Sports cards

[Tejas]

Just recently got back into collecting. Went on a 80's guys run, Clemens, Puckett, Boggs, Mattingly, Gwynn, Ripken, Sandberg, etc. all cards rookie through whenever.

Finished the 1964 Topps Giants set, well almost
Going for the 65 Topps embossed and the 62 Post cereal sets

Probably will go for all Kaline, Killebrew, Eddie Mathews, Yaz cards after that

Dream is to get a bunch of T206 cards

I need more money

 

[Irish#1]

I have four Yaz signatures displayed in my office right now. My old man liked Yaztremski so much that he named my brother “Yaz”. Happy he didn’t name me that.

I used to have a signed John Harbaugh #4 football from when he was a Colt. Sold it though when he took the scUM job as I couldn’t have that bad karma in my house. Bet that ball has increased in value after the last few days.

Yaz is the about the only Red Sox I could tolerate. lol

 

[BleedBlueGold]

I'm a Yankee fan, so besides the obvious Mantle, if I were buying I would want Maris, Ford and Berra. Others from the 60's would be Bob Gibson, Juan Marichal, Roberto Clemente, Sandy Koufax, Willie Mays, Stan Musial, Carl Yaztremski. From the 70's Reggie Jackson, Catfish Hunter, Ricky Henderson.

I spent some time today looking up Clemente, Koufax, Mays, and Robinson cards to see if there were any that were under $500. I was shocked to see that there were quite a few. I need to quit looking because I'm the type of person who can easily talk myself into the "investment" of it. I have a 1956 Topps Koufax and 1956 Topps Jackie Robinson both sitting in my favorites right now on ebay. Just begging to be plucked.

 

[BleedBlueGold]

Just recently got back into collecting. Went on a 80's guys run, Clemens, Puckett, Boggs, Mattingly, Gwynn, Ripken, Sandberg, etc. all cards rookie through whenever.

Finished the 1964 Topps Giants set, well almost
Going for the 65 Topps embossed and the 62 Post cereal sets

Probably will go for all Kaline, Killebrew, Eddie Mathews, Yaz cards after that

Dream is to get a bunch of T206 cards

I need more money

I actually just picked up an unopened box of 1987 Topps to try and snag as many of these as possible.

Update: I pulled a Barry Bonds RC in what seems like exceptional condition in the 4th pack! Plan on sending it in for grading as it appears very centered and very sharp.

 

[Prof K]

I collect nearly all sports, but generally pick a ND player or two and buy some of their rookie cards, preferably authographed versions, in hopes of them accruing value. Last year I bought Kyle Hamilton and Michael Mayer. This year it will no doubt be Estime.

 

[Tejas]

I collect nearly all sports, but generally pick a ND player or two and buy some of their rookie cards, preferably authographed versions, in hopes of them accruing value. Last year I bought Kyle Hamilton and Michael Mayer. This year it will no doubt be Estime.

Just picked up a few Zack Martin rookie cards. Irish Cowboy sure fire HOF. Doesn't get much better for me.

Rocket Ismail is going to be at the Dallas Card Show next week i think. I should get an auto.

 

[arrowryan]

Licensed college cards seem to have picked up some steam lately. Topps just released their Bowman Best University 2023 cards. I orders a box on release day. Pulled a Drake Maye 1/1.

 

[Irish#1]

I collect nearly all sports, but generally pick a ND player or two and buy some of their rookie cards, preferably authographed versions, in hopes of them accruing value. Last year I bought Kyle Hamilton and Michael Mayer. This year it will no doubt be Estime.

Don't remember where I got this uncut sheet, but I had it for several years before I found a frame at a decent price. It's in my office.

 

[BleedBlueGold]

I've spent the last couple of Freezeageddon days inside sorting my old card collection. So far my system is:

Graded Slabs - Keep for my own PC
Priority 1 cards to send for grading - Keep for my own PC (raw value range $50 - $150+)
Priority 2 cards to send for grading - Keep the high end cards for my own PC, possibly sell the others (raw value under $50)
Priority 3 cards to potentially send for grading - Keep some, but will try and sell the majority of these (raw value under $10)
Misc top loaders - Keep some, but will try and sell the majority of these (raw value $1 - $3)

Left to do is sort through my binders and loose cards. I plan to prioritize HOF players, keep them in the binders that are sorted by year, then brand. And get rid of all the others. Not interested in keeping random common cards from the junk wax.

Lastly, against my initial intentions, I can't help but become enamored with raw vintage baseball cards. Finding mint or near mint cards, bidding on them, and if they arrive and are in true NM-Mint condition, sending them off for grading. Mostly interested in mine or my dad's favorite players from 50s through 70s. Shockingly, some of them are very cheap if you're ok with getting some poor quality cards...just to say you own them and not necessarily for the investment purpose.


Are any of you guys selling cards on ebay, etc? How realistic of an endeavor is this?

 

[IRISHDODGER]

I've spent the last couple of Freezeageddon days inside sorting my old card collection. So far my system is:

Graded Slabs - Keep for my own PC
Priority 1 cards to send for grading - Keep for my own PC (raw value range $50 - $150+)
Priority 2 cards to send for grading - Keep the high end cards for my own PC, possibly sell the others (raw value under $50)
Priority 3 cards to potentially send for grading - Keep some, but will try and sell the majority of these (raw value under $10)
Misc top loaders - Keep some, but will try and sell the majority of these (raw value $1 - $3)

Left to do is sort through my binders and loose cards. I plan to prioritize HOF players, keep them in the binders that are sorted by year, then brand. And get rid of all the others. Not interested in keeping random common cards from the junk wax.

Lastly, against my initial intentions, I can't help but become enamored with raw vintage baseball cards. Finding mint or near mint cards, bidding on them, and if they arrive and are in true NM-Mint condition, sending them off for grading. Mostly interested in mine or my dad's favorite players from 50s through 70s. Shockingly, some of them are very cheap if you're ok with getting some poor quality cards...just to say you own them and not necessarily for the investment purpose.


Are you of you guys selling cards on ebay, etc? How realistic of an endeavor is this?

I buy & sell quite a bit. Go to 130point.com to get reliable selling comps. Ebay can be useful provided you factor in their cut. If you do sell on eBay, they offer postage at a lower rate than USPS so I take advantage of that.

I have three sets of binders (one for each major sport) w/ predominantly all HOFers sorted by season and company. They start from the 1950s to right up until the junk wax era. Additionally, I have a set of binders of HOF/HOF-worthy baseball players’ cards from A to Z. It became cumbersome when considering the late-90s to present since there were so many different sets produced by each company.

Good luck!

 

[IrishSteelhead]

I sold my entire collection years ago, which was 50% junk wax stuffed in the attic, and 50% high end stuff.

I kept ONE card, and recently had it graded. I knew it would come back with a low grade, but wanted the slab more to authenticate it.

Figure it’s one of the most historically relevant cards ever produced, and will pass it down as an heirloom:

Jackie Robinson rookie. Clearly someone taped it to their wall, but that makes the card special to me, knowing some kid almost 100 years ago had this card taped to his bedroom wall, among a sea of other cardboard treasures.

It’s probably only worth a few thousand in its condition, but cool nonetheless.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[BleedBlueGold]

I buy & sell quite a bit. Go to 130point.com to get reliable selling comps. Ebay can be useful provided you factor in their cut. If you do sell on eBay, they offer postage at a lower rate than USPS so I take advantage of that.

I have three sets of binders (one for each major sport) w/ predominantly all HOFers sorted by season and company. They start from the 1950s to right up until the junk wax era. Additionally, I have a set of binders of HOF/HOF-worthy baseball players’ cards from A to Z. It became cumbersome when considering the late-90s to present since there were so many different sets produced by each company.

Good luck!

Thanks! I randomly heard about 130point yesterday. I need to check it out. I've mostly only used ebay's "sold/closed" filter to gauge price expectations. Ebay's cut seems high, that was my primary concern. That and "is there anyone out there who will actually want my cards?" I have mostly 80s and 90s, unfortunately, but have tried to narrow down to only rookies, inserts, and HOF player cards.

Binders of 50s on up to junk wax?! Do you ever consider sending them for grading? I've been looking into early 70s Nolan Ryans. And also greats from the 50-60s like Koufax, Mantle, Bera, Robinson, Mays, Clemente, Ted Williams, and Hank Aaron for example. Also I have interest in 80s rookies like Rickey Henderson, Sandberg, Gwynn, Boggs. My dad was a big Pete Rose guy so I keep an eye out for some of his cards from the late 60s (my dad had his entire collection of 1967 Topps stolen). Again, nothing mint or even near-mint, as those are way beyond my budget. I'd buy a PSA 1 Mantle if it meant that I could say I owned one. lol .

 

[BleedBlueGold]

I sold my entire collection years ago, which was 50% junk wax stuffed in the attic, and 50% high end stuff.

I kept ONE card, and recently had it graded. I knew it would come back with a low grade, but wanted the slab more to authenticate it.

Figure it’s one of the most historically relevant cards ever produced, and will pass it down as an heirloom:

Jackie Robinson rookie. Clearly someone taped it to their wall, but that makes the card special to me, knowing some kid almost 100 years ago had this card taped to his bedroom wall, among a sea of other cardboard treasures.

It’s probably only worth a few thousand in its condition, but cool nonetheless.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Very cool! This is honestly, a goal of mine. To reduce my collection to maybe 10-20 cards that mean a lot to me that I can pass down.

How did you sell your cards? Is it better to sell individually on a site like ebay? Or take them to a dealer? etc?

My aunt had a Sandy Koufax rookie card when she was younger. Apparently had such a huge crush on him, that she cut the card down to size so it would fit in her wallet. Ugh!!

 

[IrishSteelhead]

Very cool! This is honestly, a goal of mine. To reduce my collection to maybe 10-20 cards that mean a lot to me that I can pass down.

How did you sell your cards? Is it better to sell individually on a site like ebay? Or take them to a dealer? etc?

My aunt had a Sandy Koufax rookie card when she was younger. Apparently had such a huge crush on him, that she cut the card down to size so it would fit in her wallet. Ugh!!

Sold back in the late 90’s, so I’m sure much has changed:

I sold my junk wax to a “we buy junk” kind of dealer.

IIRC, I got about $10 per Monster Box (3200 cards, think the rate he gave me was around 3 cards for a penny, because I didn’t go through them. There were probably cards worth $5+, but definitely nothing fancy in them, and I wasn’t going to create a hundred eBay listings)

Junk wax cases for like $50-100 depending on what they were

The expensive stuff on EBay. A dealer will take a bigger commission than EBay, and you have a worldwide audience for eBay.

I do know there are dedicated card auction sites. You may have more luck there for decent cards, not sure.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[BleedBlueGold]

Sold back in the late 90’s, so I’m sure much has changed:

I sold my junk wax to a “we buy junk” kind of dealer.

IIRC, I got about $10 per Monster Box (3200 cards, think the rate he gave me was around 3 cards for a penny, because I didn’t go through them. There were probably cards worth $5+, but definitely nothing fancy in them, and I wasn’t going to create a hundred eBay listings)

Junk wax cases for like $50-100 depending on what they were

The expensive stuff on EBay. A dealer will take a bigger commission than EBay, and you have a worldwide audience for eBay.

I do know there are dedicated card auction sites. You may have more luck there for decent cards, not sure.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks.

I may try FB Marketplace too.

Do you regret selling and only keeping the one card?

 

[IRISHDODGER]

Thanks.

I may try FB Marketplace too.

Do you regret selling and only keeping the one card?

I have a buddy that buys a lot on Marketplace so it may be a good option. I’ve taken vintage cards that I have duplicates of in VG to EX condition and put them on auction starting at .99. I do this knowing I paid very little to obtain them. Sometimes you only gain a few bucks but sometimes you get a pleasant surprise. Had a ‘64 Bob Uecker in VG condition (at best) go for $25.

I’d recommend if you are selling higher dollar stuff to build in eBay’s fees to ensure you get what you want out of it. Keep in mind they will nickel & dime you for every additional features such as “Buy it Now”. Just go for the free listing. Also, 130point.com is more accurate for comps b/c a lot of eBay Stuff goes for “OBO” so the selling price is struck out and you have no idea what was actually paid.

 

[IRISHDODGER]

Thanks! I randomly heard about 130point yesterday. I need to check it out. I've mostly only used ebay's "sold/closed" filter to gauge price expectations. Ebay's cut seems high, that was my primary concern. That and "is there anyone out there who will actually want my cards?" I have mostly 80s and 90s, unfortunately, but have tried to narrow down to only rookies, inserts, and HOF player cards.

Binders of 50s on up to junk wax?! Do you ever consider sending them for grading? I've been looking into early 70s Nolan Ryans. And also greats from the 50-60s like Koufax, Mantle, Bera, Robinson, Mays, Clemente, Ted Williams, and Hank Aaron for example. Also I have interest in 80s rookies like Rickey Henderson, Sandberg, Gwynn, Boggs. My dad was a big Pete Rose guy so I keep an eye out for some of his cards from the late 60s (my dad had his entire collection of 1967 Topps stolen). Again, nothing mint or even near-mint, as those are way beyond my budget. I'd buy a PSA 1 Mantle if it meant that I could say I owned one. lol .

Not really. I love the vintage stuff the way it is. Plus, the grading is so subjective and with so many grading companies now, it seems to be a cluster. Totally get it for those who like to get graded. I see the potential value & it‘s great for authentication purposes. I just think the grading companies got greedy during COVID and haven’t let up much. Also heard reports of a high value card going in for grading & the grading company coming back to add a higher charge simply b/c they know the card will be worth so much more.

 

[BleedBlueGold]

Not really. I love the vintage stuff the way it is. Plus, the grading is so subjective and with so many grading companies now, it seems to be a cluster. Totally get it for those who like to get graded. I see the potential value & it‘s great for authentication purposes. I just think the grading companies got greedy during COVID and haven’t let up much. Also heard reports of a high value card going in for grading & the grading company coming back to add a higher charge simply b/c they know the card will be worth so much more.

I have heard this too.

I debate whether or not I should actually invest the money into grading if most of the cards I'd be sending in are being kept for my personal collection anyways. All valid reasons you've pointed out +/-.

 

[IrishSteelhead]

Thanks.

I may try FB Marketplace too.

Do you regret selling and only keeping the one card?

One regret:

My holy grail card is a PSA 10 Walter Payton rookie card.

I had a PSA 9, which is significantly lower in value.

At the time, PSA 10’s were going for around $5,000, so I quickly parted with the PSA 9 for some quick cash, assuming I would at a later date grab the PSA 10 I always wanted.

Fast forward: I never got the PSA 10, and the going rate for one with that grade now has priced me out of the card completely.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[IrishSteelhead]

Not really. I love the vintage stuff the way it is. Plus, the grading is so subjective and with so many grading companies now, it seems to be a cluster. Totally get it for those who like to get graded. I see the potential value & it‘s great for authentication purposes. I just think the grading companies got greedy during COVID and haven’t let up much. Also heard reports of a high value card going in for grading & the grading company coming back to add a higher charge simply b/c they know the card will be worth so much more.

PSA is the gold standard for grading. Everything else is second tier.

Beckett Grading Service gets a little respect, but is known to grade easier than PSA.

You are absolutely right, it is VERY subjective. One grader is going to see a card differently than another, and we are all prone to bad days.

It is common for dealers to break the slab on a card that they did not agree with the grade on, and re-submit until they get what they want.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[arrowryan]

Has anyone been buying newer stuff? I got into the hobby just over a year ago. Some of the hobby boxes (Prizm) are outrageous in price.

 

[BleedBlueGold]

Has anyone been buying newer stuff? I got into the hobby just over a year ago. Some of the hobby boxes (Prizm) are outrageous in price.

A friend of mine sold a ton of his old junk wax stuff and bought a box of new cards (can't recall which set). He pulled a few decent cards out of it. Sold them. And then bought a Prizm box. He tries flipping raw cards on ebay all the time. He said he's up about $3000 total, but it's been hard and he's well aware that he got lucky on some of his pulls. Otherwise it would've been a complete bust.

I don't like them because I don't know them. I stick to what I know.

 

[arrowryan]

A friend of mine sold a ton of his old junk wax stuff and bought a box of new cards (can't recall which set). He pulled a few decent cards out of it. Sold them. And then bought a Prizm box. He tries flipping raw cards on ebay all the time. He said he's up about $3000 total, but it's been hard and he's well aware that he got lucky on some of his pulls. Otherwise it would've been a complete bust.

I don't like them because I don't know them. I stick to what I know.

I stick to football because that's what I know and follow. I haven't bought a Prizm because 1.) they're expensive as hell, and 2.) CJ Strouf autos don't exist in Panini because of a lawsuit with Fanatics.

I've taken a liking into the college football cards. They are generally cheaper than NFL cards. The 2023 Bowman Best University product is absolutely loaded. Probably the best product I've bought so far.

 

[BleedBlueGold]

One regret:

My holy grail card is a PSA 10 Walter Payton rookie card.

I had a PSA 9, which is significantly lower in value.

At the time, PSA 10’s were going for around $5,000, so I quickly parted with the PSA 9 for some quick cash, assuming I would at a later date grab the PSA 10 I always wanted.

Fast forward: I never got the PSA 10, and the going rate for one with that grade now has priced me out of the card completely.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I hear ya. One of my (many) holy grail cards was a 96-97 Skybox Jordan Insert. I managed to pull the Shawn Kemp out of a random pack one day (1 in 1,100 odds or something like that). Raw value is around $130. Ever since I saw that card, I wanted the Jordan....but the raw value is around $2700. A PSA Gem 10 sold this past month for $38,400 at a premier auction! (one sold for $40k a few years ago at the same auction). What's crazy is that same card was selling for under $1000 back in 2014-2016.

Michael Jordan Skybox Z-Force BMOC Z-Peat, PSA GEM-MT 10

 

[IRISHDODGER]

PSA is the gold standard for grading. Everything else is second tier.

Beckett Grading Service gets a little respect, but is known to grade easier than PSA.

You are absolutely right, it is VERY subjective. One grader is going to see a card differently than another, and we are all prone to bad days.

It is common for dealers to break the slab on a card that they did not agree with the grade on, and re-submit until they get what they want.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Absolutely agree on PSA. Even autograph authentication is subjective. My LCS brought in Steve Gard from Beckett for a weekend to offer auto authentication for customers. I had a bunch of balls auto’d by 2018 Los Angeles Dodgers my son got when we saw them in STL. My son also had a Washington Nationals hat they he was fortunate enough to get Bryce Harper to sign outside Wrigley when we were there to catch a game. I had no reservations that any would not be authenticated as I witnessed every one of the signatures.

Unfortunately, he did not pass the Harper auto b/c of what he thought were some discrepancies. I offered photographic proof & the LCS owner vouched for me but he said there’s nothing he can do. After he pointed out the discrepancies, it made sense to me why he didn’t pass it. Harper signed the crown of the cap so it wasn’t a flat rigid surface like the bill of the hat. That likely led the Sharpie to leave a less than flawless signature. Oh well, we know it’s authentic but it cost me $25. Just never know.

 

[IRISHDODGER]

Has anyone been buying newer stuff? I got into the hobby just over a year ago. Some of the hobby boxes (Prizm) are outrageous in price.

It’s always fun to rip but I liken it to a kid eating a bunch of candy. The sugary sweets tastes great at first but leave you empty w/ a stomach ached afterwards. In other words, more times than not after ripping I think “meh…that was a waste of $25 (or more)”. I opened a lot of 2019-2020 Prizm basketball and even held back some blasters. I think I still have one along w/ some other unopened wax that isn’t as in demand after it seems companies went back to printing too much. I’ll likely just hold ‘em and forget about them.

I would recommend going to placed like blowoutcards.com and search for some deals. I’ve gone back and purchased some reasonable priced Bowman Draft & other Bowman/Topps Chrome baseball from the mid-teens when I wasn’t collecting that were fun rips. Also, you can hunt for rookies or 1st Bowman cards for guys who are now established superstars. I’ve got a ton of wax from the that era to present that I sometimes would like to just throw in the trash but think better of it. I’ve given a ton away to kids but they don’t seem as into collecting.

 

[IrishSteelhead]

Absolutely agree on PSA. Even autograph authentication is subjective. My LCS brought in Steve Gard from Beckett for a weekend to offer auto authentication for customers. I had a bunch of balls auto’d by 2018 Los Angeles Dodgers my son got when we saw them in STL. My son also had a Washington Nationals hat they he was fortunate enough to get Bryce Harper to sign outside Wrigley when we were there to catch a game. I had no reservations that any would not be authenticated as I witnessed every one of the signatures.

Unfortunately, he did not pass the Harper auto b/c of what he thought were some discrepancies. I offered photographic proof & the LCS owner vouched for me but he said there’s nothing he can do. After he pointed out the discrepancies, it made sense to me why he didn’t pass it. Harper signed the crown of the cap so it wasn’t a flat rigid surface like the bill of the hat. That likely led the Sharpie to leave a less than flawless signature. Oh well, we know it’s authentic but it cost me $25. Just never know.

There are a large number of counterfeit Jordan rookies that were graded by PSA as authentic in the 90’s before they became more rigorous with the grading process.

Jordan rookies will always be “buyer beware” because it was such an easy card to fake .


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ab2cmiller]

I did end up digging out some of my cards.

Collected the 1980 set by hand. I was probably down to 20 cards that I was missing. My Dad's friend owned a small drug store and one night he let me come in and open up all of his wax packs and take the cards that I was missing (yes only the cards that I was missing) and then tape the back of the wax pack back up. LMAO. I wonder if anyone noticed. I was just a little kid, but looking back at that I'm imagining someone opening up a crappy pack and then going back and screaming at the manager "no wonder I didn't get any good cards, you opened them up, took them out, taped them back together".

Obviously there are tons of beautiful sets out there now, but looking back at the "old school" sets, my favorite by a country mile was the 83 Topps set. Part of it was probably the fact that I was a huge Sandberg fan and that was his rookie card. Besides that, I just loved the way the cards looked.

Regarding autographs, I do have a Lebron James UDA basketball that I picked up 15 years ago. I haven't looked at prices in a long time, but I just checked some listings and couldn't believe the prices. Contemplating selling it.

 

[IrishSteelhead]

I did end up digging out some of my cards.

Collected the 1980 set by hand. I was probably down to 20 cards that I was missing. My Dad's friend owned a small drug store and one night he let me come in and open up all of his wax packs and take the cards that I was missing (yes only the cards that I was missing) and then tape the back of the wax pack back up. LMAO. I wonder if anyone noticed. I was just a little kid, but looking back at that I'm imagining someone opening up a crappy pack and then going back and screaming at the manager "no wonder I didn't get any good cards, you opened them up, took them out, taped them back together".

Obviously there are tons of beautiful sets out there now, but looking back at the "old school" sets, my favorite by a country mile was the 83 Topps set. Part of it was probably the fact that I was a huge Sandberg fan and that was his rookie card. Besides that, I just loved the way the cards looked.

Regarding autographs, I do have a Lebron James UDA basketball that I picked up 15 years ago. I haven't looked at prices in a long time, but I just checked some listings and couldn't believe the prices. Contemplating selling it.

There were dealers back then that would replace the good pulls with commons, and use a clothes iron to re-seal the wax.

My dad had a friend who managed a McCrory’s (yes, that’s how long ago this was, prolly around 1989).

When he found out I collected cards, he told us to come in.

He took us in the back, and said “nobody bought this crap, and I forgot it was back here.”

It was a case of 1979 Topps Hockey, which is the year of the Wayne Gretzky rookie card.

He sold it to us at cost. Granted, the hockey boom didn’t start until around 1991, but I still
knew it was quite a score even at 10 years old.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[FU BK]

I still kick myself for being a broke college kid back in 97 and selling the bulk of my collection. I had a 86 Fleer Jordan sticker and a 86 Fleer Barkley rookie that came from the same pack. I think I got maybe $500 for everything I had. Looking back, worst decision I made selling all that hard earned yard mowing money I spent on all those for some damn beer money