Why this high of a price???

[yanks12025]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RICKY-WRIGHT-autograph-1987-TOPPS-signed-card-RANGERS-87-/160951429134?hash=item257973e80e&nma=true&si=nHobwfDLNq1k3GugfDxmkkLxiJQ%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

[mschwade]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RICKY-WRIGHT-autograph-1987-TOPPS-signed-card-RANGERS-87-/160951429134?hash=item257973e80e&nma=true&si=nHobwfDLNq1k3GugfDxmkkLxiJQ%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

People battling that needed it to complete their 1987 Topps set.. This auction (https://collectauctions.com/LotDetail.aspx?lotid=2448) said he refused to sign 1987 Topps cards since they were issued.

[mschwade]

People battling that needed it to complete their 1987 Topps set.. This auction (https://collectauctions.com/LotDetail.aspx?lotid=2448) said he refused to sign 1987 Topps cards since they were issued.

Read this thread (http://www.freedomcardboard.com/forum/baseball/100052-anyone-still-working-1987-topps-signed-set-pics-added.html) too.. Guy said he has searched eBay for 10 years for a Ricky Wright.

[earlywynnfan]

So what's Wright's deal? Why is he so tough??

Ken

[yanks12025]

I found this in another thread, that said keith O won it. someone also wonders whether maybe someone knew he was winning it and always puts a high snipe so they maybe just put a high bid to run him up.

But I dont understand why place a super high snipe if you really dont want to spend that much.


http://www.blowoutcards.com/forums/baseball/433788-what-am-i-missing-here.html

[dgo71]

Wright has notoriously refused to sign that card since it was issued. I believe he was waiting for an opportunity to do something for charity (a la Doug Flynn and the 86T), but then it just became the card he was never going to sign. He turned down an offer from Dave Cameron for a large sum (I heard five figures) to sign only a handful of the cards, so it appears he clearly doesn't have an interest in signing it. Oddly, he is not a hard autograph to find on his other cards.

I am 99.9% sure this one was fake. To see it go for that much money turns my stomach. I am familiar with this seller and he always seems to have a lot of "rare" signed cards and always has a story about how it was obtained through a friend of a friend. The Al Pulido he has up right now is undoubtedly fake. I was in possession of 20+ copies of Pulido's 87T from a trusted trade partner who frequently travels to Mexico for ballgames. Every one was consistent, and none of them looked like the one this seller has for sale. This guy sells close fakes, he's obviously aware of what the legit auto looks like, but his execution is thankfully lacking. Several of the 87T look off to me, including very common signers like Bobby Witt and Geno Petralli. If those two are bad then there's very little to make me think the Wright, easily one of the hardest cards issued in the last 35 years to find signed, is real.

[EvilKing00]

i dont get this at all - 20 bids?? crazy price?? wtf - i wouldnt pay $2.00 for that

[dgo71]

i dont get this at all - 20 bids?? crazy price?? wtf - i wouldnt pay $2.00 for that

One man's trash and all that....the 87T set is one if the most, if not THE most, widely collected signed sets. Wright is the toughest signature to acquire from that set, even harder than Dick Howser, who passed away that same year, but was in Spring Training to at least sign a handful of these cards. People wanting to complete their set (especially when it's a project 25+ years in the making) will pay extremely high prices to do so.

[packs]

I'll be keeping my eyes peeled now. Wow.

[dgo71]

Read this thread (http://www.freedomcardboard.com/forum/baseball/100052-anyone-still-working-1987-topps-signed-set-pics-added.html) too.. Guy said he has searched eBay for 10 years for a Ricky Wright.

Just in case anyone here is working on the 87T set and read the above link, I thought I'd offer my opinion based on my own experience with these guys.

Some of the problems you will run into with this set:

Dick Howser- Most people insert a cut auto on the card and consider the project done.
Alan Wiggins- HIV victim and even when he was out of baseball he was in out or rehab.
Damaso Garcia- Stroke and cant sign anymore
Donnie Moore- Suicide
Juan Espino- Never made it back to the states
Roberto Clemente- Most have Roberto Clemente Jr sign the card
Ricky Wright refused to sign the card since it was issued

This is mostly correct. Howser is very tough, and Wright nearly impossible. Wiggins (whose card is actually in the traded set) played until 1989 and died two years later. He was in general a tough graph though, and his drug problems made him impossible to track down after his career ended.

I can't speak to Clemente Jr. as I've never seen him or tried him TTM, but I can't imagine he's terribly hard.

Donnie Moore played into the 1989 season (he was with KC's AAA team in Omaha in early '89) before passing away. Signed examples of this card are hard to find, but not in the extremely rare category. Heck, I actually have an IP one myself.

Espino did play in the U.S. for a couple more seasons after this card came out. He played for the Richmond Braves and Columbus Clippers and was a very willing signer, though he always signed his cards upside down for some reason. Again, I have several IP examples of Espino on this card.

Garcia also played another three seasons and was a willing signer. He's tough to get NOW because of his health issues, but this card is not terribly tough to find signed from his playing days.

Al Pulido is a toughie not mentioned above, because he played only a short time (all in the minor leagues) after this card was issued and then retired to Mexico where he was basically inaccessible to collectors in the States.

[Deertick]

I am 99.9% sure this one was fake.

That was my first impression also.

[Scott Garner]

C'mon! I'm sorry, but 1987 Topps has to be the ugliest, over produced set ever created, to begin with...
Why would you even want to collect that set, much less pay over $5K for the signature of some no-name, worthless fool?

No doubt that this collector will own that card forever... :rolleyes:

[danc]

That is a crazy price. I have seen a few and they sold for $300-400. I wonder if this item will be up again as perhaps someone was playing games. We'll see.

There are challenges when trying to accumulate complete signed sets as there are always challenging subjects who don't sign. Some of the biggest scrubs are often the most difficult to obtain. I have shared want lists from other collectors and the same names are on every list.

I know I will never be able to complete my 1982 Fleer set because like everyone else trying to complete it, Garvey refuses to sign that card, but he will sign everything else. Oh well.

DanC

[johnmh71]

C'mon! I'm sorry, but 1987 Topps has to be the ugliest, over produced set ever created, to begin with...
Why would you even want to collect that set, much less pay over $5K for the signature of some no-name, worthless fool?

No doubt that this collector will own that card forever... :rolleyes:

I agree. I would rather spend my money on a rare HOF auto of someone who was somebody. I would think the market for it would be much better over time.

[RichardSimon]

And you have to think a seller making this statement in his ad is questionable:
" I'am not a pro dealer so there is no COA."

[danc]

I talked to one of the underbidders who informed me that the signature was legit, and the buyer is a well known collector with more than enough capital as to justify filling in a hole in his collection.

DanC

[vintagechris]

I agree that it is not real. There are a lot of collectors who follow this seller's stuff and think he is 100% legit, but I have seen way too many bad autographs being sold by him.

I highly doubt that signature is real.

[dgo71]

I agree that it is not real. There are a lot of collectors who follow this seller's stuff and think he is 100% legit, but I have seen way too many bad autographs being sold by him.

I highly doubt that signature is real.

Exactly. I'm sure an underbidder thinks the signature and dealer are both legit. Otherwise, why would they bid?

I've followed this seller's auctions for a few months and he does seem to throw some legit signatures in there. And giving the benefit of the doubt, maybe he is unknowingly selling fakes because he bought them from someone he trusts. But I don't think that's the case as the sketchy ones are always cards that unsigned are very cheap, but signed are very hard to find and worth a pretty penny to set collectors. Turn a 10-cent card into a $100 card just like that. Either way, no matter how many I thought were good, there's more than enough that raise my eyebrows to make me stay away.

[earlywynnfan]

That is a crazy price. I have seen a few and they sold for $300-400. I wonder if this item will be up again as perhaps someone was playing games. We'll see.

There are challenges when trying to accumulate complete signed sets as there are always challenging subjects who don't sign. Some of the biggest scrubs are often the most difficult to obtain. I have shared want lists from other collectors and the same names are on every list.

I know I will never be able to complete my 1982 Fleer set because like everyone else trying to complete it, Garvey refuses to sign that card, but he will sign everything else. Oh well.

DanC

OK, I'm not a card guy, but I love intrigue. Is there a site or forum somewhere where there is a list of these players who won't sign specific items and why?? I find this very interesting.

Ken

[dgo71]

OK, I'm not a card guy, but I love intrigue. Is there a site or forum somewhere where there is a list of these players who won't sign specific items and why?? I find this very interesting.

Ken

I've never seen a comprehensive list, but here's a few I know about:

1986 Topps Doug Flynn - he planned to sign it for charity to raise money for a pastor friend. The pastor passed away suddenly, and Flynn decided to just never sign the card. He recently broke down a little and signed 5 at a charity event and they were auctioned off in the $500-1000 range. Johnny Bench bought one of the five. There's a neat interview with Flynn (shot by one of the cards' buyers) on Youtube about this.

1985 Donruss Al Nipper - the card pictures Mike Brown, and neither Nipper nor Brown will sign the card.

1995 Upper Deck Steve Rodriguez - he signed one copy for his mother, and then vowed to never sign the card again.

1984 Topps Byron McLaughlin - this isn't really a case of him not signing the specific card, but he was involved in a counterfeit shoe ring (the guy made fake Jordans or something along those lines) and was sought by the FBI. He fled the country shortly after this card was issued, and although it's never been confirmed is thought to be living in France. The funny thing about this card? Dave Cameron managed to track McLaughlin down just before he left the U.S. and got him to sign a handful of these cards. I thought it was pretty amazing that Dave found McLaughlin before the FBI could!!

1982 Fleer Steve Garvey - Garvey is as gracious as they come in terms of signing, but for some reason doesn't sign this card. I do not know the specifics of why, or when he decided to stop signing it, so it's possible there are signed copies from that year when it was first issued.

[vintagechris]

Exactly. I'm sure an underbidder thinks the signature and dealer are both legit. Otherwise, why would they bid?

I've followed this seller's auctions for a few months and he does seem to throw some legit signatures in there. And giving the benefit of the doubt, maybe he is unknowingly selling fakes because he bought them from someone he trusts. But I don't think that's the case as the sketchy ones are always cards that unsigned are very cheap, but signed are very hard to find and worth a pretty penny to set collectors. Turn a 10-cent card into a $100 card just like that. Either way, no matter how many I thought were good, there's more than enough that raise my eyebrows to make me stay away.

I've followed him for a couple of years and he claims to get all his signatures in person. He must be best buddies with Dave Winfield, Mike Schmidt and Rickey Henderson as he is always selling them. It's funny how all his signatures are always perfect too. No smudges, no pen skips, just no issues at all.

He does sell some legit autographs but like I said, he mixes in bad. He lists a bunch of Randy Johnson's as well and he always makes the same mistake with his signature, but he always shows some old photo of him signing somewhere.

Mike Witt too. Tough signature. Not impossible by any means but the number he has sold over the years compared as a % to the total # of autographs he sells, just doesn't add up.

Like Richard said, he has been putting not a dealer in his listing for years but he seems to keep coming up with these players and he keeps selling them, so he is something more than the average Joe selling what he once collected.

[queencitysportscards]

It's always interesting to see how some odd ball collectibles will sell for...you just never know what people are willing to pay beyond the standard norm of what something is "worth."

I know I overpay for items that I really have been on the lookout for...it happens!

I hope it is not fake!

Hank from Cincinnati

[isaac2004]

I've never seen a comprehensive list, but here's a few I know about:

1986 Topps Doug Flynn - he planned to sign it for charity to raise money for a pastor friend. The pastor passed away suddenly, and Flynn decided to just never sign the card. He recently broke down a little and signed 5 at a charity event and they were auctioned off in the $500-1000 range. Johnny Bench bought one of the five. There's a neat interview with Flynn (shot by one of the cards' buyers) on Youtube about this.

1985 Donruss Al Nipper - the card pictures Mike Brown, and neither Nipper nor Brown will sign the card.

1995 Upper Deck Steve Rodriguez - he signed one copy for his mother, and then vowed to never sign the card again.

1984 Topps Byron McLaughlin - this isn't really a case of him not signing the specific card, but he was involved in a counterfeit shoe ring (the guy made fake Jordans or something along those lines) and was sought by the FBI. He fled the country shortly after this card was issued, and although it's never been confirmed is thought to be living in France. The funny thing about this card? Dave Cameron managed to track McLaughlin down just before he left the U.S. and got him to sign a handful of these cards. I thought it was pretty amazing that Dave found McLaughlin before the FBI could!!

1982 Fleer Steve Garvey - Garvey is as gracious as they come in terms of signing, but for some reason doesn't sign this card. I do not know the specifics of why, or when he decided to stop signing it, so it's possible there are signed copies from that year when it was first issued.

When you say Dave Cameron, do you mean fan graphs Dave Cameron?

[dgo71]

When you say Dave Cameron, do you mean fan graphs Dave Cameron?

I've actually wondered if that's the same guy but I'm not sure. Dave was a super collector in the 80s and 90s. He hit ST annually and worked sets, and has complete signed Topps sets from some ungodly stretch, something like 1980-1992 or something. Nuts. He also did a bunch of signings with long lost Latin players in the Dominican and Venezuela. I saw the guy on Fan Graphs with the same name but I don't know if it's actually the same person.

[mcgwirecom]

Wasn't there a story about Wayne Gretzky not signing his rookie card? Or maybe a diiferent one?

[isaac2004]

I've actually wondered if that's the same guy but I'm not sure. Dave was a super collector in the 80s and 90s. He hit ST annually and worked sets, and has complete signed Topps sets from some ungodly stretch, something like 1980-1992 or something. Nuts. He also did a bunch of signings with long lost Latin players in the Dominican and Venezuela. I saw the guy on Fan Graphs with the same name but I don't know if it's actually the same person.

I doubt, fangraphs Dave Cameron is in his 30s

[JimStinson]

That price does seem ridiculously high ...but reminds me of a really wierd experience I had on e-bay that I've still been unable to figure out.

I bought an autograph collection in Las Vegas from the estate of a former security guard that happened to have six unsigned polaroids of Elvis Presley nothing spectacular just Elvis hanging out while shooting a movie. Most were even out of focus. They were "Throw ins" on the deal. After the autographs were all sold I listed the Elvis pics on e-bay. Figured maybe they would sell for $50.00 or something.

Within three days they were up over $3,000 and when the auction closed they closed at almost $7,000.00. Needless to say the high bidder never paid , I offered them to the underbidder who also never paid. I then blocked BOTH bidders and relisted them and they again shot up to $6,000.00 again same thing happened , never was paid. Underbidder never paid either. So finally offered them to the 3rd highest underbidder who was around $600.00 and he bought them. To this day I have no clue what happened ...point is with e-bay you never know
______________________
jim@stinsonsports.com

[travrosty]

i had a rare boxing autograph that i thought might bring in 150 dollars, and two guys fought it out and with a few seconds left on ebay, they both sniped and it went for 565 bucks. when two people want it bad, look out!

[dgo71]

Just goes to show you that an item is only "worth" what someone is willing to pay. Some days it's worth $10, some days $1000. Just depends on who is bidding.