Anyone get a bargain at the National?
 

Have seen a few threads with posters showing pick-ups from the national at prices over SMR would love to see pictures of "bargain" items.

chirp chirp (crickets)

Thought a little bit of perspective would be appropriate
 

I got an E104 blank back Eddie Collins in about good condition for $25, which I traded away.

Brian (of course this was in the year 2000, in a galaxy far, far away from today's National collecting scene).

For $600 I got:

T202 Cobb/ Moriarity SGC 10 black factory 30
T202 WaJo / Knight SGC 40 black factory 30
T202 Tinker / Evers / Chance SGC A

Thought is was a great deal!!

Hmm...as long as YOU like it, that's all that counts....sounds high to me though.

I bought Leon's Goudey Ruth 144 PSA 2.5 for a price 138% above SMR and still felt it was a fair price. (Maybe not a "deal," but a fair price for the quality.)

$600 for the T202s sounds like a pretty good price to me - Figure $300-$350 for Cobb, $200-$250 for Johnson, $50-100 for the cubs and you're somewhere in the $550-$700 range.

DJ

maybe that's why there were crickets ... people didn't want to become the target of asinine comments like this

Went only looking for Jackie Robinson Bond Breads, and bought one from a guy who had a dozen of them. It was one I haven't seen for sale by itself in the 5+ years I've been looking for them, and I got it for $650. Considering some sellers on eBay price theirs for the same grade on eBay for twice that, I think I got a great deal

I don't have to be sales'ish but I think it was a fair deal given it looked more like a 4 or 5. I am happy for you, Sam....You can always look at it and be happy it's a great looking card.
I am on the hunt for one a few grades higher with even greater eye appeal (am willing to pay more too). Since that card, the E90-1 Young Boston (have it covered) and the T205 Cobb are my favorite vintage cards, I want them in really nice/higher grade than usual for me. Plus, i love the chase.... :)

Agreed; that was a dick comment.

John wears big boy pants and I didn't think the comment was very out of line. He said he thought they were high prices. Big deal :). I overpay for stuff, who cares? I know I overpaid a little bit for these....but wanted them.

.

That wasn't an assinine comment. I think you just took it the wrong way....no one else did. But apparently YOU were offended......

Agreed Leon.....I thought they were high...he thought they were low....Some people think Trump is great....some people think he is an asshat......If you read the VERY first thing, I said, I said, the important thing was the HE THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD DEAL. If you are thinking I'm a dick, then you have a problem with yourself.

I know I've overpaid for stuff......I can admit it....I also know I've stolen stuff.....I know I sold stuff for a nice profit....I know I've given away stuff.....ebb and flow....ying and yang....It's the facts of life....we are all adults....I turned 48 today......As long as everyone is happy, life is good.

I disagree. It was out of line, and not in the spirit of what should have been a positive thread. I'm not personally offended but would be if a similar comment was made about a pickup I shared.

+1.

The point of this thread was to show your bargains, not elicit comments like "You don't know what you're talking about, your bargain was not one."
Or the sanctimonious "Well, if you think so..."

Waiting for the next person to show us their bargain, and I encourage some positive support for them. It's not that hard, people.

It's not even a negative comment. I think people are viewing it negatively....for example...say, Im a non smoker....I think cigarette packs are high.....say you smoke...you think cigarette packs are cheap....they are just two people's opinions. There is nothing negative or positive associated with it. I think people are taking it the wrong way.....two different people can view two things totally differently.

I respectfully disagree. If the OP asked if people thought he got a good deal on a purchase, then the response would be fine. However, the poster did not ask what his opinion was and I thought it was a dick comment. Like I was taught when I was a kid, if you got nothing nice to say...

Me saying something seems high - why is that even viewed negatively??? I dont put a negative connotation behind something being high. That is my PERSPECTIVE - as it was WONDO's perspective as it was cheap......if you are a Rolling Stone fan, you may think $1,000 tickets are cheap.......I might think they are high...there isn't anything negative or positive about it.

Geez....I give up.......I can't win with some of you.

keep digging.

You seem to be the one digging. I have stated my case, and thought I made great examples. Are you a Stones fan?

You just don't get it. The point of this thread was to share purchases members made that they're happy with. He felt he got a good deal. Leave it at that. Your sarcastic comment contributed nothing to this thread. And doubling down on your position isn't helping either.

Flipped the Wajo to a dealer for $260
Sold the Cubbies for $250 to public
Into the Cobb for $90

Good deal

btw, I agree with this too. There is just no need to make some comments. I just didn't think it was a big deal, is all.

Me either....not at all....apologies to the members who were offended...Wondo WAS NOT offended....and being $90 into a Cobb sounds FANTASTIC.

I think we have a better chance of finding bargains at our local or regional shows, not from the pros who set up at the National. I did find a few bargains, most from the smaller dealers set up in the back of the venue.

I found a ten cent box with 1972 Topps baseball hi numbers ten cents each? I went through his boxes and bought all he had 38 cards $3.80 I don't need these as my set is complete, so right in the duplicate box. Also mixed in the 10c box was a "hoard" of 1975 Topps football checklists these are pretty scarce as you had to mail off to Topps for the uncut sheet and most kids cut them up. They have team schedule on front team checklist on the back I got 44 of them .10c each a good find for me. Ended up being a full set (minus the header card) plus 23 duplicates. I already have one of the uncut sheets, so this was a nice addition for my set.
Another dealer "in the back" was selling Donruss "Odd Rod" cards for $2 each which isn’t anything to brag about except he had some of the original 1969 cards mixed in, and I bought all of the original cards he had (with a quantity discount applied).

On Wednesday, it's 5:55 the show closes at six and I have spent my daily allotment. I visit William Chappells table and see a stack of '35 Goudey 4in1 I am trying for the master set four Babe Ruth cards in the master set! William has one of the two I need, except previous owner wrote "Kenny" on the back! So I was able to pay via PayPal F/F $415 for the Babe bundled with another needed '35 with Cochran and Gehringer. So I had to dig into the reserves but you make exceptions for Babe Ruth.

The “Kenny”
http://www.net54baseball.com/picture...ictureid=22982http://www.net54baseball.com/picture...ictureid=22983
http://www.net54baseball.com/picture...ictureid=22953

National
 

I didn't see very many deals. I did buy a t206 bat off Cobb psa 5, raw t206 red Cobb (graded and sgc 55), raw Ruth goudey 181 (graded pas 4.5) and 144
( graded psa 4) All four purchases were from friends who held the cards for me behind the table. Otherwise, I would have struck out. Still had a great time.

Was this yours?
http://net54baseball.com/picture.php...ictureid=22981

No picture on your post...I wonder if I would be able to recognize it (it has been 17 years)

Brian

Someone threw out there a package of cards they think they got a good deal on. Someone chimed in with a comment implying he didn't think it was a great buy at all. I didn't think it was egregious or dickish at all. You throw out "here's a good deal I got" and you are fair game for comments pro or con. That's how the Internet works. If you don't want to be in the mix don't post. This is all about an exchange or ideas and opinions, not a self esteem building class.

Funny thing is I don't think the member who posted the deal got offended. I don't think Bobby's comments were out of line. As a new member I learn a lot reading these threads and getting people's raw opinions whether they support the narrative of the post or not.

By the way Happy Birthday Bobby.

I bought a few cards at about VCP prices. I am happy with my pruchases. SMR is usually off by a good bit.
James

Had fun at the National.
 

Got a few good cards I'm happy with. And the prices, I'm happy with too.

I bought this SGC 60 T204 Bugs Raymond from Don Hontz on Saturday shortly before I left. I paid $350, I think, which is a decent price. I had one already in the same grade, but it's a nicer copy. Great seeing so many collector friends at the show.

P.S. I neglected to check VCP since I don't have a subscription, plus I couldn't care less.

<center>
https://thetraderspeaks.com/images/t...mond_sgc60.jpg https://thetraderspeaks.com/images/t...sgc60_back.jpg
</center>

Imagine how stupid I felt when someone said that A was $50 - $100 then thinking "i wonder where he found another one" and then realizing I am "public."

I wanted the card. I bought the card. And it's sitting at my desk at work, even if apparently I overpaid for it. You know as well as I do that there wasn't alot of those Tinker/Evers/chance T202's there, so I bought it.

Even if some dude thinks I paid too mich, and you call me "public." Ha

LOL. Exactly.

Scott, I apologize for making you feel that way. My point was simply if you broke down what John paid, it wasn't a high price at all. We only had the grades and not actual scans and of course an "A" could be anything from a slight trim that otherwise looks NM to something that has been sitting in acid for 3 weeks. As such, I was being conservative with the values I through out. I'm glad to hear you are happy with the card.

Agreed. People automatically assume that being too much is a negative thing and associate a negative context with it. I dont think paying too much is positive or negative. It is just a "thing". I think internet is too much. It's the only game in town though, and I have to have it so I pay it. So I let Spectrum charge me $60 a month with the threat of going up every year, until they reach a price I wont pay. You actually WANT people thinking things are too much walking around the show. If everyone thought everything was a super steal, then all the absolute bargains would be snapped up, and you would have nothing left but the OBSCENELY high stuff left behind. If I was at the dealers booth before Wondo, I would have thought to myself "Thats too much" and put them back,and Wondo could have snapped them up later. In a nutshell, stop assoicating pricing with emotions.

Thanks Stephen. Another year older!! When I retire, Im going to make my way to a National one time. I would love to go to Atlantic City or Baltimore, as they as the closest to me. Once I do, all the 1933 Sport King cards graded SGC "A" are mine!!!

Hey guys why don't we just forget this thread. I just wanted to start a good hearted thread where people could post some bargains. Some of you are ridiculous with your vitriolic comments, you can save them for someone else you ruined it. Leon what has happened to people?

The Tinker/Evers/Chance is arguably the most popular card in the set - more liquid than the Cobbs. You did not overpay by any stretch - great looking card. I would have been glad to bring it home with me, but was glad it went to a Cubs fan, it's not a card I collect, the comment of $50-$100 was laughable - I'd pay $200 wholesale all day. It''s not of matter if I like it or not; that's the market. I think "Public" is a cool nickname.

ruined thread !
 

I blame society , also global warming is a factor

me too...I LOL'd

Good to see you posting again, Bill.
.

Robert, it's just the society we live in. We have several thousand (close to 8000) members now. There are all sorts of folks and I think it's a good thing. Can you imagine if we all thought the same things? The cards I bought I overpaid for but only a little bit. I think the Ruth was about 3k, the T205s were 100 each and the Orange Borders was around 625.....not anything earth shaking either way. Most collectors know what they are doing and I don't mind paying a bit more to get a card in person. To each their own....

Agreed....I'm sorry, if I supposedly "ruined" anything for you...if one little comment can "ruin things" for you, then you should reflect on what you can do in your life to find happiness...the comment didn't even mean what some of you are implying I meant....it was nothing negative......like breathing, eating, having opinions.......relax, chill, and move on......

LOL...I have no clue what I am doing.....and that's fine with me......i learn new stuff everyday.

Folks,

This is baseball cards - no biggie, relax. Bobby's comment didn't offend nor ruin it for me. He participates in a bunch of threads and doesn't mind speaking his mind - cool. His lack of market knowledge on these (no offense ;)) is evident. Parenthetically, perhaps it should have been worded "That is not a bargain, to me." I'm comfortable in my baseballcardness and Bobby is welcome to share his opinion. It is evident that, never being to a National, he believes from the anecdotes posted here that everything is overpriced - that is untrue. Let's have fun, guys.

Hugs and kisses,

John

Agreed....I imagine it is like the local Raleigh card show....times 10-15x??? I guess Im just not familiar with the T202 issue...the price sounded high to me....to someone else it may have sounded low. I imagine the National to be like the Raleigh card show,except on a bigger scale. You will have some deals. The very first show I went to, the guy was selling his grandfathers cards. He had 1948 Leafs....he didn't realize "JOHN WAGNER" was Honus Wagner, and had him lumped in with the commons. Yea, Im that guy who pointed out to him that he wasn't a common and offered to pay a lot more than $2.....so yes, there are deals to be had (as obvious from the seller ridding himself of grandfathers cards), and there are honest guys like me who don't keep my mouth shut and treat John Wagner as a common. Wondo is right. I don't know everything. Technically, does any card collector know EVERYTHING?? We are all learning here.....there is never a day goes by that we don't learn something.

Not even close. No apologies necessary. Markets are markets. I may overvalue or undervalue something relaive to someone else. Made me laugh because I have almost paid 2x for that card in a low grade so I thought 1/2 way for an A was a compromise.

No apology necessary. Its fun to see qualitative value change from person to person and manifest itself quantitatively.

I dont plan on selling it even during my lifetime to overpay underpay is sort of irrelevant at that price. as long as I can still feed my kid. I was giving you all a hard time. I wasnt even remotely bothered--more educated by relative and perceived value.

The vcp meter broke after I paid up for this one but just couldn't resist the centering, registration and lack of print lines or back wax stains. Take avg vcp and multiply by 2. Did I get a good deal? Only time will be the judge (like 40 years) lol.

Sweet Mantle.

Wow, those are incredible!

Just get someone who grades a lot with PSA to send it in and it will come back a 5. That is a beautiful card and undergraded. I think you got a deal.

Thanks! Yes good idea to play the crack and resubmit roulette.

That's a great looking '51 Mick! Definitely a premium card. Congrats AJ!

Nice AJ. I had to ignore vcp data when picking up mine too. Was that the one at Evan's table?

Yes it was! Looks like you got his 5! Wow buddy great looking card. Congrats. He had some amazing looking cards in his case including a psa 7 Bowman and 52 Mantle psa 9. Wowza

No I got this one a while back from Matt. But yea he had some great stuff. Best centering I've seen on a star 101 Jordan. That 52 and 53 Mantle weren't bad either.

Basically
 

Basically I think John showed Bobby he was wrong regardless of his thoughts and wether it was dickish or not. It was shown to be incorrect unless you think having 90 in the Cobb is a lot.

Just lighthearted here, perhaps there's a very few of us that never got over the emotional trauma when, in the spring of 1970, Topps had raised the price of their nickel wax pack to a dime. You still got your cards at a penny apiece, so it was 10 cards for that dime. Raising the pack price to a dime accomplished two things for Topps. They saved itself one wrapper expense, and moreover, one stick of gum. Maybe a few kids just couldn't get over that kind of change, and that continued to influence their perception of how cards should be valued.:rolleyes:

I know, I'm wasting time here.

Maybe one man's bargain is another man's barnacle, but I hope you guys were at least happy with what you purchased.:)

----Brian Powell

Made it to my first National this year. Met a few of you guys for a quick hello. Only had the one day (Saturday) Lots of great stuff at the show, but nothing on my list, which I didn't stray from, happily. So, no pick ups for me, but a reminder, my wantlist is in the link below. Cheers guys.

Well, I didn't get to National and I may never get the opportunity.

When I see all the stink the above-mentioned comment (which I naively laughed at) caused it reminds me how very over sensitive some of you guys are and that maybe I wouldn't enjoy y'all's company at such an event anyway.

Jeez Louise! Get a dad-gum grip!

-Raymond

Don't forget the one insert. I had to buy twice as many packs to complete my 1971 coin set. 153 10 cent packs is a lot for a kid.

Last year at the national I was walking out and saw a 1968 Clemente Bazooka Box that cost me $300. My best Deal of the 3 days.

Picked up an R309 Ruth premium for a very nice price. Made my day Thursday.

Bargains
 

I don't know about anyone else, but when I go to the National I am not looking for bargains. I am looking for items that fit my collection. There are some outrageous prices at the National, but many of the items that I was looking for were reasonable, especially when you compare the National prices to some of the eBay museum BIN's. I bought a nice Weil Baking card from Ed Hans. He had it marked at $100 and I bought it for $85. Now, I usually won't pay $85 for a D329, but this was a nice card and I wanted it for my collection. Once in a while on eBay I can get a graded Weil in this condition for $40 to $65, but most of the Weil's on eBay are $150 to $300. Most of them have been listed on eBay for several years, and the sellers are not willing to come down much on price. So, for me, I am very happy with the price.

Ed had 13 (I think), T213-2's, all reasonably priced. I already had all of them in my set, so I didn't buy any. Another dealer had 5 T213-2's, again all at good prices, but I had all 5. One dealer had 3 of them for $25 each, very low grade. I have all of them, but I regret not picking them up at that price. 707 had several, which were priced high, and again, I have all the ones that 707 had.

One dealer had a decent T213-2 Cobb for $950. I wish I had made him an offer for it, but I was going through a "cheap" moment so I moved on. It was a nice card for the grade and I thought it was a good price for a Cobb.

So, there were some good deals around, but it took a lot of searching to find them.

Rick

I bought a very nice group of 9 T206 with stamp hinges on the back. With a little help all of the hinges came off cleanly. I paid $100 for the group.

I also bought a t202 with the center panel "Lord Catches His Man"--This is the one that has Joe Jackson pictured. I would say it is Vg/Ex and paid $40.

clearly you overpaid...

:D

Re: Anyone get a bargain at the National?
 

Thanks so much for the shout out, Rick. I forgot to mention that I had a couple pages of the T82 actresses with the Coupon backs. I don't remember if it was you you was collecting them or another board member.

I had a good show despite all the overpriced cards on my table. Even better than the financial aspects were the social ones. It was great to see the folks that I only meet once a year and make new friends along the way.

By way of commentary on the issue of overpricing, I would observe that it's one thing to have VG T206 commons at $75.00 a pop and quite another to ask full retail or even a premium for scarce and rare issues that are difficult, if not impossible to replace. Price data may be quite out of date simply because the cards hadn't been offered for date in years.

It's mostly all about perception. Once in a while you'll find a pricing error, but most dealers have scooped them up by the time the public arrives. However, there are those rare cards in which you cant find anywhere, and in that case, just finding it is a "bargain".

Lots of bargains
 

Everybody who bought cards from my table got a bargain :D

Seriously, I got what I thought were very fair prices for a lot of the things I bought. Most of these were tough issues and I didn't expect them to be cheap.