Sports Cards Mania

[Ed Hillel]

This is amazing. I put an embarrassing amount of money into Fortnite Series 1 cards as a long term play/to have a collectible my kids would enjoy, so we’ll see how these keep progressing.

View: https://www.instagram.com/p/Ci3ujx9JQuk/?igshid=NzNkNDdiOGI=

 

[Fishercat]

I just had my first visit to a true hobby shop in along time. I wanted to grab a couple 90s football packs for a nostalgia run (94sp was still a fun open but not as much at the price of their packs) and ended up trying out the NXT 2.0 from Panini. I can’t imagine it as a big value holder but given the returns on other cards it still felt like a good deal. Came out of the 65 dollar rip with a nearly complete set (one NXT 1.0 missing so collation was good), four numbered cards (Io Shirai to 10 was the highlight, Charlotte Flair to 149 and Ludwig Kaiser to 25 were nice), a relic card (Von Wagner to 99) and a Shayna Baezler Auto. You could do way worse for that money…or more based on some of the Chrome breaks recently.

Admittedly I got lucky with the names but if more products had 6 legit hits (color, relic, or auto) and a set for 65 I’d rip way more wax.

 

[LogansDad]

I made my first (and hopefully only) foray into NFT's on MLB Candy last week. It was more out of interest in seeing what it was all about than anything else. I bought one pack of 3 cards for in the ASG set that dropped on the 15th, for $25.

Of course, I hit on a 25/25 Mike Trout that I then sold for $950.

Now I have to figure out how to move that money back to my account, LOL. At least I will get to throw an extra payment or two on my credit card bill this month.

 

[Kenny F'ing Powers]

Just bought a handful of Topps Chrome Blaster Boxes I found at walmart. Haven't finished opening them yet, and haven't had crazy luck. But got a /199 Ohtani and /299 Tatis Jr. Can't complain about that!

 

[Fishercat]

Nice pulls KFP and Logansdad!

It’s a bit of a shame Topps messed up the Chrome run because they’re really nice cards. I bought a pack and got a negative refractor and standard shimmer one and both are good looking cards.

 

[Fishercat]

Cool thanks -- hope we can figure out something I can swap back!

Adalberto, I shall hunt you down...

I was going through my boxes and found a bit of Stadium Club and I have the Mondesi. I'd have to look at how to best ship a card but I'd be happy to send it over if you want.

 

[Kenny F'ing Powers]

I was going through my boxes and found a bit of Stadium Club and I have the Mondesi. I'd have to look at how to best ship a card but I'd be happy to send it over if you want.

Sleeve, card holder, painting tape on opening to keep it from coming out during travel. Can sandwich between 2 pieces of cardboard that are taped together if you want.

If it's just the one card, shipping using a standard envelope will work fine. If you want to be safe, use a small bubble mailer.

Note - the envelopes will go through a machine that bends the envelope into the shape of a U on the turnaround. One cardholder will go through fine, but anymore could cause them to break through the envelope. So, again, if that process concerns you, just use a bubble mailer. They don't go through the same machine as a standard envelope.

 

[Mugsy's Jock]

Sleeve, card holder, painting tape on opening to keep it from coming out during travel. Can sandwich between 2 pieces of cardboard that are taped together if you want.

If it's just the one card, shipping using a standard envelope will work fine. If you want to be safe, use a small bubble mailer.

Note - the envelopes will go through a machine that bends the envelope into the shape of a U on the turnaround. One cardholder will go through fine, but anymore could cause them to break through the envelope. So, again, if that process concerns you, just use a bubble mailer. They don't go through the same machine as a standard envelope.

FFP gives excellent guidance for a card that's, you know, worth anything.

For a 2021 Stadium Club Adalberto Mondesi, on the other hand, a card holder that's taped shut and a regular envelope will more than suffice for me.

Thanks a ton, @Fishercat -- will PM you my address.

 

[Fishercat]

Thanks for the tips! I'll be able to get that out ASAP.

Also, now that my childhood memory card is acquired (and in shipment), I've moved on to a couple other projects. I read Joe Posnanski's The 100 feverishly earlier this year and I'm starting to get the itch to, within reason, build up that Top 100 in a card based setting. The goal would be to get one card of each of the 100 individuals on the list. I know some players (basically pre-1950s especially Negro Leaguers) are going to be tough or impossible and I'm trying to do this within cost control...so I'm starting at the bottom. I figure starting from the bottom will be cheaper both because of player quality and because Posnanski loaded up the bottom of the list with 90s and 00s stars where cards were all around. My main priorities here are - when possible -

• Contemporary Card - ideally a card issued in alignment with the point in their career. #100 is Ichiro - I'd be ideally looking for a card either from Japan in the 90s or the U.S. in the 2000s-2010s. Some players (like Bullet Rogan in this first batch) don't seem to have anything like that.
• Main Team - Ideally a card where they are aligned with a team they spent a substantial portion of their career with - so for Ichiro it'd be either Orix (JPN) or Seattle (US)
• Visual Appeal/Distinction - Ideally a card with a great/unique look or one that is relatively iconic for the player if they have one. Ichiro is very collectible so he has a slew of options. I made a short list for Ichiro that includes some of his universally acknowledged best (The Topps Gallery and Base Set RCs, the Future Watch that isn't the four figure one) and some oddballs I really liked the look of (his 2011 Topps Checklist with the Cognac/Diamond variations are great looking cards). Ideally I'd love for some representation of where the card industry has trailed over the years or a player photo that is distinctive to the player in some manner.
• Reasonable Cost - I know for some of these players it'll be an investment regardless, but for players with options I'm good not spending a ton if it looks really good. This is more of a fun project than any kind of investment vehicle and a way for me to dig through my collection at home.

For instance, one of the few "final" cards I have from my 90s collection is Carlos Beltran (#98) from 1995 SP Top Prospects. He was a Royals prospect (the team I always associate him with) in a KC-associated uniform, it's a great looking card, and it has a lot of the 1990s flair the hobby leaned into (gold foil, die cut) at that point in time - and I didn't need to buy this one but if I did it's not too pricy to get. Beltran is easier though since he doesn't exactly have a lot of distinctive cards and two of his main rookies don't feature him (Juan Lebron forever a trivia question).

With that said, I'd certainly welcome opinions as to cards to target or suggestions on cool options. This is 91-100 on Joe's list - I think I have Beltran locked in and I have ideas for a few others. Does anyone have recommendations or a favorite card for any of these folks?

91 Mariano Rivera
92 Bullet Rogan
93 Ozzie Smith
94 Roy Campanella
95 Tony Gwynn
96 Larry Walker
97 Roberto Alomar
98 Carlos Beltran
99 Mike Mussina
100 Ichiro Suzuki -

 

[Deathofthebambino]

Unfortunately, for Bullet Rogan, you won't find any cards that were issued while he was playing, and very few at all. I'm partial to this, and can be had for fairly cheap money:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/275469870130?hash=item402348a432:g:GlEAAOSwn8dh4vAu&amdata=enc:AQAHAAAAoKd2xJCwVSSjuk46KtGa4QYDnNhOBayW3nCWzLLUtCoRtkVinFRqsHnIDB71RYMw23K9GA2NG+2l4hlpX3FwBG8cbXEdpqDV8/Xra3VKdlrwXjgge62H2QZULvaPlzb1nZeab7JAAmlEF3v1KLY/UoQKmt67OOXpZyUuCcxN07hfU5vSAWeXxalP7dPY612h1I9sYAsZ1rvCOqG/PtuA5og=|tkp:Bk9SR8KY8ofwYA

My favorite Campanella card is the 1956 Topps:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/314163318256?hash=item492597cdf0:g:Fu0AAOSw85ZjMgJV

This is probably the Mussina card I like most:

 

[saintnick912]

I like any of the 1979 (RC, Padres), 1984, or 1985 Topps Ozzie Smith cards.

I bought the 1985 Topps Gwynn, I like the colors of the Padres cards that year.

Ichiro always struck me as a throwback type player so I bought a Topps Heritage of him that looks like the 1955 design.

 

[Fishercat]

Unfortunately, for Bullet Rogan, you won't find any cards that were issued while he was playing, and very few at all. I'm partial to this, and can be had for fairly cheap money:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/275469870130?hash=item402348a432:g:GlEAAOSwn8dh4vAu&amdata=enc:AQAHAAAAoKd2xJCwVSSjuk46KtGa4QYDnNhOBayW3nCWzLLUtCoRtkVinFRqsHnIDB71RYMw23K9GA2NG+2l4hlpX3FwBG8cbXEdpqDV8/Xra3VKdlrwXjgge62H2QZULvaPlzb1nZeab7JAAmlEF3v1KLY/UoQKmt67OOXpZyUuCcxN07hfU5vSAWeXxalP7dPY612h1I9sYAsZ1rvCOqG/PtuA5og=|tkp:Bk9SR8KY8ofwYA

My favorite Campanella card is the 1956 Topps:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/314163318256?hash=item492597cdf0:g:Fu0AAOSw85ZjMgJV

This is probably the Mussina card I like most:

View attachment 55895

OK, I feel a lot better that you mentioned the '56 Campanella. I was looking through and really was gravitating towards that one (or his 1957) and felt like it was weird that it never made the lists of people who really go into this stuff. I really like that card. Also, in reality, that is one of only a handful in this group of ten that is going to require me to spend a few bones and the look vs. affordability is really nice.

Mike Mussina has some of the most boring cards on the planet. I think he's the only one on this list I've been really considering finding some cool gimmick card from the era to represent. I found the 1991 UD in a box but the Leaf is growing on me if I go for a more normal card, the picture at least adds a bit of flair to it.

For Bullet...yeah. I guess I'm kinda glad he didn't have some random contemporary card to hunt. I think I'm between that one and a couple others (I like the Perez-Steel from '99 and the 2020 Dream Fulfilled options) and I suspect it's gonna be "what pops up for the right price" (Edit: I went fort this one, I think if the 2020 Dream Fulfilled pops up for cheap maybe but the price was good on the one I grabbed)

I like any of the 1979 (RC, Padres), 1984, or 1985 Topps Ozzie Smith cards.

I bought the 1985 Topps Gwynn, I like the colors of the Padres cards that year.

Ichiro always struck me as a throwback type player so I bought a Topps Heritage of him that looks like the 1955 design.

Funny enough, I just finished up provisional lists and we are on the same page. Even a 2005 Ichiro Bowman Heritage because he (and Mo) felt like throwbacks to me. I appreciate the ideas - at this point I don't really have a Gwynn I love and my Ozzie is either going to be gimmicky (Backflip or Wizard Art from the '90s) or a flagship Topps to upgrade off the '82 Donruss I dug up, so these are all in line.

 

[Oil Can Dan]

I like the 96 Leaf Signature Mo because his autograph is so neat.

 

[Fishercat]

Mo is one where my current stock of cards is just not good. There's a handful of guys on the 91-100 I have decent enough cards of (1994 Score Dream Team for Larry Walker, 1982 Donruss for Ozzie Smith, 1991 Upper Deck for Moose) but I went through my Mariano last night and none of my preliminary picks were there. I have a huge soft spot for Leaf Signature to boot. I don't know if I'll be ponying up that cash for Mo, if I do it's that card.

I spent too much time last night going through the ten with the suggestions above and got each player 5-10 cards in contention. 91-100 seems like it's gonna be really easy/cheap. 81-90 on the other hand...well at least some of them aren't bad?

Currently, my contender list for those I haven't settled on my card yet

Mo Rivera: 1992 Bowman, 1996/8 Signature Series, 1997 Bowman/Bowman's Best, 1998 Topps Gallery, 1998 Topps Gold Label Class 2, 1998 Stadium Club, 2004 Donruss Timeless Treasures, 2007 Topps Turkey Red, 2008 SP Legendary Cuts, 2009 SP Authentic

Ozzie Smith: 1982 Kellogg's 3D Ozzie Smith, 1979 Topps Ozzie Smith, 1982 Topps Traded, 1984 Topps, 1985 Topps, 1990 Upper Deck, 1994 Fleer Pro Visions, 2019 Stadium Club,

Roy Campanella: 1953 Bowman, 1953 Topps, 1951 Bowman, 1954 Wilson Franks, 1956 Topps, 1957 Topps (realistically it'll be the 1956 - good price to want ratio for me)

Tony Gwynn: 1983 Topps, 1983 Fleer, 1985 Topps, 1989 Topps / Topps Big, 1994 Fleer Pro Visions

Larry Walker: 1998 SC Co-Signers, 1995 SC Base, 1994 Score Dream Team, 1990 Leaf, 1986 Burlington Expos, 1993 Donruss Elite, 1995 Leaf Limited, 1997 Bowman or Bowman's Best Intl

Roberto Alomar: 1988 Score Traded, 1996 Leaf Signature, 1993 Topps Finest, 1988 Topps Traded, 1992 Topps Base, 1992 UD w/ Sandy, 1998 Upper Deck National Pride

Mike Mussina: 1997 SP Special FX, 1991 Bowman, 1991 UD, 1991 Leaf, 1992 Topps Gold, 1992 SC, 1995 Studio Credit Card, 1996 Flair, 1997 Skybox Metal Universe, 1998 SP Authentic, 2002 Topps Gold Label

Ichiro: RC Topps Gallery/Topps, 2003 Playoff Portraits, 2004 Fleer Legacy, 2004 Topps Finest, 2005 Bowman Heritage, 2005 Donruss Studio Portraits DK, Topps Turkey Red (Horizontal), 2011 Topps Platinum/Cognac Checklist, 2012 Topps,

 

[Fishercat]

But yes Stadium Club needs to be delayed brakbrakbrak

2022 Topps Chrome Logofractor Edition

 

[DanoooME]

Ichiro has a card, 2000 Upper Deck Ovation, Japanese version that was only released in Japan (but some made it to the US) that pictures him in his Orix uniform. It's been going for about $30 on eBay so if you want something unique, it's not too expensive.

An example: https://www.ebay.com/itm/255720485912?hash=item3b8a20f418:g:6MQAAOSwvZBjHT4O&amdata=enc:AQAHAAAAsED9ijBbllX8wNIIq8JD8yrpXTZe9GiFTGkt9bZ/w7e+dQcGOCqvmGLhBw123jl7v7G2A4QDK6z4YkfTs8zvag9U5jiiqdI0mM0lWytyI1l2PvKoppNJV8R5VL7gqvcVWfJQJh7rdhqixR6heaMOwLTeiXidUYzYZEuzv2CUSYCFER4i2RseVheEe64qM8UKlvMLSfa6kVf/URy0aeNjIW+k2NBZpjsig52n1Tg/gfqp|tkp:Bk9SR9CPoqvxYA

 

[Fishercat]

OK, that's much more economically in my range than the other Japanese text cards I was looking at (it was my original angle), so it's rocketing up the potential list. Big thanks for pointing that out!

 

[Kenny F'ing Powers]

Just pulled a 22 Chrome Jose Altuve /50. Feel like I should just sell it now before others start to pop up in the market.

 

[Kenny F'ing Powers]

Thinking about it: I probably have so many extras, I have close to a second full set of Topps Chrome 22.

If anyone wants them, you pay shipping and I'll send you a few hundred cards.

 

[Kenny F'ing Powers]

Seriously. If anyone wants these, just let me know and pay shipping. This box holds 660 series 2 cards. Chrome is going to be thicker, so it's probably closer to 500 in here. But the set only goes to 220, so there's probably close to a whole Chrome '22 set in here. Trout and Ohtani are sleeved, and there's a ton of rookies.

 

[deanx0]

I'd pay shipping plus a little something for your trouble for those--Venmo or Zelle?

 

[deanx0]

I am building an access database of all my cards (for a bit of background on my collecting life, I bought baseball from 1976-2001 with a little football, basketball, hockey, and WWE when I worked there and would get to crack the product sampled we'd get from Topps and then stopped except for a few packs here and there until 2021 when I started up again).

So while I always put new stuff in my database, I am going back here and there wiith old stuff and seeing the names like Doug Glanville, Albert Belle, Sean Casey, and so on is a fairly enjoyable blast from the past.

 

[Leather]

Yeah if that falls through, I'd probably pay shipping and give it to my kids.

 

[Mugsy's Jock]

Big thanks to @Fishercat and @Bergs for helping sew up my 2021 Stadium Club set. Never have I been so invesred in Luis Patino and Adalberto Mondesi.

I‘lo 100% be getting a hobby box of 2022 Stadium Club if it ever comes out looking to build that set. Watch this space for a trading buddy (again, if it ever comes out).

 

[Kenny F'ing Powers]

I'd pay shipping plus a little something for your trouble for those--Venmo or Zelle?

Venmo works. PM me and ill give you the venmo info.

 

[Fishercat]

Thanks for the tips! I'll be able to get that out ASAP.

Also, now that my childhood memory card is acquired (and in shipment), I've moved on to a couple other projects. I read Joe Posnanski's The 100 feverishly earlier this year and I'm starting to get the itch to, within reason, build up that Top 100 in a card based setting. The goal would be to get one card of each of the 100 individuals on the list. I know some players (basically pre-1950s especially Negro Leaguers) are going to be tough or impossible and I'm trying to do this within cost control...so I'm starting at the bottom. I figure starting from the bottom will be cheaper both because of player quality and because Posnanski loaded up the bottom of the list with 90s and 00s stars where cards were all around. My main priorities here are - when possible -

• Contemporary Card - ideally a card issued in alignment with the point in their career. #100 is Ichiro - I'd be ideally looking for a card either from Japan in the 90s or the U.S. in the 2000s-2010s. Some players (like Bullet Rogan in this first batch) don't seem to have anything like that.
• Main Team - Ideally a card where they are aligned with a team they spent a substantial portion of their career with - so for Ichiro it'd be either Orix (JPN) or Seattle (US)
• Visual Appeal/Distinction - Ideally a card with a great/unique look or one that is relatively iconic for the player if they have one. Ichiro is very collectible so he has a slew of options. I made a short list for Ichiro that includes some of his universally acknowledged best (The Topps Gallery and Base Set RCs, the Future Watch that isn't the four figure one) and some oddballs I really liked the look of (his 2011 Topps Checklist with the Cognac/Diamond variations are great looking cards). Ideally I'd love for some representation of where the card industry has trailed over the years or a player photo that is distinctive to the player in some manner.
• Reasonable Cost - I know for some of these players it'll be an investment regardless, but for players with options I'm good not spending a ton if it looks really good. This is more of a fun project than any kind of investment vehicle and a way for me to dig through my collection at home.

For instance, one of the few "final" cards I have from my 90s collection is Carlos Beltran (#98) from 1995 SP Top Prospects. He was a Royals prospect (the team I always associate him with) in a KC-associated uniform, it's a great looking card, and it has a lot of the 1990s flair the hobby leaned into (gold foil, die cut) at that point in time - and I didn't need to buy this one but if I did it's not too pricy to get. Beltran is easier though since he doesn't exactly have a lot of distinctive cards and two of his main rookies don't feature him (Juan Lebron forever a trivia question).

With that said, I'd certainly welcome opinions as to cards to target or suggestions on cool options. This is 91-100 on Joe's list - I think I have Beltran locked in and I have ideas for a few others. Does anyone have recommendations or a favorite card for any of these folks?

91 Mariano Rivera
92 Bullet Rogan
93 Ozzie Smith
94 Roy Campanella
95 Tony Gwynn
96 Larry Walker
97 Roberto Alomar
98 Carlos Beltran
99 Mike Mussina
100 Ichiro Suzuki -

I hope folks don't mind if I just use this thread to update as I go, I find the feedback helpful.

At this point, 91-100 is most of the way done or pending receipt in the mail thanks to some folks here for ideas. I think the true final card for a couple (Mariano and Ichiro) may be replaced but their prices for what I really want are beyond what I really want to pay out right now (for Mariano it is a contemporary autograph, for Ichiro the Japanese Topps Gallery RC given how insanely pricy his SP Authentic Future Watch is) but I have very satisfying cards for those two in transit after poring through their listings and on Dannoo's reference for the Ichiro. The only two not in hand or in transit are Ozzie (the 1994 Fleer Pro Visions isn't pricy but I feel like I can find it for a few bucks less) and Roy Campanella (going between a few different 50s releases waiting for the right condition/price combo for my tastes).

edit: Found a 56 Campanella for the right price / condition point on the pics. So I think that’s it

81-90 scared me but fortunately the scariest names either don't have contemporary cards or are so beyond reason that it's not something I'd pursue in any manner. Phil Niekro took terrible card photos and Gary Carter was obscenely photogenic. Also Curt Schilling's prices crashed missing the HoF and being who he is. Pretty incredible to do that post-retirement.

 

[tonyandpals]

I am sorry if this was covered up thread, but it seems like things are always changing too. Can someone give me the low-down on what's going on with grading these days? I've never had a card graded. I recently came across a few 800ct boxes filled with Magic the gathering cards (so probably a lot more than 800 in each as they're thin) from early mod 1990s - early 2000s. The majority that are unplayed and mint. A few really good finds and many others that looks like I could move them if they were graded. But I'm talking about a lot of $1-$2 ungraded cards that 9+s sell for $30ish, others that are $10-$20 ungraded and then a few in the multiple hundreds range. Then I'm seeing graded cards costing over $100ea to get graded... So I'm wondering where the sweet spot is here.

 

[bradcote]

I am sorry if this was covered up thread, but it seems like things are always changing too. Can someone give me the low-down on what's going on with grading these days? I've never had a card graded. I recently came across a few 800ct boxes filled with Magic the gathering cards (so probably a lot more than 800 in each as they're thin) from early mod 1990s - early 2000s. The majority that are unplayed and mint. A few really good finds and many others that looks like I could move them if they were graded. But I'm talking about a lot of $1-$2 ungraded cards that 9+s sell for $30ish, others that are $10-$20 ungraded and then a few in the multiple hundreds range. Then I'm seeing graded cards costing over $100ea to get graded... So I'm wondering where the sweet spot is here.

I heard SGC just lowered their grading costs, so that may be a direction you want to look in.

 

[Frisbetarian]

In the midst of cleaning out my home before moving, I found a bunch of 1968 baseball cards in a cool green team locker. Included are a Nolan Ryan rookie (in a hard sleeve amazingly), the full All Star teams with jigsaw puzzles of Yaz and Orlando Cepeda on the back (interestingly, Cepeda is holding a Brock bat in his picture), the 1968 T Superstars, the HR, BA, and RBI leaders for both leagues, a Clemente, and an Aaron. I also found World Series tickets from 2013 and 1986, as well as a baseball signed by the 1935 Red Sox. Obviously, nothing is graded.

I am going to live the nomad life for the next year plus (a geriatric Endless Summer riding waves all over the world), and would like to get rid of these quickly. I'll be in Mexico in just over 2 weeks! Any thoughts from the experts?

 

[Lose Remerswaal]

I sent my 2 sets of 1968s to a dealer in Natick. The better set (I grade on a 1-10 scale and these were all 7+) fetched $1000. The lesser set (as low as 4's) is still sitting there. Along with a shit-ton of other stuff I gave to him.

So I guess I don't have any recommendations that would work. But feel free to stop here on your way west!

 

[Jim Ed Rice in HOF]

In the midst of cleaning out my home before moving, I found a bunch of 1968 baseball cards in a cool green team locker. Included are a Nolan Ryan rookie (in a hard sleeve amazingly), the full All Star teams with jigsaw puzzles of Yaz and Orlando Cepeda on the back (interestingly, Cepeda is holding a Brock bat in his picture), the 1968 T Superstars, the HR, BA, and RBI leaders for both leagues, a Clemente, and an Aaron. I also found World Series tickets from 2013 and 1986, as well as a baseball signed by the 1935 Red Sox. Obviously, nothing is graded.

I am going to live the nomad life for the next year plus (a geriatric Endless Summer riding waves all over the world), and would like to get rid of these quickly. I'll be in Mexico in just over 2 weeks! Any thoughts from the experts?

Not sure what the general reputation is of Sportsworld but the location there on Route 1 is convenient to you. Any chance you know anyone in the area that may have an established relationship with them so you're not going to get completely raked over the coals? Your desire to be rid of it before you leave makes negotiating rather difficult. I'm sure if you walk in and ask for a price for everything they'll probably give you one, it's just a question of how low the offer is.

 

[Ale Xander]

I sent my 2 sets of 1968s to a dealer in Natick. The better set (I grade on a 1-10 scale and these were all 7+) fetched $1000. The lesser set (as low as 4's) is still sitting there. Along with a shit-ton of other stuff I gave to him.

So I guess I don't have any recommendations that would work. But feel free to stop here on your way west!

Wholesale or resale?
If latter, may I ask what you got?

 

[Frisbetarian]

Not sure what the general reputation is of Sportsworld but the location there on Route 1 is convenient to you. Any chance you know anyone in the area that may have an established relationship with them so you're not going to get completely raked over the coals? Your desire to be rid of it before you leave makes negotiating rather difficult. I'm sure if you walk in and ask for a price for everything they'll probably give you one, it's just a question of how low the offer is.

Thanks!

I played ball with the owner of Sportsworld, and wouldn’t consider even showing him the stuff. My neighbor owns Ace’s Games in Revere, so maybe I’ll try him.

It seems like a pretty sleazy business to be honest. At least judging from the guys I know who are in it.

 

[Lose Remerswaal]

Wholesale or resale?
If latter, may I ask what you got?

Not sure what you are asking that I didn’t already say

 

[Frisbetarian]

I sent my 2 sets of 1968s to a dealer in Natick. The better set (I grade on a 1-10 scale and these were all 7+) fetched $1000. The lesser set (as low as 4's) is still sitting there. Along with a shit-ton of other stuff I gave to him.

So I guess I don't have any recommendations that would work. But feel free to stop here on your way west!

Thanks, Peter.

I’m not sure I understand you completely. Are you saying you sold 2 complete sets of 1968 baseball cards all in very good condition and including the Ryan rookie for just $1000?

At some point I may take you up on the offer to visit, which is much appreciated, but the west coast of Mexico is calling my name. It will be great to be with family on Día de los Muertos.

 

[Lose Remerswaal]

The better complete set with a very nice Ryan got $1000. He hasn’t moved anything else. I saved probably $500 not putting it all on the moving truck so I figure I am ahead of the game anyway, but I am tempted to tell him I have a friend picking it all up to return to me if I find someone who wants it all.

 

[Frisbetarian]

The better complete set with a very nice Ryan got $1000. He hasn’t moved anything else. I saved probably $500 not putting it all on the moving truck so I figure I am ahead of the game anyway, but I am tempted to tell him I have a friend picking it all up to return to me if I find someone who wants it all.

Gotcha. Thanks.

 

[Ale Xander]

Not sure what you are asking that I didn’t already say

Did you get $1000 wholesale or the natick dealer get $1000 retail?

 

[Jim Ed Rice in HOF]

Thanks!

I played ball with the owner of Sportsworld, and wouldn’t consider even showing him the stuff. My neighbor owns Ace’s Games in Revere, so maybe I’ll try him.

It seems like a pretty sleazy business to be honest. At least judging from the guys I know who are in it.

I think generally you're dealing with a lot of people who may not know the true value of what they're buying or selling so there's definitely opportunity to dupe people. So, yeah, it is ripe for being sleazy.

 

[Fishercat]

@Frisbetarian FWIW, a full 1968 Topps Set (Ryan was SGC3, Bench was PSA4), estimated general grade in the 4-5 range sold for 2k on Ebay yesterday. A 5-6 sold for 3k. Outside of one very odd sale recently most complete sets with good photos I see going for 1500-3000 on Ebay. Given what others have posted on what they got, I'd be real tempted to let it ride on an eBay sale if you're willing to ship instead of selling low to a local card store. Even PSA2 Ryans are nearing 500 at this point and Ebay will authenticate it for you (if not grade) at that price - although you'd likely make more money with a grade if time is of the essence, I'd be tempted to do that. You could also look at consignment but that's gonna eat up more money and depending on volume and involvement may not be worth it. I don't know if the Redditors on r/baseballcards have the pockets for the Ryan but there's FS posts there frequently and you'd dodge the eBay fees. I'm quite jealous personally, '68 has some great looking cards, but I think you can do well without a ton of effort on some of those.

 

[Frisbetarian]

@Frisbetarian FWIW, a full 1968 Topps Set (Ryan was SGC3, Bench was PSA4), estimated general grade in the 4-5 range sold for 2k on Ebay yesterday. A 5-6 sold for 3k. Outside of one very odd sale recently most complete sets with good photos I see going for 1500-3000 on Ebay. Given what others have posted on what they got, I'd be real tempted to let it ride on an eBay sale if you're willing to ship instead of selling low to a local card store. Even PSA2 Ryans are nearing 500 at this point and Ebay will authenticate it for you (if not grade) at that price - although you'd likely make more money with a grade if time is of the essence, I'd be tempted to do that. You could also look at consignment but that's gonna eat up more money and depending on volume and involvement may not be worth it. I don't know if the Redditors on r/baseballcards have the pockets for the Ryan but there's FS posts there frequently and you'd dodge the eBay fees. I'm quite jealous personally, '68 has some great looking cards, but I think you can do well without a ton of effort on some of those.

This is great advice, FC. Thanks!!!

I’m not sure I’ll have time to do a listing before we leave (I’m out of my house in less than 2 weeks now). But I’ll be in the area next spring for my wife’s shoulder surgery (she loves her surgeon), so I may just store them somewhere and deal with them then.

 

[Fishercat]

(
I am sorry if this was covered up thread, but it seems like things are always changing too. Can someone give me the low-down on what's going on with grading these days? I've never had a card graded. I recently came across a few 800ct boxes filled with Magic the gathering cards (so probably a lot more than 800 in each as they're thin) from early mod 1990s - early 2000s. The majority that are unplayed and mint. A few really good finds and many others that looks like I could move them if they were graded. But I'm talking about a lot of $1-$2 ungraded cards that 9+s sell for $30ish, others that are $10-$20 ungraded and then a few in the multiple hundreds range. Then I'm seeing graded cards costing over $100ea to get graded... So I'm wondering where the sweet spot is here.

So Magic isn't my jam, but my very limited understanding is as follows

PSA is a bit tough. I am assuming you'd be aiming for Bulk (25 card minimum). It's $18 a card, requires a subscription ($100 a year). Obviously, the more cards you grade the more that average price reduces given the subscription cost but IMO that probably takes the lower end cards out of the equation unless you're really confident in the 9s and 10s flowing through. BGS appears to be less economic - a flat $25 or $35 at the lowest tier but with quicker turnaround time and without PSA's gradating scale of cost as card price increases. I do have to note CGC - not for sports but they do specialize in the collectables sphere for non-sports and have better rates - bulk has the same min number of cards (25) at $15 a card with quicker TAT and a slightly higher max card cost ($250).

Looking at overall population for sale, BGS has the highest number for sale but CGC isn't terribly far behind, PSA is third, and no one else really seems to have any real foothold (BCCG has a ton for sale but no one seems to be buying). I'd probably tend to lean CGC for lower end (the $10 less per card at bulk level matters could be most of your profit) and BGS on the higher end (seems to sell slightly better) just on what I can see. I will say though, $15 a card to grade when you span is $25 between ungraded and a 9 is a rough gamble on cards that are 20+ years old now in my view.

Turnaround times seem to be lowered a decent amount off of peak so it's hard to tell there how quick stuff comes back.

 

[LogansDad]

I cashed out from my Trout NFT and took out all but enough for two more packs. Opened them, got nothing. Done with NFT's (as per the plan). I might buy a Matt Brash with the couple of dollars I have left.

 

[Ale Xander]

Anyone recommend an eBay Consignor in the MA or Nashua/Salem NH area? (FB/BB/BK/Hockey)

and separately a storefront that does soccer cards where someone can start to learn the market.

 

[Deathofthebambino]

This is great advice, FC. Thanks!!!

I’m not sure I’ll have time to do a listing before we leave (I’m out of my house in less than 2 weeks now). But I’ll be in the area next spring for my wife’s shoulder surgery (she loves her surgeon), so I may just store them somewhere and deal with them then.

Fris, the guys I work with regularly own Batter Up in Tewksbury. They've been there forever.

They will take your cards for you, list them on Ebay, sell them, package them, ship them, and then simply send you the funds from the sale. They'll take a commission, which I can probably negotiate down (I think they're probably around 25% for most folks, but I can probably get it down significantly as your friend and I explain why you need to get rid of them). They're good guys, I trust them, and have used them to sell a ton of stuff I didn't want to bother with over the years.

 

[Fishercat]

Unfortunately, for Bullet Rogan, you won't find any cards that were issued while he was playing, and very few at all. I'm partial to this, and can be had for fairly cheap money:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/275469870130?hash=item402348a432:g:GlEAAOSwn8dh4vAu&amdata=enc:AQAHAAAAoKd2xJCwVSSjuk46KtGa4QYDnNhOBayW3nCWzLLUtCoRtkVinFRqsHnIDB71RYMw23K9GA2NG+2l4hlpX3FwBG8cbXEdpqDV8/Xra3VKdlrwXjgge62H2QZULvaPlzb1nZeab7JAAmlEF3v1KLY/UoQKmt67OOXpZyUuCcxN07hfU5vSAWeXxalP7dPY612h1I9sYAsZ1rvCOqG/PtuA5og=|tkp:Bk9SR8KY8ofwYA

My favorite Campanella card is the 1956 Topps:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/314163318256?hash=item492597cdf0:g:Fu0AAOSw85ZjMgJV

This is probably the Mussina card I like most:

View attachment 55895

I got the Campanella in today btw. Absolutely beautiful card through and through though finding one in the condition / price zone I wanted was a bit of an effort but it’s absolutely the right choice despite falling a bit In love with the early 50s Bowman’s. Thank you for the 56 suggestion especially as I expect other 50s vintage on this list may not be viable.

————-

On that note, anyone have thoughts on the following in terms of best looking / interesting /non insane cards?

Max Scherzer (I have his bizarro Project 70 coming in but didn’t fall in love with any on my search)

Phil Niekro (He looks so miserable in them)

Kid Nichols (guessing contemporary anything of his era is nigh impossible to find so like…anything in the last 100 years)

Ferguson Jenkins (lots of good choices)

I have the others pretty settled (Charlie Gehringer contemporary may be a stretch goal). Gary Carter and Mike Piazza have a slew of great cards - Carter couldn’t take a bad photo it seems and Piazza was down for nearly anything.

 

[Fishercat]

Anyone recommend an eBay Consignor in the MA or Nashua/Salem NH area? (FB/BB/BK/Hockey)

and separately a storefront that does soccer cards where someone can start to learn the market.

I feel like DotB’s rec may work for you?

 

[Frisbetarian]

Fris, the guys I work with regularly own Batter Up in Tewksbury. They've been there forever.

They will take your cards for you, list them on Ebay, sell them, package them, ship them, and then simply send you the funds from the sale. They'll take a commission, which I can probably negotiate down (I think they're probably around 25% for most folks, but I can probably get it down significantly as your friend and I explain why you need to get rid of them). They're good guys, I trust them, and have used them to sell a ton of stuff I didn't want to bother with over the years.

This is perfect! Thanks so much. I'll be in touch.

 

[nolasoxfan]

In the midst of cleaning out my home before moving, I found a bunch of 1968 baseball cards in a cool green team locker. Included are a Nolan Ryan rookie (in a hard sleeve amazingly), the full All Star teams with jigsaw puzzles of Yaz and Orlando Cepeda on the back (interestingly, Cepeda is holding a Brock bat in his picture), the 1968 T Superstars, the HR, BA, and RBI leaders for both leagues, a Clemente, and an Aaron. I also found World Series tickets from 2013 and 1986, as well as a baseball signed by the 1935 Red Sox. Obviously, nothing is graded.

I am going to live the nomad life for the next year plus (a geriatric Endless Summer riding waves all over the world), and would like to get rid of these quickly. I'll be in Mexico in just over 2 weeks! Any thoughts from the experts?

N/m. Took it to PM.

 

[Fishercat]

Saw some Prizm Basketball in the wild, grabbed a hanger pack and then choked when it rang up at $22. Jeez. That's nearly the cost of a blaster of Topps product at other retailers. With that said the basketball card market is kind of wild and the pack itself was pretty good: Kuminga Rookie Variation, a couple decent base rookies (Jalen Suggs, Josh Giddey), Keon Johnson Retail Prizm, Duncan Silver, Ibaka Green: but man I can see how dropping over $20 on a pack of that would get real depressing real quick with the player mix.

Skybox Metal Champions is a lot of fun. I miss Upper Deck having licenses though. A lot of them just look really weird in exercise clothes. Great insert design and the retro inserts brought me back