I did collect hockey cards especially the rarer ones. I did keep them in pristine conditions and some came graded. The last few months saw an upswing in the market and I have one that I paid $60 for but is now valued at 3 to 5 k on ebay. I didn't try selling yet and not sure if I will.

I agree that sometimes some people think they have a pile of gold but end up disappointed when it is valued by a professional, also the sale of collectibles is dictated by the flavor of the day and can change dramatically in a short amount of time.