Great lesson ! You're a good teacher. I'm 70 years old and I know what you mean about dying markets. I see old toys at toy shows and they sit there, no buyers. The same thing will happen with many of the things I'm nostalgic about. What I never realized was how we block the past trauma that occurred during the times that we are nostalgic for. You are right. The TWILIGHT ZONE did an episode about a middle aged man who constantly brought up how he missed his youth. The games, and children he played with. Until he was on those old streets and transported back in time. The street kids turned on him and beat him up. He forgot how tough life as a child had been. His mind blocked it out. Just like we all do. I also think that Nostalgia is a double edged sword. It is not only remembering just the good stuff, but also an attempt to recapture our youth ! And this is the biggest lie that we tell ourselves. As if by having something from our past could possibly re-connect us to that time. It's almost a Greek tragedy, but we do it all the time.
@@GarciaCapital Shawn is spot on when he says the following vintage markets are in major decline: Vintage Western Toys, Vintage Sci-Fi / Robot toys, PEZ Dispensers & Model Trains. That said, if you are an eBay seller like me and you can find certain items in these categories at estate sales at reasonable prices, there ARE collectors out there who will buy them. Investing in these for the long term, however, is not a good idea. A more broad category that was VERY hot 10 years ago, but has seen interest wane as of late is anything branded “Mid-Century Modern”. This applies to furniture, artwork, pottery, dinnerware, etc... The popular television show “Mad Men” introduced younger generations to this aesthetic, and for a while, anything produced in the ‘50’s & ‘60’s was being listed on eBay as “Mad Men” / Mid-Century Modern. Even an old run of the mill Holiday Inn ashtray would be listed on eBay as “MAD MEN MID-CENTURY MODERN ASHTRAY!!!” along with an inflated listing price. Since the show is no longer on the air, and furniture stores like Living Spaces finally caught on to the trend and started mass producing knock off Eames chairs, Noguchi Tables and “Danish Modern” bookshelves, we have seen a gradual decline in this broad category... unless, of course, you live in Palm Springs, California.
hello from Athens Greece Shaun, im one of your first Subs back in summer of '19. If I may add an educational point concerning the 2 greek words Nostalgia and History, that you will find very intriguing. Nostalgia is the combination of Nostos and Algos which literally means the pain or ache associated with a memory. A memory, by Definition is Subjective. On the other hand History literally means the Eye Witness / Judge / Knowledgeable person who saw events. History is non-negotiable and is an Objective reality. Therefore on your whiteboard you have listed items which are subject to people's Subjective Reality, as opposed to items that are part of the Humanity's Objective Collective existence. Just thought it would be fun to throw a little of Philosophy in the conversation
Love this. It’s difficult to bring totally fresh content regularly on TH-cam. I think you’re doing a great job of that though. And remembering that TH-cam is kind of the same content over and over again - it’s good to hear sound principles repeated semi regularly. Keep it up!
Vintage sports cards are historic. A lot of collectors were not alive when Mickey Mantle or Gordie Howe were playing, but their cards are still steadily trending upward over time in value.
I was going to write the same thing... *If* MTG is still popular in 50 yrs, I can only imagine historic cards/sets will still hold their own. You could apply the same logic to baseball cards, if baseball fell out of fashion the cards would not be nearly as valuable.
@@thewealthofnations4827 I belive they will hold. Because it's a game many like myself continue to pass down to their children. I play with my kids. So in a way i guess that nostalgia CAN indeed (in the roundabout way) be passed down. I'd say after almost 30 years of success that there's many more years to come, especially if people keep the game alive and the game keeps making Hasbro money.
I really appreciate hearing your perspective, "at some point, history is going to be more important than nostalgia." Well said. I've never heard anyone break down these concepts. Remarkably insightful!
I still believe in blue chip comic books because of the massive Marvel, Disney and Netflix shows keeping the characters relevant. Characters like Spider-Man are so big that Amazing Fantasy 15 is also considered a piece of history… Just my opinion though!
I was going to say exactly the same thing. Blue chip comics like Detective Comics 27, Action 1, Amazing Fantasy 15 and other gold and silver age keys have become history. I fully acknowledge that to me my comic collection holds a lot of nostalgia (born in 1962), but a great many of collectors if not most buying blue chip keys were not even born when they were published.
I have also noticed too that toy companies like Mattel cling onto the comic book characters and Disney characters too to captivate a new audience and stay relevant.
I really need to reread "The Wealth of Nations". The bit about the amount of pins 1 worker can create Vs 5 workers on a production line blew my mind when I was 17. That passage is now on our £5 notes here in the UK.
It’s fascinating to explore these topics. I think your position on nostalgia vs history makes a lot of sense, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned since 2021 and beyond is just how powerful a force nostalgia is! That’s not to say it’s enough to carry a collectibles category forever, but with that in mind, the continued resiliency of the comic book market, for example, is interesting!
Oh, the vintage comic book market does have cracks appearing and prices have certainly fallen. It’s just that it is one of the most popular pop culture collecting markets at present time.
@@ReservedInvestments I know the market for comic books is now down from the highs, and I saw your more recent video about the recent sale of the first appearance of Batman, so only time will tell where it goes from here. But, even when prices are down substantially, the fact that a book like they can still fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars is remarkable to me! Thanks as always Shawn!
I once heard Charlie Munger say 'all investment strategies are effectively growth or value' and nostaligia vs history in the collectibles trade emphasizes this.
Guitar Hero 3 from Nintendo Wii is very nostalgic to me. Does anyone else feel the same way about this video game? I reckon that Batman, Spider-Man and Superman will remain strong long term because youngsters are still watching these superhero movies today
I was born in 1981 and thus never saw any of the old time HOF baseball players play yet I still want to own all of their rookie cards. What is your take on my situation and sports cards in general??
collectors no matter what age after they collect what they know always seem to want to go back to the earlier/earliest points in the hobby to collect the oldest/rarest items in their hobby.. as do i
FINALLY. Someone who can articulate and explain the invisible forces at work here. If, and I sure do mean IF… collectors / speculators can mentally survive your brutally direct explanation of nostalgic collectibles…. you will have likely succeeded in preventing what could be one of their biggest financial mistakes. Where the heck have you been all these years!?! Thank you for this clean, crisp, unemotional explanation… once and for all. I’m blown away I have never heard anyone up to now deliver this message. Keep up the great work. Subscriber for life here. 👍🏻
The New York Yankees have existed for 120 years. They will likely exist for another 120 years. There have been fans experiencing "nostalgia" for the Yankees every decade since the 1930s. As one generation of people collecting due to nostalgia die off, they are replaced by a new generation of nostalgic collectors. You cannot lump sports collectors in with Lionel train collectors. When there are powerful external forces that continue to promote a brand decade after decade, the desire for the collectible does not die out, the way it does with western collectibles. Ask any current 40 year old Yankees collector of they would like to own a signed baseball by Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle, Berra, etc.
I am not talking about a specific list. But I noticed that when you talk about historical items you never mentioned sports memorabilia. You talk about coins and documents and edged weapons etc but I've never heard you specifically mention high-end sports memorabilia as being historical.
Great video. Thanks for providing this free knowledge on the antiques and collectible trade. Much appreciated especially in this age of zero interest rates, alternative investing as many could get hurt in the trickiest of the asset classes.
@@ReservedInvestments I enjoy you channel 👍🏻 Have you done videos on Classic Firearms or edged weapons ? I collect those as well Unfortunately I have a stamp collection with I believe is far from a good future investment 😩 Again Very Informative Channel 😄
But I love my nostalgia Shawn!!! :) Agree with you, some of the nostalgia feelings aren't taking into account bad times as well. It's somewhat of a mind trick/coping mechanism I suppose. Good video!
Great video! As it relates to nostalgia vs history, I think the original paper level designs for Mario Bros (some of which are showcased in Nintendo's NY store) should eventually be way more valuable than a sealed copy of the game of which there are probably thousands.
Brilliantly put Shawn! Love the no frills approach. I think there are too many people looking for videos for validation of their nostalgia led collecting and your content provides a reality check. Keep up the great work
Great video and absolutely agree - not everything nostalgic holds value. Atari is a great example, and I think Sega will follow suit. But you are wrong if you think nostalgia and history is ‘clear cut’ - there are gradients of nostalgia and history across all those collector lines and that is what you have failed to really point to. There are collectible lines that will converge over into antiquities and historical space - Pokémon, Nintendo are just great examples where the market is continually reintroduce their products into younger generations. This is what you have also failed to highlight here is the propensity to have younger generations enter; this is why action figure lines like Star Wars, Mask and even transformers will go down but Pokemon, Dragonball Z, Nintendo, PlayStation will continue to thrive in the future.
Shawn, I mean this humbly, this is without a doubt the best video that you’ve created. It really does a great job of compacting all of the important tidbits from all of your past videos into one.
Love the videos. My only comment would be that media has changed and collectables can reach people. If Annie Oakley had video games, comics and movies, it’s possible that she’d be more like Dracula in stature. You’re most likely right, it’s just possible that technology has been a paradigm shift
I just found out about this channel and like you I have a background in finance and moved into antiques. When you talk about Adam Smith, I just go "See I told you". I'm looking forward to watching you.
One of my favorite things about coins is that the manufacturer tells you how many were made and the grading companies tell you how many were graded. Full transparency. Off topic, I know. A follow-up video is always appreciated on any topic as I like to hear more of your take on anything. Perhaps delve into what makes a particular item historic in the first place. For example, some would argue, "The Base Set of Pokemon cards in the US is historic because it was the first one that came out here. Now 25 years later, everyone has heard about it & Pokemon is popular all over the world and so much has come out Pokemon related but that first "historic" card set mostly started it all for Americans. What makes a first edition Charizard less historic than a 1916-D Mercury Dime?" I don't believe this is true, but I have heard arguments like this. Love what you do!
most people "Invest" like this: I go to a table with 37 numbers on it from 0 to 36 when a ball starts rolling i put all my money on that number and when the ball hits that number my "Investment" payed off x36. If you tell someone they have 37/1 chance of that happening it falls to deaf mans ears. if it doesnt hit its someone else his fault if it hits they consider themselves great intellectuals and master minds because they do not realize that "investment" is just a gamble and they got lucky.
You know what system has the most nostalgia? The Dreamcast. People reminisce about it. I checked it out a few years ago only to say that I didn't give a **** about it, lol.
Great video Shawn !! It really paints a good picture of the two different types of thinking involved of the collector, nostalgia vs history. It makes for a good way point to challenge the reasoning on why a certain purchase in one of these categories is justified or not. Also I think you need a bigger marker.
Great channel! If I may make a request I'd like to see a video on historical documents. I'd be interested in hearing what different examples would be, what the market is like right now, etc.
I completely agree with Shaun for the most. I personally invest in comics and this partly applies. However; with escapism being a huge commercial area I believe comics will continue to grow. Hulk 181 (I know you’re not keen) when Disney release the next generation of films/shows will bring a huge influx to the market. The book will gain another life. I do agree and think Shaun hits the nail on the head. This new generation will not view collecting comics the same as me from the 80’s. That point alone makes me think comic books might not be long term. Who knows! Great video as always…..
I've had to deal with the Beanie Baby market. I basically have one rule except for a few exceptions (Diana Bear). Basically if the tush tag is all black print, there is some value there but not a lot unless it is first edition with the hang (ear) tag in tact. If you are collecting the right item, with a long enough hold period, Benie Babies are a good investments because of the craze it created and the earliest ones tell the history. That will build value in the long run.
The thing with Pokemon and MtG cards is also that the card games themselves are also popular, I would assume that those markets would also crash if the games stopped being made/supported. Prices of the cards can fluctuate wildly depending on legality and use.
some video games have had a huge cultural impact already like mario or resident evil. there are few games that can def be considered historical already as long as they new, sealed and perfect worthy of a museum
Great video. I was getting into the card scene and there was a tickle in my brain to investigate further and this is what I was ment to find I believe. Thank you sir.
I might have missed this, but what about vintage “luxury”/tool watches? I’m unclear as to how they place. Imho they can cater to nostalgia since sellers can romanticize stories of a timepiece’s history, but some of them can be based in history (WWII watches used by soldiers, watches used in space, etc). What am I missing here?
Appreciate the insight! However, albeit this is only anecdotal, but it seems that generational nostalgia helps maintain an undercurrent of sustained value for certain collectibles …for example, if a child is born in 2021, and his or her parents are collectors of silver age comic books, I would imagine, if that child has the collector gene, then the pattern likely continues, supporting the value of the books. I could certainly be wrong, but there seems to be more collectors now than before, seemingly because of the cinematic history and parents being collectors…as such, with a growing population and scarcer “silver age” comic books I would imagine many of these books will either hold their value or increase within the decades… but I am clearly not an expert, and always enjoy your willingness to share your educational insights! Thank you!
The Great Gatsby is one of the greatest books too. Interestingly enough I'm currently living in Cody, Wyoming and visited the Buffalo Bill museum and learned about Annie Oakley. Interesting coincidence.
Wow, So there isnt any history in Video Games? Or Magic the gathering? Or comic books? Or ... you get the idea. Great video although I think there is a blur between the two categories that you dismissed because you are only focusing on the raw categories. If your going to list them as a bad nostalgic investment you should be trying to point out the exceptions and historic values with them categories.
No, because no one is going to care about Magic the Gathering 200 years from now, just like we don't care about Penny Dreadfuls. Study that, your answer is there...there is NOTHING in between.
Underground seas were listed as $25 in inquest from 1995-2005. Then graded cards, stories of high price auctions, & all that nonsense that artificially inflates a market showed up, now they are up 3000% in price🙄comparing magic to train toys & pez is correct. I compare magic to beanie babies all the time & have been playing since 1997.
@@ReservedInvestments Well I am just referring to history, its made and everything has it. Even in Magic the gathering. I was trying to make a much broader point though. Do I think there will be historic interest in say the first ever games (Ie arcade machines) yes I do. I even think certain Jamma boards may be invest able. Likewise there are historic games that may even be invest able but your entire video dismisses the history and puts them in the nostalgia category. Now do I think video games are a good investment, generally no but there are exceptions that again you fail to mention. Its not binary yes/no there are other historic factors that you dont even consider.
@@J0SHUAKANE I agree mostly that magic is in the nostalgia category mainly because I used to play back in 94 then left and started to come back because of nostalgia. But there is a short term speculative play there because of that. Over time players coming back may want to pick up boxes from when they last played. MTG is a game though so money I put into this is what comes out of my entertainment fund its not something I invest in.
I'm still pretty new to this market, and I just found this channel. Really helping me out so far! I focus on coins and currency. I'm a collector by nature, but am also starting to branch out selling stuff.
This video needs to be in 3D so viewers can be awestruck and blown away by how real that red marker looks being thrusted into the camera lens and out through the computer screen after we all don our 3D glasses 😆 I am a recent subscriber and I appreciate the honest insightful trajectory that your videos have to offer.
looks like we have some market manipulation starting w sealed IGS graded VHS tapes on ebay, take a look at the prices of 50k and up buy it now. Hope you do a video on VHS
Yeah but I don’t care about historic collectible. Maybe art, but even that is a stretch. I want to say mostly older people collect historic artifacts. I wonder how the market will change when all those older people pass away. You can also argue pop culture is historic. But pop culture product are probably more mass produce, which is a good thing in my opinion. Just get a FA and invest properly.
Great information as always. Do you feel as I do that there is a spectrum between nostalgia and history with some blending/crossover? By way of example, some tobacco baseball cards and rare Golden Age comic books have historic significance, while some rare books are historic and others may be more nostalgic?
How have 1960's Batman toys performed? Tin, figures, etc. Are they worth more today than they were 20-30 years ago? Because if they haven't done well, then that hurts arguments which would claim that multi-generational brands, characters and IP will fair well in the long term.
I think you might want to research comics a little more because the vintage comic book market is on fire right now and it isn't necessarily from buyers wanting to relive their childhoods as we're talking golden and and silver age books setting records left and right. An example: the last Heritage auction sold two copies of Pep comics #20 from 1941, the Edgar Church CGC 9.2 copy and a CGC 6.5 copy. The Church copy sold for an astounding $90k and the 6.5 for $36k. Were these buyers born during the depression who want to go on a sentimental journey or are these much younger collectors/investors? Most likely the latter. Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, etc are a little more than just a nostalgia trip. Yes you weren't alive during the wars you mentioned or when your coins were minted or when the Great Gatsby was first published but neither were the buyers who are paying astonishing amounts of money for early Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, Superman, Batman books. Same also applies to vintage sports card market which is also on fire ( more so in fact ).
Love the videos Shawn! Im a long time card collector (Marvel, Wrestling, Pokemon, Sports) and while I do enjoy owning these items for nostalgic & speculative reasons, youve helped me understand that my most valuable items in the long term will likely be those that have the most historical importance. Thank you!
When does the bubble burst though? When does the nostalgia wear off? Is Magic a nostalgia bubble or is it speculators also inflating price, OR is Magic a legit historical collectable?
There are nuances, It's not all black and white, you do mention somehow that point though. The current generation (X, Y, Z, alpha) are born in the digital age () while previous generation had vivid experience or fresh recollection on wars, physical books, physical currency etc... In the sense, are we not experiencing a generational shift also in collectibles? there must be a connection to historical items one way or another. Can you collect physical coins if you have never been or very little exposed to it. Same applies with books or any historical items. Not saying a connection to the exact collectible in question (because probably none will) to the category it represents. Just wondering.
How many people today use swords? Yet, swords, especially as historical artifacts or even just for show, sell very well on the secondary market and have a massive collector following. Simple example...
This is an excellent video because it touches on a major theme, opportunity cost. There are a lot of people putting big money into comics, video games, game cards, etc., and they don't realize there are other collectibles like rare coins, which are more historic, can be more rare, and can be found for MUCH less money compared to what's pouring into these markets due to nostalgia. Let me give just one easy example of what I'm talking about. The comic book which just hammered for 3.6 million dollars, it's from 1962, I think I read there are 3 or 4 other known in this high grade. Let me compare this to my newest numismatic purchase, a very collectible and eye-appealing gold coin from the Netherlands that is from 1776, it is the ONLY known example in its grade, MS62, and while I won't say what I paid for it, I just listed it for sale at a measly 7 grand.
Coins are as boring as stamps. Sure they are historic and will most likely hold or gain in value but there is nothing interesting or exciting about collecting them. I would rather take a chance with a newer less historical but fun collectible category than to put money into something that I have no interest in just because history shows it will hold its value. Give me sports cards, comic books and video games. If the markets crash and the values fall then at least I still own something that I am passionate about.
![[LIVE] : ONE ลุมพินี 76 | คู่เอก "ผึ้งหลวง vs สมิงดำ"](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/9SBshmGQOIM/mqdefault.jpg)
Great lesson ! You're a good teacher. I'm 70 years old and I know what you mean about dying markets. I see old toys at toy shows and they sit there, no buyers. The same thing will happen with many of the things I'm nostalgic about. What I never realized was how we block the past trauma that occurred during the times that we are nostalgic for. You are right. The TWILIGHT ZONE did an episode about a middle aged man who constantly brought up how he missed his youth. The games, and children he played with. Until he was on those old streets and transported back in time. The street kids turned on him and beat him up. He forgot how tough life as a child had been. His mind blocked it out. Just like we all do. I also think that Nostalgia is a double edged sword. It is not only remembering just the good stuff, but also an attempt to recapture our youth ! And this is the biggest lie that we tell ourselves. As if by having something from our past could possibly re-connect us to that time. It's almost a Greek tragedy, but we do it all the time.
Thanks for sharing! I wish more people in your age group would comment on my videos. I truly appreciate the perspective and agree fully.
As a vintage collectibles reseller primarily on eBay for 12+ years, I can honestly say Shawn’s knowledge and expertise is unmatched.
Thank you!
As someone who is in these markets, what are some categories of vintage collectibles that have been dying?
@@GarciaCapital Shawn is spot on when he says the following vintage markets are in major decline: Vintage Western Toys, Vintage Sci-Fi / Robot toys, PEZ Dispensers & Model Trains.
That said, if you are an eBay seller like me and you can find certain items in these categories at estate sales at reasonable prices, there ARE collectors out there who will buy them. Investing in these for the long term, however, is not a good idea.
A more broad category that was VERY hot 10 years ago, but has seen interest wane as of late is anything branded “Mid-Century Modern”. This applies to furniture, artwork, pottery, dinnerware, etc...
The popular television show “Mad Men” introduced younger generations to this aesthetic, and for a while, anything produced in the ‘50’s & ‘60’s was being listed on eBay as “Mad Men” / Mid-Century Modern. Even an old run of the mill Holiday Inn ashtray would be listed on eBay as “MAD MEN MID-CENTURY MODERN ASHTRAY!!!” along with an inflated listing price.
Since the show is no longer on the air, and furniture stores like Living Spaces finally caught on to the trend and started mass producing knock off Eames chairs, Noguchi Tables and “Danish Modern” bookshelves, we have seen a gradual decline in this broad category... unless, of course, you live in Palm Springs, California.
@@GarciaCapital I have literally done no less than 3-4 videos on this. Your answer is there...check my previous content.
I don't know if I'm better off buying up massive.
hello from Athens Greece Shaun, im one of your first Subs back in summer of '19. If I may add an educational point concerning the 2 greek words Nostalgia and History, that you will find very intriguing. Nostalgia is the combination of Nostos and Algos which literally means the pain or ache associated with a memory. A memory, by Definition is Subjective. On the other hand History literally means the Eye Witness / Judge / Knowledgeable person who saw events. History is non-negotiable and is an Objective reality. Therefore on your whiteboard you have listed items which are subject to people's Subjective Reality, as opposed to items that are part of the Humanity's Objective Collective existence. Just thought it would be fun to throw a little of Philosophy in the conversation
Ότι θα βρω Console Hunter guest star εδώ δεν το περίμενα! Γεια σου ρε Dennis! Hidden gem του TH-cam το reserved investment!
The shuffle-into-frame entrance is so comforting lol
Shaun keeps hitting home runs. Great video and highly recommend.
Thanks for passing along the knowledge. It's always difficult admitting when you're a Timmy, Jimmy or a Dexter
Love this. It’s difficult to bring totally fresh content regularly on TH-cam. I think you’re doing a great job of that though. And remembering that TH-cam is kind of the same content over and over again - it’s good to hear sound principles repeated semi regularly. Keep it up!
Thanks so much!!
Vintage sports cards are historic. A lot of collectors were not alive when Mickey Mantle or Gordie Howe were playing, but their cards are still steadily trending upward over time in value.
I was going to write the same thing... *If* MTG is still popular in 50 yrs, I can only imagine historic cards/sets will still hold their own. You could apply the same logic to baseball cards, if baseball fell out of fashion the cards would not be nearly as valuable.
Do you think Magic will hold or tank?
@@thewealthofnations4827 I belive they will hold. Because it's a game many like myself continue to pass down to their children. I play with my kids. So in a way i guess that nostalgia CAN indeed (in the roundabout way) be passed down. I'd say after almost 30 years of success that there's many more years to come, especially if people keep the game alive and the game keeps making Hasbro money.
The top 1-5% of most things can do well
Straight to the point
I really appreciate hearing your perspective, "at some point, history is going to be more important than nostalgia." Well said. I've never heard anyone break down these concepts. Remarkably insightful!
Thank you!
I still believe in blue chip comic books because of the massive Marvel, Disney and Netflix shows keeping the characters relevant. Characters like Spider-Man are so big that Amazing Fantasy 15 is also considered a piece of history… Just my opinion though!
Some comic books have transitioned from collectibles to historical items
I was going to say exactly the same thing. Blue chip comics like Detective Comics 27, Action 1, Amazing Fantasy 15 and other gold and silver age keys have become history. I fully acknowledge that to me my comic collection holds a lot of nostalgia (born in 1962), but a great many of collectors if not most buying blue chip keys were not even born when they were published.
I have also noticed too that toy companies like Mattel cling onto the comic book characters and Disney characters too to captivate a new audience and stay relevant.
Great video! Very thankful for the insight as always! Hope you are doing well Shaun!
dude you just called the beanie baby crowd crazies, i haven't laughed that hard in a while.
I love nostalgia it returns us to our youth where we loved & played with the items & not worried about if we should store them away for 100 years.
Remember, this is a finance channel geared towards antiques and collectibles...different perspective... ;)
I really need to reread "The Wealth of Nations". The bit about the amount of pins 1 worker can create Vs 5 workers on a production line blew my mind when I was 17. That passage is now on our £5 notes here in the UK.
the sweet spot is items that are both nostalgic and historic - nostalgia and historicity are sometimes mutually exclusive, but not always
This. This is why I focus on ABU MTG cards and Golden/Silver Age comic books.
You damn near poked my eye out with that sharpie
That’s the 3D effect of the presentation.
It’s fascinating to explore these topics. I think your position on nostalgia vs history makes a lot of sense, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned since 2021 and beyond is just how powerful a force nostalgia is!
That’s not to say it’s enough to carry a collectibles category forever, but with that in mind, the continued resiliency of the comic book market, for example, is interesting!
Oh, the vintage comic book market does have cracks appearing and prices have certainly fallen. It’s just that it is one of the most popular pop culture collecting markets at present time.
@@ReservedInvestments I know the market for comic books is now down from the highs, and I saw your more recent video about the recent sale of the first appearance of Batman, so only time will tell where it goes from here.
But, even when prices are down substantially, the fact that a book like they can still fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars is remarkable to me!
Thanks as always Shawn!
I once heard Charlie Munger say 'all investment strategies are effectively growth or value' and nostaligia vs history in the collectibles trade emphasizes this.
Excellent video Sean. You are one of the people I can count on one hand (and even less than that) in the collectibles trade worth watching on TH-cam.
Thank you!
Thanks for your recommendations books & documentaries!.
Great, man I m so happy to get your insights here. Great value for me. Thank you.
Guitar Hero 3 from Nintendo Wii is very nostalgic to me. Does anyone else feel the same way about this video game?
I reckon that Batman, Spider-Man and Superman will remain strong long term because youngsters are still watching these superhero movies today
I was born in 1981 and thus never saw any of the old time HOF baseball players play yet I still want to own all of their rookie cards. What is your take on my situation and sports cards in general??
collectors no matter what age after they collect what they know always seem to want to go back to the earlier/earliest points in the hobby to collect the oldest/rarest items in their hobby.. as do i
FINALLY. Someone who can articulate and explain the invisible forces at work here. If, and I sure do mean IF… collectors / speculators can mentally survive your brutally direct explanation of nostalgic collectibles…. you will have likely succeeded in preventing what could be one of their biggest financial mistakes.
Where the heck have you been all these years!?!
Thank you for this clean, crisp, unemotional explanation… once and for all. I’m blown away I have never heard anyone up to now deliver this message.
Keep up the great work. Subscriber for life here. 👍🏻
The New York Yankees have existed for 120 years. They will likely exist for another 120 years. There have been fans experiencing "nostalgia" for the Yankees every decade since the 1930s. As one generation of people collecting due to nostalgia die off, they are replaced by a new generation of nostalgic collectors. You cannot lump sports collectors in with Lionel train collectors. When there are powerful external forces that continue to promote a brand decade after decade, the desire for the collectible does not die out, the way it does with western collectibles. Ask any current 40 year old Yankees collector of they would like to own a signed baseball by Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle, Berra, etc.
Where do you see sports memorabilia anywhere on that list? 😳
I am not talking about a specific list. But I noticed that when you talk about historical items you never mentioned sports memorabilia. You talk about coins and documents and edged weapons etc but I've never heard you specifically mention high-end sports memorabilia as being historical.
Great video. Thanks for providing this free knowledge on the antiques and collectible trade. Much appreciated especially in this age of zero interest rates, alternative investing as many could get hurt in the trickiest of the asset classes.
I am a classic coin collector but I worry the lack of coins used now will hurt this segment
Great Video 👍🏻
Coins are still in use. Something like 30%+ of the US population doesn't even have or use a checking account.
@@ReservedInvestments I enjoy you channel 👍🏻
Have you done videos on Classic Firearms or edged weapons ?
I collect those as well
Unfortunately I have a stamp collection with I believe is far from a good future investment 😩
Again Very Informative Channel 😄
But I love my nostalgia Shawn!!! :) Agree with you, some of the nostalgia feelings aren't taking into account bad times as well. It's somewhat of a mind trick/coping mechanism I suppose. Good video!
Thank you!
Buy and flip, whatever remains profit you can use to buy your nostalgia, let the hobby pay for itself.
Can we get a “Timmy, Kimmy and Poindexter” counter in the top corner of the screen in the next video? I lost count at the 10 min mark.
Or "overall antiques and collectibles trade"
Maybe the "year, 2021"
God I love the repeating themes here. :)
I’m making it my new drinking game
thank you
Love the white board. Kicking in old school. Helps to really visualize what the differences are. Thanks Shaun.
Great video! As it relates to nostalgia vs history, I think the original paper level designs for Mario Bros (some of which are showcased in Nintendo's NY store) should eventually be way more valuable than a sealed copy of the game of which there are probably thousands.
Brilliantly put Shawn! Love the no frills approach. I think there are too many people looking for videos for validation of their nostalgia led collecting and your content provides a reality check. Keep up the great work
Great video and absolutely agree - not everything nostalgic holds value. Atari is a great example, and I think Sega will follow suit. But you are wrong if you think nostalgia and history is ‘clear cut’ - there are gradients of nostalgia and history across all those collector lines and that is what you have failed to really point to. There are collectible lines that will converge over into antiquities and historical space - Pokémon, Nintendo are just great examples where the market is continually reintroduce their products into younger generations. This is what you have also failed to highlight here is the propensity to have younger generations enter; this is why action figure lines like Star Wars, Mask and even transformers will go down but Pokemon, Dragonball Z, Nintendo, PlayStation will continue to thrive in the future.
Won’t things we consider “nostalgic” now one day become “ Historic ”?
Nope, because nostalgia is not rooted in history.
Shawn, I mean this humbly, this is without a doubt the best video that you’ve created. It really does a great job of compacting all of the important tidbits from all of your past videos into one.
The content is designed to build on each new video. Thank you for the feedback.
Love the videos. My only comment would be that media has changed and collectables can reach people. If Annie Oakley had video games, comics and movies, it’s possible that she’d be more like Dracula in stature.
You’re most likely right, it’s just possible that technology has been a paradigm shift
Shawn’s awesome
I just found out about this channel and like you I have a background in finance and moved into antiques. When you talk about Adam Smith, I just go "See I told you".
I'm looking forward to watching you.
Okay, I'm gonna put myself through your TH-cam course here. I think you're going to help me out a lot.
Liked, commented, subbed. Great vid, thanks.
You sir are my conscious 😂😂😂these names you come up with are genius 😂😂😂
Thank God It's Friday on Reserved Investments!
haha you got a sub. Had me dying 🤣 Don't know much about investing in collectables but I'm excited to check out the content on your channel.
Welcome!
Great video, I did not think of this distinction before and you explained it reall well!
Does you believe the history of video games, comic books, & trading cards will be relevant going forward?
Gym Fresh Shawn feat. Large Red Sharpie another fire video
One of my favorite things about coins is that the manufacturer tells you how many were made and the grading companies tell you how many were graded. Full transparency. Off topic, I know.
A follow-up video is always appreciated on any topic as I like to hear more of your take on anything. Perhaps delve into what makes a particular item historic in the first place. For example, some would argue, "The Base Set of Pokemon cards in the US is historic because it was the first one that came out here. Now 25 years later, everyone has heard about it & Pokemon is popular all over the world and so much has come out Pokemon related but that first "historic" card set mostly started it all for Americans. What makes a first edition Charizard less historic than a 1916-D Mercury Dime?" I don't believe this is true, but I have heard arguments like this.
Love what you do!
As always, great content!
Thank you!
I like what you say at the 4:00 - 4:41 mark
Very well said reserved investments
10:45 excellent point accurate psychology
Thanks RI for the informative lesson as always.
Always look forward to your videos dude!
Thank you!
The hair is not a problem. That 747 fuselage sized sharpie on the other hand...
most people "Invest" like this: I go to a table with 37 numbers on it from 0 to 36 when a ball starts rolling i put all my money on that number and when the ball hits that number my "Investment" payed off x36. If you tell someone they have 37/1 chance of that happening it falls to deaf mans ears. if it doesnt hit its someone else his fault if it hits they consider themselves great intellectuals and master minds because they do not realize that "investment" is just a gamble and they got lucky.
You know what system has the most nostalgia? The Dreamcast. People reminisce about it. I checked it out a few years ago only to say that I didn't give a **** about it, lol.
yes please. i need a follow up. love your videos
Great video Shawn !! It really paints a good picture of the two different types of thinking involved of the collector, nostalgia vs history. It makes for a good way point to challenge the reasoning on why a certain purchase in one of these categories is justified or not. Also I think you need a bigger marker.
great video, just found the channel but have watched a ton of the back catalog!
Great channel! If I may make a request I'd like to see a video on historical documents. I'd be interested in hearing what different examples would be, what the market is like right now, etc.
Im interested in this aswell. I imagine the market is smaller but with deeper pockets.
@@Fr331995 I'd think so. History can be kind of a broad concept too so I wonder how broad that category is.
Me too.
I completely agree with Shaun for the most. I personally invest in comics and this partly applies. However; with escapism being a huge commercial area I believe comics will continue to grow. Hulk 181 (I know you’re not keen) when Disney release the next generation of films/shows will bring a huge influx to the market. The book will gain another life. I do agree and think Shaun hits the nail on the head. This new generation will not view collecting comics the same as me from the 80’s. That point alone makes me think comic books might not be long term. Who knows! Great video as always…..
I've had to deal with the Beanie Baby market. I basically have one rule except for a few exceptions (Diana Bear). Basically if the tush tag is all black print, there is some value there but not a lot unless it is first edition with the hang (ear) tag in tact. If you are collecting the right item, with a long enough hold period, Benie Babies are a good investments because of the craze it created and the earliest ones tell the history. That will build value in the long run.
Great video! I really enjoyed being able to read everything on the white board and fellow along with the video easier.
Thank you for the feedback!
Congrats on closing in on 10k subscribers Sean! Really enjoyed following your growth!
Thank you!
You should add sports cards in historic categories. Since people are chasing babe Ruth rookie cards.
The thing with Pokemon and MtG cards is also that the card games themselves are also popular, I would assume that those markets would also crash if the games stopped being made/supported. Prices of the cards can fluctuate wildly depending on legality and use.
Excellent discussion!
some video games have had a huge cultural impact already like mario or resident evil. there are few games that can def be considered historical already as long as they new, sealed and perfect worthy of a museum
I disagree on Beanie Babies; maybe they're underpriced right now and if 90's nostalgia comes back, maybe they could appreciate.
To be fair he did say the market could come back
I like it mang
Another great video. Was hoping to get a new one soon!
6:48 this is hilarious...
Great video. I was getting into the card scene and there was a tickle in my brain to investigate further and this is what I was ment to find I believe. Thank you sir.
Welcome to the channel. Thank you for your feedback!
good stuff. yes please do a follow up video!
I might have missed this, but what about vintage “luxury”/tool watches? I’m unclear as to how they place. Imho they can cater to nostalgia since sellers can romanticize stories of a timepiece’s history, but some of them can be based in history (WWII watches used by soldiers, watches used in space, etc). What am I missing here?
Appreciate the insight! However, albeit this is only anecdotal, but it seems that generational nostalgia helps maintain an undercurrent of sustained value for certain collectibles …for example, if a child is born in 2021, and his or her parents are collectors of silver age comic books, I would imagine, if that child has the collector gene, then the pattern likely continues, supporting the value of the books. I could certainly be wrong, but there seems to be more collectors now than before, seemingly because of the cinematic history and parents being collectors…as such, with a growing population and scarcer “silver age” comic books I would imagine many of these books will either hold their value or increase within the decades… but I am clearly not an expert, and always enjoy your willingness to share your educational insights! Thank you!
The Great Gatsby is one of the greatest books too. Interestingly enough I'm currently living in Cody, Wyoming and visited the Buffalo Bill museum and learned about Annie Oakley. Interesting coincidence.
Nice Hair!
Back from the gym crazy hair Shawn!
Wow, So there isnt any history in Video Games? Or Magic the gathering? Or comic books? Or ... you get the idea. Great video although I think there is a blur between the two categories that you dismissed because you are only focusing on the raw categories. If your going to list them as a bad nostalgic investment you should be trying to point out the exceptions and historic values with them categories.
No, because no one is going to care about Magic the Gathering 200 years from now, just like we don't care about Penny Dreadfuls. Study that, your answer is there...there is NOTHING in between.
Underground seas were listed as $25 in inquest from 1995-2005. Then graded cards, stories of high price auctions, & all that nonsense that artificially inflates a market showed up, now they are up 3000% in price🙄comparing magic to train toys & pez is correct. I compare magic to beanie babies all the time & have been playing since 1997.
@@ReservedInvestments Well I am just referring to history, its made and everything has it. Even in Magic the gathering. I was trying to make a much broader point though. Do I think there will be historic interest in say the first ever games (Ie arcade machines) yes I do. I even think certain Jamma boards may be invest able. Likewise there are historic games that may even be invest able but your entire video dismisses the history and puts them in the nostalgia category. Now do I think video games are a good investment, generally no but there are exceptions that again you fail to mention. Its not binary yes/no there are other historic factors that you dont even consider.
@@J0SHUAKANE I agree mostly that magic is in the nostalgia category mainly because I used to play back in 94 then left and started to come back because of nostalgia. But there is a short term speculative play there because of that. Over time players coming back may want to pick up boxes from when they last played. MTG is a game though so money I put into this is what comes out of my entertainment fund its not something I invest in.
Good stuff, enjoy your channel and content
I'm still pretty new to this market, and I just found this channel. Really helping me out so far! I focus on coins and currency. I'm a collector by nature, but am also starting to branch out selling stuff.
This video needs to be in 3D so viewers can be awestruck and blown away by how real that red marker looks being thrusted into the camera lens and out through the computer screen after we all don our 3D glasses 😆 I am a recent subscriber and I appreciate the honest insightful trajectory that your videos have to offer.
looks like we have some market manipulation starting w sealed IGS graded VHS tapes on ebay, take a look at the prices of 50k and up buy it now. Hope you do a video on VHS
Yeah but I don’t care about historic collectible. Maybe art, but even that is a stretch. I want to say mostly older people collect historic artifacts. I wonder how the market will change when all those older people pass away. You can also argue pop culture is historic. But pop culture product are probably more mass produce, which is a good thing in my opinion.
Just get a FA and invest properly.
Excellent video!
Great information as always. Do you feel as I do that there is a spectrum between nostalgia and history with some blending/crossover? By way of example, some tobacco baseball cards and rare Golden Age comic books have historic significance, while some rare books are historic and others may be more nostalgic?
How have 1960's Batman toys performed? Tin, figures, etc. Are they worth more today than they were 20-30 years ago? Because if they haven't done well, then that hurts arguments which would claim that multi-generational brands, characters and IP will fair well in the long term.
People who invest in Beanie Babies are crazy! I for one have invested all of my money in rare Pogs!
He only mentioned the invisible hand once in passing in each of his main books. There is debate as to what is truly meant.
Thank you for the video, please do a follow up! Have a great weekend
I think you might want to research comics a little more because the vintage comic book market is on fire right now and it isn't necessarily from buyers wanting to relive their childhoods as we're talking golden and and silver age books setting records left and right. An example: the last Heritage auction sold two copies of Pep comics #20 from 1941, the Edgar Church CGC 9.2 copy and a CGC 6.5 copy. The Church copy sold for an astounding $90k and the 6.5 for $36k. Were these buyers born during the depression who want to go on a sentimental journey or are these much younger collectors/investors? Most likely the latter. Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, etc are a little more than just a nostalgia trip. Yes you weren't alive during the wars you mentioned or when your coins were minted or when the Great Gatsby was first published but neither were the buyers who are paying astonishing amounts of money for early Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, Superman, Batman books. Same also applies to vintage sports card market which is also on fire ( more so in fact ).
I think you may want to research the vintage comic book market more, and understand market manipulation and the fundamentals of the trade. 😉
Love the videos Shawn! Im a long time card collector (Marvel, Wrestling, Pokemon, Sports) and while I do enjoy owning these items for nostalgic & speculative reasons, youve helped me understand that my most valuable items in the long term will likely be those that have the most historical importance. Thank you!
When does the bubble burst though? When does the nostalgia wear off? Is Magic a nostalgia bubble or is it speculators also inflating price, OR is Magic a legit historical collectable?
What do you think about Gary Vee pumping sports cards, comics, marvel cards, and Pokémon?
You don't want me to answer this, trust me... ;)
@@ReservedInvestments either way if when the market cools off he will take a reputation hit.
I want a t shirt saying “Timmy, Kimmys and Pointdexter” 😃 we need merch!!
Bonus for when this merch has mass produced scarcity and becomes a collectible
This was my favorite video from you so far. Thanks!
There are nuances, It's not all black and white, you do mention somehow that point though.
The current generation (X, Y, Z, alpha) are born in the digital age () while previous generation had vivid experience or fresh recollection on wars, physical books, physical currency etc...
In the sense, are we not experiencing a generational shift also in collectibles? there must be a connection to historical items one way or another. Can you collect physical coins if you have never been or very little exposed to it. Same applies with books or any historical items. Not saying a connection to the exact collectible in question (because probably none will) to the category it represents.
Just wondering.
How many people today use swords? Yet, swords, especially as historical artifacts or even just for show, sell very well on the secondary market and have a massive collector following. Simple example...
80´s stuf will be historic 30 years in the future
100% false.
This is an excellent video because it touches on a major theme, opportunity cost. There are a lot of people putting big money into comics, video games, game cards, etc., and they don't realize there are other collectibles like rare coins, which are more historic, can be more rare, and can be found for MUCH less money compared to what's pouring into these markets due to nostalgia. Let me give just one easy example of what I'm talking about. The comic book which just hammered for 3.6 million dollars, it's from 1962, I think I read there are 3 or 4 other known in this high grade. Let me compare this to my newest numismatic purchase, a very collectible and eye-appealing gold coin from the Netherlands that is from 1776, it is the ONLY known example in its grade, MS62, and while I won't say what I paid for it, I just listed it for sale at a measly 7 grand.
i bought some old Japanese coins not worth much but look cool
Coins are as boring as stamps. Sure they are historic and will most likely hold or gain in value but there is nothing interesting or exciting about collecting them. I would rather take a chance with a newer less historical but fun collectible category than to put money into something that I have no interest in just because history shows it will hold its value. Give me sports cards, comic books and video games. If the markets crash and the values fall then at least I still own something that I am passionate about.