How common are the 'super rich' collectors.

[Dorking]

Hopefully this topic won't alienate anyone, but I've just seen the list of items at Graham Budd's next Sotheby's auction, and like all auctions there are a few items that are just ££££££ !

For example, 1906 FA Cup Final, £6,000 - £8,000

I don't doubt this is what the item is worth at all - anything is always worth what someone is willing to pay for it.

Also items like this are the creme de la creme of programme collecting - it is perfectly satisfying to collect stuff for relative 'pocket money' and have an enjoyable time doing it.

Myself, I like trying to get the odd pre-war Palace home programme, but I'm limited to getting a few per year as they cost so much. (But I'd rather save my money up and have one Pre-war Palace home, than a hundred 1980's programmes)

I just wondered, are the people buying these rarest of items ordinary folk in ordinary jobs, for whom collecting is their only passion saving like mad?

Or lifelong collectors buying and selling programmes all the time, slowly "trading up" their collection until they can raise funds for the mega expensive stuff?

Or ordinary fans, who just happen to be lucky and have really high paid jobs or really successful businesses, for whom this sort of purchase is nothing massive to them?

Or investment people who have no great interest in programmes, but just stick it in a safe?

Or are they usually being bought up by club museums etc.

I know of the American doctor who quietly built up the huge Everton collection over 20 years, without anyone really knowing what he had in total. There is a Palace collector with deep pockets who quietly hoovers up all the rarest medals, programmes, shirts, player ephemera etc. Perhaps there's one or two of these for every club?

I don't ever go to auctions, so I never see who buys for this sort of money, but even when I see, say a Palace 1906 away at Chelsea for £500 I think, crumbs, that's a lot can't afford that!

I'd long been naieve that if fans had really valuable stuff it was usually through the luck of a boot sale or an inherited item, but perhaps people buying the high end stuff aren't as uncommon as I once thought?!

Ever come across anyone who collects 'in this league'? What are they like?

[Ruud Van Driver]

Dorking wrote:

Ever come across anyone who collects 'in this league'? What are they like?

For a rough idea how some can be take a look at treble99's post this morning on the 'used envelopes' thread...
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[Dorking]

?
All I see there is some chest-puffing regarding the merits of Man Utd over other 'big 4' teams. I must admit the goings on of the big 4 (or big 5 with Man City now?) do turn me off somewhat but each to their own. To be honest I lost interest in that comment once I saw use of the term 'cockneys'. I presume this was meant in a derogatory sense

However it does bring me onto another point - personally I do try to get to as many Palace matches as I can - attending games in person is always a much higher priority for me than spending on old programmes. I dread to think of the cost of being a hardcore man Utd fan - the tickets are extortionate (and that's if you qualify to buy them), then travel, season ticket before there's any money left to spend on collecting. I know I couldn't afford to follow them (not that I choose to anyhow).

I guess like anything there are some people with considerably more money to spend than others, or who don't have mortgages, wife, kids etc and can really enjoy all their hard-earned!

[DannyRoberts]

Many collections have become reasonably valuable just through the passing of time.

I started collecting whilst still at school and visited many programme fairs in the 1970s and 1980s.

I picked up many European Finals (eg Ujpest v Newcastle, Man City v Gornik, Leeds v AC Milan etc etc) for around the £20-25 mark - big money for me at the time but obviously worth a bit more now (or probably not if adjusting for inflation !!!!).

Roy Calmels also had an auction at Wembley FC during the 1980s where I picked up lots of obscure European Semi Finals from the 1960s and 1970s which I suspect could attract a lot of attention if I ever sold them.

I shudder to think how much it would cost to buy (or even locate) some of the stuff now.

There are many collectors that I know who have quite extraordinary collections that, again, they have amassed over 40 or more years. The majority of them are getting quite old and are quite eccentric.

[goonerboy]

At any moment in time/era there are always going to be expensive programmes. It will likely be bought by one of 3 types of people.

I guess there are collectors who have a large/extensive collection so will only buy a few "special" items and thus save up for it. In addition there will be those who have a bit more disposal income (kids left home, mortgage rundown etc). Others buy for investment purpose and then of course the consideration is whether the item is likely to increase in value over time...but to be honest if you put your money in a building society or savings account then growth is fairly limited so putting money into collectables is not such a bad idea. Others (with even more money) put money into other collectables eg art.

As with everywhere there will be people with a range of budgets. However over time most of us will end up some highly valuable items which we bought earlier in our "collecting career".

[Wullie]

Definitely i would say, the vast majority who pay large sums are collectors of many years standing who are probably getting a bit more comfortable money wise as they reach thier 50s and 60s. They probably have most programmes 1940/50s to date and are now looking for those special items. Of course, " special" items do not turn up often so this gives them time to save. I have known, one of two people ( with a large amout of spare cash ) , bizarrely , jump into the hobby and spend mad amounts thinking they are on to the next great investement craze. In my opinion such people are bonkers and are a pain in the arse.

[Dorking]

Indeed. I've been collecting Palace badges for as long as I've been going to football (25 years). Some of the stuff I bought early on is not particularly valuable, but just rare in that it can't be found nowadays (not even with ebay)

But I do recall a couple of occasions where a new collector appears on the scene and tries to buy up everything that appears! All of a sudden I didn't have it all to myself and the price of getting stuff went up. A couple of years later they lost interest and its back to being pretty normal again!!

Kind of agree regarding collecting goals though, I've got to the point where I'm not really interested in post war stuff any more (its not that I've got 'everything' - just that it's a bit boring to me, and I'd rather concentrate on having fewer new items, but nicer, rarer stuff. (Quality over quantity)

[andyfromboston]

I bet I've a Palace badge you've not got........

I picked up a big collection of modern Palace stuff at a car boot, most of it being 70's and 80's programmes but there were a few binders, postcards general ephemera......and badges.

There was a set of 8 badges numbered 1-25 for record attendance, beating Brighton 5-0 and a couple of other notables. There were also a few tiny button badges in not great condition of The Nest, the 1st Palace ground. I gave a couple away when people bought a set of 8 but I've a couple left somewhere.

Are you interested?

[Dorking]

Yes, I've got all of the badges you describe. The button badges of the Nest etc are only 6-7 years old. They were made by Ron Daughtry a serious collector (who used to live in Lincolnshire) who is now selling off most of his Palace badges

[andyfromboston]

It was Ron's stuff I bought at a car boot sales, 5 big boxes of stuff for a tenner a box, there was loads of England stuff in from the late 70's/warly 80's including a photo album with Polaroids from games in Hungary and Switzerland. Also a lot of stuff from 'The 92 club' and 2 massive binders from some football badge collectors club........the haul has filled 2 filing cabinets in the garage.

Also there were 4 or 5 scrapbooks with obituaries in, one on the Wembley Rebuild saga and another with general stuff in.

It was a nice find for sure, the box with about 5000 70's cards and stickers in kept me occupied for ages.........and brought in a mega e-bay profit!