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Questions about selling a postwar collection

Back in the 1980s and 90s I would go to card shows with my dad. I have quite a few cards of that era that are apparently worthless.

My dad however collected cards in the early 60s. He thought they were long gone but they turned up in my grandfathers house in the 90s.

My dad is older and none of my sibling have any interest in the cards so I want to help him sell them and use the money on things he wants rather than let the cards sit in a closet.

I've been doing a bit of research on the best way to sell off the collection. It looks like grading and ebay have changed how the market works and I'm not sure the best way to sell.

I'm new here and not sure if this is in the right area, if it's kosher I can post pics of the collection and get some feedback on what the best way to proceed is.

Thanks for the help.

Hi newbie,
Please post pics, so we can see what you have and potential value.
Leon, whom is the mod/owner here does operate a Auction House called B&L auctions. But you might also know of the 2 thats on Ebay (PWCC and Probstein).
Theres a another guy on the board- LeeB. whom operates Sterlings auction. Both of these guys here are great and quick.
We also do have a B/S/T, but since your a newbie and all, assume to provide references and etc.

I wish my dad had cards to pass down good luck

It will depend on what you have and condition. If you have a substantial collection in high-grade condition, it may be worth it to check out getting the cards professionally graded before you sell. I think it's important to point out that most collectors notions of "grading" differ widely now when compared to the 1980's. Many cards that were called mint or near mint honestly back then are now held to higher scrutiny, and may only grade EX-MT or EX, say in the PSA 5 or 6 range. While these are certainly still generally considered "nice" and collectible cards, there is quite a difference between the money that PSA 5 vintage cards go for in today's market vs. those in truly higher grade, such as the PSA 8's and above. Just speaking personally, if I had quit collecting for a while and had to go back and tell my 12 year-old self something about card values today - that would be it. The condition of your cards as judged by today's condition standards could mean the difference between something that is just a nice fun collection (what I focus on) and something that could payoff your mortgage...

...on board. There is never a shortage of opinions or advice here

Thanks for the help, I asked around a few other forums and haven't really gotten much other than get them graded but with the cost of grading I would like to know much more before plunking down the cash to find out the cards aren't worth grading.

Back to my dad's collection, he grew up on a rural farm and would watch his younger siblings on the weekend when my grandparents would go shopping and they would buy him a few packs as payment. Living on a farm meant few chances to trade so he has quite a few doubles, in some cases as many as 10 of the same card. He took immaculate card of the cards but looking over them there are many that have gum stains or printing issues that were there from the factory but at the time they were penny cards so I'm assuming the factory QC was pretty terrible.

To start off he has almost a whole set of bazooka all star cards in pretty nice condition
http://i.imgur.com/dVy2macl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/YxyAVmbl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/nNfvhL8l.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/VMh4aDEl.jpg

He has quite a few Post and Jello cards
http://imgur.com/OzTeJjtl.jpg

Lots of team cards
http://i.imgur.com/HspoTzRl.jpg

And lots of all star group cards
http://i.imgur.com/6gGLuIcl.jpg

He has quite a few Life of Babe Ruth Cards
http://i.imgur.com/EBWYNCgl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/BxfkHtUl.jpg

I started by grabbing random good players out of a random box
http://i.imgur.com/nRW6rZIl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/PdE5rYNl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Ag2wAQOl.jpg

Some more post and jello cards. He has a full card box of these.
http://i.imgur.com/TtDj5FCl.jpg

He has a bunch of the team cards which seem to be worthwhile depending on the team
http://i.imgur.com/n0zsCeel.jpg

He also pulled out a binder of what I thought were called exhibitor cards but are actually called exhibit or arcade cards. I guess they aren't worth much compared to regular cards but he has 3 mantles and duplicates of other good players.
http://i.imgur.com/6GEe9KVl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/GPSb8cnl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/73xBna9l.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/3kqWbuol.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/bKoE0tdl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/MfGRozPl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/f4FsbWFl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/zohRAAxl.jpg

Here are some of the better players post and jello cards
http://imgur.com/csuHCk6l.jpg

Looking around on ebay for values these are the ones that seem worth possibly grading
http://imgur.com/NQTj652l.jpg

http://imgur.com/qBNAUCOl.jpg

http://imgur.com/PiWzcYLl.jpg

http://imgur.com/TTkRm8al.jpg

http://imgur.com/xRFoY2Gl.jpg

Wow a nice collection indeed. Those Micks look nice indeed. I saw a Clemente & hanks in there. And those Exhibits are nice. There a collector here thats a guru on those.
You may wanna try and get some rigid card savers..they reccommend Card Saver 1's, when you send to grade them or perhaps send them to a AH and let them send the good ones for grading?? Not sure who or if any of them do that tho.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pawpawdiv9 (Post 1470633)

Thanks for the feedback, I ordered some top loaders but if Card Saver 1's are better I will get those instead. There is a show in Chicago in a weekend or 2 that will have the graders on site so I was hoping to learn more about the process and see about picking out 10 or 20 cards that members thought were worth grading and taking them to the show with my dad. I'm assuming we should use PSA to grade them? Depending on how they grade that gives me a better idea of what the rest of the collection will grade as they are all in great shape except for the aforementioned gum stains and printing issues and rough cut edges on some of the cards.

There are also many boxes of cards that aren't in the photos that I honestly don't know enough about to sort through. I mainly had my dad look through and pull the cards of players he remembered being famous back in the day and except for the big names like Maris and Mantle I have no idea who any of these players are.

I love exhibits cards.

If your selling, PSA is it. Defintely try grading the Micks, they will bring in $$$.
Also a note on grading...please read, It will help you understand the process of grading, if you have not already (from the PSA site)
Please note what qualifiers are and what minimum size requirments mean.

Quote:

GEM-MT 10: Gem Mint
A PSA Gem Mint 10 card is a virtually perfect card. Attributes include four perfectly sharp corners, sharp focus and full original gloss. A PSA Gem Mint 10 card must be free of staining of any kind, but an allowance may be made for a slight printing imperfection, if it doesn't impair the overall appeal of the card. The image must be centered on the card within a tolerance not to exceed approximately 55/45 to 60/40 percent on the front, and 75/25 percent on the reverse.
MINT 9: Mint
A PSA Mint 9 is a superb condition card that exhibits only one of the following minor flaws: a very slight wax stain on reverse, a minor printing imperfection or slightly off-white borders. Centering must be approximately 60/40 to 65/35 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the reverse.
NM-MT 8: Near Mint-Mint
A PSA NM-MT 8 is a super high-end card that appears Mint 9 at first glance, but upon closer inspection, the card can exhibit the following: a very slight wax stain on reverse, slightest fraying at one or two corners, a minor printing imperfection, and/or slightly off-white borders. Centering must be approximately 65/35 to 70/30 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the reverse.
NM 7: Near Mint
A PSA NM 7 is a card with just a slight surface wear visible upon close inspection. There may be slight fraying on some corners. Picture focus may be slightly out-of-register. A minor printing blemish is acceptable. Slight wax staining is acceptable on the back of the card only. Most of the original gloss is retained. Centering must be approximately 70/30 to 75/25 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the back.
EX-MT 6: Excellent-Mint
A PSA EX-MT 6 card may have visible surface wear or a printing defect which does not detract from its overall appeal. A very light scratch may be detected only upon close inspection. Corners may have slightly graduated fraying. Picture focus may be slightly out-of-register. Card may show some loss of original gloss, may have minor wax stain on reverse, may exhibit very slight notching on edges and may also show some off-whiteness on borders. Centering must be 80/20 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the reverse.
EX 5: Excellent
On PSA EX-5 cards, very minor rounding of the corners is becoming evident. Surface wear or printing defects are more visible. There may be minor chipping on edges. Loss of original gloss will be more apparent. Focus of picture may be slightly out-of-register. Several light scratches may be visible upon close inspection, but do not detract from the appeal of the card. Card may show some off-whiteness of borders. Centering must be 85/15 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the back.
VG-EX 4: Very Good-Excellent
A PSA VG-EX 4 card's corners may be slightly rounded. Surface wear is noticeable but modest. The card may have light scuffing or light scratches. Some original gloss will be retained. Borders may be slightly off-white. A light crease may be visible. Centering must be 85/15 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the back.
VG 3: Very Good
A PSA VG 3 card reveals some rounding of the corners, though not extreme. Some surface wear will be apparent, along with possible light scuffing or light scratches. Focus may be somewhat off-register and edges may exhibit noticeable wear. Much, but not all, of the card's original gloss will be lost. Borders may be somewhat yellowed and/or discolored. A crease may be visible. Printing defects are possible. Slight stain may show on obverse and wax staining on reverse may be more prominent. Centering must be 90/10 or better on the front and back.
GOOD 2: Good
A PSA Good 2 card's corners show accelerated rounding and surface wear is starting to become obvious. A good card may have scratching, scuffing, light staining, or chipping of enamel on obverse. There may be several creases. Original gloss may be completely absent. Card may show considerable discoloration. Centering must be 90/10 or better on the front and back.
FR 1.5: Fair
A PSA Fair 1.5 card's corners will show extreme wear, possibly affecting framing of the picture. The surface of the card will show advanced stages of wear, including scuffing, scratching, pitting, chipping and staining. The picture will possibly be quite out-of-register and the borders may have become brown and dirty. The card may have one or more heavy creases. In order to achieve a Fair grade, a card must be fully intact. Even though the card may be heavily worn, it cannot achieve this grade if it is missing solid pieces of the card as a result of a major tear, etc. This would include damage such as the removal of the back layer of the card or an entire corner. The centering must be approximately 90/10 or better on the front and back.
PR 1: Poor
A PSA Poor 1 will exhibit many of the same qualities of a PSA Fair 1.5 but the defects may have advanced to such a serious stage that the eye appeal of the card has nearly vanished in its entirety. A Poor card may be missing one or two small pieces, exhibit major creasing that nearly breaks through all the layers of cardboard or it may contain extreme discoloration or dirtiness throughout that may make it difficult to identify the issue or content of the card on either the front or back. A card of this nature may also show noticeable warping or another type of destructive defect.
Half-Point Grades:

Cards that exhibit high-end qualities within each particular grade, between PSA Good 2 and PSA Mint 9, may achieve a half-point increase. While PSA graders will evaluate all of the attributes possessed by a card in order to determine if the card may be eligible, there will be a clear focus on centering.

Generally speaking, a card must exhibit centering that is 5-10% better, at minimum, than the lowest % allowed within a particular grade. It is important to note that there may be cases where the overall strength of the card, such as the quality of the corners and print, will give the card the edge it needs despite the fact that it may exhibit only marginal centering for the grade. This is especially true for cards that find themselves within the bottom half of the PSA 1-10 scale.

Finally, keep in mind that qualifiers will not apply to grades that achieve the half-point increase since, by definition, these cards have to exhibit high-end qualities within the grade in order to warrant consideration. For example, there will not be cards graded PSA NM-MT-Plus 8.5 OC or PSA EX-MT-Plus 6.5 PD since the half-point is reserved for high-end cards within each grade.

At this time, only cards qualify for half-point grades. Coins, pins, tickets and packs will not receive half-point grades.

QUALIFIERS:

PSA will grade nearly every card submitted. Cards having significant flaws will receive "qualified" grades as follows:

OC (Off Center):
When the centering of the card falls below the minimum standard for that grade will be designated "OC." PSA determines centering by comparing the measurements of the borders from left to right and top to bottom. The centering is designated as the percent of difference at the most off-center part of the card. A 5% leeway is given to the front centering minimum standards for cards which grade NM 7 or better. For example, a card that meets all of the other requirements for PSA MINT 9 and measures 60/40 off-center on the front automatically meets the PSA front centering standards for MINT 9. If a card meets all of the other requirements for PSA MINT 9 and measures 65/35 off-center on the front, it may be deemed to meet the PSA front centering standards for MINT 9 if the eye appeal of the card is good.
ST (Staining):
Cards with staining below the minimum standards for the grade will be designated "ST."
PD (Print Defect):
Cards with significant printing defects will be designated "PD."
OF (Out of Focus):
Cards with focus below the minimum standards for the grade will be designated "OF."
MK (Marks):
Cards with writing, ink marks, pencil marks, etc. or evidence of the impression left from the act of writing will be designated "MK."
MC (Miscut):
Cards that exhibit an atypical cut for the issue or ones that contain partial portions of more than one card will be designated "MC."
UNGRADEABLE CARDS:
PSA will not grade cards that bear evidence of trimming, re-coloring, restoration, or any other forms of tampering, or are of questionable authenticity. In addition, PSA does not grade autographed cards dated earlier than 1998 or any cards manufactured by Star except Star Baseball and 1996 Star Topps (reprint) Basketball Cards; only factory imprint signatures can be graded.
The Grading of Hand-Cut Cards

PSA will grade virtually any card that has been hand-cut off of a panel, box, etc. (Post Cereal, Hostess, Bazooka, Strip cards, etc.) keeping the following information in mind. This service does not include traditional sheet-cut cards. PSA will not grade cards cut from sheets that can be obtained in a normal fashion. For example, PSA will not grade a 1979 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky card cut from a sheet because that card was issued in non-sheet form. On the other hand, PSA will grade a 1959 Bazooka or 1961 Post Cereal Mickey Mantle because those cards could only be obtained in one fashion - removed by hand from a box or panel.

In order for PSA to actually assign a grade to any of the cards that possess visible/defined borders on all four sides, evidence of that border must be present or the card must exhibit virtually-full borders based on the design of the specific issue. If the cut exceeds the visible border for the card in question, PSA will encapsulate the card as "Authentic" only. If the card is severely undersized and suffers in overall eye appeal, the graders may deem the card not suitable for authentication or reject the card as minimum-sized altogether.

Keep in mind that, for cards that do not possess visible/defined borders, the cards must still fall within a certain size requirement for that particular issue in order to qualify for an actual grade. In other words, the borders must be virtually full in order for a grade to be rendered. Otherwise, as stated above, a label of "Authentic" will be assigned or, in some cases, the cards may fall short of the size requirement altogether. This is not an exact science. PSA will do its best to provide consistent guidelines for these types of cards.

In addition, PSA will allow cards that have had a coupon or tab removed from the original card to be submitted under this service. For example, if a 1952 Red Man Tobacco card is cut at or outside of the established tab line, the card would be eligible to receive a numerical grade. On the other hand, if the 1952 Red Man Tobacco card is cut inside of the line (the line where the tab meets the interior of the card), then the PSA graders will be precluded from entering a numerical grade. Cards that are cut within the limits established for a particular issue will be encapsulated and designated as "authentic" by PSA. All of the cards eligible for this service will be designated as "Hand-Cut" on the PSA label to distinguish them from the intact, "with tab" or "with coupon" examples.

PSA suggests that, in order to achieve the highest grades, the cuts of the cards should be relatively close to the visible borders without exceeding the limit. Cards that exhibit a clean, accurate and properly shaped cut have the best chance at achieving the highest grades. Eye appeal is very important. When it comes to excess paper or cardboard around the edges of the visible borders, the graders will place significant importance on overall eye appeal. Keep in mind that all cards of this type will be designated as "Hand-Cut" on the PSA label for accuracy. In addition, if the customer chooses, PSA will grade and encapsulate entire panels if those panels will fit in any of our current PSA holders. With the exception of the aforementioned items, normal grading criteria will apply.

The Grading Approach to Pins/Coins

The grading of pins or coins often comes down to the strength or weakness of the eye appeal since the material in question is far less susceptible to wear than cardboard or paper. The areas/defects that PSA graders focus on include but are not limited to: scratches, dents, severity of rust (if present), centering of the picture (obverse and reverse), compression of the pin/coin, the overall condition of the paper (if present) on the reverse and overall print quality. Since collectible coins/pins often differ in their makeup, sometimes greatly, it is very difficult to apply one uniform grading standard to all collectibles that fall into this category. The factors above represent the basic, key elements in the PSA grading approach. At this time, pins and coins will not receive half-point grades.

No Grade Definitions

If the grade of your card is available and is listed with one of the following grades, this card was determined to be ungradable for the following reasons.

N-1 Evidence of Trimming - When a card's edge has been altered, a card doctor may use scissors, scalpel, cutter, or any other cutting instrument. A trimmed card may show one of the following: Hook up or down, have one razor sharp edge, a difference in toning along the edge, a wavy look.
N-2 Evidence of Restoration - When a card's paper stock is built up - for example, when ripped corners are built up to look like new corners.
N-3 Evidence of Recoloration - Where a card's color has been artificially improved.
N-4 Questionable Authenticity - This is the term used when a card is counterfeit or the autograph is deemed to be unauthentic.
N-5 Altered Stock - This term is used when the paper stock is altered in one or more of the following ways: Stretching and trimming, recoloring and restoring, trimming and recoloring, restoring and trimming, crease or wrinkle is pressed out, or gloss is enhanced.
N-6 Minimum Size Requirement - When a card is significantly undersized according to factory specifications. You will not be charged the grading fee.
N-7 Evidence of Cleaning - When a whitener is used to whiten borders or a solution is used to remove wax, candy, gum or tobacco stains.
N-8 Miscut - This term is used when the factory cut is an abnormal cut. You will not be charged the grading fee.
N-9 Don't Grade - When we do not grade an issue. The cards may be oversized or an obscure issue. You will not be charged the grading fee.
N-0 Authentic Only - This means that PSA is only certifying that the item is genuine, without a numerical grade. This may be due to the existence of an alteration, one with malice or otherwise, a major defect or the original submitter may have requested that PSA encapsulate the card without a grade. The "Authentic" label means that the item, in our opinion, is real but nothing more.
AA Authentic Altered - This means that while PSA is certifying that the item is genuine, due to the existence of alterations, the item cannot receive a numerical grade. The term altered may mean that the card shows evidence of one or more of the following: trimming, recoloring, restoration, and/or cleaning. Items receiving the "Authentic Altered" designation, in our opinion, are genuine with the presence of some type of alteration. This is done on a case-by-case basis only, and must be notated on the submission form at the time of submission.

WoW these are amazing to see and even cooler to know they are from your dad's original collection. Do you have a close up of the mickey mantle 1961 topps #300? Looking at the pictures from a distance that one appears to be a blazer!

Nice collection, you should have no problem selling them. Condition looks really good.

Here are some closeups of the Mantle Cards

http://imgur.com/FgUfyCyl.jpg
Full size
http://imgur.com/FgUfyCy

http://imgur.com/fq4qxqWl.jpg
Full Size
http://imgur.com/fq4qxqW

This card has some weird printing issues to where there are black specks on the front and an orange blob on his chest. It is also rough cut on one edge.

http://imgur.com/yttJuM3l.jpg
Full Size
http://imgur.com/yttJuM3

http://imgur.com/RYGsplil.jpg
Full Size
http://imgur.com/RYGspli

http://imgur.com/ZgFXh5xl.jpg
Full Size
http://imgur.com/ZgFXh5x

you obviously have thousands of dollars worth of cards there
so dont give them away too cheap

At this point I'd like to help him sell them and he has no objection to selling but we have no need to sell them. That's why I want to learn as much as possible to get a better deal in selling them even if it's more time and effort than dumping them as a lot.

I believe that print glob on the 61T is pretty common with that card. Other than that, the card looks great. Better than normal centering as well should increase the value. Im no grader so no clue what it would grade. You have a very nice batch of cards that are worth a pretty penny if you decide to move them. Good luck!

Quote:

Originally Posted by capricesquad (Post 1470691)

send some cards into PSA that you think are the best looking examples..that will help you gauge...if you send some commons in and they come back with a PSA 3-4 etc...you will barely get your grading fees back if you sell them on ebay

Thanks for sharing your stash. Very nice stuff.

Use a scanner on some and put them here for a better opinion of what they might grade and their condition

[QUOTE=capricesquad;1470688]Here are some closeups of the Mantle Cards

http://imgur.com/FgUfyCyl.jpg
Full size
http://imgur.com/FgUfyCy

http://imgur.com/fq4qxqWl.jpg
Full Size
http://imgur.com/fq4qxqW

That's a nice '65 Mantle. I can see some slight corner wear, but it looks EX or better. As a kid I had that same card in terribly rough shape - it was waterlogged inside a top loader holder. So bad that if you tried to remove it from the holder, the card probably would have disintegrated, LOL.

Great collection. PSA has a service where you can grade cards (value of up to $100 each) if you send in bulk (over 25 at a time) on their monthly specials. It is probably worth spending the $199 to become a member, which comes with 15 free grades on cards valued up to $499. The cards that are miscut (where part of the card is cut off or part of a different card shows) are probably not worth grading.
A way you can sell the star and semi-star cards for the most money is probably through the website comc.com; you can mail them the cards you want to list on their site, pay them a quarter per card for processing, and they will scan them in for you and list them on their website under your account. You can price them and see what other of the same cards are listed for: like with your 7x 1962 Don Drysdale cards:
http://www.comc.com/Cards/Baseball/1...ysdale/1813886

You can sell them through Amazon on the site as well for an additional percentage of the sale price. Let me know if you need any help, but I do recommend you sign up for an annual membership to PSA and do some bulk grading submissions. I think the current special is $5.50 per card for 1956+ if you send at least 25.

The other thing good about a membership with PSA is they mail you a monthly price guide which shows various sets and lets you know which cards are worth grading in certain sets, or which High Numbers (since Topps released cards in series during the 50s/60/early 70s) are very valuable commons.

Another thing to note: on the Post cereal cards that are hand-cut, make sure the entire black border is visible before sending it in; otherwise, it will only get an Authentic grade rather than a number grade. If it doesn't have the border all the way around, it probably isn't worth spending the money to grade (except for the Mantle to confirm it's not counterfeit).

Thanks for the info about a PSA membership I was looking into it and it seems like a good way to save some money on grading.

Comc also seems like a good deal for selling lesser cards even if you lose 20% when you cash out. I'll have to look into it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by capricesquad (Post 1470829)

everyone loves to pay fees though to ebay and AHs...I have found that I have made more on direct deals on many card then I would of made at an AH as I didn't have to pay the fees to the Auction Hoouses

I went through and scanned 4 cards at random

http://imgur.com/rx9Mz3Vl.jpg
Full Size
http://imgur.com/rx9Mz3V

http://imgur.com/3AohXDyl.jpg
Full Size
http://imgur.com/3AohXDy

http://imgur.com/a3Ugg6El.jpg
Full Size
http://imgur.com/a3Ugg6E

http://imgur.com/O3u37Frl.jpg
Full Size
http://imgur.com/O3u37Fr

http://imgur.com/MYJbFC0l.jpg
Full Size
http://imgur.com/MYJbFC0

http://imgur.com/NnelCZDl.jpg
Full Size
http://imgur.com/NnelCZD

http://imgur.com/OdauCIGl.jpg
Full Size
http://imgur.com/OdauCIG

http://imgur.com/gwGPk9xl.jpg
Full Size
http://imgur.com/gwGPk9x

After I finished and looked at the scans I felt pretty bad because most of the cards have surface issues you can see in the scans. Then I looked at the cards again and realized that the scanner glass has crap on it. I'll rescan these when I get the glass clean.

Specifically the black mark on the top border of the Rizzuto and the black next to Shantz's left shoulder are not actually on the card. Derp

first and foremost, i'd go through and pick out a couple simply to keep for yourself and siblings. which ever ones have the most connection. his fav player, maybe one he marked on or something to that effect.

maybe even go through them with him and let him tell ya some childhood stories and then decide.

you'll be glad ya did later down the road.

thanks for sharing. was great looking at all those pics!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by begsu1013 (Post 1470865)

That's kinda what I'm doing now, my other siblings could care less but It's a nice project to work on with my dad. He has boxes of not super high condition White Sox player cards that he wants to keep but their not worth selling anyways.

I'm enjoying learning a bit more about collecting, Reading up on the 62 topps set it's neat that he has so many doubles.

He has a Pile of checklists including the yellow box variation, but he wrote on it.

http://i.imgur.com/32MXvXzl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/32MXvXz.jpg

But Luckily he has a double

http://i.imgur.com/1Cg8htRl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/1Cg8htR.jpg

I thought some of his cards had printing issues because they looked funny

http://i.imgur.com/GulmfGWl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/GulmfGW.jpg

Turns out they're green tint variation cards and are still collectible

http://i.imgur.com/wb89ONYl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/wb89ONY.jpg

Also on the 2nd babe card there is what appears to be a pen mark on the bottom woodgrain border. It's actually part of the printing on the card. Is that a normal part of the wood grain or is it a printing error with that particular card?

Learning more about the set it's neat that he has so many doubles because I can just pick out a card that's hard to find in high condition and then find 6 or more of the same card and pick which one is likely to be graded highest.

I actually found more of this card in another box after I scanned these
http://i.imgur.com/Hmu75wql.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Hmu75wq.jpg

Someone's batting for the wrong team
http://i.imgur.com/dGag2vRl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/dGag2vR.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/YS7KC6Gl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/YS7KC6G.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/s8nDW0Ql.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/s8nDW0Q.jpg

He also has all kinds of random items like stickers, mini post style cards, ruboffs and schedules ect...
http://i.imgur.com/FQ8Ns4Ll.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/FQ8Ns4L.jpg

It looks like the Buhl without the M on the cap is the rarer one.
You might have already found these articles.
http://www.psacard.com/Cardfacts/Set...baseball-cards

Those indeed are the articles I've been referring to to find interesting cards. According to the one article and the PSA population reports the M cap is a rarer card in high condition.

http://www.psacard.com/Cardfacts/Ite...baseball-cards

http://www.psacard.com/Cardfacts/Ite...baseball-cards

Hopefully once I get a few things graded I can get a better feel for what most things will grade at.

caprice great stuff if you dont need the money dont sell them .they are your dads memories .put them away there as good as fine wine.once you spend the money you have nothing to show for it ,,,put them in order protect them and put them away ,,enjoy octavio

It's a bit hard to make out some of the cards on the table in the giant shot.

I did go through and make a list along with the sold values for most of those cards in PSA 8 on ebay and the number of doubles he has if anybody wants to skim it.

http://docdro.id/WhruwG2

Obviously his cards may be in much lower condition but I wanted to get some idea of what is worth grading in any condition.

Quote:

Originally Posted by capricesquad (Post 1470867)

save each of them a card or two as well. they might could care less now, but once he's gone i think it'd be one hellavu holiday or birthday gift for them....once they are ready for it! and only you'll know when to pop it on them.

check into psa green label service. you can basically have the card encapsulated to preserve it and then have a short message written on the flip. his name, nickname, birthday or simply "pop's childhood card". wrap it up and stick it in their stockings or something....

edit: of course when that day comes, slide one into his jacket pocket before the funeral and send him off w/ one. it is the only game played on diamonds after all....

Those 'mini post style cards' are from Bazooka gum boxes.

The cards look great and are worth quite a bit. I'd get all of the Mantle, Mays and Koufax cards graded by PSA first, because a grading fee is rarely wasted on them. Also invest in a big pile of Card Saver 1 and put the cards in them carefully to preserve them as best as you can. A crease or bumped corner can cost you hundreds of dollars.

Thanks for the Bazooka info. As to protecting the cards I had already ordered some top loaders but based on recommendations earlier in the thread I ordered a few hundred Card saver 1s

Dad's collection

Wow, what a nice collection. I would say do get most of them graded. I agree it is a great expense, but it will be worth it. Grade a few and sell them to grade more.
Good luck to you :)

I agree you should get the Mantles, Mays, Koufax, and Clementes graded. Also the bazookas if they are hand-cut with the borders showing so that they come back with a grade number rather than "A" for authentic

Another group of cards you've got there with good prices are the 1961 topps all star cards. They are high-numbered and command premiums in good condition - I saw a Hank Aaron. A Mantle or Maris or Mays in good condition will go quite high.

There are basically different "markets"

1) Mantle, Clemente, Koufax. Will sell no matter what, but command a premium for graded, even if lower grade. Easy to sell on eBay, quickly, at good prices

2) other star players, where higher grades help (they need to look really really nice to get a psa 6 or higher, which makes it worth grading them in the early 60s). High grades will sell. Mid-grade or ungraded will take a while - maybe a show is the way to go

3) oddballs like bazooka which will command a premium if cut properly and graded. If they get a numerical grade, they should sell but take a little while to do so.

4) other "commons/filler" which will take a while to unload

Since you posted them, here's my opinions of the cards you've uploaded:
Gaylord Perry probably a 5 due to corner wear.
Frank Robinson maybe a 6.5
Phil Rizzuto also around 6-6.5; bottom right corner keeps it from a 7
Shantz is around a 7.
7th series checklist could be a 7 with slight corner wear on two corners
Green tint Babe Ruth probably an 8(OffCenter) or a 7 straight. Ask for no qualifiers if you don't want it to be OC.
Regular Ruth probably a 7 due to bottom border wear.
Buhl would also get OC since it's 20/80 left to right, or even worse if they measure to the curve of the P for pitcher.
Top right and middle left Witt look the best for centering; both are off top/bottom, but normally collectors don't mind that as much as left/right.
Top right and bottom Landrum are the only ones worth grading when looking at centering. Only the bottom Foytack would be worth grading due to centering.

Hope that helps.

Thanks for looking them over that helps me get an idea of where most of the collection will fall.

This may be a stupid question but is there a preferred method to inserting and removing cards from top loaders and card savers? The card savers seem like they would pinch the corners when you put them in so I feel like I must be doing something wrong. I want to figure out the best method and practice with a bunch of 80-90s commons before I try with anything old.

The Card Savers do take a little practice to get used to. Another approach is penny sleeves (very soft plastic) and rigid top loaders, but I don't think PSA likes cards sent to them in this fashion.

You have a lot of 'nice 61 high numbers. These are numbers 532 and higher. They are hard to come by and can be worth some nice $$$ in good condition for set builders. I saw a couple nice looking Pirates teams cards in there. The Twins / Senators team card is the other team card in the high #s. Bob Cerv is another I saw. And of course those all star cards. I wouldn't necessarily get those graded as most set builders are probably going to prefer those cards in their natural state.

Great cards overall, good luck.

Card saver I's are larger ones than the Card Saver II's.... They are designed for the larger pre-57 cards but actually work best for your post 56 cards b/c they have more wiggle room, you can also use a sleeve when using the I's....

I personally like sleeves/toploaders but as others have said PSA prefers cards being shipped in cardsavers.

I just received an email from PSA indicating that they are running a special this month of $5.50 a card with a 50 card minimum. It seems like a pretty reasonable deal if they are something you want to grade on your own.

If they were mine, I'd probably get the better ones graded--stars, high numbers, cards that are in really good shape--and then consign them to one of the eBay auction guys (Sean Bassik, PWCC, Probstein). They receive breaks on eBay fees, so you may net more going that route. Obviously do some research first though and ask around.

Update:

We ended up getting a bunch of snow the day of the sports show so we didn't end up making it to get anything graded.

In the meantime I Joined PSA. As I understand the 15 card deal it only applies to cards under $500. Should I send in 20 cards and just expect to pay the difference? If I send in a card and it grades over that do they just bill me the difference? Is there any tips I should know about the mailing in cards process?

My dad was going through some stuff in the basement and found another box of cards which answered some questions I had. I couldn't figure out why he had doubles of everything except the Bazooka All time Greats cards. Turns out the doubles were in another box.
http://i.imgur.com/9qKFlogl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/4ond5lRl.jpg

He also had a few baseball player stamps. Turns out those were the doubles of the 3 albums he had collected. I'm guessing these are not worth much due to being put into albums but they are neat because he wrote little notes about the teams and their series records on the pages. He has quite a few of the teams completed in 3 different albums.

http://i.imgur.com/NKu2XhYl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/qNwn5Rul.jpg

He also had this set of weird 3d gun cards or art or whatever they are

http://i.imgur.com/t0oBrGrl.jpg

No, don't send 5 additional cards with your 15 free coupon. Wait until you select 25 or so that are $100 or less and send them all in on a Club Special for $6/card. You'll need to pay separate shipping back anyways, so there's no real incentive to mail the other five cards right now. Great collection. Thanks for checking back in with an update. You might want to put those stamp albums on eBay as Buy-It-Now/Best Offer. I think that with an auction you might not get the price you want, but if you BIN/BO them, someone will come along and offer you a fair price.

do not use penny sleeves

i have seen so many corners get bumped using penny sleeves. also be xareful the way you have them lying all over each other. i advise against handling any of them again except to put in crd savers. the slightest bump makes a world of difference. there are cars between 5-8 from the way the scans look.

Hi OP, that is an awesome collection and find. Literally what most of us dream about.

I love that you decided to go slow and do research. Sounds like you are having fun doing so.

Be sure to properly pack and insure anything you send off to PSA. It was mentioned earlier but I'll repeat. If and when you decide to sell, you may want to consider probstein or pwcc. Both have lots of eyes eatching their auctions. This is especially true if you sell off some of the better grades superstars to assist in financing things.

One more thing...anything Mantle sells. If you get a 7 or 8 mantle, it's a big deal.

Quote:

Originally Posted by capricesquad (Post 1470874)

Just ONE of the MANY cool things about this collection! I would keep the marked checklists, not that they are worth all that much, but BECAUSE YOUR DAD MARKED THEM! SWEET! THe same with the Stamp Albums that he annotated!

So I went through some of the cards again and tried to pick out 15 that would be worth grading under my PSA deal.

http://i.imgur.com/vgnrVpCl.jpg

Full size
http://i.imgur.com/vgnrVpC.jpg

My question is if any turn out to be high enough condition to be worth more than $500 does PSA just charge me the difference or am I supposed to know enough to only send in cards less than $500?

Also is there a best way to package and ship the cards? I was thinking in a smallish box(VHS sized) wrapped in paper and double ziplock bagged then peanuts and boxed. Is there also a better service to send them? Ups or Usps? Should I overnight them?

Quote:

Originally Posted by capricesquad (Post 1491521)

Beautiful collection, Caprice:) Sorry, I am no help to your questions, but I am also looking forward to the replies as I am also considering sending some of my high cards in to get graded.

sending cards to PSA

1) Nice group of cards - the only one I would think twice about is the Maris All Star - it is really poorly cut/centered.

2) The $500 ceiling is 1 for insurance purposes - in the rare case that anything happens to a card. You do not get charged more if the card gets a grade that makes it worth more than $500. That said - I have sent cards in that in my opinion were significantly under graded when they would have been worth more than the "value ceiling" of my submission. Not accusing PSA of anything, just really curious to me. I would submit as you planned and know you always have the option of cracking a card out of its holder and resubmitting - if the grade(s) seem that off.

3) Packing and shipping - I would stack all the cards together and sandwich them between 2 pieces of cardboard - tape the bundle securely with plastic packing tape. Place the bundle in a baggie. Use a box large enough to surround the cards with 2-3 inches of foam/bubble wrap or Styrofoam peanuts. I would compare the cost of priority mail versus registered mail - the declared value of the package will make a large difference - the greater the value, the more it makes sense to send registered.

Good luck - AWESOME collection! Can't wait to hear more about it.

Howard

Seeing as the Maris is off center I swapped it with another Willie Mays card. The Mays is off centered too but should still be worth grading.

http://i.imgur.com/Zj1eL5Jl.jpg

Full Size
http://i.imgur.com/Zj1eL5J.jpg

Here is what I'm going to send off

http://i.imgur.com/Rglf8kfl.jpg

Full size
http://i.imgur.com/Rglf8kf.jpg

Based on feedback from this thread I have been sorting through everything and putting anything that is centered and has no obvious wear or damage into card savers to keep anything from getting damaged. Hopefully once I have a few graded cards in hand I can get a better feel for how the collection will grade and sort accordingly.

That's a hell of a submission. Keep us posted as to grades.

I got the first 15 mailed today, I hope I got the forms filled out right.

I also started to sort through the cards and put everything that is centered and in good shape into holders to keep them from getting damaged.

http://i.imgur.com/ZvO48Xsl.jpg

Full Size
http://i.imgur.com/ZvO48Xs.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/2HFoBU0l.jpg

Full Size
http://i.imgur.com/2HFoBU0.jpg

After a few hours I filled this box and ran out of holders

http://i.imgur.com/7ul9tetl.jpg
Full Size
http://i.imgur.com/7ul9tet.jpg

Once I get more holders I have a few more boxes to comb through.

Obviously I'm not quite there on being able to grade cards myself but I'm starting to be able to pick out flaws. Once I get the graded cards back and get everything that looks nice in holders I'm going to try to resort everything and make a pile that I think are worth submitting when a bulk deal comes up.

Thanks again for everyone's help so far.

You're going about it the right way. Nice job. Good luck on the submission.

I'm still waiting to hear from PSA. They entered my order into their system last wednesday the 27th so I was hoping to see something posted in my account by today but I guess it's going to run more than 7 days.

In the meantime I've been sorting through more boxes of cards and picking out the centered ones. How do I measure the top/bottom centering on a 1963 topps? Do I use the bottom of the letters or is there a rule of thumb?

http://i.imgur.com/cwt14Lwl.jpg

Full Size
http://i.imgur.com/cwt14Lw.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/uda0GOWl.jpg

Full Size
http://i.imgur.com/uda0GOW.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/IxoObyYl.jpg

Full Size
http://i.imgur.com/IxoObyY.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/BXBvzsYl.jpg

Full Size
http://i.imgur.com/BXBvzsY.jpg

The grades popped up online today. A bit disappointed as things came back pretty rough overall but on a good note these are cards I picked out early on and were picked more because they are star players rather than the cards with the best condition.

Also one of the Mays and the one Santo card came back with decent enough grades that I feel it's definitely worth the time and effort to send in more of the nicest ones.

http://i.imgur.com/d4YB8kB.png

I also now have a fair range of grades to refer to when picking out the condition of future grading prospects.

Congrats on the grades. It's definitely a start on a solid collection, plus you'll be able to easily prove all the cards are real when you decide to sell them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by capricesquad (Post 1501947)

The grades popped up online today. A bit disappointed as things came back pretty rough overall but on a good note these are cards I picked out early on and were picked more because they are star players rather than the cards with the best condition.

Also one of the Mays and the one Santo card came back with decent enough grades that I feel it's definitely worth the time and effort to send in more of the nicest ones.

http://i.imgur.com/d4YB8kB.png

I also now have a fair range of grades to refer to when picking out the condition of future grading prospects.

Imo, those aren't rough at all based on how strict they are nowadays grading cards.

I know we are all looking for 9's and 10's but considering the manu process back in the day, even if the cards were well kept/stored from day one, those numbers, due to flaws from the factory, are very hard to obtain.

I've said it before, you have an awesome collection and one that most on here would love to have, so enjoy them and be glad they are your's. :)

Thanks for the encouragement. Like i said it's not a huge deal as these were not the nicest condition cards but I sent them as even in bad condition they are still worth grading. The biggest letdown is my dad can't find a binder of his best cards that he used to take to card shows. It had more star cards and a whole 1963 fleer set. Also it had a 62 mantle that my uncle ruined by signing it Mickey Mantle in pencil as a kid. My dad said he doesn't remember it turning up when they moved about 15 years ago so it's probably long gone possibly pilfered and sold by one of my older siblings or thrown out/lost somewhere between the 1990s and their move.

Also I ordered some loupes to start inspecting cards closer and was wondering about the 1963 centering question i posted a few posts up this page.

I got the ship notice from PSA yesterday and should have the cards in hand soon to look them over.

Also my dad found a little notebook he had as a kid
http://i.imgur.com/cqqvAMkl.jpg

Inside was a bunch of baseball player transfers
http://i.imgur.com/0nygJ1rl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/8leaGNgl.jpg

and Team transfers
http://i.imgur.com/X7AzOQxl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/8asq4qwl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/bqfU3Zel.jpg

and Player stickers
http://i.imgur.com/HoN99rnl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/73me9gol.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/BAcknzDl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/t0JcVoOl.jpg

and these team pennants

http://i.imgur.com/BPzV5XJl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/4ohjlfwl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/7DMSXEFl.jpg

Then the book is lists of old music he made tapes of

The book is probably 100 full pages of baseball stickers which is I'm sure not worth much as it's been stuck to paper. But really neat because my dad put it together and made notes about the teams and the players.

If you decide on prices for the Post Cereal and Jello cards I would be very interested in purchasing. Also, your Dad's book with the stickers and rub offs in it is awesome. I hope you hang on to it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by capricesquad (Post 1502766)

That is very cool. So great your dad saved stuff like that as well as all cards.

um.....this is awesome!!!! I love seeing stuff like this. My Dad and I collected cards together as I was growing up and he gave me his entire collection as well. I would be interested in buying some cards once you decide to sell.

I was out of town for a few weeks but realized I had enough time to get a submission together and postmarked today to get the 5.75 price.

In an effort to get better cards I flipped through the 1962 cards I set aside as good and took out ones that were nicely centered and had good eye appeal. I ended up with 140 or so that I then resorted and picked my favorites out of to get a submission of 25 cards. Not scientific but each sort I would find little things off about cards once they were only mixed in with sharp well centered examples.

I snapped some quick pics of what I sent off, hopefully these grade a bit better as they were picked by condition and not player fame. Sorry about the glare, I put them on the patio for better lighting but the sun doesn't play nice with cards savers.

http://i.imgur.com/3KII6bpl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/3KII6bp.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/g0uaG89l.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/g0uaG89.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/MXVBCg0l.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/MXVBCg0.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/I01odD7l.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/I01odD7.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/5kO7Vacl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/5kO7Vac.jpg

They look nice, good luck!

So PSA finally checked in my submission that was shipped on feb 29 so now the 50 day wait for grades actually started. In the mean time I was hoping to look into his post and jello cards.

I started by putting all his 1963 bazooka all time greats into card savers.

Then I checked out a binder that had this.

http://i.imgur.com/b2PEuT4l.jpg
Full Size

http://i.imgur.com/smwViy2l.jpg
Full Size

http://i.imgur.com/kpL45bil.jpg
Full Size

It had a letter addressed to his aunt at his childhood home in South Chicago stuck inside as a bookmark.

http://i.imgur.com/UrBp9rSl.jpg
Full Size

Back side has I think Czech writing but no idea what it says

http://i.imgur.com/V3jwkFJl.jpg
Full Size

My dad was born in 1947 but my grandpa was born in 1917 so maybe the book was a handme down?

Anyways the reason I included the letter is because my dad was born on the south side of chicago and lived there til my grandparents bought a farm in Aurora when he was six. As a result he is a White Sox fan.

He collected a bunch of cards but he made binders of just White Sox Players and occasional Cubs players without much organization.

So you have pages like this
http://i.imgur.com/VB5qBYhl.jpg
Full Size
http://i.imgur.com/sCAfKB8l.jpg
Full Size

In the same book as pages like this
http://i.imgur.com/YTcrkIpl.jpg
Full Size

which explain some holes in the 1962 set that was in the boxes

He also like to connect to kids through baseball when he was a principal and he would organize fieldtrips and special days like Kite Day and Baseball day for the whole school. I have a feeling this was sent to him in that capacity but he thought it was neat and laminated and saved it.

http://i.imgur.com/yVnr07gl.jpg
Full Size

On to the post cards, they are a bit confusing so I decided to put everything in card savers so I can handle them to figure out what he has.

http://i.imgur.com/6LHM2hXl.jpg
Full Size

He had a pretty steady hand as a kid because most of the cards are very nicely cut. But on many he cut along the border rather than around it so I'm not sure how something like this grades exactly. I'll probably send in a few stars and see how they come back. I asked him how he cut them so well and he said he borrowed Grandma's sewing scissors. Once she found out and calmed down, she made him buy her a new pair and he kept the old ones to cut out cards with.

http://i.imgur.com/yDyS9hXl.jpg
Full size

I filled 2 card saver boxes and ran out of card savers with a small pile of 1962 post yet to go.

I did get a chance to look everything over. He has a bunch of 1962 Post, many 1963 post, and smatterings of 1961 post and 1963 jello. Naturally being from the Chicagoland area he has 10 of the rare 1962 test market Jello cards as well.

http://i.imgur.com/wNRg9EEl.jpg
Full Size

Quote:

Originally Posted by capricesquad (Post 1516087)

Wow, your collection just keeps getting better and better all the time!

Must be pretty exciting going through all his old collection.

Enjoy! :)

I got a surprise E-mail from PSA today. Seems my order that I sent March 1st and was checked in on the 12 was shipped today. Nowhere near the 50 days I was expecting.

As far as grades go I am much happier than last time. No gem mint 10's but no complete junk grades either. Out of 25 there were 9 6's, 9 7's and 7 8's with a few qualifiers.

EXCELLENT-MINT 6 1962 Topps 139 Babe Ruth Babe Hits 60 Card
EXCELLENT-MINT 6 1962 Topps 466 Norm Cash All Star Card
NEAR MINT-MINT 8 1962 Topps 237 World Series the Winners Celebrate
EXCELLENT-MINT 6 1962 Topps 340 Don Drysdale Card
EXCELLENT-MINT 6 ST 1962 Topps 10 Bob Clemente Card
NEAR MINT 7 1962 Topps 170 Ron Santo Card
NEAR MINT-MINT 8 1962 Topps 353 Bill Mazeroski Card
NEAR MINT-MINT 8 PD 1962 Topps 90 Jim Piersall Card
EXCELLENT-MINT 6 1962 Topps 349 Paul Foytack Card
NEAR MINT 7 1962 Topps 367 Checklist 353-429 Card
NEAR MINT 7 1962 Topps 54 NL Home Run Leaders Card
NEAR MINT 7 1962 Topps 179 Tom Sturdivant Card
NEAR MINT 7 1962 Topps 187 Gene Conley Card
NEAR MINT 7 1962 Topps 184 Haywood Sullivan Card
EXCELLENT-MINT 6 1962 Topps 117 Gary Geiger Card
NEAR MINT 7 1962 Topps 28 Minnie Minoso Card
NEAR MINT-MINT 8 1962 Topps 168 Leo Posada Card
NEAR MINT-MINT 8 1962 Topps 436 Felix Mantilla Card
NEAR MINT 7 1962 Topps 151 Johnny Klippstein Card
NEAR MINT-MINT 8 1962 Topps 451 Jose Tartabull Card
EXCELLENT-MINT 6 1962 Topps 58 NL Win Leaders Card
NEAR MINT-MINT 8 1962 Topps 486 Jim Gilliam Card
EXCELLENT-MINT 6 1962 Topps 153 Pumpsie Green Card
EXCELLENT-MINT 6 1962 Topps 460 Jim Bunning Card
NEAR MINT 7 1962 Topps 234 World Series Game 3 Maris Wins It in the 9th

Quote:

Originally Posted by capricesquad (Post 1518542)

Nice, CS. :)

I was at my parents for easter and I went through and picked out 15 more 1962 Topps and 35 1961 Topps especially the high numbers to send in for the March special.

Some are doubles of cards I already submitted like the Mantles and Mays but most are very sharp looking and I focused on the 1961 High numbers as much as possible.

First 25 (Sorry for the angle the glare was awful and I was pressed for time after getting the submission entered.

http://i.imgur.com/Dhu29trl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/6y6gLGUl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/rTCCTwdl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/LQIlHkyl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/PmBDVJ9l.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/f1fVEvYl.jpg