http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071012/BUSINESS01/710120360/1003/businessFor the dedicated collector, profit is a secondary rewardFriday, October 12, 2007By VINNEE TONG Associated PressNEW YORKFor 31 years, Alan Rosen has built a successful career as a professional baseball card dealer, but his real pride is an army of robots.Rosen has amassed a robot collection now 609 large, worth a total of $1.2 million.He keeps every single one in individual shrink-wrapped plastic cases displayed in cabinets in his home office in Montvale, Bergen County.The Japanese-made tin robots have blocky heads and moveable arms and legs. Most are silver although some are painted blue, green, red, orange and gray. His prize possessions include robots named Jupiter, worth $35,000, and Television, worth $25,000.Owning 609 of anything demonstrates real dedication, the kind that has built countless collections of Beanie Babies, stamps and state quarters. And in the current stock market turmoil, the possibility of making money from collectibles may appeal to those looking for a different place to invest.Certified financial planner Ellen Dorle said the value in collecting depends largely on the items. A passionate collector may spot value that others miss, she said."If something is old and it has some scarcity to it, it may eventually be worth something to somebody," Dorle said. "The question is who is that person and how do you find them."Still, collectors indulging their passions run certain risks, said financial planner Carl von dem Bussche. He said the biggest downsides to collecting are liquidity, retaining value and a 28 percent capital gains tax to be paid at the time of sale when collectibles have been owned for more than a year.Rosen, who is known in the collectors circuit as Mr. Mint, sells an average of $4 million worth of baseball cards per year and makes roughly 21 percent profit before expenses. He finds the cards at conventions or through collectors who see his ads in trade magazines.In most cases, though, collectors view making money as incidental.While Rosen is passionate about both baseball cards and robots, he makes a distinction: Cards are his business, and robots are his fun. He started his collection in 1954, when he was 8 years old and his parents bought him his first robot. As an adult, he stopped his other collection -- of documents signed by presidents and signers of the Declaration of Independence -- so he could afford his robot collection.There are enthusiasts for almost any collectible, judging by the clubs listed on the Collectors.org Web site.For Rosen, 61, it's simple."A collector usually collects what they had as a child," he said.#du-nav { font-family: Tahoma,Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; width: 300px; overflow: hidden; } #du-nav ul, #du-nav li { margin: 0; padding: 0; list-style-type: none; display: inline; text-align:left; } #du-nav li a { display: block; padding: 0.5em 1em; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold; color: #345; background-color: #cde; border-left: 1px solid #def; border-top: 1px solid #def; border-bottom: 1px solid #bcd; border-right: 1px solid #bcd; } #du-nav li a:hover, #du-nav li a:focus { background-color: #c30; color: white; border-left: 1px solid #e52; border-top: 1px solid #e52; border-bottom: 1px solid #b20; border-right: 1px solid #b20;MIKE DERER/Associated Press Alan Rosen of Montvale makes his living buying and selling baseball cards. He sells an average of $4 million worth of baseball cards per year and makes roughly 21 percent profit before expenses.ON THE WEBNational Association of Collectors: collectors.org Alan Rosen:www.mrmint.comVinfolio:www.vinfolio.comEllen Dorle:www.ellendorle.com/new/ellendorle.sc_img { width:145px; height:20px; background-image: url('/graphics/forums/forum_title.gif'); background-repeat: no-repeat; }