Why the Spike in Price for 1914 Cracker Jack Bresnahan No Number Variation?

[esd70433]

Does anyone understand the reason for the recent spike in price for the 1914 Cracker Jack Bresnahan No Number card?

I consigned my PSA 3 example in a Nov. 2010 Huggins and Scott auction, and it sold for $400. http://nov10.hugginsandscott.com/cgi-bin/showitem.pl?itemid=27768

Just a few weeks ago a PSA 3.5 example sold for almost $3k! http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&_trksid=p4340.l2557&hash=item3f14322331&item=270921769777&nma=true&pt=US_Baseball&rt=nc&si=h4ekQfOPQt3DZ%252FY7jHh%252FVzt905E%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc#ht_500wt_1361

Why is there such a huge disparity in price? I know that over the years it has been revealed that this No Number on Back variation is not as rare as once thought, so this $3k price seems totally out of the blue. Any thoughts?

[Griffins]

It seemed like for a while there they were coming up quite often- Hunt had a few, and your example in H & S. I think it's just a matter of everyone that wanted one at the time got theirs, and now we're seeing the result of nothing coming up for a while and a few buyers jumping on it.

[ctownboy]

esd,

To paraphrase a Budweiser commercial from a few years ago, "Why ask why?".

A similar thing happened to me a few years ago with Newsboy cabinet cards. Over the years, I had been buying the cards of actors, actresses, famous persons and buildings because I couldn't find or afford one of a baseball player (I lucked into a baseball player when I bought a large number of cards from one seller).

Anyway, I had about 110 different cards (some with same number and name but different pose) and decided to sell them because they were taking up room in the safe deposit box and I wasn't finding very many "new" different ones to add to the collection. I called the various auction houses and described what I had and NONE of them were interested because the cards were mostly the actresses. So, I listed them on eBay as one lot ($1,100 dollar starting price) and thought that would be a good deal for someone.

The cards didn't sell.

I relisted them at the same price and a Best Offer and a big time board member eventually bought them for $900 dollars to add to his collection. A little over a year later, one of the big auction houses (Legendary?) had 66 Newsboy cards in one of their auctions. These cards were in about the same condition as mine and they were mostly actress cards. Lo and behold, those cards sold for $3,600 dollars.

So, in short, the SAME thing happened to me as you; my cards weren't good enough to be auctioned and I sell them for a small amount of money and shortly thereafter, a lesser number of similar cards sells for a much greater sum of money.

The only good thing about my cards is that I know they went to a person who is going to take care of them.

David

[botn]

Actually before drawing any conclusion it is best to take into account some info. I am not sure the sale was legit. The seller, who has sold other CJs earlier in the year, had a Cobb and Wagner up at the same time. Both auctions had been pulled by eBay after the close, only to show up again in completed auctions a few days later. Some of the bidders were a bit suspicious in that 100% of their bids were with this seller or they had no feedback AND 100% of their bids with this seller. The Cobb and Wagner were relisted and bidding seemed tame but there was a new 0 feedback bidder who had 100% of his bids with the seller. I contacted the seller and he was incredibly defensive and ended the auctions after launching a verbal assault on me.

Also no feedback was exchanged for the Bresnahan...

So I for one would not jump to conclude that this sets a new mark for the value based on this single auction based on recent lack of availability. I believe the bidders on the Bresnahan are the same bidders that were on the Cobb and Wagner.

[scooter729]

Actually before drawing any conclusion it is best to take into account some info. I am not sure the sale was legit. The seller, who has sold other CJs earlier in the year, had a Cobb and Wagner up at the same time. Both auctions had been pulled by eBay after the close, only to show up again in completed auctions a few days later. Some of the bidders were a bit suspicious in that 100% of their bids were with this seller or they had no feedback AND 100% of their bids with this seller. The Cobb and Wagner were relisted and bidding seemed tame but there was a new 0 feedback bidder who had 100% of his bids with the seller. I contacted the seller and he was incredibly defensive and ended the auctions after launching a verbal assault on me.

Also no feedback was exchanged for the Bresnahan...

So I for one would not jump to conclude that this sets a new mark for the value based on this single auction based on recent lack of availability. I believe the bidders on the Bresnahan are the same bidders that were on the Cobb and Wagner.

A couple of the bidders on the eBay sale look fishy (such as the one bidding up just shy of milestone amounts, like $1490 and $2490), but at least one bidder - the underbidder - looks like he was a legit bidder on the card.

I didn't have any plans to sell mine, but at these prices I might have to put it up on eBay tonight!

[rainier2004]

First, I believe there are more CJ collectors now than 2 years ago and that is the only "error" variation to the master set which brings in both 1914 and 1915 collectors potentially. I made a cash offer of $1500 for one a couple months ago, and I collect primarily 1915s. Someday I may go after the master set if I ever found a Pratt and would need that Bresnahan...plus I think its cool being the only "error" to the set and felt confident I could at least break even or close to that at $1500.

Second, I know that seller as we have conducted business a couple times. He showed me that Bresnahan a couple months ago, the same card I made a cash $1500 offer on before it ever saw ebay.
For some reason the seller didnt go into the entire story in the ads, but another ebayers account was hacked into and that account originally bid on the cobb and wagner. Ive had this story confirmed by another board member as well. Im not saying anything in regards to the 2nd auction of the cards (Wagner and Cobb) as I did not follow it, but the 1st go around had lots of interest and I have personally seen those cards as well making a cash offer on the Wagner that he laughed at...it was a nice card if memroy serves.

Steven Suckow