best deal you've made

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Posted By: Ben

Best deal I've done so far in my collecting experience is definitely the w-514 Joe Jackson I just got on ebay a few weeks ago.

I used BIN on it for $150 before anyone else saw it, it came in the mail last wednesday, and it is gorgeous.
A few VERY light wrinkles, but otherwise in very nice shape. That's the most I've ever spent on a card (I'm 21 and on a college budget) but I am EXTREMELY glad I decided to take the plunge.

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Posted By: Dan Mathewson

I've gotten some great deals myself (and a couple that I realized later were not too hot, but overall my investments have been terrific).

I did get into a convo once quite a while back with a guy who had a baseball bat from the days when Matty was a manager for the Reds. He bought it in an estate auction in Saranac in 1971 which the immediate family has recorded. He all but gave it to me when he knew there was a family tie, and it'll go on display eventually with a written credit back to him. I really love that bat, though... I also have a 1913 Matty Fan for a Fan which I paid less then $200 for, and I cherish that. I think it's quite nostalgic and cool, and in terrific condition.

-dan

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Posted By: David

With no appologies, I buy to sell. Twice I bought large collections (one of Phantom World Series Tickets and one of photographs that belonged to Eddie Collins) where the first item I sold went for more than I paid for the entire lot. In other words, if had thrown everything else away I would have still made a profit. Naturally, these were abnormal situtations.

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Posted By: TBob

You used to be able to buy lots of 6 or 7 cards to get the one or two you needed, and sell the other 4 or 5 on ebay to recapture your investment and get your two cards free, so to speak. I did this on several lots and got some tough E90-1s, T207s and T205s. You just can't do it that much anymore, if at all. Minimum bids are way up and too many bidders are driving prices way up. It was fin while it lasted. Someone (from this board I think) told me a story of someone who collected a whole T206 set (minus the Big 6) by doing this. I don't know if it is apocryphal or not, but it sure sounded good!

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Posted By: jeff s

...I doubt it was MY t206 set that you were told about, but that's basically how I put mine together. I bought a few cards, but I tried to keep those purchases within the profits made on other lots.

It always helps when auctioneers are not that knowledgable -- resulting in a "common lot" for $5/card including a couple of drums, or a pile of "commons" turning out to be half southern leaguers.

And all of this, just a couple of years ago. It's still possible, I think, though only with sets like T206 where there is a lot of cards out there and cards are frequently sold as lots.

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Posted By: Ed McCollum

early on, I was trying to get one of each of the 16 backs for my small T206 collection (knowing I'll never get the Cobb back). I contacted Barry Sloate (sp) about any he might have and he had a Chance with a Carolina Brights back, one of only two backs I didn't have. But he wouldn't sell it to me unless I also bought another card he had, becasue as a collector, he said he knew I wouldn't just turn around and sell it. I agreed to $130 for the Chance and $60 for the other card.

The O'Leary hands on knees with the Broadleaf 460 series back is now the favorite card in my collection. If looked at as an investment, that $60 six years ago was the best money ever spent.

And yes, Art, you'll get first crack at it if I ever decide to sell.

[Archive]

Posted By: warshawlaw

I've been at this so long (I bought my first table 25 years ago) that I won't even consider the deals that simply worked out well because of the growth in value of the cards. The best Deals (where I made out like a bandit immediately) I've made that I can recall were:

1. I bought a T206 error as a common and flipped it for enough to cover my entire purchases during a weekend card show.

2. I bought a bunch of really sharp 1952 and 1954 Topps cards and after slabbing them all flipped one card to get back my entire investment.

3. A Lew Lipset auction (believe it or not) where no one bid on a lot of PC backed exhibit cards. I offered the minimum the day after, he accepted, and I got a lot with a vg-ex Ruth, a good Gehrig, a vg Foxx and three others for $500.

4. I got a 1958 Bell Gino Cimoli short print as a "throw in" on a trade.

5. I won a lot of boxing cards in an auction that was described as a random assortment of T218, T220 and 1948 Leaf cards. Actually, it was a full set of each with extras, including rare variations on the boxing cards, and some very high grade T cards of stars. Best of all, one of the "Leaf" cards was actually a 1932 U.S. Caramel card.