1991 Topps Desert Storm Baseball Questions...any SMEs on the board?

[meatloaf]

I recently came across a 1991 Topps Desert Storm Baseball set. I did not know much about it, but the DS set was a part of a large collection I was attempting to buy and resell. I really wanted the other stuff in the collection, not this DS set, but the negotiations dragged on and I finally caved to pay more to buy it all.

Anyway, I have this set and I want to sell it, but I have no clue what it is worth or the demand signal. The set was 100% raw. I was sending in a larger BGS submission, so I included the Chipper Jones rookie and a few other stars....the 3 cards all came back as solid 9s. Most of the cards are not 9s IMO. Likely best case 7-8s for 75% of the cards and it appears there are no counterfeits. I do not have pics to show at the moment as I am traveling to see in-laws and go deer hunting. Just trying to educate myself on this thing.

What is the likely market clearing price for this set? What would be an average high vs low range for this set?

Thanks for the info and opinions.

[Rookiemonster]

Well the chipper jones is 450 to 525 .

[cubsfan-budman]

a complete set with a chipper 9 just sold for $1400

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1991-Topps-D...8AAOSwwbdWOk24

[meatloaf]

ty for all the words everyone

[ImPhil]

Sorry to revive an old thread here, but I'm wondering if anyone can help. I found my collection of DS cards that were given to me by a friend of my dads returning from DS. I was given 2 sealed boxes which, being 11 years old, I promptly opened, looked at once, put in to two storage boxes and forgot about for 25 years. Lol.

So now out of the 1,000 cards I started with I have around 800, making about 75% of a complete set.

Can anyone give me some advice on getting the rest of the commons I'm missing and what's the best way to get the set graded? Should I start with sending in the key cards I have, and then working my way down, or submit the set as a whole? Or is it even worth getting the commons graded?

I'm kind of lost on what to do here to maximize the value of my set and not having collected in 20 years, I'm kind of lost on what my next step(s) should be.

Thanks!

~Phil

Also, what's the best way to protect/store them until they get graded? 9 card sheets, individual protectors, something else??

[Zach Wheat]

Hey Phil,

Congrats. That is a fun way to start a set. It shouldn't be too hard to finish the set. You have a nice start. I generally put these cards in penny sleeves and then top loaders. However, that takes up a lot of room. If you put them in a binder, you run the risk of nicking the corners, but they are easier to see as a set. Due to the number of DS cards I have, I keep them in penny sleeves and then boxed numerically. I have 1 set in a binder for reference.

As for grading I would have the stars graded....but save your money on grading the remainder of the set. Having only the stars graded won't hurt your resale value. In fact, most DS sets are sold with only the top cards graded....

Have fun finishing the set and enjoy!


Z

[ImPhil]

Thanks for the info, I really appreciate it. Any suggestions on where to buy the remaining cards I need to finish the set without having to worry about counterfeits? Most of the cards I need are commons, but need a couple of key cards like Ryan.

[sbfinley]

Originally Posted by ImPhil

Thanks for the info, I really appreciate it. Any suggestions on where to buy the remaining cards I need to finish the set without having to worry about counterfeits? Most of the cards I need are commons, but need a couple of key cards like Ryan.

Contact a store called Baseball 17 in Myrtle Beach SC. I was in there about five years ago and they had a binder of commons (500 or so) for a buck a piece. I grabbed a handful and a Griffey Jr they had in a display. I was back in this past summer to grab some hobby boxes to bust on a rainy beach day and the binder remained almost untouched. I'm not sure if the owner is online or would mind shipping, but I'd bet you'd knock out a large portion of the commons in one swoop if he's still got them. I'm not an expert on the series, but I never questioned them considering the large number of Air Force and Navy bases in the town and surrounding area. Good luck.

[Zach Wheat]

One of the best ways I have found to finish sets is by buying in lots. You save in shipping and your average cost per card should be quite a bit lower. Steve has a good suggestion if they are still availanle. Also many sellers on eBay will sell in lots if you ask them via eBay messages.

Learn to spot a fake DS card.....there are a number of articles to read on this site. Pay attention to the shield embossing and the sheet codes on the back of the cardz and you will be a pro in no time. Facebook also has a group that is active in Desert Shield cards.....have met a few of the group and they are quite knowledgeable.

Check in every so often and let us know how yourmset is progressing. Best of luck!


Z

[ImPhil]

Thanks everyone for the advice and help. I'm excited to get this set finished and get back in to collecting in general. Baseball 17 still has single commons for a buck a piece, so I'm thinking that is going to be my best bet to get the majority of what I'm missing.

I finished up the cataloging last night of what I have and it ended up being a total of 896 cards, 626 were unique, so I have just shy of 80% of the set complete. Key cards are going to get shipped to PSA next week starting with the Chipper Jones since I have a feeling that that card will make or break the overall value of the set when I sell it. Just need to to figure out what to do with all the extras I have.

If anyone is interested in trading commons for commons to help complete your set please message me and let me know what you need. I'm more than happy to help out anyone I can.

Thanks again for all the info and I'll keep updating as the search goes forward and I start getting returns from PSA

~Phil

[BradH]

Hi Phil --
Not sure if you still need any cards, but I have decided to trim down my collection and I have 40-50 commons (some graded but most raw) and another 10-15 star cards (all graded). If you or anyone else wants to post a list of what you need, I'd be happy to check to see if I have them.

Brad