major auction houses a lesson to be learned

[Al C.risafulli]

I want the item described.

If you're describing a 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr in PSA 10, perhaps you don't need to say much more than describing any important characteristics in the card, and maybe a little bit about the significance of that card in the hobby.

But if you're describing a Henry Johnson Confectioners Ty Cobb, some information about how there are two graded copies and this one is the highest, and perhaps some background on how tough the cards truly are, how they were issued, and what their significance was, well, that may have helped the consignor get the price that card should have gotten.

I'd rather have too much copy than too little.

That said, useless crap like "A REAL GEM!" and "WHAT A GREAT DEAL!" is used car salesman copy that has no business in an auction of historically important sports memorabilia. That's Crazy Eddie stuff.

-Al

[Al C.risafulli]

Al, that was cold, man, very cold.

What? I never told you how much I actually paid for the card?

I believe the hammer price was $425.

There was no description in the auction catalog. Just a title.

-Al

[Chris Counts]

"Who ever bought these deserves a punch in the throat. Seriously... a bunch of late 60s test cards that have no historical value."

I agree. And I also can't stand cards that depict the decapitated heads of ballplayers. What's really amazing, though, is that another buyer paid the exact same price, $41,125, for 521 different T206s including the Magie error. Which would you rather have?

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Al C.risafulli

As a bidder, nobody has to read the descriptions. If you don't like them, by all means, just look at the pictures.

-Al

Like the men's magazine we claimed to buy for the interviews?

[calvindog]

Originally Posted by chiprop

Jeff- You're like an old man who keeps telling the same story. Eventually everyone will ignore the same post over and over. I would actually be in your corner if you had some solid info other than selling price. The e107 Young in the past has sold for as much as $100k. Last night it sold for a fraction of that. Why? How did REA get such high prices on the 1967 Test Stand-ups when last nights auction provided the consigner a fraction of the price? If something smells fishy, it may be time to change the depends. I hope you take our banter as jest. I think you bring up some interesting closing figures, but until I see something else, I don't think too many people are gonna get behind you. In every auction there are ridiculous prices high and low. Anyone can find them.

Dan, you're like a shill who's trying desperately to discourage me from continuing to expose the most obvious fraud in our hobby today in order to protect the company to which you consign cards. And no matter how many times I post about it, you keep coming back to tell me I should ignore circumstantial evidence and instead get my hands on Goodwin's bidding records. So when everyone keeps ignoring my posts (you know, like they did with Mastro) then I'll stop posting about it. But that day doesn't seem very close now, does it?

And just for fun:

1962 Topps AL & NL Homer Kings #401:

7/14/09 eBay $247.83
3/19/09 eBay $143.62
3/1/09 eBay $224.50
2/6/09 eBay $190.61
1/20/09 eBay $271.88
11/25/08 eBay $235.99
11/14/08 Goodwin $282.00
9/18/08 eBay $214.38
9/2/08 eBay $214.83
3/11/08 eBay $153.78
3/6/08 Goodwin $192.00
1/17/08 eBay $321.11
12/3/07 eBay $133.81
11/30/07Goodwin $5,011.00
11/29/07 eBay $168.59
6/16/07 eBay $142.29
6/14/07 eBay $83.11
3/14/07 eBay $143.61
3/7/07 eBay $154.05
3/2/07 eBay $355.00
1/17/07 eBay $134.49
10/29/06 eBay $189.50

And: Red Heart Mantle PSA 9

6/4/09 eBay $4,000.00
4/5/09 Memory Lane $3,435.70
12/19/08 Mastro $2,400.00
9/1/08 eBay $3,800.00
8/4/08 eBay $3,151.10
6/29/08 eBay $2,700.00
5/30/08 Goodwin $3,124.32
3/6/08 Goodwin $3,697.00
2/14/08 eBay $3,106.00
1/21/08 eBay $2,945.00
1/7/08 eBay $2,500.00
12/18/07 eBay $3,569.00
12/14/07 Mastro $3,049.20
12/9/07 eBay $2,999.99
11/30/07 Goodwin $3,124.00
8/24/07 Goodwin $11,294.00
5/31/07 Goodwin $2,581.00
5/23/07 eBay $3,375.99
3/17/07 eBay $3,200.00
12/18/06 eBay $3,230.00
12/8/06 Mastro $2,722.00
11/7/06 eBay $3,350.00
10/28/06 Heritage $3,107.00
10/4/06 Goodwin $3,525.00
8/19/06 Mastro $3,285.30
8/11/06 Memory Lane $4,074.45
7/24/06 eBay $3,250.00

Oh wait, almost forgot: <-----jest inserted

[Rob D.]

Originally Posted by Al C.risafulli

That said, useless crap like "A REAL GEM!" and "WHAT A GREAT DEAL!" is used car salesman copy that has no business in an auction of historically important sports memorabilia.

Among my favorites is "Bid to win!"

Why else would someone bid?

Oops. Never mind.

[Rich Klein]

Appear to be within the correct range. Why are those the only outliers?

Rich

[chiprop]

Jeff- Choose your words very carefully when you decide to call me out! I really could care less about your obsession with Goodwin, but you need to chill. You’re becoming annoying and irrelevant.

[calvindog]

Dan, I chose those words very carefully. Really. And my obsession is 'retarded?' Maybe you want to choose another word?

[chiprop]

I chose that word carefully.

[calvindog]

Then I'm sending you a dictionary.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Rich Klein

Appear to be within the correct range. Why are those the only outliers?

Rich

Rich there are of course two possibilities, one is that there really were two genuine bidders going against each other with an underbidder genuinely bidding an insane amount, and the other is that someone who didn't know better placed an outlying ceiling bid and was taken advantage of. I am not sure there is a third scenario, but perhaps there is. One has to draw one's own conclusions, of course.

[murcerfan]

I thought Larry's original theorem that started this thread was interesting.

any other thoughts regarding genres or specialties that certain auction outfits currently seem to outperform others on?

I've been kinda on the sidelines for a few years, so my question is sincere.

[slidekellyslide]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

I wonder how the Shaolin monks would view spending so much wealth on the accumulation of baseball cards?

Okay, the monks in this monastery are allowed to speak only two words once every ten years so this newbie monk has his first chance to speak in 10 years and he contemplates and comes out with "Food bad"....ten years pass and the same monk says "Bed hard".....another ten years go by and finally the monk says "I quit"....and the head monk says "I don't blame you, you've been complaining ever since you got here".

[Leon]

Originally Posted by slidekellyslide

Okay, the monks in this monastery are allowed to speak only two words once every ten years so this newbie monk has his first chance to speak in 10 years and he contemplates and comes out with "Food bad"....ten years pass and the same monk says "Bed hard".....another ten years go by and finally the monk says "I quit"....and the head monk says "I don't blame you, you've been complaining ever since you got here".

Nice one Dan..

[brickyardkennedy]

Joke good

[tbob]

Big laugh