Consign with Probstein

[robsbessette]

Anyone ever done it?

I'm acquiring a 1959 Topps set with all grey and white backs. So 660 cards total. Gibson is poor. Mick is PSA 1. Most commons are EX and stars range in the VG area.

I'm going to try to move it on here first, but was curious if anyone has any experience consigning with Probstein. I'd be curious to hear thoughts.

I have a number I'm hoping to get and not sure if I'd do better here or there.

[7nohitter]

Rob-

Do a search...several recent threads about that seller. I've never had any personal experience, but based on what I've read I personally would not work with Rick.

[bnorth]

I do not know from personal experience but he does not seem to mind if you bid on you consignments.

From personal experience he does respond to questions on the items he lists. Just don't expect it to be helpful or nice.:eek:

[robsbessette]

He seems to get results, though. Doesn't he?

[bobbyw8469]

I had the exact same set although in better shape. Typical mid grade set. Everything was around PSA 5 range. It brought around $1,400. Hope that helps.

[MattyC]

I sent a graded set to him once and it did incredibly well. I was paid immediately, with a spreadsheet explaining all cards and the hammers and fees. It was a great experience and the communication was also great.

[Shoebox]

Honestly I dont understand consigning with someone to do an ebay listing. I never bid more on an item because Probstein listed it. (whether perhaps I PAID more is subject to debate) I dont looking for items any specific person lists. I look for items I want to buy and when I find them I bid. Other than doing the time to list the item and handling the shipping of the product what service are you getting to justify giving up another 10% or however much on top of the 13% ebay/paypal take? Seems like you pay quite a bit to save an hour of your time.

[ALR-bishop]

Dustin --I have never sold anything on ebay, either myself or through a consignor. At this point I am strictly a collector. I am aware of the many threads here and on CU about possible shilling in some consignor auctions (Good for some sellers ? Bad for some buyers ?). I am also aware of the many threads here and on CU about the large number of unreasonable and even unethical buyers who have surfaced on ebay since their rules have changed to so favor buyers.

The main reason I would look to use consignors or auction houses to sell my collection if I decided to liquidate is to avoid dealing with buyers willing to abuse the current refund , return, feedback system as a club in seeking bargains from sellers

I realize there are many good buyers out there. I like to think I am one. But my temperament is such that I would prefer not to deal with the aggravation of selling direct on ebay, and would be willing to pay a commission to do so. Not sure if this would be a factor with other sellers

Al

[bnorth]

Honestly I dont understand consigning with someone to do an ebay listing. I never bid more on an item because Probstein listed it. (whether perhaps I PAID more is subject to debate) I dont looking for items any specific person lists. I look for items I want to buy and when I find them I bid. Other than doing the time to list the item and handling the shipping of the product what service are you getting to justify giving up another 10% or however much on top of the 13% ebay/paypal take? Seems like you pay quite a bit to save an hour of your time.

I have not consigned with Problemstein but I believe it is cheaper to consign with him than actually listing the items yourself. Rick gets a huge(?) discount from eBay because of the # of items he lists.

[savedfrommyspokes]

I have not consigned with Problemstein but I believe it is cheaper to consign with him than actually listing the items yourself. Rick gets a huge(?) discount from eBay because of the # of items he lists.

Both Rick and PWCC (as well as several other larger sellers) are members of the "Emerging Verticals" program with ebay, so yes, they do receive a greater discount on FVF than your typical "Top Rated" seller would.

[robsbessette]

It's not that I'm being lazy and just don't want to deal with it. I have a lot of money invested in this and want to get the most return possible. These large sellers get tons of volume. When I'm on eBay with my piddly 150 feedback I feel like sellers are deterred. But when they see a power seller like Probstein they feel comfort.

I personally don't follow this idea and seek out sellers with 10-20 feedback as I feel there are better deals to be had since people avoid them. I think it's worth the risk for the prices to be had.

I hope I can just move the whole thing on Net54 and don't have to deal with and eBay fees or commission. That would be ideal. So if anyone out there is looking for a master 1959 Topps set, you know where to look!

I wonder if I'd do better selling myself on eBay and breaking up the entire set and selling each card individually. It would take a ton of time, but if I can get the money back, that would be good. It would also probably help the high grade commons that get lost in the mix.

[kailes2872]

I wonder if I'd do better selling myself on eBay and breaking up the entire set and selling each card individually. It would take a ton of , but if I can get the money back, that would be good. It would also probably help the high grade commons that get lost in the mix.

In my recent nightmare experience, the time thing is what I underestimated the most when dealing with breaking up and selling smaller singles and lots.

Trips to the post office, trips for supplies, managing multiple deals at one time, etc. My respect for the guys that do this on a daily basis (and the tedium that goes with it) went up exponentially this past month. I remember when I was building 59. I bought a bunch of singles from Battersbox, but I would do buy it now and not put it in my shopping cart. They offer free shipping. One day, I was going through card by card buying and kept hitting BIN. During that time 6 of the cards were from them and, due to how I purchased, it came as 6 different packages.

Paul sent me a note asking that I use the shopping cart feature in the future - but I am pretty sure they broke even to lost money on me that day.

That is what life has become. Getting into arguments with the guy at the post office because the exact same package is $2 moe today than what it was last Friday. Trying to maximize what you can fit in a bubble wrap to maximize return while still providing secure shipping etc.

Unless you think that you can get nearly double on a card by card basis versus what you can get as a set, run to the hills. Avoid the temptation. Because once you sell the first card from the set, it is no longer complete and the long 572 card break begins.

Just one man's warped, beat down point of view...

[Shoebox]

I have not consigned with Problemstein but I believe it is cheaper to consign with him than actually listing the items yourself. Rick gets a huge(?) discount from eBay because of the # of items he lists.

Ahhh! That is something I hadnt considered and since with high dollar items he offers a reduced commision I can see how that could be. In that case I would save the mlney and headaches for sure.

[Exhibitman]

Try sterling.

[RobertGT]

It's not that I'm being lazy and just don't want to deal with it. I have a lot of money invested in this and want to get the most return possible. These large sellers get tons of volume. When I'm on eBay with my piddly 150 feedback I feel like sellers are deterred. But when they see a power seller like Probstein they feel comfort.

I personally don't follow this idea and seek out sellers with 10-20 feedback as I feel there are better deals to be had since people avoid them. I think it's worth the risk for the prices to be had.

I hope I can just move the whole thing on Net54 and don't have to deal with and eBay fees or commission. That would be ideal. So if anyone out there is looking for a master 1959 Topps set, you know where to look!

I wonder if I'd do better selling myself on eBay and breaking up the entire set and selling each card individually. It would take a ton of time, but if I can get the money back, that would be good. It would also probably help the high grade commons that get lost in the mix.


The key cards in the set, the Gibson and Mantle, are both poor and the rest of the set is VG-EX. I hope you don't have that much money invested in this.

Probstein is not going to bring any more money on a low-grade set like that than you would get listing yourself on ebay, unless there is some of the aforementioned shenanigans that you often see with a Probstein auction. Prices are just really suppressed for easily found, low-grade material now.

I think your chances of moving it on the Net54 for a fair price are even less, as many people are simply looking to scoop up deals to flip on eBay. The few times I've attempted to sell post-war stuff on Net54 it was mostly the sound of crickets. Ebay may be a huge headache, but stuff does move there.

Where Probstein seems to do well is the ultra-high grade PSA-slabbed cards. But again, how many of those sales have legitimate bidding patterns? I think a lot of his problems have been well-documented here.

My advice to be would be to list it on eBay at the exact Buy-it-Now price you need on the set, or maybe a few hundred over it with a best offer. Then wait, wait, wait. Hopefully the gray-white variations will be a strong selling point. Good luck.

[hangman62]

Regarding selling /onsigning cards ... I never used Probstein...but at least the guy gets back to you..unlike about three of the dealers/advertiser on this site..the guys who's ad's are constantly flickering across the top of the page...... " WE BUY ".. " ..Consign to our upcoming auction" .... Yea... haven't heard back from any of them !

Now I realize Im not looking to sell NM 52T Mays and Mantle...but even beat up sets like 1934 Goudey, 1950 Bowman, etc... have some value

[buymycards]

Hi Rob,
Here is the problem with trying to sell EX 1959 commons individually.

First of all, there are 27,000 active listings for 1959 Topps cards.

Secondly, if you look at the "sold" auctions, you will see many commons in VG/EX and EX that sold for anywhere from 99 cents to two bucks. Some sell for more, but there is a lot of competition out there.

Third, the fees for selling cards for two bucks will be high. Listing fee, final value fee, 35 cents per payment for PayPal, plus another 1.7% for paypal will put a big dent in your profits.

Fourth, it takes a lot of time to scan the front and the back of the card, create the listing, answer questions, package the items, and ship them. Do you want to do all of the for a buck or two per card?

I think RobertGT may have the best solution. BIN with best offer. Put the BIN 25% higher than you need to get out of the set so you have some wiggle room with offers.

I hope you purchased this for a really low price so you can make a few bucks from it.

Good luck! Rick

[h2oya311]

My understanding, from other net54 members, is that probstein will auction graded cards much sooner than ungraded cards. I doubt he'd break it up if commons sell for <$5. Try an AH or do a BIN on the complete set on your own, as others have suggested.

[robsbessette]

Well here is the deal. I am only three cards away from completing the set. And I purchased this master set. I planned on pulling upgrades and filling the set holes. The three I need are Gibson, Mantle AS, and Aaron AS. For the sake of resale, though, I thought it would be best to leave the set together. I feel like it's not every day you see a grey and white back master set.

My current Mick is a cracked out PSA 1. The one in the set I'm purchasing is a slabbed PSA 5. I wonder if I could maximize my profit by selling the set with the low grade and selling the 5 by itself. Or just put the 5 in the set and see what I get. I'd obviously prefer to keep the 5, but if it means taking a big hit another Mantle will always come along.

[robsbessette]

Keeping my eye on this one to see how it does.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1959-TOPPS-BASEBALL-CARD-LOT-COMPLETE-SET-/251649256168?pt=US_Baseball&hash=item3a9776eae8

[ALR-bishop]

The 59 set was the first Topps set I completed years ago. I eventually added all the recognized variations ( check to see if your set has any of them because that would be another selling point). But only recently did I finish adding all the gray/white stock variants. If there is a master set collector out there working on such a project in mid grade you could luck out. The grays are tougher and usually have a slight premium over the whites

[robsbessette]

Thanks Al, I think I should be able to get a good chunk back. Maybe not all. But close.

Do you have a list of the variations? I know Spahn is one, but not sure of others.

The thing that drew me to this purchase were the fact that it had all the grey and white backs. That means two Maris and other HOFers within those numbers in which both backs were printed.

[marvymelvin]

Hey Rob. Brad here. As always I love to help with a little research now and then. I hope you have been able to move that Mantle/Maris piece. Here is a list of key cards and semi key cards from your 59 set. The better condition the better your return. However I agree with previous comments that trying to turn a profit on this set is tough, not because it isn't wanted, just because there is a "plethora" of 59 Topps cards out there for the taking. It seems that collectors either just buy the set to get it done, or "force themselves to have fun" by picking up a few cards at a time.

But the problem is that everyone who breaks these sets up always pull the cards I have listed and sell them separate. One way I have been successful in doing what you are wanting to do is to put teams sets together, and yes include the key cards. It is really annoying to look at a listing for "1959 Topps Yankees Team Set" lets say, only to find out it is a team set minus the Mantle.

At the end of the key cards list is a description of variations to look out for. I make no mention of the gray backs vs. white backs because it seems you know about that already.

Happy hunting!

Mickey Mantle (#10)
Willie Mays (#50)
Stan Musial (#150)
Sandy Koufax (#163)
Yogi Berra (#180)
Roger Maris (#202)
Ernie Banks (#350)
Al Kaline (#360)
Hank Aaron (#380)
Frank Robinson (#435)
Brooks Robinson (#439)
Roberto Clemente (#478)
Harmon Killebrew (#515)
Felipe Alou (#102)
George "Sparky" Anderson (#338)
Bill White (#359)
Norm Cash (#509)
Bob Gibson (#514)
Bob Allison (#116)
John Blanchard (#117)
John Callison (#119)
Ron Fairly (#125)
Deron Johnson (#131)
Billy Pierce All-Star (#572)

Multi-player cards

Al Kaline and Charlie Maxwell (#34 Pitchers Beware)
Ernie Banks, Dale Long, and Walt Moryn (#147 Cubs Clubbers)
Minnie Minoso and Rocky Colavito (#166 Destruction Crew)
Hank Aaron and Ed Mathews (#212 Fence Busters).
Gil McDougald, Bob Turley, and Bobby Richardson (#237 Run Preventers)
Johnny Podres, Clem Labine, and Don Drysdale (#262 Hitter's Foes)
Roberto Clemente, Bob Skinner, and Bill Virdon as the Corsair Outfield Trio (#543)

Highlights

Mantle Hits 42nd Homer For Crown (#461)
Kaline Becomes Youngest Batting Champ (#463)
Mays' Catch Makes Series History (#464)
Snider's Play Brings L.A. Victory (#468)
Musial Raps 3,000th Hit (#470)

16 team cards

Ford Frick #1
Roy Campanella (#550 Symbol of Courage)

Warren Spahn appears on card #40 with three different reverse variations: #40A incorrectly lists his birth year as 1931
#40B also shows 1931, but with the numeral "3" partially obscured.
#40C shows the correct birth year as 1921.

Card #316, which was supposed to show Ralph Lumenti of the Senators, features Pascual's headshot and exists in two variations.
#316A, the more common variation, states "Optioned to Chattanooga in March 1959"on the reverse just below the cartoon
The much scarcer #316B is missing this caption.

Several other cards exist with and without "traded" and "optioned" captions, including:
#321 Bob Giallombardo
#322 Harry Hanebrink
#336 Billy Loes
#362 Dolan Nichols

Hope this helps!

[ALR-bishop]

The version with the clear 1931 is the toughest and caries the biggest premium

http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj555/Bishop539/WhitenOldClothes800_zps25200db6.jpg

[robsbessette]

So I got the 59 set in today and was checking against my own near complete set.

The one I got in was 1921, but then I check the one I already had (for years) and go figure, it's 1931 version.

Any idea how much this card alone should pull? I imagine it will help my resale chances. Condition isn't the greatest so I have no idea how much this variation should get.

[robsbessette]

UPDATE: I ended up selling this on Craigslist to a very pleased buyer. Broke even and am quite happy with the result. I don't normally deal with CL, but really didn't want to have to pay all the fees of eBay

[swarmee]

If the card value for each is above $1, consider comc.com . I just made a post about them on the non-sports sister board.
http://www.network54.com/Forum/526604/thread/1412898789/last-1412898789/comc.com+card+warehousing+and+quasi-stock+market

This is a place that set-collectors can see a lot of cards and compare/buy/sell/trade/flip without taking physical property of the cards until they request them. Reduces a lot of the shipping costs, and gives you more control over the sales process.