| Show 2F The Salt Lake Tribune Sunday February 26 1989 Collecting Cards Can Mean Grand Slam or Financial Strikeout By Russell Kishi United Press International LOS ANGELES — For a potential investor the appeal of buying into sports collectibles can be enticing and nostalgic but at the same time undeniably perilous Recent evidence points toward a grnwing market Dealers in sports items across the country say they are selling more complete sets of Topps baseball cards than ever before They were definitely our biggest seller last Christmas" said Pat Quinn 48 owner of the Sports Collectors' Store in the Chicago suburb of LaGrange "Our mailing list grows with every show we sponsor" said John Blasco 23' of Buena Park Calif a transe planted New Yorker and coordinator of baseball card conventions We ran one show out of a hotel in Boston last August with 90 someotld dealers" Blasco said "We drew alrnost 4000 people one day and the fire department had to close the show down for an hour the crowd was so huge" - But therein lies the catch The po full-tim- Money Market Yields Highest rear T Highest yields reported by lederalhkinsured banks tuff as a Feb 22 based on stated rotes and method of compounding tor lowest minimum deposff available Figures in parentheses are cmnage annual effecttve yields offered by 100 large banks and thrifts in the top 10 motets indh4dual yields or a CDs are overage annual Interand est lamed over entire life of account not "annual and id" which would only show Interest effective earned the first war SPADA Annual Meetly' Yield Nail Avg636 925 Empire Dired Buffaio NY 912 First Deposit Noll Bank Tilton NH TX 900 San Antonio phlavings 892 Mrlantic tar Edison NJ 884 kilw South Fad Sygs Bonk Birminghcrn AL : 6MoWi CO Inolualized 'Aoki linfl Av$1157 :Annualipsd yleids cini for 12 months and are tomrd upon rule in effect at time account is opened 960 952 950 950 949 Boca Baton El Pointe Klmn Owners Fed Svgs Boston MA Bank New York NY rtgoncNatl Svgs Missouri City TX 68erchantslionit of Sodom Belmont MA SAL e:!I-YeCD Annual fletly Yield :Avg111 'Nome LoonInvestment Bonk Providence RI abershorn Fed Svge Bank Corolla GA )otro Ncel Nail 980 914 970 969 960 Sank Now York NY Mud Fed Svgs lank Reston VA New England Fed $vgs Bork Wellesley MA e!' Average °fowl yields betow show the average rseturn per yeas over the Ike of the CD the total inters earned on the OCCOUni is divided by We number fit read at ihe CD and the result is the average annual yield in percentage CD Amelia Accusal Vold Nat'l Av91145 1054 New York NY Noll Bonk '4cOra 1049 Wiota Slow Folk SO 1041 HOMO Svgs of America Las Angeles CA 10 39 —Columbia S&L Newport Beach CA r— ' 1027 acobb Fed Svgs emk M0110)00 GA 14et 716104062 CD : Averse Aaaval Yield Nell Bank Now York NY Republic Noll Sank New Yetti NY loantrinvestment Bonk Providence :Seamen's Bonk New Yost NY Fed tibia Svgs Sank Reston VA $100000 CDs AVVIlarneburg Sns RI 1192 4492 1191 11 55 1176 card collecting as a hobby not an tential for astronomical profit in any whether in sporting goods or works of art is determined by its rarity So experts say that anyone making bulk purchases of contemporary Topps baseball cards would be better off investing money elsewhere if investment is indeed the primary motive "You'd better be very careful of what you are buying" said Larry Fritsch 52 who has collected bubble gum cards of every sort since 1948 and whose collection is so comprehensive that 1 percent of it is sufficient to house a card museum near baseball's Hall of Fame in Cooperstown NY Fritsch is also considered the first man to make a business out of selling and trading baseball cards He opened his dealership in Stevens Point Wis in 1970 and has heard every opinion about collecting "It's a relatively new hobby and subject to fluctuations" Fritsch said "But I would not want to compare sports collecting to gold and silver because they have a market beyond collectibles I prefer to look at Platte Valley Fed S&L Scottsbluff NE Fiat Deposit Nall Bank Tilton NH Merchantstlank of Boston Belmont MA Network Sygs Bank Angeles Plaffe Valley Fed S&L Scolisbluff NE Resource Savings Dallas TX Los First Valley d Compound Yields for Period Highest Feb 21 1989 Dear Mr Ross: I'm writing because I need a refrigerator — badly I have three small kids and no way to keep their food cold My youngest is still on formula and once opened it will spoil if not kept cool I'm one who really needs your help If you can't I'll understand — Ms SD Dayton Ohio Dear Ms D: Understand what? That there's throngs of people in worse need than and that your situation you doesn't warrant top priority? Maybe so But I placed myself in your shoes and couldn't help but feel If I had three children and no means that my to refrigerate their food situation would demand immediate attention So with that reasoning I'm mailing 9 50 9 50 End- oventivient-OnlMoney Funds Avecogo161 928 Kemper Money Market Gov't Port 2 Vanguard M MR Federal 921 916 914 913 5 Alex Brown Gov't Series PF8 US Government Fund 7 iloyshore US Tref:ism 911 906 905 k a The Rodney Square Fund-U- S Gov't 9 thorougthred US Gov't Wig Tax Fs Paosoy k k MVP 6 Train Smith 1E MF k 7 USAA MMF a Vanguard Muni BongMAI 9 Calvert 10 3 Evergreen business-informatio- 662 655 652 648 641 639 633 630 629 629 RAMA k 4 Fidelity NJ 5 Vanguard NJ NEW YORK (AP) — US business failures declined 66 percent in 1988 over the previous year the largest annual drop in a decade Dun & Bradstreet Corp reports n The company said 57098 businesses went under last year compared with 61111 in 1987 "The significant decline in failures underscores the continued strength of the economy now in its seventh year of expansion" said Joseph W Duncan chief economist for Dun & Mors Funds Avorago577 MMF k Positives MM MMFICA k Percy '' !7'''''' Ross ::: rfr 'i4': 11111-::::- 1 7:''' you a check to get a refrigerator and a few staples to stock it with Good luck Dear Mr Ross: I lost my husband a little over a year ago Just before his death he made me promise that his ashes would be scattered over a special forest area he loved located in northern Michigan He spent so many hours hunting and fishing there After 42 years of marriage what could I say? Since his death there are overwhelming medical expenses which will take a long time to pay We had no insurance I would like to keep that promise and send him home Time keeps slipping away and his last wish is left unfulfilled Surely you can see the value of my request — Mrs MN Business Failures Declined 901 Cardinal Gov't Securities 898 General Purpose Moony Funds Averoge818 1 972 Alger Money Market Portfolio k 2 Vanguard MMR Prime 942 d MALE k 940 3 938 4 Evergreen MM Dust k 929 5 Prime Value Cash Investment Fund 928 6 Money 'bust 1 Arch Money Market Class A k 927 8 Dean WitterSean Liq Asset 927 9 Monitor Money Market Fund 925 10 Nesvion Money Fund k 925 10 Evergreen 2 Dreyfus NJ 3 l'idelity PA N:i '47' : 1 3 Current Int US Gov't Pod k 4 Woodycod Gov't Fund :::1'itWi:::'':!0:!4z: Minneapolis millionaire Percy Ross is Internationally known to his philanthropic works and likes to encourage Whets to help solve problems tot those in need He has earned a totitine and a wealth of knowledge during hit lifetime and wants to snare both before his death His motto is: He who gives while he lives also knows where it goes" YIELDS- 10 said "If they call and ask about it and you quote $7000 and they want to buy it that's another story That tells me the price is actually stable:' But we have our Mantle cards priced way down and no one is calling" Both Quinn and Fritsch agree that baseball items — with the bulk of money spent on cards — exerts an overwhelming command over customer& They also cater to other sports including football and basketball but said 90 percent of their business centers around the national pastime "There was a rage in Mickey Mantle cards the last couple of years where the prices went from above average to extremely outrageous" Quinn said "Everyone who bought at a high price is taking a beating and now the price is down and they're still not selling" Quinn said Quinn said he has heard current quotes of between $3000 and $7000 for a single Mantle card but has received no inquiries into his stock for two years "That tells me something" Quinn Dayton Mother Three Children Receive Refrigerator 1000 10 00 1000 NM S&L Albuquerque New Braunfels SAL New Braunfels DT Platte Fed S&L Scottsbluff NE items of recent vintage will ever command a high price "By estimating by working backward we have determined that there are something like 500 million Mattingly cards out there" Fritsch said "And it seems to me with a base of 500 million it will never pay off as an investment no matter what Mattingly does on the field" Quinn said collecting can be every bit as volatile as the stock market items especially on higher-ticke- t Having money to invest in cards he said does not guarantee making money Thanks a Million 975 975 975 64nonth Sande Fed moHrt FUNDS t" 950 CA in- vestment "I am very Fritsch said "I didn't buy into these things 30 years ago thinking they would be worth money "It seems to me the market determines what the value is If you own a card and there is only one known to exist then obviously your market is a lot more than if you own a 1984 Topps Don Mattingly" Fritsch said the growth of card collecting in the 1980s has resulted in larger printings of the cards from Topps making it highly unlikely that collectible tion's nine census regions with only the Middle Atlantic states reporting a significant increase in business failures The decline in failures was especially notable in states with agriculture and economies according to the survey failures Among oil businesses were down or flat in seven of the nine major sectors Agriculture failures dropped 516 percent to 1823 from 3766 and failures in the mining sec oil-bas- Santa Ana Calif Dear Mrs V: It's not for lack of compassion that I must answer your request unfavorably I know it's easier said than done but if your deceased husband's ashes are meant to find their way to norththen somehow it ern Michigan will happen My sharing for the most part is committed to the living rather than the deceased the kitchen stove and returned to becrpraying that morning would hurry because it was so cold It's off to work this morning and I'll have to ask for my check a day early so I can buy another 50 gallons of fuel Sir if you can help me I will accept anything you offer even if it's only advice As I write this I swallow a large lump in my throat and cry a little I'm terribly scared that this letter will result in another disappointWinston-Salement — Oiled-Ou- t Dear Mr Ross: Here I am writing you my third letter The other two only made it as far as my garbage can — only because I wasn't sure you would help me I have one small problem Actually it's a big one — I can't get enough money to fill up my fuel tank I get 50 gallons at a time and pray it will carry me through a whole week When I turn it on at night I actually stand there and wait to hear it click on When it does I pray that it isn't the last My worst fear came true last night My little boy woke up and said he was cold I got up to turn on the heat and no heat I was forced to turn on NC : Dear It's all right to fear another Oiled-Out- disap- pointment However if that fear would have caused you paralysis of the hand and kept you from writing you'd have no one to blame but your self So dry your tears dear because you obviously did the right thing in my help is on mailing this letter the way Dear Percy: I hope when you get out of bed each morning that you thank your lucky stars for the money you have I'd give anything to trade places with Mr CS Pittsburgh you 66 in 1988 Mr S: I have much to be thankful for and every April 15th I find out exactly how much Give me a call if you're ever interested in holding my purse Dear tor which includes oil and gas extraction were down 212 percent to 494 from 627 "The dramatic decrease in agricultural failures in 1988 is attributable to the surge in failures in early 1987 as farmers took advantage of the new Chapter 12 bankruptcy code" Duncan said Chapter 12 allows troubled family farmers to reorganize their debts while being protected from their strings at tax time and I'll consider trading places co You may write to Percy Ross (The Salt Lake Tribune) PO Box 35000 Minneapolis Minn 55435 include a telephone number if you wish All letters sent to Mr Ross are read Only a few ore answered in this column although others may be acknowl edged privately C)1989 PERCY ROSS Distebuted by Creators Syndicate Inc creditors Bradstreet "The nation's weakest regions are showing improvements while those areas that led the expansion are holding their own" he said The Dun & Bradstreet survey said failures were down in six of the na 1 'E i i 4 6-Mo- Natio nth Certificate Of Deposit Oltt 900 S Certificate of Deposit from American Savings l makes dollars and sense It has all the flexibility you look for in today's financial climate one of the most competitive rates available and it has the complete safety and security of United States Government backed A six-mon- th 1 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