Show Notes
We’ve been told for decades now that the goal of collecting is to get bigger cards, higher grades and more expensive slabs. Upgrade! Upgrade! Upgrade!
Improving the value of your sports card collection isn’t necessarily a bad thing, mind you. It’s just not the only thing you should worry about.
Lately, however, I’ve realized that’s not the kind of card collection I actually want.
Instead of just spending my money on the biggest cards i can afford, I began to pivot how I collect, and I started buying more cards that mean more to me personally.
Some might call it “downgrading” (selling bigger cards for more smaller ones), and I’m OK with that. But I believe it’s actually an upgrade to my collection, as I focus more on what I want.
“Downgrading” My 1958 Topps Hank Aaron
I’m selling my 1958 Topps Hank Aaron #30 PSA 5, so I can eventually buy a 1957 Topps Hank Aaron in an SGC 3.
1958 Topps Hank Aaron #30
On paper, I’m gaining one year in card age, but I’m losing two grades and dropping to a perceived lesser grading service, not to mention the eBay fees from my sale.
1957 Topps Hank Aaron #20
In reality, though, I’m gaining my favorite Hank Aaron card ever — the reverse-negative photo, Topps’ first cards with color photographs, and one of the most beautiful cards Hank Aaron cards ever.
It’s a downgrade on the label, but a huge upgrade in my enjoyment.
7 Benefits of Downgrading Your Sports Card Collection
Here’s why selling my big sports cards makes sense for me right now.
1. Taking Advantage of a Strong Market
The sports card market is unpredictable, but what we do know is we’re in one of the strongest periods the hobby has ever seen. Look at the monthly volume of card sales on Card Ladder dating back to 2010 into the first half of this year.
Courtesy of CardLadder.com
If collectors are paying these premium prices for sports cards you own — why not let today’s market help finance tomorrow’s collection? You’ll simply move money out of sports cards you like into sports cards you’ll appreciate even more.
2. Enjoy More Cards
Remember that your sports card collection isn’t/shouldn’t be your retirement account — it’s something you’re supposed to enjoy. (It might end up being both, but it’s unlikely.)
Personally, I’d rather own vintage cards of five Hall of Famers that each tell a different story than have all of that value tied up in a single slab sitting in a safe.
Experience more of the hobby instead of concentrating all your enjoyment into one expensive card.
Yes, you can sell some cards you don’t love and buy an expensive card you do love, but you can also sell cards you “like.”
It also gives collectors permission to stop chasing someone else’s definition of the “right” card. Maybe you’ll never own a 1952 Topps Willie Mays, and that’s perfectly all right.
If the 1961 Topps Willie Mays is the card that makes you smile every time you see it, let that be your Willie Mays representative. The same goes for card condition. Your collection doesn’t have to be filled with PSA 10s to be meaningful collection. A PSA 3, an SGC 4, or even a beautiful raw card can tell some great stories.
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3. Less Financial Stress
Every collector has a dollar amount where a card stops being fun, and starts becoming stressful. Instead of thinking, “I can’t wait to show someone this card,” you start thinking, “I really hope nothing ever happens to this card.”
That’s not a fun feeling.
By selling my most expensive cards, I can still own pieces of hobby history without constantly worrying about whether they’re properly insured, safely stored, or protected from every possible disaster.
4. Greater Peace of Mind
The more valuable your collection becomes, the more responsibilities come with it, meaning you’ll have to worry about insurance policies, home security, shipping concerns, storage, and showing caution when displaying your cards online.
Three short years ago, showing my cards behind me in a video didn’t mean much. But now, I’d rather move on from those cards, and show good cards behind me, that won’t endanger my house or family.
While you might not have a YouTube channel, you still have people that likely come through your house at different moments, and you don’t want to become a target.
Collecting should be relaxing, not stressful.
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5. Every Card Tells Another Story
One of the main reasons I’ve pivoted to this new philosophy is because I’m a type collector. I don’t need 10 copies of the same rookie card. I’d much rather own one representative card from every year, every Hall of Famer, or every iconic Topps set.
Every new card becomes another story to tell.
Instead of buying doubles, I explore other players, other sets, other eras, or other piece of baseball history. To me, that’s far more rewarding than simply increasing the grade on a card I already own.
6. Your Collection Becomes More Personal
Once you stop worrying about investment value, you start asking different questions. Which player photo do I love the most? Which baseball card design brings back the best memories? Which card perfectly captures that era?
Nobody else gets to answer those questions for you.
Understand that the goal isn’t to own the “best” card according to the market. The goal is to own your best card. Basically, you want to own the card that means the most to you every time you look in your display or open your binder.
7. You Remember Why You Started Collecting
Most “Comeback Collectors” didn’t return to the this awesome hobby because they wanted to compete in a PSA registry. We came back because we remembered opening wax packs on our beds, flipping through our binders, trading cards with friends, and discovering cards we’d never seen before.
That’s the feeling I’m chasing now.
Holding Elections Now!
Instead of owning fewer and fewer cards that cost more and more money, I’d rather own more cards that tell more stories. That’s ultimately what led me to create what I’m calling my Sports Card House of Representatives! Just one baseball card from every year that best represents that season in my collection.
I’m excited to share this journey with you over the next few weeks! I’ll share who got elected, which elections were landslide wins (1956 Topps Jackie Robinson!), and which seats are still open. Get ready — because I’ll ask for your Representatives, too!
Have you ever improved your baseball card collection by selling a card to buy a lesser one?
I’d love to hear about it! Drop it in the comments below!
🏆 BEST ROOKIE CARDS FROM EVERY YEAR! 🏆
We list the best rookie cards from each flagship release in all four major sports since the 1950s.
Best MLB Rookie Cards From Every Year!
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Best NBA Rookie Cards From Every Year!
Best WNBA Rookie Cards From Every Year!
Best NHL Rookie Cards From Every Year!
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