Well I have a big Tupperware box that houses my Bad surprises/mistakes. As we all now know how expensive these Ebay
lessons can be... and boy did I pay for my schooling!
At least I was able to learn from
some of my mistakes (that's why I have a
big box instead of a small one) and over time, a bit more and a bit more.
Because most of these Ebay surprises, good or bad, still fall into the category of good decision or bad.
The life lesson we learned in grammar school, the Three "R's" still apply to collecting. My 3-R's are:
Research, Read, and Remember.
Well, a decade later, and I'm still making mistakes, just less of them and not as costly. But I also reap the rewards of my labor of love. You just have to take the good with the bad. A little Ying and a dash of Yang.
I was given good advice from many. "Don't trust GAI". Nah, I thought, they're Ebay approved. In my bad box there sits a beautiful second year Michael Jordan signed press sheet. Also a GAI Roger Maris 1961 Pin (Pin? I didn't know that GAI slabbed Pins?) in the small version...oops, they didn't make a small version of that particular pin...Shit!
And even earlier than that, I bought a GAI Jimmy Foxx signed George Burke original photo
and a GAI Babe Ruth signed 1939 FDC. Damn it...DOH!
The only reason that those two expensive Bad Surprises/Mistakes are
not sitting in my bad box is because Marshall bailed me out. It took him several calls to Steve and a letter, but they paid me in four monthly installments. A shout-out "Thanks" Marsh, I owe you...uh..umm... a lot!
Maybe this thread isn't as good as I thought it was!
Thanks Mark!
Well that's all I can stomach for now, So after I throw up a few times I'll come back and post some of the good surprises.
Best, Jimmy
P.S. That is Marshall FOGEL
not Barkman.