for about the past 2 years now. I've gone to a few local card shows in Vancouver, perused a few sports collecting related websites, and of course, watched many auctions on eBay. For me, perusing eBay is like a worldwide multi-family garage sale at my fingertips. You can sell items on there at totally overinflated prices while also picking up some real steals. I have gotten upwards of $65USD for a boxer blast of cards that I paid $24.99CDN for. I have also gotten cards whose BV is greater then $40USD for $0.99USD plus shipping.
I'm a hockey collector and have found the greatest steals on eBay in the off season - particuliarly in the summertime. Everyone is out enjoying the sunshine and most are not paying attention to anything hockey related and won't until the start of the new season. If you're read my sports cards collecting blog, you'll know that I set goals for looking for great steals on eBay such as the 3 Markus Naslund RCs I picked up for $1.25USD.
The flipside of course is finding buyers willing to pay what you want for your cards. If you've been in the hobby long enough, you'll know that the best time to sell cards is when they first come out. Prices are always inflated and it is NOT the time to be buying them - wait until the off season when you can find some great buys.
Of course there are exceptions to every rule. I kick myself in the butt for not selling some of my Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin RCs when they were super inflated. I saw some prices close to if not over $200 for Crosby's and around $100 for Ovechkins. Over the summer, it was more like $100 and $60. Fast forward a few months and we're back up closer to the $200 and $125 mark.
A few words of caution about using eBay. I'm sure just like me, you've not always fully read the auction description to see what it is you are bidding on. Always ensure you're bidding on what you think and not some empty box aka garbage from someone else. I've seen Xbox 360 boxes go for a few hundred I'm assuming because the descriptions were not read! If you use PayPal, ensure that they accept it - I've gotten burned on this twice - I hate sending Money Orders/Cheques. Also ensure that what you think is a great buy is not going to be a ripoff from absurd shipping prices. I have seen some Luc Bourdon RCs lately for $0.99USD that I'd love to bid on but balk at the $4.99USD shipping price.
If you're selling and want people to bid, be sure to accept money in forms that your customers would be paying and don't be ridiculous with shipping prices. If it's going to cost you $0.90 to ship the item, don't charge $5 for it! The biggest deterant for most eBay bidders is extremely inflated shipping costs. Don't forget that your customers will see how much it cost to ship the item!
Happy Collecting!
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