Father Passed and Left me his collection. Please Help.

[ullmandds]

If you want to sell them all your best bet is to consign them to one of the auction houses. You will not have to pay a commission if anything you might be able to negotiate a little off of their buyers premium and they will take care of the grading and all necessary arrangements

[BLongley]

Originally Posted by ullmandds

If you want to sell them all your best bet is to consign them to one of the auction houses. You will not have to pay a commission if anything you might be able to negotiate a little off of their buyers premium and they will take care of the grading and all necessary arrangements

+1

By far the best route in my opinion, this way you don’t have to deal with selling one at a time, or issues on trying to get them graded yourself. You will get much, much more money for them graded vs raw too.

[SetBuilder]

I see Cobbs and other HOF's in there. High end T206 cards like these are in a bubble right now so you don't need to do much to get top dollar for them. The grading fees will pay for themselves in the added price premium. You may get a few surprises if a couple of cards come back in high grade. Worth it.

Avoid eBay fees (10% sales fee + 3% for PayPal payment) and go straight to the B/S/T section and ask for friends/family payment by PayPal (especially if slabbed/graded). If you don't get friends/family payment (no fee) you'll at least avoid the 10% ebay fee.

If you want to sell these yourself get a scanner (a $60 Epson from Amazon will do just fine), and a free subscription to CardTarget. That way you'll feel better about the prices you're getting and won't get that odd feeling that you got ripped off. This is important since the cards have some sentimental value and seller's remorse can ruin the experience.

[Skatehabitat24]

Step one: Get some larger photos/scans working, so people here can examine what you have and offer recommendations. Plus, very importantly, they'll be able to make sure everything is authentic.

You could probably (easily) sell a lot of stuff here to members through the Buy/Sell/Trade section. Good luck!

I apologize for the garbage photos I will be getting a scanner to have even if I don't sell them myself.

If you want to sell them all your best bet is to consign them to one of the auction houses. You will not have to pay a commission if anything you might be able to negotiate a little off of their buyers premium and they will take care of the grading and all necessary arrangements

I don't know much about auction houses. Does the forum have any suggested ones? What is the procedure?

I am very sorry to hear about your father, my condolences. Maybe keep 1-2 of your favorites for the memories instead of selling the whole collection?

I wouldn't rush to accept the first offer, it looks like you have a pretty nice collection there so you ought to find significant interest. I see a few ways to go for selling them, all depending on the amount of work you want to do.

1) Get them graded and then list them on eBay (or on the Net54 BST) at the prices you want and wait for them to sell (I wouldn't auction them by yourself).

2) Send them to an auction house - there are many that will do a good job for you. They will also take care of getting them graded for you and may even pay you a visit in person if you will consign the whole collection.

3) Sell them to a dealer. There are a few who may travel to you for a collection of this quality and size. Don't just walk into the nearest card shop and accept that offer though.

#1 will be the most work but has price certainty and perhaps the highest net to you. #2 and #3 will be about the same amount of work. The dealer will give you a guaranteed return while the auction house has a chance to hit a few home runs (and conversely, have a few strike outs).

I am sure the thread will have ample suggestions for dealers and auction houses, and some will certainly send you messages through Net54.

No matter what you pick, good luck! And again, sorry for your loss.

Thank you for the condolences, as with most passings it was horrible. He was a good man and taught me a lot. I strive to be like him one day and hope to have a son or daughter and raise them like he wouldve wanted me to. I kept a few of mine and my fathers favorite players that I won't be selling.

- I don't know much about the PSA system, but it seems like from what I've read around here, it takes a very long time? Their website is a little confusing and I don't know what the true costs are. Can I ship them as a package or individual? Im just very confused on where to even start...

- Interested in the auction house idea, again I have no clue what the procedures are or anything....

- Does the forum have recommendation on reputable dealers?


Thank you to everyone replying. I appreciate any help. Youre all amazing... The process is a little bit overwhelming, but I will put in the work to do it correctly.

[slipk1068]

So sorry about your dad. Nice collection he had.

First thing I would do is get them out of those old screw-down holders and into Card Savers. Good luck with the sales.

[sb1]

Don't take them out yet! they could be stuck and there are a few tricks to unstick them. No need to damage them.

[CW]

The high dollar cards like the Speaker, Cobbs, Cy Young, etc. should be graded with either SGC or PSA. While wait times with PSA are long, higher dollar cards would need to be submitted at a higher express level which will speed up the grading process. PSA charges different rates based on the declared value of the card. While it is not cheap to get some of those graded, the return on investment is worth it.

Some auction houses will likely be contacting you after they see this thread. I would consider REA or Love of the Game, but you should definitely weigh all of your options before deciding. Good luck and sorry about your Dad.

If you take the cards out of the screwdown holders you are likely going to want to pick up some Card Saver 1 semi rigid sleeves to put the cards into. It's a good idea to practice with some cheaper cards to get the hang of putting cards into Card Savers. Lay a clean towel on the table to help protect any cards you might drop while taking them out of the screwdowns. SB1 also has great advice to be careful because some cards could be stuck in the screwdowns. Go slow and easy and maybe try opening the lesser valued cards first.

[Skatehabitat24]

Originally Posted by CW

The high dollar cards like the Speaker, Cobbs, Cy Young, etc. should be graded with either SGC or PSA. While wait times with PSA are long, higher dollar cards would need to be submitted at a higher express level which will speed up the grading process. PSA charges different rates based on the declared value of the card. While it is not cheap to get some of those graded, the return on investment is worth it.

Some auction houses will likely be contacting you after they see this thread. I would consider REA or Love of the Game, but you should definitely weigh all of your options before deciding. Good luck and sorry about your Dad.

If you take the cards out of the screwdown holders you are likely going to want to pick up some Card Saver 1 semi rigid sleeves to put the cards into. It's a good idea to practice with some cheaper cards to get the hang of putting cards into Card Savers. Lay a clean towel on the table to help protect any cards you might drop while taking them out of the screwdowns. SB1 also has great advice to be careful because some cards could be stuck in the screwdowns. Go slow and easy and maybe try opening the lesser valued cards first.

Thank you so much for the advice. I really appreciate it. I will practice with some lower quality cards not in the picture if I decide to go this route.

[oldjudge]

For this type of material I would highly recommend an auction house in your area——Love of the Game Auctions (LOTG). Regardless of the auction house you choose(I would not use the BST as you are unfamiliar with the values of the cards and you would have no idea where to price them) I would insist that they submit and pay for the grading of your cards and that they charge you no sellers fees and possibly share a small portion of the buyers commission with you. Good luck!

[SetBuilder]

Originally Posted by oldjudge

For this type of material I would highly recommend an auction house in your area——Love of the Game Auctions (LOTG). Regardless of the auction house you choose(I would not use the BST as you are unfamiliar with the values of the cards and you would have no idea where to price them) I would insist that they submit and pay for the grading of your cards and that they charge you no sellers fees and possibly share a small portion of the buyers commission with you. Good luck!

Sending them to an auction house is no fun.

Why not have fun selling them?

[oldjudge]

If he goes to an auction house he will get what his cards are worth. I he tries to sell them himself, not knowing their value, he will get screwed. That’s why.

[1952boyntoncollector]

Originally Posted by oldjudge

If he goes to an auction house he will get what his cards are worth. I he tries to sell them himself, not knowing their value, he will get screwed. That’s why.

right nobody ever gets a bargain at AH's and the 20% BP the buyer pays goes into the consignor pocket not the Auction House.

20% is a pretty big margin....just saying

[h2oya311]

Originally Posted by oldjudge

For this type of material I would highly recommend an auction house in your area——Love of the Game Auctions (LOTG). Regardless of the auction house you choose(I would not use the BST as you are unfamiliar with the values of the cards and you would have no idea where to price them) I would insist that they submit and pay for the grading of your cards and that they charge you no sellers fees and possibly share a small portion of the buyers commission with you. Good luck!

Couldn’t agree more! This is 100% the way to go. I also like the idea of keeping one or two as a memorial. Great advice here!

[bnorth]

Sorry about you Dad.

It really depends on how much effort you want to put in.

The easiest would be to find one of the big guys and sell it all at one time. Like said there are guys that will fly to you.

Your most return by far. Take some time before you ever sell a card and do a lot of reading on this forum. Also ask a lot of questions about what you have so you can get a inventory. This is a great forum with a lot of info about the type of cards you have. There is also a lot of people that will give you great advise for free.

Then after a month or three you will have enough knowledge to get top dollar for what you have. The Buy Sell Trade section here is great and it is also free.

Best of luck with your decision.

[x2drich2000]

As has already been said, definitely get some better pictures. This will allow people to recommend the best route and also show any auction house/buyers that what you have is actually real. Using an auction house is going be the least hassle, but you are paying for someone else to handle all the work for you. For an auction house, I highly recommend LOTG (loveofthegameauctions.com). Shoot him an email or give him a call and he'll walk you through everything.

Also do you know how long the cards have been in those screwdowns? From an outside prospect, they probably seem like the best protection, but many cards have been ruined by being in screwdowns too long and too tightly resulting in corners being pressed (damaged) and the cards literally being stuck to the plastic.

If you have any other questions, just keep asking, the guys on this forum are great and are always willing to help.

DJ

[Orioles1954]

PM sent.

[toledo_mudhen]

I will 2nd the LOTG route

The owner Al is a super honest guy and is also a board member here.

I suspect he will probably reach out to you from this thread at some point.

[mantlefan]

Originally Posted by toledo_mudhen

I will 2nd the LOTG route

The owner Al is a super honest guy and is also a board member here.

I suspect he will probably reach out to you from this thread at some point.

Yes that’s the problem with posting new finds here. The third rate Auction houses will come knocking on your door to “help” you. Beware.
If you really want to go the Auction route pick a more reliable firm like REA.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

REA is great, I have a TON of respect for Brian and crew, but they aren't always the answer. They have, in fact, referred collections to me because of some of the factors discussed in this thread. I don't know what bad experience you had Frank, but the small guys aren't necessarily bad guys.

[Directly]

Might the Cobb green portrait graded a 5 + alone possibly see mid-five figures?

You might check attending the 2019 National Convention this year being in Chicago might present another option ?

Would make a opportunity to shop the cards since all the majors will be attending.

I am planning to attend this year taking a old baseball Photograph!

[swarmee]

http://www.net54baseball.com/showthr...hlight=caprice
I'll say that you're probably best off contacting someone like Greg Morris as well, especially for the post-1940s cards. But you would do well to find a trusted board member in your area to confirm authenticity and then advise you upon seeing the card.
People keep saying that you'll pay no "sellers premium" to an auctionhouse still think it's perfectly appropriate to pay 20% for the buyers premium. They're the same thing: a percent of your sold card price that goes to the place you sell the cards to.
If you want to be more involved in the actual selling part, I am a huge fan of COMC. I've sold thousands of cards on there in just a couple of years. You mail the cards to COMC, they scan and store them, you set the price, and when they sell, COMC mails them to buyers all over the world (even through eBay and Amazon).

[Ricky]

Originally Posted by swarmee

http://www.net54baseball.com/showthr...hlight=caprice

People keep saying that you'll pay no "sellers premium" to an auctionhouse still think it's perfectly appropriate to pay 20% for the buyers premium. They're the same thing: a percent of your sold card price that goes to the place you sell the cards to.

Reading through this thread, it appears that some people love auction houses and some hate them. Yes, a 20% buyer's premium may seem high, but it's actually very low compared to what an art gallery, for example, charges. Personally, I think a reputable auction house, like REA or LOTG, provides added value by advertising and exposing your high end material to a huge group of high end buyers and investors.

[Sean1125]

Selling a collection, a quick guide to maximizing by concerned individual

Step 1: Familiarize yourself with grading: https://www.psacard.com/resources/gr...tandards#cards. The difference between a 5 and 6 on a card like a T206 Green Background Ty Cobb is immense-- $10,000 or more

Step 2: Safely remove the cards from the screw down holders and place them into Card Saver 1's https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fro...ver+1&_sacat=0 Go ahead and buy $10 worth of junk cards to practice with until you aren't chipping corners or creating any unneeded wear on your cards.

Step 3: Create a dark space in your house and buy a halogen light bulb desk lamp. This is the space you will use to review the condition of your cards accurately.

Step 4: Create a google sheet with columns "Card Type", "Grade", "Price of grade estimate" "Price of 1 grade below" "Price of 1 grade higher".

Step 5: Work through your collection 1 by 1 and create this spreadsheet with your estimates and the grades up and grades down. This will give you a low end, an average, and a high end of what your collection might be worth.

Step 6: Scan a sampling of 30 to 50 cards front and back and post them here for grading estimates to ensure accuracy in step 5.

Step 7: Contact Greg Morris Cards and REA auctions. Do not contact any other auctions listed in this thread-- you will regret it.

Step 8: Use Greg Morris Cards to maximize and sell all cards from the 1930's to the 1980's.

Step 9: Use REA to maximize and sell all cards from the 1920's and earlier including your high end T206's, tobacco cards, and any ultra-hi end singles.

Step 10: TAKE YOUR TIME. I can't see the exact condition, but if your whole collection is in similar condition you could have $30,000-$50,000 or more-- TAKE YOUR TIME.

If you need ANY help please reach out to me via text, phone call, or email. I will be more than happy to review your spreadsheet, give an objective opinion on condition and value, and try to help point you in the right direction.

[frankbmd]

In medicine a second opinion can be reassuring unless it diverges significantly from the first opinion. This can precipitate a third opinion and so on.

On Net54 a question thread like this results in 37 opinions all of which are biased to some degree by anecdotal personal experience.

Pretend you are the OP, a novice in the hobby, read this thread and then tell me what you would conclude.