Diamond Matchbooks
 

I had a chance to buy 200 Baseball Diamond Matchbooks today. (1934-1936) They were mostly EX and better. What would have you offered for them? We couldn't agree on a price, even though I thought I offered an attractive price. I might offer more, but want to get a feel of what you guys would've paid.

Anywhere from $5 to $20 each for commons depending on condition, more for stars.

That's high retail. They are not an easy sell, and there have been some very large lots sold at auction in the last year or two.

You have to break down the series. The '35 black borders tend to sell for more, as can the team specific sets. Not a big deal but worth noting.

Assuming they have strikers intact and grade out vg-ex or better, on a wholesale basis I would value the regular HOFers at about $5-$8 each and the big names [Dean, Ott, Stengel, Hubbell] around $10-$15 each. Commons are a tough sell, so I would treat them as dollar cards. There are a few popular players and a few SPs too. You'd have to look them up. Those are not easy sells, though, except when cheap, because there are not that many set collectors for these.

My pricing assumes an intact striker and no excessive damage from staple removal. A bobtail [striker removed or excessively damaged] is worth at most 50% of an intact cover. I picked up a really nice black bordered bobtail Dean for $10, for example.

If you are interested in keeping them and not concerned with profitability, you could add 50% to these prices and feel comfortable. I would really be careful about the commons, though, because they are really, really hard to resell. I've been burned on a number of lots I've tried to flip.

Sometimes these lines are just too easy.....


I'll echo what Adam said. It's tough selling them in anything other than a lot, consequently it's tough moving anything smaller than HOFers or large lots. I started putting a set together and ended up passing on singles and waiting for a large lot, because it was easier and the lots were going for so low.

I ended up paying $4-$6 each (HOFers included) for near sets a few years ago. Can't imagine they've appreciated any.

Ones without strikers are virtually worthless.

Thanks for the help! The guy selling them says he thinks that he sold them. Yeah right! He's just trying to get more for them.