What would the value be for this collection?
 

I just got an e-mail from someone wanting to sell this collection:

All cards are in plastic sheets and boxes. Earlier sets have some cards with more wear since collected by an 11 year old in the 50’s.

1950 Bowman baseball complete set (most are worn)
1950 Bowman football complete set
1951 Bowman baseball complete set #1 creased and worn
1951 Bowman football complete set
1952 Bowman baseball complete set (plus 1982 phantom art work add ons)
1952 Bowman football complete set
1952 Topps #1-310 ….sorry, no #311
1952 Bowman US Presidents complete set
1953 Bowman baseball complete set (color) #1 in roughest shape
1953 Bowman baseball complete set (b & w) #64 with crease
1953 Topps baseball complete set (includes Mantel)
1954 Bowman baseball complete set (includes Mantel and Williams #66 & Piersall #66)
1954 Topps baseball complete set
1953 Glendale premium meats Detroit Tigers 7 cards
1953 Redman baseball miscellaneous (no bottom tabs)
1954 Red Heart Dog Food 9 cards (includes Mantel)
1954 Bowman football complete set
1955 Bowman football complete set
1956 Topps baseball complete set ( I believe)
1957 Topps baseball missing #2,14,16,29,45,49,50,84,86,200,220,235,264,267,268 ,270,271,279,288,294,302,306,324,327,
328,331,335,339,342,343,347,350,351,359,361,389,39 4
1957 Topps football complete set
1958 Topps football complete set
1958 Topps baseball complete set
1959 Topps/Bubbles “You’ll die laughing” miscellaneous
1960 Fleer baseball miscellaneous
1972 Topps hockey not complete set
1974 Topps baseball complete set
1975 Topps baseball mini cards complete set
1978 Topps baseball and football incomplete sets
1978 & 1979 Topps hockey almost complete sets
1982 Kmart/Topps MVP complete set
1982 Donruss Diamod Kings complete set
1983 Donruss Hall of Fame heroes complete set
1984 Donruss Grand Champions jumbo cards complete set
1985 Donruss Diamod Kings complete set

This is not the kind of thing I'm normally offered (well, I do get those 82 Kmart sets sometimes) and I don't know what a good price would be. Nor do I know if that '52 Bowman set is small or large. I think the book value is about $150K for the sets. And obviously condition is a factor. But what would be a fair price, assuming maybe VG condition?

Thanks for any help, and if I end up buying it I'll let you all know. Also I'll be offering that Kmart set for sale here, for sure.

Ted

It seems unlikely someone in possession of that collection would repeatedly spell “Mantle” incorrectly.

I’m not stating this is anything other than a curious little detail. Do you know the sender?

No. It's possible that was an autocorrect situation. He spelled "Piersall" correctly. :-)

He lives near me, so I'd be able to see the collection firsthand, but I haven't yet.

If we assume that it's on the level, what kind of price range are we looking at?

Bk value
 

Don't even let any kinda book number enter your mind as even a percent of that let's say 15 percent could cloud your thinking but if you did a thorough set by set breakdown that final salesnumber could be substantially less... I know you know a lot but caution you to even let consider that number float in your mind for even a second. I would take a few hours to break each item down by value (worse case scenario with condition) then subtract your fees, then figure out your time and how much that is worth and go in with a basement level # you know is a winner for you. Then, if condition is better slow yourself to bump that price if applicable

Patrick - thank you. So this is why I'm reaching out to this group, because most of you are further along as collectors than I am and would have a better sense than I would of what a price would be - I'm guessing low five figures? Apparently the potential seller has contacted some craigslist buyers and so I'm pretty sure I'm not going to win a bidding war since I assume there's going to be other interest. Usually the stuff I end up with when I get contacted to buy things is from the '70s since no one else really seems to want it. (Well, usually it's from the '80s and '90s, but I mean the stuff I actually buy).

So, please: ballpark value?

Ted

You’ll want to do this before even thinking about numbers. Imagine the 1951 Bowman Mantle and Mays. Just those two cards. Valuation, even “ballpark” numbers, sight unseen? Utterly useless.

Tread carefully. This is an auction house worthy list of sets/cards. The seller attempting to Craigslist the collection seems sketchy.

Is the guy trying to sell all at once, or simply asking you if you will buy parts of the collection?

I would say if he is wanting to dump the collection all at once, he has to understand that no one will be able to pay book value, or even 50% of book value. A dump is a DUMP because he wants to move on. I think that reasoning stands since he is reaching out to Craigslist rather than reaching out to an auction house. If he wanted as much as possible, he would take the time to sell accordingly.

I would do as suggested by another member, take your time to look over the collections, and then make an offer that you are comfortable with. If you are buying to flip the collection and make money, you need to leave room to make a profit. Are you going to send this to an AH? Are you going to incur fees on ebay? All of these fees add on to what you originally pay. It's a lot of work to turn around a collection and get it to the proper retailers...if that's the route you're going. Or if you are selling individually on ebay, you have to take photos, you have to catalog, and you have to do the work. Right now, the seller doesn't want to do that. So the seller knows they are ready to pass on "book value."

If you are buying for a personal collection, maybe you are going to make a different offer.

But offer what you are comfortable with.

Thank you for all the advice - he is promising to send me photos, which I can share here if they arrive. Still wondering what range you all think I should be thinking about. I'm going to be careful, believe me - I almost didn't pursue it at all, thinking it would be over my head, which it probably will still be......

Also, if he was telling me he only had Mantle and Mays, and the other top guys, then that would be huge alarm bells for me and I wouldn't even be posting it here because I'd be 95% sure something was up. But entire sets - I guess I could imagine buying complete sets, pulling out the stars and replacing them with fakes....

Ted

It's hard to put a number on a collection like this without seeing the condition of the cards. That's why no one has offered a monetary value. Are these binder sets where all of the cards grade between Authentic-3? Are the cards even worth grading? If they need to be graded, that also costs money and is a fee you will incur. I'm assuming that's what most of them will be since, as you said, "a kid put these together."

Maybe the newer sets are in nice condition, but I'm not expecting much from the early '50s sets.

Look at the sets, and offer what you are comfortable. If you are flipping the collection it will take a lot of work, and possibly time if you have seen the latest PSA turn around times on submissions.

I saw the pictures. They were nice. It's out of my league. I suggested that he post here, and he's planning to do that, so someone has a chance to get a very nice collection...I'm hoping he'll sell me the '70s stuff separately, but maybe not.

I can't tell you how much it's killing me that I'm not going to own these cards. I'm never going to get offered a collection like this again.

If your purpose in looking at them was to turn around and sell them, you could try to get an investment loan. That would give you some leeway to cherry pick one or two sets, and then sell the rest. Was he asking top dollar?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

Likely 95% of us on here would feel the same way as this is stuff dreams are made of.

Good luck with whatever decision you come too. :)

I'm thinking that the total for the 1960's, 70's, and 80's $500 max for all of them if you want to buy them to resell. My top offer would be in the $10k-$12k range for the whole works, except for the 51 Bowman Mantle. I would estimate the grade, check VCP, and make a separate offer on the Mantle. I have no idea what that would be worth.

I know that sounds low, but have you ever tried to sell low grade 1950 Bowman football or baseball cards? If you break out the sets, it will take you years to move them one by one, and the market for low grade 1950 Bowman sets is very limited. You make your money when you buy, so if you pay too much, you won't be able to flip them quickly and make a decent profit.

Have you tried PayPal credit? I used it a couple of years ago to purchase and quick flip a collection and it worked pretty slick.

Over the years I have learned, the hard way, that many times it is better to walk away from a possible purchase rather than paying too much and then being lucky to break even when it is time to sell.

The answer to the question "How much would someone pay for this collection" turned out to be $37,000. It wasn't me paying that much. Thanks to everyone for your help.

Without seeing them, it's hard to say if the seller made out or the buyer?

Personally, I think, due to the number of sets, they were likely in pretty good/EX+ condition as most, imo, who go to the trouble of amassing sets, usually take pretty good care of their cards as usually when one or a pack of cards arrives or is purchased, not a lot of time is spent with them as they are onto the next purchase/pack to complete their set.

They were nice cards. I can't seem to upload pictures, I'm guessing because the files are too big. Someone else from this group has seen the pictures and if he wants to comment he can do that.