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Do Playing cards gain value over time? I'm pretty new to collecting and am somewhat hard on cash atm. I was wondering if it was worth it to buy limited print cards and maybe sell them when I'm older or if anyone wants them. Basically I wanna know if I could sell my collection if I end up too broke to keep up this hobby.

Currently just a student.

There's no guarantee that the playing card scene will keep growing forever - personally I'd never actually "invest" in decks of cards

There are far safer and more effective ways to invest money than in playing cards. The vast majority of the decks available right now, at regular prices, will never increase significantly in value.

That said, investing is something you do when you have excess money, no loans to pay and perhaps even a decent sum saved up as a safety net in case something happens. If you're hard on cash, the best thing to do with excess funds is probably to put it in a savings account.

Maybe in 5-10 years you'll make a few hundred bucks if you're lucky. Definitely a terrible investment.

Playing cards are great but they aren’t really there to be an investment. The majority will not have significant return, collect if you enjoy it.

Thanks guys, good to know. I got really curious since there were YT videos and some articles saying that it was a thing. Well now I know to just get decks for myself instead of getting more than I need/want. Seriously Thanks guys for the info!

Just DON'T...

I think a very very few will increase in value such as decks that have a direct historical or artistic significance, like an original 1864 Highlanders complete deck. Like any artifact, it will only ever be worth what someone is willing to pay for it. Most, possibly all, of my decks will NEVER gain value, except for emotional value, like the deck of Tally-Hos whose tuck is held together with packing tape that I carried everyday for 3 years in China. ...Lotta memories and stories attached to that deck

Do NOT "invest" in collectibles. The market can crash at any moment.

OVSUB wrote:Currently just a student.

Invest in your education! Then find a good job. Then we'll be happy to see you buying our $100 decks.

The playing cards market is what the baseball card market was in the 1990's. The cards are printed day and night to the point of market saturation. Eventually the bottom will fall out and the hype decks will be worthless. There will be 50 hype decks for every collector in a few years. Buy decks because you love them not to make money.
As a side note there are two ways that you could likely make a little bit of money. 1) Be the first to get a new deck and the first to sell it. Think of this as a game of hot potato. Buy a 3 fontaine decks for $60 then sell 2 for $60 so it pays for your collection in a way. 2) Older,pre oversaturation decks like smoke and mirrors or Wynn will likely hold their value because when those decks came out people didn't really know to collect them so the supply truly is lower.

Cheers

Oddsmaker and all the others, thanks for all the advice! It's good to know all this. I usually only buy decks that I like esp when they are on sale. I was just wondering if I would be able to make anything back if I ever need to sell them. It's definitely good to know I should just keep my collection and enjoy the cards.

OVSUB wrote:Oddsmaker and all the others, thanks for all the advice! It's good to know all this. I usually only buy decks that I like esp when they are on sale. I was just wondering if I would be able to make anything back if I ever need to sell them. It's definitely good to know I should just keep my collection and enjoy the cards.

Yeah, especially if your enjoyment includes opening the cards (no judgement here! ) you won't be making your money back selling them later.

That is what I do - if I like the way a deck looks, I buy it. I never have an intention to sell, and honestly, I am usually surprised when I run across a high-priced deck and realize I have it in my collection. That happened a bit ago when I ran across an eBay ad for the Steve Minty Osiris deck. I just went back in my emails to look at how much I paid for it and how much it goes for now.

Then: Now: So that is a pretty good return value, but I have sooooo many other decks that have not gone up and some are most likely worthless. For every deck you get that may go up in value, you are gonna get burned on the others. And you would have to correctly pick the best performing ones, buy them in bulk and sit on them for years. Not worth it. Better to dump your money in an Roth IRA or a money market or something. Collect cards to make you smile, not to make you rich!

Also, just as a side note, that Anubis/Osiris coin is PERFECT for scratch offs! Yes, I use it on scratch off lottery tickets - I'm gonna be rich one day!

Lol I use my Muertos coin for scratch offs!

Well, once anyway.

There's an excellent article on this subject over on The World of Playing Cards.

"Is Card Collecting an Investment?"
https://www.wopc.co.uk/blog/is-card-col ... investment" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The article was written by Rod Starling, author of the book The Art and Pleasures of Playing Cards. This article originally appeared in the December 2013 issue of "Clear the Decks", the newsletter for 52 Plus Joker (the American Playing Card Collector's Club). The concluding comments from editor Judy Dawson that follow the article also make for interesting reading.

The article especially deals with vintage and antique decks of playing cards, but of course the question can also be asked about modern decks.