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The Attic Top 5 -
1 - Rare Coins -
News of the Week - Major investments from private equity propel the rare coin market higher. In June of 2021, Blackstone acquired NGC for $500 million. D1 Capital and Cohen purchased PCGS in December 2020. And this year may be the biggest year yet for rare coin demand as interest in the asset class grows.
Favorite Video of the Week - The story of the 1933 Double Eagle, the most valuable coin of all time, is a fascinating tale. When the coin sold at auction in 2021, Sotheby's released this video giving a 6-minute history of the coin. If you don't already know - I would highly recommend you get up to speed on the 1933 Double Eagle.
Deal of the Week - It's time to get yourself a Silver American Eagle. I found uncirculated 2020 American Eagles from the Littleton Coin Company for $82 each. 99.9% pure silver, and not available from the U.S. Mint. These coins are beautiful.
Random Thought of the Week - The PCGS3000 Index of rare coin values keeps cruising along at 10-year highs. The index has gone straight up since late 2019, how much higher will rare coin prices go?
Featured Company - Rare Coin Wholesalers is led by Steve Contursi, who's been in the rare coin business for over 45 years. The firm specializes in museum-quality coins and has handled the sale of a few world-famous treasures, such as the 1794 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar and the 1787 Brasher Doubloon. With over $2 billion in transactions over the last 20 years, it's likely Rare Coin Wholesalers has something you are interested in.
2 - Sports Cards -
News of the Week - Time for the Beckett Hot & Cold. Moving up the charts on the 'Hot' list are Travis Kelce, Joel Embiid, and Devin Booker. Cooling off is Ja Morant, Ben Simmons, and Zach Wilson.
Favorite Video of the Week - Twists and turns, celebrities, fraud, millions of dollars, and our National Pastime. The story of the T206 Honus Wagner is boiled down to this great 12-minute video, 'Holy Grail.'
Deal of the Week - Here's a great way to burn 20 bucks. America's Sports Card Store is selling 20 random Nolan Ryan cards for $22. The listing claims you will receive near mint or mint condition cards, all 20 are different cards throughout Ryan's career. With no expectations other than a fun way to spend 20 bucks, I would take this deal.
Random Thought of the Week - Price indexes are helpful, and there are a few good places to track the overall sports card market, but valuing an individual card can be a bit more difficult. Looking at the latest sold items on eBay will give you some of the best data out there. Type in your card and sort from the highest price first. Check the date sold, and hopefully, you will have a few good 'comps' to value your card.
Featured Company - Ok, I couldn't resist giving a shout-out to Layton Sports Cards. They've been around a while; founder Rich Layton has been collecting since he was 6 years old. What's obvious is the Layton Sports Cards crew is having a ton of fun, which is the entire point of card collecting, in my opinion. They feature 'Live Breaks' and tons of ways to play along, all in a family-friendly environment - interactive fun for everyone. Check them out!
3 - Collector Cars -
News of the Week - Cox Automotive, publishers of the Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index, report an increase in wholesale used-vehicle prices in the first 15 days of March. Over the last 12 months, the index is down 2.6%. But you really need to look at the chart to understand the crazy path used vehicles have been down in recent years.
Favorite Video of the Week - I love factory tours, and there are some amazing videos with behind-the-scenes footage of how the most amazing supercars are produced. Here's an inside peak at the making of the Bugatti from the headquarters in Alsace, Molsheim, France where Ettore Bugatti founded the brand in 1909.
Deal of the Week - Following up on our deal from last week, the 1973 Porsche 911T Coupe RS sold on Bring A Trailer a few days ago for $165,000! One week ago, bids were sitting at $75,000, and I set the over/under at $100k. I was a bit low, I guess. UPDATE - the car is now still available. Sounds like the buyer had issues with Switzerland car registration. Never a dull moment in the collector car world!
Random Thought of the Week - With all the great online car auction sites out there, we all know how much it costs to BUY a collector car. But how much does it actually cost to OWN a collector car? The cost of ownership is something that must be considered and planned out ahead of time. Otherwise, you might find yourself scrambling to sell that dream rig that turned into a cash flow nightmare. 'Smackey's Garage' has a few tips for you.
Featured Company - I'm addicted to the Bring A Trailer website. Everything about this site is great. Tons of HD photos, an interactive community of commentators for each auction, and transparent sale price data. The site is fast, with a simple search function for any make and model. I could easily kill an hour browsing cars on B-A-T and not even realize it!
4 - Vintage Watches -
News of the Week - A Patek Philippe, once owned by the last emperor of China, is coming to a Phillips auction. The 1937 'Reference 96 Quantieme Lune' is one of only eight watches of its kind. The watch could sell for several million dollars, with the date of the auction still unannounced.
Favorite Video of the Week - Tom Cruise wore the very first Porsche-designed watch in the 1986 film Top Gun. It's the Porsche 'Orfina Chronograph,' and 34 years later, that very same watch was again worn by Cruise in the sequel, Top Gun: Maverick. See if you can spot the Porsche Orfina in the trailer. (Hint - 1:20 mark)
Deal of the Week - While we're talking about the epic Porsche-designed Orfina Chronograph wristwatch from the Top Gun movies, let's take a look at the value. Here's a pre-owned 1980 Orfina, no box or papers, selling for $6,500. This could be the perfect collector watch for pilots or Top Gun superfans.
Random Thought of the Week - There are dozens of collector watch 'price indexes,' and almost all of them are interesting to look at. At the very least, I like to see what watches are selected as part of the index. Here's another one - Timepeaks tracks luxury watch prices for over twenty categories. If you love data and watches, take a look!
Featured Company - The Luxury Watch Guy is a "buyer and seller of fancy/shmancy watches," and has a great Twitter feed featuring an amazing selection of watches for sale. He doesn't appear to have a website, but this guy sure does have incredible watches for sale and a new selection on a daily basis, all through his Twitter account.
5 - Memorabilia & Collectibles
News of the Week - A factory-sealed original iPhone sold at auction this week for $55,000. The original unopened Apple phone from 2007 features 8GB and the original AT&T bag with instructions for iPhone activation and rate plans!
Favorite Video of the Week - "Do you scare yourself when you're writing these books?" Stephen King answers, "once and a while." Check out Stephen King talking about what scares him in this 1986 interview. With over 300 million books sold, he's one of the most prolific authors in history. His first-edition books are highly valued collector items as well. A first edition copy of 'The Stand' once sold for $18,500.
Deal of the Week - This cool historical document caught my eye... starting bid at $95 - a 1797 magazine with six issues bound together, including a John Adams address to Congress. Among other topics, Adams discusses a mutiny in the fleet and an essay discussing the Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith.
Random Thought of the Week - When you think of collecting celebrity memorabilia, sometimes you need to think big. How about buying the house from a movie star? Here are 10 celebrity homes for sale right now. Johnny Depp's Kentucky home for $2 million? How about the Hamptons home of Beyonce and Jay-Z for $16 million?
Featured Company - Not exactly a company profile, but here's an eBay store that I'd like to promote. Mainly because of their Twitter bio, which reads, "Collect what makes you smile and it will always have value. Been collecting & selling vintage items for years, met the nicest people." What a great statement by @knlcollectnsel1. My thoughts exactly! Go check out their eBay store and pick out something you like!
Featured Article -
25 Most Valuable Nickels Wanted by Rare Coin Collectors -
The most valuable nickels are worth millions. But you don’t need to find a super-rare Liberty head or Buffalo nickel to strike gold. Even Jefferson nickels can be worth a fortune if you find the right one.
Quote to Ponder -
“Often, the story of an artifact’s journey is more remarkable than the object itself.” - Mackenzie Finklea, Beyond the Halls: An Insider’s Guide to Loving Museums
Question for You -
What collectibles & alternative assets would you like more discussion about next week? Screaming Eagle Cabernet? Antique fountain pens? How about vintage dirt bikes? Let’s hear your favorites.
Do you want your company to be featured in this newsletter? Reach out and let me know!
Thanks for reading, and have a great week!