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Millennials are now getting to the age where their childhood toys are becoming collectible, and this has generated a whole new phenomenon: vintage factory-sealed video games are selling for top dollar. Eric Naierman started as a sports card collector, and the knowledge he built from that hobby served him well when he formed a group called the Vintage Video Game Club to invest in the video games together.

We had the pleasure of chatting with this New York Times-featured collector for a second time to learn more about his investment – and his advice for others looking to join him.

Why did you choose to invest in collectibles?

ERIC: I saw it as a fun way to invest my money. Also, I saw it as a lucrative way to invest and I felt that it was under-appreciated as an asset class. Wealthy people are willing to spend a lot on an art piece that means something to them. I felt that my culture – the 80s and 90s culture – has more of an appreciation for art in the form of tangible nostalgia. I didn’t grow up appreciating Picasso as much as other folks may, but I enjoyed certain things that took me back to my childhood and can be preserved as pieces of art. As a culture, it is amazing to see our shared passions come together to form a market and asset class that acts as a store of value.

How did you become knowledgeable about video games?

ERIC: I used to collect sports cards, and I always followed my hunches about the sports card market. I was buying high-end sports cards online, and by chance, I clicked on a vintage video game auction site. They were offering them for sale, and everything hit me at that moment. I felt that sealed video games checked all the boxes for a premium up-and-coming nostalgic collectible. They were naturally scarce because keeping them sealed didn’t make much sense back then – especially the expensive, popular games. So much time and emotion was poured into playing these games back in the day, which lends to a strong nostalgic connection – and hence, a strong demand for the games in present day. Finally, the cultural significance is very strong because of all the modern-day aspects of our life that were influenced by the gameplay and game characters.

But to answer the question, the knowledge came slowly and steadily. If you are passionate about something, it is easier to put all your time and energy into learning about something. I literally spent most of my free time – when I wasn’t with my wife and children – learning about this market. I was studying population data, learning all the variations, and connecting and starting relationships with the most avid collectors. This was all part of a long but fulfilling process of mastering the space so I can collect well for myself as well as help others on their collecting journey in the future.

How do you ensure that your collection retains its value (storage, maintenance, etc.)?

ERIC: Well, for me, it’s about having it in a very safe and temperature-controlled environment. [They need to be kept] very safe because they become very valuable. They are kept in a secure room. I also keep them in different places, [rather than all together]. If something were to happen to them, it’s good to spread the risk. But they need to be kept secure!

When do/will you sell your collectibles? How do you determine the best time to sell?

ERIC: Truthfully, I am learning as I go regarding when to sell my items and when to keep them. I can say that I am naturally a skilled “buyer,” but selling has been very hard for me. This is because I truly build a connection and appreciation for the items and for the prospect of keeping them together in one collection. I mostly have been selling to help fund and further build the collection, but I have no plans of selling just to sell in the near future (although I am always open to attractive offers and trade ideas).

Do you have any advice for someone who is ready to sell their collection?

ERIC: I’ve learned that if you have an asset that’s truly rare and timeless, there is no good time to sell. That said, items such as sports collectibles are time-sensitive due to the player’s persona or performance. Mark McGuire collectibles were expensive when he was hitting home runs, but the steroid accusations ruined the value immensely. Be sensitive to basing value on personas. With anything that’s based on a living thing with a reputation, you need to be more in-tune with the twists and turns that their lives can take. It’s a speculative bet at the end of the day. We just found something fun to use as a betting medium!

In your opinion, can investing in vintage video games be relied upon as a primary source of investment income, or do you recommend that collectors have other investments in their portfolio?

ERIC: I don’t think it should be a primary investment. It should just be a small part of your investment portfolio, based on personal risk tolerance. I invest about one-third of my investable income in video games and other pop culture collectibles. It also helps to be passionate about collecting if you want to invest in it. Passion really helps a lot. You just do better when you are passionate about something. You at least enjoy the process and learn from it, even if you don’t make any money from it.

You can learn more about Eric and his collection by following VVGClub on Instagram.
 
 
 

Dan Walker started collecting during his childhood but gave it up for a time and then returned to it as an adult. His years of knowledge and diligent stamp collecting have won him some prestigious awards. Philatelic activities take up most of his time, as he is the treasurer of a stamp organization and often travels to appear as a judge in international shows.

We had the pleasure of interviewing Dan to gather his expertise on the subject of stamp collecting and whether or not it is a suitable investment.

Why did you choose to invest in stamps?

DAN: I haven’t really invested in stamps. It’s a hobby; I enjoy it. I like history, and I have a tendency to like mysteries. There’s a lot you can determine from collecting stamps and envelopes that have stamps on them. It’s not so much of an investment as it is a hobby. I’ve sold some of my stamps, but I sell them to buy new stamps.

How did you become knowledgeable about stamps?

DAN: I was a collector as a child, but I gave it up in high school and college/graduate school. Then one day, I went on a vacation to Jamaica. I went to the post office and bought some stamps for my postcards to send back to friends. In the hotel room, I noticed how pretty the stamps were, so I went back and bought all the stamps they had.

When I got back to New York City, I remember walking around one evening looking for a magazine called Stamp Collector Magazine, which I remembered from childhood. Around midnight in Grand Central Station, I finally found a copy of this magazine. I joined a group called the British Empire Study Group and they got me involved with the Collectors Club of New York. So, I decided to start collecting as an adult.

I exhibited in 1979 at a stamp show in New Jersey, where I received a Large Silver Award. At the banquet where they announced the awards, there was a Miss Stilwell who also received a Large Silver Award. I ended up marrying her. My wife is also a stamp collector.

[Over the years,] I built up a major Grenada collection. About ten years ago I decided I had accumulated enough Grenada stamps, and won the largest award I could in collecting. So I sold that collection in an auction for $546,000 and focused on other collections. I now concentrate on two areas: all the Indian states and the first US revenue stamps that helped finance the Civil War.

How do you ensure that your collection retains its value?

DAN: At one time, I had most of my collection in bank vaults, but now I keep my collection at my home in albums, sorted out. Stamps and the envelopes they are on are pretty sturdy after the 1890s. My house is air-conditioned, so there’s no humidity to bother the stamps. I keep track of the value as I always look at auction catalogs. I study the stamps and write articles about them, and the value is enhanced if I discover new things about the stamps.

When do/will you sell your collectibles? How do you determine the best time to sell?

DAN: There’s really not an objective good time to sell. Most advanced collectors sell when they cannot buy new material to enhance their collection easily. You can always buy something, but sooner or later, you’ll end up stuck. Collectors want something to play with all the time. [When they sell], they usually use the money to go out and buy something else.

Do you have any advice for someone who is ready to sell their collection?

DAN: Talk to people that are not in the dealer or auction business and get some advice on how to go about it. During the pandemic, many people call and ask how to get their stamps appraised. I can normally tell from getting a small sample of the stamps if people have a collection with real value. In only one case during the last ten years, I felt that the person had a great deal of value. If someone has been collecting for a long time, I’m available to give advice. I have a good feel for which auctions and dealers are trustworthy. You have to be careful about picking an auction or dealer.

In your opinion, can investing in stamps be relied upon as a primary source of investment income, or do you recommend that collectors have other investments in their portfolio?

DAN: I recommended having other investments. Unless you are really dedicated and knowledgeable about the market, it’s not a good place to invest. For example, 30 or 40 years ago, stamps were a reasonable investment. In the 1980s, there was a time when the values climbed, and people made a lot of money. But now, for most stamps, except those that are difficult to find and in reasonable condition, values have declined. You have to be highly knowledgeable now to make a decent living.

Attention, Stamp Collectors!

If you have any questions about buying or selling stamps, Dan Walker can probably answer them! Please reach out to Dan at danforthwalker@comcast.net if you have a stamp collection and are interested in asking a question. If Dan is not familiar with your particular area of stamps, he knows who is and will direct you to that source.

If you haven’t already watched an episode of the hit tv show Pawn Stars, here’s a quick synopsis: a person walks into the pawnshop holding a collectible item. They present their treasure expectantly, hoping that the shop owner will strike a deal with them. An appraiser is often called upon, a value is determined, and the pawnshop owner makes an offer. Sometimes the offer is high! The person selling the treasure happily accepts a large payday for their collectible item. But sometimes, the value is lower than anticipated, and the person leaves disappointed.

Investing in collectible items can be a lot like Pawn Stars. Sometimes, it can be a thrilling ride with a high return on investment. Other times, returns can be disappointing (remember Beanie Babies?). It’s an exciting and extremely profitable investment for some, but it may not be the best choice for everybody.

If you are looking at collecting as a form of investment, be sure to do thorough research, and don’t forget to consider the following:

Make sure you’re knowledgeable about the item you’re collecting.

Do your research, follow the trends on online auction houses, subscribe to the relevant magazines, and take in as much information as you can. Join communities that are based on your collectible item, talk to others who share your interest, and form valuable connections.

Don’t collect just for the money – collect something you’re passionate about.

To accumulate knowledge, you’ll need to invest a lot of time into this collection. So make sure it’s something you love! Most successful collector-investors live and breathe collecting.

Know how to care for your collection to retain its value.

This is different for every collection, but it’s very important. Many collectibles require proper storage or even temperature-controlled environments. Make sure you know the best way to display or store your specific collection.

Make sure you protect your investment by insuring it.

Many homeowner’s policies don’t cover the full value of your collection – coverage is typically based on the actual cash value of the collection (not its current market value). Plus, it can limit coverage of all the contents in your home to a percentage of your home’s total value (usually between 50% and 70%). It may also not cover losses caused by floods, hurricanes, or earthquakes. At Collectibles Insurance, we offer comprehensive coverage designed specifically for collectors, by collectors. You can protect your investment in minutes with no fuss, affordable coverage, and get back to what you enjoy doing most.
We had the pleasure of interviewing four collectors in four different categories to learn more about how they invest in their specific collectible. If you’re interested in investing in Funko POPS!, vintage video games, comic books, or stamps, you’re in luck! Follow the links to learn more about your area of interest.

• Investing in Stamps
• Investing in Vintage Video Games
• Investing in Funko POPS!
• Investing in Comic Books

It all began when Jane Albright was a child. Her household had a shelf of twelve books from L. Frank Baum’s Oz series. Jane was driven to read the entire series. By borrowing from neighbors, she was able to read 35 books and sought to gather all 40 titles from the collection. In order to meet other fans of the series, 13-year-old Jane became a member of the International Wizard of Oz Club in 1971. In college, her focus began to shift from a child reader to an adult collector when her collection won a book collecting contest at Kansas University in 1977. The prize included a year-long display on campus, which introduced her to the fun of sharing Oz with the public. But it was a fellow collector who really helped spark the collecting bug. “I met a friend who collected all of the Oz memorabilia. Seeing his collection of dolls and toys and autographs – that took my collection, [which was at first focused only on books], in a much broader direction. And now I love it all!”

Today, Jane is the owner of an exceptionally varied collection of Oz memorabilia. She has everything from rare books, to merchandise from the 1939 film, to original published art, international materials, and much, much more. The very first non-book item in the collection was actually a peanut butter pail! The pail bears the slogan, “Oz, the delicious peanut butter spread!” This pail was discovered at an antique show that Jane attended with her mother. The lid had been painted, and she ended up picking off the paint with a paring knife to discover the Oz design underneath. Jane also began to collect handmade Christmas ornaments. “I have an upside-down tree, shaped like a tornado, that’s [decorated] with all of my Oz ornaments, nutcrackers, [and more]!”

While she has some incredible figurines, including some made by Goebel (the company that produces Hummel figurines), Jane prefers to collect things that were originally designed for people to use. This includes things such as books, toys, sheet music, record players, a 1921 Oz board game with characters made of pewter, and cookie jars. “It’s a treat to find these things that have survived through the years,” Jane shares. “I have an old doll of my favorite Oz characters, the Patchwork Girl, made from silk quilts. She’s so old but such a beautiful doll that some mother made for her child long ago.”
Another notable item is a life-size Winkie guard. Originally made for a 1989 Oz display at Macy’s Herald Square, the Winkie was purchased at auction then rode across country in the passenger seat of a friend’s car, Jane recalls with a laugh. Behind this Winkie guard stands a wooden cutout of three flying monkeys. A full-size replica of the MGM film’s hourglass rests below his spear.

When asked about her favorite item, Jane can’t narrow it down to one. “I have favorites in different categories.” She treasures a book that L. Frank Baum printed and hand-bound in 1898. Of her international items, it might be the first Russian translation of The Wizard of Oz from 1939, or perhaps the set of dolls from the 1985 Disney film Return to Oz. The Ideal dolls are a stand-out item from the MGM film merchandise collection. Shares Jane, “A piece that’s not precious to others may be [precious] to me because of the story behind it. Many favorites were gifts from dear friends.”

Upon entering Jane’s home, you would never recognize that she is an avid Oz collector. Her collection isn’t on display until the third floor of her home, where it then takes up the entire level of the house. “A lot of people are understandably limited to a curio cabinet,” Jane shares. “They are stopped in their tracks when they see [my collection].” The collection is loosely organized. When Jane first moved into her current space, everything had a place, but as her collection grows, she hasn’t been able to stay true to her original vision of organization. “A lot of it starts to spill everywhere!” she shares. She does keep her rarest books together in one area, making it easier for her daughter to know where the most valuable items are. She’s also taken an extra step to protect things from sunlight by putting UV filtering film over her third-floor windows.

Besides being displayed in her home, Jane’s collection has been featured in countless exhibits in toy museums, doll museums, art museums, history museums, and libraries. Notably, this includes a Christmas room that she set up to be displayed at the Great Overland Station in Topeka, Kansas. She also regularly rotates themed displays through one case in the Oz Museum in Wamego, Kansas. The current theme is “Maps of Oz.” Though many collectors don’t enjoy the risks that come with exhibiting their prized possessions, Jane is always game for an opportunity to share her collection with others. “I am especially motivated to help the general public understand how big the Oz story is in American Pop culture,” she says. “When I can do a big exhibit, I tend to jump at the chance.”

Jane also serves as the president of the International Wizard of Oz Club – the same one that she joined at the age of 13. “The club was founded in 1957,” shares Jane. “At the moment, we have about 700 members. Thanks to social media and Facebook, Oz fans can find one another online and are part of huge Facebook groups. Now that we can do things virtually, we have the opportunity to meet and interact with each other.”

Zach Bunn’s interest in Pokémon cards began in the 90s when Pokémon first appeared on the scene. One Christmas, when he was about 9 years old, his mother gifted him and his brother starter sets for the Pokémon Trading Card Game. “It was a whole new world to be introduced to!” shares Zach. “Each card had artwork and information about the Pokémon characters we loved.”

The brothers stayed up all night playing with the cards, and the next day they were begging to buy more packs. Zach’s uncle, who owned an arcade game room and sold baseball and comic book cards, took them out to purchase more packs of cards, and a new passion was born.

Throughout the past 25 years, Zach has played various trading card games, and he protected them and kept them in good condition. Around 2016, he began adding new games to his collection – ones that he had always been interested in, but never had a chance to acquire. This included games like the original Star Wars CCG, the Middle-earth CCG. He even went back to complete early sets from the Pokémon TCG.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, trading card games experienced a surge in popularity, with Pokémon taking center stage. “This affected every collectible card game that’s out there,” shares Zach. “The prices went through the roof. A card that got printed two years ago for a newer card game, The Flesh and Blood TCG, is currently selling for more than $10,000.” Zach had always viewed himself as more of a player than a collector, but as the value of his treasured cards began to rise, he had a realization. “I had spent around $800 buying booster boxes for the Flesh and Blood TCG. There was a moment when the prices of those cards started going crazy. I realized that if I sold just one stack of cards I had for that game, I could make $40,000 or $50,000. I started getting a little uncomfortable with how valuable this stuff was, and I would wonder where my cards were and if they were safe. I decided to get insurance. I realized that I owned some very valuable things!”

One of the most notable items in his collection is his original Charizard card. Charizard had always been his favorite Pokémon, and that card was in high demand when he was a kid, making it hard to come by. “I spent a long time wanting that card,” says Zach. One day, Zach and his brother went to see Star Wars: Episode I with their uncle. Before the movie, he took them out to buy packs of Pokémon cards. His uncle asked if he could open one pack, so Zach handed it to him. After he opened it, he asked, “Is a Char-e-zard any good?” Zach and his brother, who were both sitting in the backseat of the car, were filled with excitement. “We lost our minds! We had been searching for over a year. That card is pretty special because that was a notable experience for me. I still have it to this day. It’s not a first edition version, so it’s not the most valuable, but it means the world to me.”

Another important part of his collection is his Star Wars cards, art, and memorabilia. “In 2015, I went to my first Star Wars Celebration. I started another piece of my collection there, which is getting my trading cards signed by famous people, like Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher. I have about 100 cards signed by Star Wars actors or voice actors.” The autographed cards are meaningful for many reasons. Besides being very important and valuable cards, the cards have memories associated with them. There are memories of meeting some of his heroes in person, as well as years of memories from actually playing with the cards. Besides the autographed cards, Zach also has an extensive collection of rare Star Wars books and art. At the Star Wars Celebrations, they often have 100 copies available of a limited-edition book or piece of art that won’t become available again.

Overall, Zach has thousands of cards each for more than twenty collectible card games. His card game collection is stored in containers that keep it from gathering dust or being exposed to too much sunlight. Most of his Star Wars books and memorabilia are displayed on a 12-foot-wide bookshelf in his office, and most of the art is framed on a gallery wall.

While he started out as a gamer, Zach has warmed up to the idea of being considered a collector. “In my head, a collector is someone who collects expensive art or stamps or just buys things for the enjoyment of collecting them. For me, it was always more about how I could use what I was collecting, whether it be cards to play with or art to display. But compared to the rest of the world, I have a pretty extensive collection of games that most people probably haven’t even heard of.”

This passion for gaming led Zach to become the founder of a company, Covenant, along with several of his lifelong friends whom he met collecting and playing these games. Covenant is an online and local tabletop gaming retailer based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. They are on a mission to create the perfect place to play tabletop games. “These card games have created some of the best memories of my life, whether it’s playing in the back of my uncle’s movie rental store in our small town or traveling all over to compete in world championships. There’s really just nothing quite like being in a venue full of thousands of other collectors, players, and fans who share the same love and excitement you have for whatever it is you’re into – and for me, that is tabletop gaming.”

Collectibles Insurance Services was founded by collectors, for collectors! Homeowners insurance often falls short when it comes to providing coverage for collections, so that’s where we step in.
We help insure collections of all kinds – from Pokémon cards to sports memorabilia, and comic books to toys, and so much more.

Find out what types of collections we insure or get a quote today!

Jake Holland describes himself as a human cartoon character with a love for geek culture, collectibles, and cinema. His passion is to bring joy to the internet via short-form videos on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. You may know him as Pizza Beard Party, with a big personality and an Instagram account boasting around 59.5K followers who share his interests and sense of humor.

Jake’s personal collection spans many categories. The majority is Funko POPS! and anything else by Funko. He also collects Pokémon Cards, Marvel Legends action figures, vintage action figures, LEGOs, and occasionally – vinyl records. “I love having a variety of stuff that’s fun to look at,” Jake explains. “[I add to my collection] when I watch a show or a movie that has a geeky aspect or character, or it’s retro, such as Stranger Things. I also have a vintage boom box, colorful unopened Mountain Dew cans, cards on display, and a mini working arcade cabinet.” One of his favorite items is Ninja Turtles-themed. “I still have the four original Ninja Turtles. I don’t have their accessories, and they aren’t in the box, but they still look great. I still have my name on the bottom in permanent marker from my mom.”
Jake started collecting in the early 90s, and he recalls having an urge to collect as many as he could of certain toys, like Ninja Turtles, GI Joe, LEGOs, and dinosaur-themed toys. As he got older, Jake shares that, “I fought to keep as much as I could, and I still have many of [my original toys]. [I kept these items] for nostalgia and to pass down to my kids. As a secondary factor, there’s been a boom in the past year or two with vintage collectibles. It proves I was right to keep it!”

When Pokémon cards first came out, that was when it really dawned on Jake that he had caught the collector bug. “It always sparked a joy for me,” he shares. “I could be having a tough week, but I knew I could run to the card shop or go to Pokémon League at Books-A-Million on Saturday. It was something to look forward to!” He developed a good relationship with the owner of a local card shop. “I would save up my allowance for Pokémon cards, and he always made sure I got a couple of packs when they came in.”

Today, there are easily over 1,000 items in Jake’s collection, with about 350 of them being Funko POPS!, most purchased at retail price (about $9 for regular-sized and $30 for jumbo-sized). The most valuable item in the collection is a first edition Pokémon card featuring Mewtwo. This card could be worth between $800 and $22,000. “I’ve been nervous to have it graded because I don’t want it to get lost in the mail,” explains Jake.

Jake keeps most of his Funko POPS! on shelves and in their original packaging, except for a few items he’s not worried about any future spike in value. The more expensive Pokémon cards are in protective cases, and the less expensive ones are in sleeve binders. Everything else is on display in Jake’s home.

You can get to know Jake and get a closer look at his collection by following him on Instagram, where he shares content about the variety of subjects that interest him. “I’ve been an influencer and content creator for the past eight years,” shares Jake. “I have tremendously enjoyed the community and the unreal opportunities that have come my way.”

Collectibles Insurance Services was founded by collectors, for collectors! Homeowners insurance often falls short when it comes to providing coverage for collections, so that’s where we step in.
We help insure collections of all kinds – from Pokémon cards to sports memorabilia, and comic books to toys, and so much more.

Find out what types of collections we insure or get a quote today!

Bob Baker has been collecting since childhood. It started with stamp and coin collections, and then evolved into a collection of casino chips, tokens, and other memorabilia. Eventually, Bob decided to concentrate on collecting just a few things, so he focused primarily on slot cards. He later started to collect the entry tickets that are used to get into casinos in Europe. Today, his slot card collection has more coverage than any other collection in the world. He has over 85% of every known slot card issued worldwide, with over 96,000 cards in his main collection. The collection actually has over 100,000 items if you include the entry tickets and other casino memorabilia, and he has over 200,000 doubles. That brings the total count to a staggering 300,000 items.

Bob’s collection has grown so large partly because he has acquired the collections of others who were retiring from the hobby or collectors who have passed away. His goal is to preserve those collections so that they are not lost. “I just finished going through a collection I got over two years ago,” shares Bob. “It took me 26 months to go through everything.”

From one former collector, he picked up something else. “Some time ago, I met with a woman in Colorado who was publishing a slot card guide for collectors. When she decided to retire from collecting, she put her collection up for sale.” He bought her collection in 2010 and took over publishing the guide as part of the deal. Since then, the guide has more than doubled in size and now lists over 23,400 different cards. The guide used to be sold as a printed book, but in 2015 Bob switched over to a free digital format that can be downloaded at slotcardguide.com. By making the book available for free, Bob hopes to generate more interest in the hobby.

Taking ownership of the guide led Bob into another opportunity. Around 2015, the president of the local casino collectibles club in Atlantic City contacted Bob. He was the webmaster for a website called the ChipGuide. The website had started listing slot cards, but it was quickly becoming unmanageable, so they asked for Bob’s help in getting things organized. “It took about two years to get all of the scans uploaded and organized on the website – with the help of several website admins and fellow slot card collectors,” shared Bob. “I eventually became a website admin myself, and I now handle all slot card submissions worldwide.”

Part of the agreement with the ChipGuide was that Bob was allowed to link to all the images from the website in his slot card guide. This was extremely helpful, because including images on the guide would make everything way too large – the book is now over 500 pages long. “Linking these two resources makes them invaluable.” Bob posts information on any new additions to the guide on the SlotCardBBS bulletin board. Plus, he’s created an internet portal at SlotCardExchange.com that lists various resources for collectors.

Bob notes that there are a few stand-out items in his collection. There’s a gold card from the Landmark in Las Vegas. Only three cards are known to exist. One of these cards sold for $1,085 – the highest price ever for a slot card on eBay – before the third card was discovered. Another item is a Chairman card from Harrah’s; this was custom-made for a high-roller who spent a lot of time at a Midwest Harrah’s casino. There was even an article in The Wall Street Journal on December 5, 2009 about that card and the gambler who blew $127 million. Another rare card is an early MVP Club table card from the Cahuilla Casino in Anza, CA. This item took years to find – there are only two known cards in existence. He also has a green card from the Red Garter Casino in Wendover, Nevada. This card is the only copy known to exist. In fact, Bob has quite an assortment of slot cards that are the only known copy.

Slot cards weren’t really a thing until the 1980s, when they were first used in Atlantic City, so most of them don’t date any farther back than that. The entry tickets from Europe date back to the early 1900s or before. “I’ve got one from France that is dated 1914 in a leather binder the size of a business card.” Bob met with a collector in Belgium who was collecting these entry tickets, and the two of them worked together to help each other build their collections.

Bob’s collection is safely stored and organized. Anything worth $10 or more is stored in 3-ring binders. The common cards are stored in baseball card boxes, with custom-made plastic sleeves to protect each card. All the doubles are stored in baseball card monster storage boxes. These are designed to hold 5,000 baseball cards, but they only hold about 2,500 slot cards.
Over the years, Bob estimates that he has invested over $140,000. The catalog value of his collection is over $400,000, but currently, the market prices are down. Bob lists some of his doubles on eBay, but the majority of his listings are on a selling site called Delcampe. “I have almost 13,000 slot cards listed on Delcampe along with over 10,000 other items,” he shares. “It’s become almost a full time job now that I’m retired.”

Bob is a lifetime member of the Casino Collectibles Association and a member of the Atlantic City Casino Collectibles Club. He is scheduled to give a presentation on slot card collecting at this year’s Casino Collectibles Association National Convention in Las Vegas later this summer.

Daniel A’s penchant for collecting started at the age of five. “I collected Star Wars figures, comic books – I can’t really remember a time when I wasn’t collecting something!” His love for comic books continued throughout the years, and he still has a comic book collection. But as an adult, Daniel’s true passion for collecting video games began to emerge.
Today, his focus is on factory-sealed video games, which is an emerging trend among collectors. The most sought-after are original, sealed Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) games. “It’s special to find one of these games sealed because there’s usually a story behind it,” shares Daniel. “That’s sometimes the best part of the collecting – hearing stories. People often bought them, left them in a drawer, and forgot about them.”

When Daniel first started collecting, he was buying from eBay. He started slowly, uncertain that he had the knowledge to identify if the grades and factory seals were genuine. As his knowledge increased, so did his confidence when it came to making purchases. Today he finds most of his games from online marketplaces, such as eBay and Heritage Auctions. The tricky thing about collecting these games is the price. These games were expensive originally, and people bought them with the intent of playing them. They were hardly ever left unopened, so finding games that are still sealed is extremely rare.

Most of the games he collects are Nintendo games. “I just buy what I enjoy and what I can really sink my teeth into,” shares Daniel. “I’m a huge Zelda fan, so a highlight of my collection is Zelda games.” He’s been on a mission for the past decade to obtain games such as Zelda: A Link to the Past, among other titles. “I still play Link to the Past every year,” he shares. “It’s a nostalgic and special piece of my collection. It’s also nice to have games I played as a teenager, like NFL Blitz or 1080.”

One unique item in his collection is a sealed Duck Tales #2 9.8 A. He has a 9.8 graded edition, and the highest he’s seen elsewhere is a 9.0, so this is a very rare find. He also has Super Mario Bros. 3, which he purchased for $300 on eBay. This item – which is graded 8.5 – is worth at least $10,000 today. Of his Super Mario Bros game, Daniel says, “I will keep it for as long as I’m on this earth!”

Besides his video games, Daniel’s collection contains video game art that dates to the late 70s. This includes many original and one-of-a-kind paintings of cover art, Atari covers, and art from Earthworm Jim. “I think the box art is really cool,” he shares. “It’s so niche because there’s so little of it. Physical artifacts are harder to come by in a digital age.”

Daniel enjoys seeing the games he played as a kid becoming collectible items. “Comic books have been around for a long time, but video games are so young in comparison. It’s fun to be in on the discovery phase of collecting these games. It’s something awesome!” Finding a hobby that he truly enjoys was special for him as well. “I’ve spent years collecting, but this is something I want to collect for the rest of my life.”

Fred Ripley has loved railroads since he was a kid. This love came from his father and grandfather, who passed their passion on to him. “My dad liked photography, and we would go on trips to photograph and watch trains,” he explains. This interest in railroading developed into the start of a collection of timetables from his favorite railroads, old maps, and railroading books. He acquired some of his collection from individuals who shared this interest, but much of it comes from railroad memorabilia shows. “There’s one in Columbus, Ohio every year called, ‘Buckeye Railroadiana’. The shows are where most of my collectibles have come from.”

His love for railroads also birthed a passion for serious photography. As a child, he was mostly focused on the excitement he felt about trains and railroads, and he didn’t pay as much attention to the scenery. As he spent more time looking at quality photography and railroading magazines, he began to develop his own aesthetic. In college, he purchased photographic equipment and began to shoot in 35mm slides. “I started in spring of 1988, and I still shoot them!” Fred shares. “I’ve got somewhere approaching 60,000 slides. I’ve had photos published in magazines, calendars, and books.”

About six years ago, Fred decided to take a new approach to photography, with the goal of reaching more than just railroad fans with the photos. He makes high-resolution scans of his slides and enlarges them to create 20” by 30” color prints. He dry-mounts them, frames them under glass, and offers them at a reasonable price. The special touch is that with each photo comes a full-page caption that lends some historical context to the image – including tidbits about the railroad line in question, as well as the geographic area. “I keep around 50-60 framed pieces on hand at any given time, and I’ve had lots of exhibits at galleries, museums, and other public venues.” One such venue is the West Virginia Railroad Museum in Elkins, where 27 of his pieces are on display through October 2021 as part of an exhibit entitled, “20-20 Visions: 100 years of West Virginia Railroading.”

As part of his strategy for appealing to a non-railroad audience, Fred makes it a point to write broadly about the history behind each photo. “A lot of my scenes are purposely not just the locomotive,” he explains. “I try to incorporate the surrounding setting, whether older structures or the natural setting. I find that strikes a chord with many viewers. It reminds people of where they grew up or a trip they took.” Fred enjoys the opportunity to provide someone with a pleasant connection. As a music teacher, he is fond of sharing information and getting people interested in things that he cares about. He is always figuring out how to reach people!

The historical knowledge that accompanies these photographs is supported by Fred’s collection of railroadiana, the majority of which is comprised of informational materials. This includes magazines that go back 70 years and railroad documents that go back nearly 100 years. “The documents I find the most valuable for my purpose are the ones from the railroads themselves. Employee timetables are probably the most valuable of all to get inside the way the railroad operated. It shows the way it worked – what the different lines are, stations, division points, and speed limits.” The public timetables are also informative – they were a great source of advertising, and they show the face that the railroad put forward to the public.

Fred has enjoyed connecting with some of the great railroads of the past. His favorite railroad of the east is the former Pennsylvania Railroad. When he was a kid reading books in his dad’s library and watching trains in Ohio, it was this railroad that sparked his initial excitement. “It was the biggest, most important railroad in the country. I photographed as much as I can of the former PRR. I enjoyed experiencing the heritage of a great railroad by photographing it and acquiring documents from the 1940s, 50s, and 60s.” Another favorite railroad is the Santa Fe, which is farther west. This railroad lasted until 1995, and Fred has had plenty of opportunities to photograph it.

To learn more about Fred’s photography business, FJR Interpretations, you can reach out to him via email at fjripley68@gmail.com.

In June of 1973, Bill Cole watched his public broadcasting channel, where three issues of a Monster Mania magazine and a ticket to a local comic book show were auctioned off. He purchased all of it for just $12 and attended the comic book show, which was in Boston, Massachusetts.

Bill saw comic books that he hadn’t seen in years at the show, and he started buying everything in sight – including Spider-Man, Superman, and Donald Duck. The comics had to be bagged and boarded, but this was during the oil embargo, so bags were not available. Bill decided to make his own bags, and he ended up selling these as well.

Bill realized that if he was going to collect comics, he had to select a focus. He decided on Disney comics, such as Uncle Scrooge and Donald Duck, and he immersed himself in reading them. He even went on to form a long-time friendship with Donald Duck writer and artist Carl Barks, also known as the “Duck Man.” Bill kept every letter and every pen and ink drawing that Carl Barks ever shared with him over the years.

In 1974, Bill met a man named Steve Geppi – the owner of Geppi’s Comic World, who later became the owner of Diamond Comic Distributors. In early 1976, Steve presented him with the opportunity to purchase a collection of unopened, pristine mint (PM) comic books called the Poughkeepsie Mints. To buy the comics, Bill raised $35,000 by borrowing money from “anyone I could contact!” He drove eight hours to Baltimore, Maryland, where Steve lived, and they divided the collection between the two of them. As an example of what the collection had to offer, there were multiple copies of Uncle Scrooge # 1. Bill describes this experience as being like a comedy, with Steve saying, “Two for me and three for you!”

In September of 1976, Bill attended NewCon, a comic convention in Boston, and he was able to sell the comics at triple their cost. Bill soon became one of the largest dealers in Disney comic books. At this time, Bruce Hamilton, a fellow collector and dealer, told Bill about a new type of sleeve made from Mylar® – a polyester film with no additives that would retard the aging of the comic book paper. Bill soon started to produce his own Mylar® sleeves, and he decided to leave the safety equipment field and take his “hobby” to a full-time business. Thus, Bill Cole Enterprises was born. Today, they are celebrating over 48 years of supplying “protectibles for your collectibles™” for the comic book industry.

Throughout the years, Bill learned about how to grade comic books. First, he gained his knowledge from talking with other dealers and asking them plenty of questions. Then, he began to purchase comics from people and grade them on the spot. As he got more professional, he would have people bring comics to him, and he would ask other dealers and friends to double-check his work. “I found that I was very conservative in my grading compared to other graders, which built up a reputation over the years,” Bill shares.

Bill has been one of the longest-running exhibitors at San Diego Comic-Con since 1980, with six booths at the event. In 2019, Bill was honored to be invited to the convention as a panelist, along with four or five other experienced dealers. He discussed his experience with grading, the state of the industry, and the future of comic books.

We had the pleasure of chatting with Bill about grading and the best way to preserve your comic books. Read on for some of his expert advice!

Why should you have your comic books graded?

So that you know what you have! If you want to sell your comic books down the line or donate them to your kids, you want to know what those books are worth. [It’s also essential in the case, god forbid, a disaster happens.] Unfortunately, comic books usually are not insured by a standard homeowners insurance policy.
[If you are selling your comic books, a graded book] commands double or triple the price of what it would usually get if it were not graded. [Grading should be completed] by a third-party grader, who grades and then encapsulates the book. This is an expensive and lengthy process, and it should only be done for your very expensive books.

What does a professional grader look for/how does grading work?

Grading takes years of experience. What constitutes a good book can be subjective. That’s why third-party grading services have three or four people grading one book, and then they take the consensus of all four people and come up with a certified grade.

The official terms for the grades are Good, Very Good, Fine, Very Fine, Near Mint, and Mint. However, several years ago, they went to a ten-point grading system. So I use the numerical grade right next to the words.

[When I grade a comic book], I look to see the pages – are they white or off-white? Are they brittle? Does the cover have a sheen? Then, I flip through the pages – is there anything missing? Does the spine have a roll? Are there any cracks in the paper? Are the staples bright and shiny, or have they started to rust?

What is the best way to preserve the condition and value of comic books?

Put the book in a Mylar® sleeve with an acid-free backing board. [The board] must have a PH level between 8.0 and 8.5 and must also contain a minimum of a 3% calcium carbonate mixture throughout, with no other additives. That way, the comic doesn’t break down with age or turn yellow.

We also developed a product called a Life-X-Tenders Plus™ which absorbs and dissipates the contaminants from the comic book. You place a sheet of this product every ten pages or so. The Mylar® sleeve [containing the comic] should then be placed in an acid-free corrugated box and stored in a cool, dry place. That’s the best way to preserve the value of the books!

[It’s also important to keep track of what’s in your collection.] My suggestion is to create a spreadsheet that includes the title of the book, the publisher, the date purchased, and the grade. Update this every year by going online and [checking the prices]. The official Overstreet Price Guide comes out in July, and the prices were gathered the previous fall. When the guide comes out, the prices are no longer valid. So go online and look up the grading value for each comic book in Google to find out the value in real-time.

What advice do you have for those who are interested in collecting comics?

Collecting comic books is an enjoyable hobby that can turn into a source of income. If you are an aspiring dealer or investor, you need to know what you are doing. Like anything else, the comic book market can be unpredictable, with values going up one year and falling the next. In the 80s and early 90s, speculators would purchase unopened boxes of comic books, thinking they would increase in value. The original cost may have been $3 each off the shelf. Many years later, the value dropped so low that the books were sold at a nickel apiece, or at other times, just ten cents per pound. On the other hand, a comic book can also experience a hefty increase in value. For example, many years ago, I purchased Walt Disney Comics and Stories #1 for about $300. Today, it is worth over $2,500.

Investing in comic books is like investing in the stock market. It is best to spend time going to conventions and comic stores, talking to other collectors and dealers, and getting information online. Select a focus that you are passionate about and learn everything you can about the market. Whatever collection you buy, a lot of hard work goes into it, so make sure that it’s something you genuinely enjoy!

Need grading services?

If you have any questions, you can contact Bill at bcole@bcemylar.com. He is also available to grade and value your collection before selling it or for insurance/estate purchases.

Bill would like to thank his lovely wife Nancy, whose encouragement helped him succeed in this venture.