Buy/Sell/Trade Forum

Scottzoe writes it well (go Sox!). I'm trying to collect team sets but know that the more vintage team sets are a tougher trade to get than anything 1980+. If there's a 1980+ card I need, apart from a few particular rookies, I can easily pick them up on the cheap for sale somewhere. Vintage, not always so.

I'll consider any trade offer.  I receive many offers of newer cards on my wantlist for my vintage traders.  Sometimes I'll take them, but most times I won't.  A significant factor for me is the potential for retaining value or growth in value.  A '67 Topps common is going to retain its value and probably grow nicely in value over time.  Five 2021 Topps Heritage commons are not going to retain their value and may even depreciate over time.  I have many alternative places I can obtain those 2021 commons.  I would probably trade vintage cards for current rookie cards of players that I believe will grow in value.  I'm not looking to gain an edge on anyone, nor do I believe I have to win a deal.  I simply believe that value is represented by more than just current value.  Potential for growth in value is part of the calculus, too.  I assume both sides in a trade are using the same decision making process.

If cards had no value, I'd probably trade vintage for modern all day.  But cards do have both and future value, and I believe I need to take a sensible approach to both my purchases and my trades.  It helps me rationalize spending time and money on a hobby.  Otherwise, trading would be impulsive and counterproductive, and I'd be out of the hobby quickly.

Scott,  I think you hit the nail on the head of why this frustrates me a bit.  In your scenario, I think most would agree the higher value is on the older cards in that trade. That's not what I was getting at.   Rework your scenario but instead of using two, as you say, 10-15 cent cards, use whatever cards that in your estimation match the value you place on the older cards.  

I think those with blanket "no vintage for modern" rules assume evey vintage for modern trade offer they will get will be like your first scenario.  I'm sure that happens a lot but it's a shame it leads so many to rule out vintage for modern trades altogether.  

I read this thread yesterday and tought about it for a while.  I think some have said much of the why but I will add my view on it as well.  The majority of the cards from 1985 to 2021 can be had for less than a penny per card when I buy larger lots of which there are enough available even in my rural area.  These large lots have commons, semi-stars, some stars and even HoF in them.  They also have inserts of the lesser players. As the cards get older in the lots fr slae the price goes up.  Last year I bought a shoe box full of 1952-1962 cards and paid about $1 per card.  NO they were not mint and no there were not a lot of stars in the box.  But it did help fill some of my older sets.  

So even if I did open the doors wide for trading modern for vintage, is anyone going to offer me 100 2012 or 2014 commons for 1 1959 common card?  Haven't seen any offers like that yet.  More often, the other side thinks 3 commons from 1995 is sufficient for that vintage card they so preciously want but aren't willing to spend $2 or $3 for.

The other reason has been mentioned - I hope another vintage card collector who has also accumulated a large # of traders in the vintage years, comes along and we can trade vintage for vintage.  Basically, if you don't have the cards to attract these traders, then you will have to go out and buy them.  I did and I don't wish to deplete my vintage traders on modern cards that I can find easily.

I do not have any vintage to trade for vintage, but I have traded newer for vintage before. As long as both parties are happy then that's all that matters. Over the years I have traded or given away most of the Toronto Maple Leaf vintage team sets (1970-89) I had and now find myself wanting to collect them again. I know this will be an uphill battle because of my lack of vinatge traders, but I will eventually get there. In the meantime I will work on building up my main PC (Maple Leaf goalie cards).