Buy NIB - sell - take a loss.
Buy a project, spend $$ to restore project - sell - take a loss.
Buy a CQ pin for top dollar, play it, maintain it (investing time and parts) - sell - take a loss.
and of course, the addition of Mods is addictive to some hobbyists, that means you'll def take a loss.
BUT! I have good news - enjoy the hobby and don't think of it as an investment and you'll never have to worry about taking a loss.