Buying TRIMMED cards!!!

[Archive]

Posted By: Richard Lloyd

Hi... Can some one kindly provide thoughts on buying REGIOANL HARD TO FIND trimmed cards...NOW, I found some 1951-54 Vancouver Capilanos Popcorn cards... These are NEAR IMPOSSIBLE to find...
I beleive it is worth the money and investment to buy them PLUS I "like them"..they are in great shape..BUT some friends of mine think I am wasting my money... I guess I believe that regional cards LIKE this are very tough and they will have value 20 years from now even trimmed...

I guess this Question can be for ALL TOUGH
hard to find regional cards...

However, I would say if these were mainstream Topps or Bowman then they would not be a good buy??

THOUGHTS???

Best
Dick

[Archive]

Posted By: PASJD

I personally don't think trimmed cards will ever have more than a fraction of the value of the real thing, scarce or not. Perhaps a higher fraction but that's it. I would buy them if you really like them, but not as an investment.

[Archive]

Posted By: Anonymous

tough regional issues are pretty much the only post-war sets that continue to go up in value. but trimmed? unless youre talking about a card with only a handful in existence, i wouldnt touch them

[Archive]

Posted By: Julie

Not regional, but probably trimmed for innocent reasons. Someone posted recently that he didn't even condsider such trimming IMPORTANT. Can't go that far...






The fact is, about 1/8th of the card is missing...
The Welch was quite cheap the Wright I traded for, and wasn't so cheap.

[Archive]

Posted By: Richard Lloyd

Thanks .... the cards are ONLY trimmed 3/16 in.
these RARE popcorn cards only have a VERY thin border..
they look like 1952 globe printing cards...If you did not know they had a 3/16 in. border you would not even know...
Best

[Archive]

Posted By: petecld

If you're a collector... you'll buy the cards because you want them.

If you're an investor... generally speaking, buying trimmed cards isn't smart, their value doesn't go up that fast. If they are THAT rare then the ones you buy will be setting market value so the gamble becomes whether or not you think another person will want then as bad as or more than you did and will pay more for them. Tough call on regional cards.

[Archive]

Posted By: dennis

if you know they are trimmed and priced as such,there is no problem. enjoy the card!

[Archive]

Posted By: Anonymous

trimmed is trimmed

[Archive]

Posted By: Richard Lloyd

yes... I agree trimmed is trimmed!!!... but it does look good!!!

[Archive]

Posted By: wesley

Generally, I would not pay VG or even G price for a neatly trimmed card that was otherwise EX. Of course, there are exceptions when a card can't be found any other way.

[Archive]

Posted By: Scott

If I intended to keep the card in my collection I would probably pay EX prices for an otherwise Gem Mint card. I have a trimmed CJ Reulbach that looks like it came right off the printing press - there is no way I would otherwise have the ability to see a Cracker Jack in such condition...well, to see 'most' of a CJ in such condition

[Archive]

Posted By: Gilbert Maines

Unlike Ex, Vg and other card conditions; a trimmed card's grade is clearly identified (and not at all subjective), by most respectable grading services. In general, this damage identifies the card as Authentic/Poor.

For each issue there is a corresponding level of desireability for all grades. While it may be difficult to sell cards of recent vintage in less than top grades, a market exists for less common cards in all grades.

In the instance cited, an unusual regional product, the availability of examples is not frequently encountered. If there is sufficient demand for this issue, there is every reason to suspect that trimmed cards may possess a good investment potential.

It is not always true that vg/ex cards appreciate faster than cards which grade good. Similarly, it is not always true that money invested in pristine cards will yield a better return than the same amount of money invested in multiple examples of the same card which has a low grade.

Of course, the above represents my opinion. This opinion is based on fact, however, there are numerous instances in which contradictory evidence also exists.

My vote: buy 'em.

[Archive]

Posted By: Andy Baran

If you end up buying the cards, I would be willing to give you a very fair price for either 1952 Jesse Williams variation, trimmed or not. Please let me know. Thanks.

[Archive]

Posted By: hankron

When buying, I ask myself "What could I resell these for." If you're buying a trimmed card for $100 and could resell it for $100, there's no trouble. If you're buying a trimmed card for $100 and no one else would pay $5 for it because they don't want trimmed stuff, you're overpaying.

I deal mostly with photographs, where there are no price guides, each photo is rare to unique and I'm often the first person ever to buy the photograph. If my bid is to be $100, I ask myself if "If I were to find someone in the future who liked this photo and wanted to own it, would he be willing to pay $120 for it?" Obviously, this takes some guesswork, and I'm not always on the mark. Sometimes I can't get past the "someone who liked this photo and wanted to to own it" part of the equation.

This doesn't mean I am required to buy things at a cost effective price and am forbidden to knowingly overpay for something I really want. But it serves to keep financial end of things in perspective, especially when I go Goo Goo Ga Ga over something in a MastroNet or Sotheby's auction that I may eventually grow bored with and want to resell some day.

[Archive]

Posted By: tbob

The re-sale value plays a part in any consideration of buying a trimmed card. I have bought some trimmed cards (some were even described that way) as placeholders until another one came along. When you can grab a really nice looking tough card, like an E94, and the price is right, I have no problem with buying it and waiting until the same card comes up down the line. I'll tell you this, I am one card away from completing my E90-1 set and if a Joe Jax card comes along trimmed but with nice eye appeal, I won't hesitate a hearbeat to buy it.

[Archive]

Posted By: David Smith

and who among us wouldn't want that to add to our collections??

I have a really badly trimmed (cut!!) large Gypsy Queen of California Brown and proud to say I own it.

When I go to the safety deposit box, I will get it out and scan it for you guys and Julie to see.

David