CARDBOARDANDCOINS.COM IN THE NEWS...
PRESS/MEDIA COVERAGE:
"Alternative Investments for Your Future: 6 Collectibles That Could Pay Off"
(1/19/2023 by Cynthia Measom):
1) "For my portfolio, investing in sports cards is my best bet, year over year!" said Rob Eisenstein of CardboardandCoins.com.
2) "As far as tips, there are so many that I could discuss with you … for example, when collecting baseball cards, it’s always most lucrative to focus on rookie cards (which are the first cards ever issued of a specific player). I also invest a substantial amount in PSA-graded cards. PSA is an industry-respected third-party grading service company that vouches for the condition of your card by assigning it a numerical grade, and encasing it in a plastic holder, with all of the card details noted on the case. Investing in PSA-graded cards is a smart money play, due to the respect that these graded cards have in the industry, and the stability of their base value, with unlimited upside."
"This Coin in Your Change Purse Could Be Worth a Thousand Dollars"
(3/19/2022 by Juliana Labianca of BestLifeOnline.com):
1) "The 1909 S Lincoln Wheat Cent with a V.D.B initial is one such penny. "The variety of this coin had a very low production," says Rob Eisenstein of collector's store Cardboard and Coins. "Additionally, this rare variety has the initials of the Lincoln Cent design creator, V.DB., on the reverse of the coin at the bottom."
2) "So, what makes this coin special? "There was an error at the mint, with the resulting coins displaying what looks like a 1955 over a 1955," says Eisenstein. "The date—among other features on the front and obverse—is seemingly doubled." Indeed, the penny looks like you're staring at it with double vision. This interesting defect is highly valuable to collectors.”
"A leap of faith: Small businesses dip their toes into crypto"
(6/4/2021 by Shehzil Zahid of Tearsheet):
1) "In 2018, Rob Eisenstein booked a table for his online store, CardboardandCoins.com, at a large national baseball card convention in New York. Just before the convention, Eisenstein had an unconventional idea — what if he allowed customers to pay in crypto?
Eisenstein was already investing in crypto, but now he wanted to take the leap with his business. He created placards with wallet addresses for cryptocurrencies that he would accept at the convention. Eisenstein was able to make a few sales with crypto — certainly enough that he decided to officially accept crypto payments at his online store for the long run."
2) "Since that convention, Eisenstein has seen crypto payments grow. He believes the option to pay in cryptocurrencies is becoming more widely accepted by both buyers and sellers. This year, 10 percent of his customers so far have paid in crypto — up from five to seven percent last year, and three percent the year before. Most of Eisenstein’s crypto transactions are in Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin and a few others.
“Any time you allow a buyer to pay via their preferred method, it makes sense,” says Eisenstein. “It really is about providing convenience to the buyer.”
"NBA: Has the bubble burst on Michael Jordan's iconic 1986 Fleer rookie card?"
(6/3/2021 by Eric Edholm of Yahoo Sports):
1) “It sent Jordan cards — and not just the '86 Fleer card — through the roof,” said Rob Eisenstein of CardboardandCoins.com. “There was all of a sudden immense, immense interest in anything Jordan.”
“It’s not just Jordan,” Eisenstein said. “There are a lot of great rookies in that set. All the prices of the set were driven up significantly. It’s just a chock-full set. Obviously, the Jordan is the cherry on top.”
2) “The market will, and it may have already, level off,” Eisenstein said. “There’s always a market correction. It’s not much different than the stock market. But this is an iconic set. I don’t ever remember them going down in price on the whole, other than short-term changes."
"Chaos in $6B collectibles industry: What happens when leading sports card grading service shuts down amid boom?"
(5/14/2021 by Eric Edholm of Yahoo Sports):
1) “It’s really put people like me in a tough spot,” said Rob Eisenstein of CardboardandCoins.com. “The demand is just absolutely through the roof. It’s really the worst possible time for them to be doing that.”
2) "Eisenstein, a collector for more than 25 years, says PSA first started to achieve its lofty status when a wave of counterfeit 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. rookie cards hit the streets and people were being bilked out of thousands of dollars.
“They sort of promoted themselves as the watchdogs of the industry,” Eisenstein said."
3) "...Eisenstein predict that PSA grading costs will go up.
Eisenstein said he noticed that some of the other, smaller card-grading services have bumped their prices during PSA’s shutdown, and he wouldn’t be shocked to see the big dogs follow suit upon return.
“I am sure when they come back, their prices are going to skyrocket,” he said."
"How To Make Money by Being a Savvy Collector"
(1/12/2021 Laura Woods at GoBankingRates.com):
1) "Make Sure Items Are Authentic
When marketing items as genuine, you have to make sure what you’re saying is true. Rob Eisenstein, the founder of CardboardandCoins.com, emphasized the importance of ensuring collectibles are verified by the manufacturer or other source of origin. He offered an example that relates to baseball card collecting, which is one of his main niches.
“You want Topps to guarantee that the piece of jersey [or] uniform on your card has been verified as coming from a jersey [or] uniform that was worn by Derek Jeter during an actual MLB game during his playing career,” Eisenstein said.
No matter what your niche, selling counterfeit goods can ruin your business and send you to jail, so never skip this step."