1 AM Rant: Investing in Collectibles: An Item is ONLY Worth What Someone Is Willing to Pay for it!

Recorded at 1 AM EST and I was very tired when this was recorded...so apologies in advance! Welcome back to Reserved Investments, the only non-hype driven KZbin Channel devoted to the entire antiques and collectibles trade. On this channel, we discuss collectibles finance. Want to learn how to financially navigate the antiques and collectibles trade as a collector, speculator, investor, or dealer? Then subscribe to this channel and learn the fundamentals. In this video, we discuss all you need to know about how value is assessed to any kind of antique or collectible (spoiler alert: It's whatever someone is willing to pay when an item is offered for sale...it really is that simple). Sorry, pop culture hype driven influencers who think they can predict the future!
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Disclaimer: Videos are not intended to provide direct investment advice. Please consult a licensed financial professional before making any decisions. Investing or speculating in the antiques and collectibles is inherently risky!

[@forbeatssake1530]

“but, but, but the price guide says…” 😂

[@stevenewsome5306]

I have a buddy I sell to and trade with that goes by “guide book-collector value”. Example: I say “man it’s selling for 20 bucks average past 4-5 eBay sold listings, but his collector value says 40, he says let’s meet in the middle at 30. Ok but I would rather go by average eBay to be fair, but he hates eBay pricing. We’ve went round n round about this but works out in my favor. 🤷‍♂️ nice guy, but he’s very old school.

[@mfdoom1898]

😂😂😂😂 price guide

[@forbeatssake1530]

@@stevenewsome5306 does he want to meet in the middle when his “book” price is under current market value?

[@stevenewsome5306]

@@forbeatssake1530 yes

[@stevenewsome5306]

@@forbeatssake1530 yes always book value to him. Even though markets change fast and most guides are outdated. Doesn’t really work with collectibles the way it does with antiques. Not sure where he even gets the prices, but I’m always fair with him regardless.

[@professormr.doctor5442]

Hype equates to higher prices. Nostalgia is a huge factor. Cross-generational appeal is key. Not every “collectible” is actually worth collecting or investing in!

[@ReservedInvestments]

💯

[@UKDark_Mark]

Understanding ‘price’ versus ‘value’ is probably the key fundamental to spending on collectibles and once again you have absolutely nailed it Shawn. Great stuff…. 👍👍

[@RandomGuy-lu1en]

this is the best collectible finance content on yt!

[@gametimegallery7661]

💯

[@jburg636]

Nice 11:40 PM rant

[@TheMicahwitz]

Shawn straight up said “B. Dalton Book Sellers” 😂😂😂😂😂😂 I’ll one up you with Waterbed Gallery. 😆😆😆😆

[@raph-retro-comics]

A lot of great points. There are already a few genres in comic books that are already in steep decline or even non-collectable. The number of comic book collectors that collect Western, Funny Animal or even War titles are few and far between. Titles that featured Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse were very popular at one time, and even though they are still somewhat in popular culture, there aren't many comic book collectors out there that collect these titles.

[@weaslepopper]

On the other side of that,the few collectors of those obscure titles will sometimes pay a premium for those Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse books. The only question is exactly how high that premium is.

[@raph-retro-comics]

@@weaslepopper The sad thing is, a lot of these older Disney comic books are really good - especially for kids!

[@xTHETRAINx]

Edging to this rn 🎉

[@sidneyrivera3578]

Appreciate your efforts Shawn. ✌️ This is the motto I learned at the very start of my collecting days. Understanding the abstract nature of collectibles and emotion is important. So, are you telling me my hoard of Burlesque Dancer Leg Lamps is worthless now?😂

[@absoluteclownworld]

That is correct! Good thing millions of people buy and sell what I'm into 😅

[@malloc5014]

The watch market has always been bad for this. People think because a rolex sold for 10x its value then all watches must increase in value. The Rolex market at the moment is like the dutch tulip craze. People spending ridiculous 3 -5 times the RRP. if you pay more than the RRP while something is still being manufactured then you are a fool following a trend.

[@ReservedInvestments]

Rolex watches were in a bubble. Sadly, some still look at modern specimens as investments. They are not, they are just luxury watches, nothing more.

[@stevenewsome5306]

In 2020 I was considering selling my game collection and through Shawn’s advice I went hardcore. I now have a 6 figure stock portfolio, emergency fund and most importantly peace of mind. Shawn is the goat and I’m so thankful for his channel. I found my passion, evaluating companies and the world of finance, along with flipping collectibles. Wish I would have found Shawn in college. I had no passion and quit college. Life worked out though and no doubt I will be a millionaire within 21 years.

[@ReservedInvestments]

👍

[@Johnny_Ultimate]

I think people make a critical error when they confuse "value" for "price". Obviously they are linked but they are not the same. In my case, I'm selling through a HUGE vintage IBM/PC game collection. One of the games, "Aliens ate my babysitter, was VALUED, at the time, on pricecharting at around $250 or so. In my investigation, I saw no current sales, scarce sales history and what little there was did not meet the quality level of what I had. I posted it on Ebay for a PRICE of $1700 (CAD. I'm in Canada) and then went to bed. When I woke up, it was already sold and paid for. The item still shows up in sold listings. If I had gone by value, I would have made a grave error. Indeed, apparently I sold it to cheap anyway.

[@nevercold808]

That's pretty awesome! It does suck when your BIN listing sells in under 24 hours, tho. Usually means it was priced too cheap. We've all been there. Still a huge W for you, tho. Congrats!

[@sp123]

@@nevercold808 its better to take the profit and move on to other things.

[@jonsaircond8520]

But sometimes everything aligned you have something that 1 person is looking for regardless of price. I've paid whatever when I finally find something I want but had a hard time finding. Doesn't always mean the masses wanted it just that person

[@nevercold808]

​@@sp123Totally valid.

[@nevercold808]

​@@jonsaircond8520That's a plausible scenario, too. I myself would have a lingering "What could've been?" feeling if my BIN sold very quickly. Been there multiple times so it's just something I've experienced. Not saying you gotta milk every sale for all it's worth, just saying when something gets scooped up in a haste, I personally have a "What did I miss" moment.

[@TheMysteryDriver]

That's what I'm telling you, we need to start a channel encouraging how cool 90s star wars toys are ;)

[@user-pp3dl8id7r]

Excellent content

[@jeffmccombs4463]

I couldn't agree more. Great video!

[@hartspot009]

Price and value of course are different animals. Demand and supply is the core driver of most markets, although Shawn has educated everyone on the modern collectibles MANUFACTURED SCARCITY game. Heed his warnings!

[@OMG-ws6lx]

Great video shawn!

[@DEE-o4v]

Selling damn seed packets.....THAT's what I grew up with on the back of my comics. What a con they tried to shaft onto us kids....

[@DEE-o4v]

You bring up a good point about Superman...sure his "Action Comics #1" can go for millions...but i"ll tell you what - Superman collectibles DO NOT move all that fast....and in fact....go SLOW. So yes no one should assume that just because that Action comics went for a record, that EVERY other Superman item will follow. It doesn't work THAT way.

[@Teacherguy06]

You, sir, are a scrooge and a destroyer of dreams . Your truthful words cut me to my collecting core. That is why I will come back for your further tough love.

[@ReservedInvestments]

This is why most collectors HATE me and I love it! ;)

[@timreierson26]

Shaun, what comics do you predict will have cultural relevance 10-20 years from now? Is it based on certain popular characters like Spider-Man or Batman? Is it a particular genre like Pre-Code Horror? Or it based on certain cover artists that posthumously are highly regarded? I am very interested in what kind of comics you would keep in a longer term investment strategy.

[@RareManga]

Thanks Shawn

[@oarancards4443]

Love to buy this guy dinner

[@ReservedInvestments]

It would have to be gluten free and preferably diary free as well. I am also not a cheap date and can be very high-maintenance at times. While I am gluten free due to having celiac disease, the comment was meant to be tongue and cheek so please don't hate me... ;)

[@Kurtle001]

Shawn is the Goat 🐐

[@ReservedInvestments]

He's something...

[@weaslepopper]

I work with a bunch of guys that collect a combo of sports cards,comics,and figures,and I always try to tell them not to rely on the listing prices on eBay because that's not what product "x" is worth,just what some clown thinks what they hope someone will pay for it. I'm gonna push back a bit about saying that the data from the old price guides are obsolete the second they are published. I just look at it as pure data,or a record of perceived value. If there are sales records,then that's also just pure data. Now whether or not that data is used to set "value" that's a different spoke on the wheel.

[@Johndeplume.]

Very valid points, Shawn. Glad to hear that you pronounce 'vase' (as in 'Mars') correctly. I can't take people who say it any other way seriously. Always makes me cringe when I hear it pronounced as 'base' on the US version of Antique Roadshow!. 🙂👍

[@mikedl1105]

Adam Smith described this hundreds of years ago, but for some reason we each have to discover it for ourselves

[@ReservedInvestments]

To be fair, he (Smith) did a poor job of describing it and point two, Adam Smith was NOT as pro-capitalistic as you are led to believe. Most of the highlights presented by people with an agenda to quote Smith, gloss over Smith's dramatic disdain for monopolies and centralized monetary interests. This is something that is never discussed when individuals gleefully praise Adam Smith's most famous work, 'The Wealth of Nations.'

[@mikedl1105]

@@ReservedInvestments I think I missed something. How is this relevant to basic supply and demand?

[@ReservedInvestments]

Literary scholars were discussing supply and demand long before Smith came into the equation. While Smith is sometimes credited with being the Father of Economics, that moniker is not factually correct.

[@mikedl1105]

@@ReservedInvestments that was really my point. The basic principles of supply and demand have been known for hundreds of years, but we don't seem to get it until we experience it, like when buying used video games

[@DEE-o4v]

The trick is to find things that are "timeless".....or of a historical value....

[@Whalewraith]

I like comics. Ebay is intresting. So many listings from people who won't move from the covid pricing.

[@KSASTAMPS]

I wouldn't say 'illogical' I would say all these markets are purely subjective. In the sense that no collectibles/antiques have any inherent objective value at all. You are correct that all prices are being determined by an auction process--even all the food in a grocery store for example. it's just that unlike an actual auction the price of basic goods doesn't have to be adjusted every minute (such as in precious metals markets where it does change constantly). Price is always an objective measure of the subjective value an individual places on that good (or service). If you trade your $1 for a good that always means that the buyer subjectively values the item at MORE than the $1, and the seller subjectively values the $1 for MORE than the good in question. When this occurs, a trade occurs. Both parties are subjectively improved by the exchange.

[@goldeneastgun]

Shhhh... lets keep this quiet till I've had the chance to sell off my stuff? 😜

[@nevercold808]

Well said, man. I collect Pokémon and whenever I share a pull with someone who is clueless about the hobby, the first thing they usually ask is "How much is it worth?" I usually tell them but quickly follow it with "Don't look into the value too much. It's all made up." If the economy goes to shit anytime soon, people will know exactly what you were trying to convey with this vid.

[@DEE-o4v]

Ted Hake remembers Orphan Annie......be assured of that.

[@dabradmp1]

This would be perfect for the Retro video game market. Like the local retro game store where I live trying to sell instruction manual of gba game for 500$

[@ReservedInvestments]

As a whole, most (not all) video game collectors are horrid at understanding the investment potential of the items they are holding. Just my experience from many, many years of being in the trade and I started selling 'rare' (note the quotation marks) Atari games to collectors who told me they would retire off the profits of those games in 20 years time...lol. We are now past 20 years and where are all those collectors who retired by selling their video game collections. Hmm...

[@tubernery]

Hey Shawn! I got a 1988 Official Overstreet Comic Buyers Guide. I miss the good old days where you can browse through a price guide and dream that your current collection will skyrocket in value, or wonder about the actual value of comics on display at the local comic shop (like X-Men 100!).

[@OMG-ws6lx]

I became a millionaire after watching this channel!!!

[@leehaskins307]

anyone collecting/investing in collectables should certainly know the value of the item is only as valuable as someone will buy it for… its like bitcoin.. it has no value other then what the next person is willing to pay for it… I understand that as a sports cards collector and hope in the future someone wants to buy it for more later..

[@warehousedave7937]

Xbox 360 right now 🤯

[@KeyKiller74]

The louder the hype the more bang your get for your item. 🤑💯

[@j.franks3299]

I always thought it was funny to watch people who think they're item is worth a certain price because 1 other items like it sold for a particular price. 1 sale doesn't make a trend, especially if it's a more common item. I think if you have several sales with consistent price trends then you can put a solid number to something, but everyone just wants to cherry pick the high price and say "look, mine's worth that!"

[@tomneijnens4048]

Thank you very much

[@RandomCC777]

1000 years from now people will still remember Michael Jordan and Kobe🔥that’s why we should only invest in the goat 🐐🔥🔥🔥

[@hartspot009]

Be cautious friend

[@dabradmp1]

Hopefully you are sarcastic haha

[@ReservedInvestments]

Be careful with that line of thinking. I am not saying you're wrong, but you need not only people to remember them, but demand for the cards and memorabilia to increase as well. The secret to making money in these markets over the long term is demand... ;)

[@raulmendieta9696]

Vāse vs. Vâse 😂😂😂 that was great 👍

[@vinniecorleone62]

Value is very subjective, always has been. I don't give a damn what my games, consoles & strategy guides are worth, as they are priceless to me, as I bought them all to play & to enjoy within my game-room. I didn't buy even one game because of it's value, I just don't care.

[@stevenewsome5306]

Shawn can we get some info on the patreon. Need to pump it up. Unlike most, I’m sure yours is worth it.

[@ReservedInvestments]

Thanks for the kind words. My Patreon is listed in the video description.

[@jedirun]

I would like to hear your thoughts on Adam Koralik's latest video regarding the rising price of xbox 360, wii and ps3 games :)

[@Mmantis]

unless DC MARVEL HASBRO CGC AFA etc cease to exist they are power houses NINTENDO everything they own come back around .

[@ReservedInvestments]

This has been proven incorrect. People felt the same way about PEZ (still in business), Lionel Trains (still in business), and other companies. Unfortunately, it means nothing over the long term.

[@joshuawyatt4381]

It reminds me of how people collected the antiques known as 'stamps' and 'currency'. In the before time, long long ago, people apparently paid for things with physical paper and metal as markers of value instead of digitally. They would send messages with paper and envelopes and apparently had to affix a 'stamp' in order for it to be delivered. I just commented on this video immediately without needing currency to pay for a stamp, thus times are a changing indeed...

[@christopherdunn1206]

Just so I’m a clear……..that’s a hard “No” on leg-lamp investing?

[@ReservedInvestments]

NO! ;)

[@BoopDoopPoop]

I like how you make a joke and move on. Most people will say "so" or "so whatever". You have those improv skills!

[@markvega4110]

So that means I should sell whatever collectibles I got now that there is still a market out there for them, now that the buyers are still alive 😂 that makes complete sense. I just got a Sega collection and I'm selling em. Looking at all the boxes Sega CD games like time gal and road avenger, I don't think the next generation will appreciate these as much as we do. Therefore I feel it's best to sell while these buyers are still buying and still kicking lol

[@DEE-o4v]

Yup....a collectible can be assumed to be worth a lot...but IF no one WANTS it......well....it becomes worth a lot less. It's all based on IF someone wants it and WHAT are they willing to pay for it.......and it will ALWAYS be THAT way. Collectibles are NOT liquid assets folks.......live with it. Don't plan on having your retirement funded ONLY by collectibles.

[@monkey39128]

Oooh saying "vase" the same way we say it in Britain! Love it! In all seriousness what you're talking about has been so helpful to me the last couple of months since I started watching your channel. Why was I trying to guess the future demand of Evolving Skies when I can sell it now for £600 a box? Who knows. It's even stupider when you consider my bank is currently paying 8% just to leave my money there. I'm just glad I'm relearning what I thought I knew and am able to make some money in the process. As always, thank you for everything you do! P.S. Do you keep that Shining Fates box there as proof that not all Pokémon sets go up? 😂

[@ReservedInvestments]

Yes! Eventually it will get rotated out. 😉

[@monkey39128]

@@ReservedInvestments 😂😂😂

[@reggie3819]

I've been selling collectables for about 15 years... I've been saying and thinking this for 15 years lol. The values are so phoney

[@ReservedInvestments]

I'm going to split hairs with you a little here, so don't mind me... It's not the that values are phoney, it is that they are fugazzi. If you are on the correct side of fugazzi, you can make a lot of money, but for everyone else, they always lose.

[@reggie3819]

@@ReservedInvestments you're spot on. My rule of thumb for anything of value is simple. True price discovery is obtained at the time of sale. Many variables go into how and why a price occurs. Most won't your video or even what I'm saying. Value is truly relative, especially for a collectable.

[@Whalewraith]

Ovaltine still sells in the uk

[@ReservedInvestments]

In the US it is virtually unknown...

[@Whalewraith]

@@ReservedInvestments Horlicks is a childhood one that's virtually unheard of now (UK)

[@gabrielpapi1]

Ain't that true for everything's price/value?

[@ReservedInvestments]

No, try negotiating the price of a share of an S&P 500 index…

[@gabrielpapi1]

@@ReservedInvestments But it fluctuates according to the market "sentiment" (and many other things ofc), which is how much investors are willing to pay for it at a specific point in time.

[@Mitjitsu]

I think it's still likely 500 years from now that people will know who Batman and Superman are. To claim otherwise is to say we won't have TV shows, movies, video games , merchandise and internet anymore.

[@ParallelUniversity]

Maybe people who study history of the 20th century might know about these characters. But all it takes is 50 years or so of the character not being sold in any form of media or merchandise and it will be largely forgotten. If the characters are perpetually kept alive and reinvented for new generations, it could go on indefinitely, but this is not likely. In 50 years, it will probably be hard to find anyone who knows about Popeye or Felix the Cat. Characters like Batman and Superman may take longer to disappear from relevance, but 500 years is a really long time. Think about it, 500 years ago was 1524. The world is changing at an ever-faster pace as time goes on. The internet is not the permanent storage people think it is. Lots of things that were on the internet even 10 years ago are inaccessible now except in fragmented content from the wayback machine, or lost entirely.

[@ReservedInvestments]

You can predict 500 years into the future and still believe our corny superheroes will still be a ‘thing?’ America isn’t even 250 years old. Color me impressed because I’m sorry, that just isn’t possible.

[@hartspot009]

Do you remember The Yellow Kid? Buster Brown? Betty Boop? They and others were comic kings and queens of their day 1905-early 1930s. Few people know of the first 2, a bigger base for Boop because of modern collectibles. 500 years from now, there will be new legends and new classics. Batman and Superman will be quaint memories at best. You know...like The Yellow Kid

[@Carl_McMelvin]

Uhhh, that is true of everything on earth. Nothing is worth more than what someone is willing to pay for it. 😂 🤦‍♂️

[@ReservedInvestments]

Look deeper. Your answer is there. (queue the cute little emoji here!) ;)

[@bat2275]

How dare you insult the collecting of comic books 😡😡😡😡😡😡 Actually, as long as prices hold strong until I am dead, that is all I care about. Screw the owner of ACTION #1 who is 500 years in the future. The way the Fed prints money, it will still be selling for $6 million in 500 years.

[@ReservedInvestments]

Prices of this stuff can change on a dime. We may not have to wait 500 years for that to occur. Point two, collectibles are a horrible inflationary hedge, I have done videos on that. Be careful with that analysis.... ;)

[@TheMysteryDriver]

Atari rereleases keep their classic stuff cheap. Also it looks like crap lol

[@marcfie7095]

If this was true, then the releases of classic Nintendo games in Nintendo Online should make the original console releases from the past cheap. But that is not the case. The truth is, Atari rereleases are a niche product for a very niche audience of boomers and an even more niche section of consumers interested in ancient games. The difference to Nintendo is: Nintendo has a constant history of releases and creating new fan generations and nostalgia from the 80s to the present day. Todays grown up Nintendo fans may have fallen in love with Nintendo with the GameCube or the GBA, but their nostalgia lets them look back to the SNES or NES era and they try to buy the first Mario or Zelda or Metroid titles in original form, even if they never played it in that form. They have organic nostalgia for Nintendo from a later era. Atari stopped being relevant in the 80s. Everything since then was a rehash of their 70s and 80s content. But there never were new generations of fans with new nostalgia created. Atari is a dead IP with a "Best of" compilation released every few years. That is the reason why Atari is dirt cheap and Nintendo is on a pedestal, where people think they can send their kids to college with their investments in their gaming collections.

[@TheMysteryDriver]

@@marcfie7095 because they haven't rereleased most of the stuff that's expensive. I can get SM3 for like nothing because it's on every system.

[@TheMysteryDriver]

1 am? It's not even midnight

[@ReservedInvestments]

The video is prerecorded...

[@brandonmetro7115]

@@ReservedInvestments Hahahaha

[@TheMysteryDriver]

@@ReservedInvestments even worse! It's probably an afternoon rant!

[@ReservedInvestments]

For some maybe!

[@brandonmetro7115]

aka..your either west coast or cental time. My guess is CST. I love this thread.

[@Shishkebarbarian]

i love your videos, but this one is so aggressively obtuse. When someone asks "what its worth" they mean, what is the average going rate of the item on the open market right now. the answer is simple and easy. friggin' obviously its worth what someone is willing to pay, the question is what are people, on average willing to pay right now. Secondly, investing in this stuff is betting on a particular market outcome. I think what Marvel/Disney did in the last 20 years pretty much guarantees that Marvel comic books will have demand and value and market interest for decades to come, if not centuries as these become the first editions of world famous persons of heroic caliber on the tier of Hercules, Dracula or Sherlock Holmes (and even surpass some). Humans have a innate connection to physical objects since humanity first began, a physical manifestation of something special to us will never go out of style with humanity. even if hundreds of years down the road, if we're still here, humans will naturally be drawn to objects of antiquity and vintage. You don't even have to be a collector, i know plenty of people who just have this or that one item that is special to them (an American flag from the revolutionary war, 1st edition of The Maltese Falcon, a purchased fully restored 1959 Cadillac - all of these people i know first hand and they are not collectors). There's no reason to believe that the top Marvel super heroes or possibly even Pokemon will ever lose relevance, they will simply adapt to whatever medium of entertainment the future holds. (full disclosure: i do not like or care for pokemon, even if i was the prime age for it when it first released and got 151 in Blue on the Gameboy Pocket in the 90s). your examples of a bb gun or a boring 80s movie about a girl have no place in this discussion (unless someone is into investing into NERF or Anchorman memorabilia). if your argument is that people won't want *comics* or *trading cards* in general, that is possible, but those Apex IPs will always be in demand as people will always be driven to get 'first prints' (ie, first appearances) of those iconic characters, or key story arcs that have defined the character to billions of humans. I think the same the same will be true for iconic videogame characters (now whether or not anyone will care about a graded sealed copy is another story, that WATA shit was definitely a scam and i am not into graded/sealed games at all).

[@johnnyfuture3524]

So, in the title of your video one of the words is "Rant". So before I watch your "rant", are you gonna throw any F-bombs? If so, Im not even gonna watch. Thank you for responding.

[@ReservedInvestments]

If this matters to you, and I am not sure why, as I would rather want to watch someone who is authentic and real, regardless as to whether they use profanity or not...but if this matters, my usual videos are PG rated, with a very few garnering a PG-13 to R rating for subject matter and content. Those videos tend to make an appearance in my Q & A's and not so much my rants, with few exceptions.

[@Silverbuttmunch69]

Top shelf. 👍

[@ArsonHicks]

I think the majority of the people this deep within the Pokémon community realise that it needs to stay culturally relevant. The reason why people are probably so bullish is because it is still very strong with the youngest generation. They all have Pokemon clothing, stickers, plush etc as well as the franchise still being strong as far as the video games and cards go. You see signs of it out in society every single time you leave the house. If you are smart about it and slowly build in to a position over time at good prices there is the potential to make significant money on the side.

[@ReservedInvestments]

Sports card collectors thought the same thing back in 1980's, comic book collectors thought the same thing in the early 1990's, and so forth and so forth. Every one and their mother is hoarding all of these items at present time. Resellers are fighting over pennies, not dollars. If you can flip this stuff for a quick profit, that's where the real potential lies, not holding this mass produced stuff for decades and hoping it goes up in value.

[@peterz9560]

Great video.

[@gooseduck8552]

Great speech!! Thanks for sharing.

[@WillKat66]

Good video 👍🏼