Rising prices for CJ 15s...
 

As many know, the 14s started really soaring a year or two ago, and have stayed high even if they have leveled off now. Not much happened with the 15s at that time. This seemed natural--they are much more common, both in lower and higher grades. However, they too have now taken off. At first it was just in the very high grades, 8 and above, but now even down to the 3s and 4s commons. In fact, most of the commons are now selling for what the much scarcer 14s were selling for at that level a couple of years ago...although HOFers not yet matching the 14s.

So what's going on? Just people giving up on collecting 14s because of price and moving to the similar 15s? More people appreciating the 15s because there more of them and no stains? People confusing prices on the two sets--are not aware that one is much harder to get than the other? I can't believe it's just the "100th anniversary" idea....

The 1914s took of so fast that the 1915s were kinda forgot about. I felt 1915 prices started rising awhile ago in all grades. I love when folks refer to how "common" they are, I guess that term is relative. I believe Rickey has less than 60 graded copies, he can be kinda tough. There are also far fewer 1915s for sale these days and almost zero lots of the them opposed to a few years ago. I think there have been a few "commons" identified as getting a premium as they are tough to find as I have been looking for 4 upgrades for 4 years now. For awhile F Smith #90 seemed to get a pretty decent premium, certain horizontals as well as #1 and #176 but that would be more typical. I have a much harder time finding the cards I need and prices are double or even triple from 4 years ago.

1915 CJ have dried up
 

I picked up most of the catchers in the 1915 set a few years back.

Still looking for a nice mid grade Jimmy Archer. Seemed like there was always a few on eBay in years past but none in the last 8 months or so.


Patrick

But I wonder what you guys think is the REASON for the hikes of past year...

More folks are collecting them than before, set collectors are upgrading and there are several high-end guys now as well. More demand plus less cards as the volume has dropped significantly in that time as well.

Hey, I'm not complaining! I happened to buy a few before the surge, including "none higher" PSA 8s for Gowdy and Hamilton....I've stayed away from lower graded cards but wish I had grabbed a few others. I mainly see commons, not HOFers...

I think it started a few months ago when a couple of sellers on ebay had lots of 1915s for sale and bent the price curve upwards to the point 3s were averaging around $200. That's a big change from what I've seen over the past few years. Now, it seems like people are holding onto their 15s as I've had a difficult time finding the last 10 I need to complete my set. I've managed to upgrade a few cards here and there in the meantime. There are many more 14s available on ebay and auction sites. Maybe that all changes next year.?.?

I just sold several cards recently on ebay from both years and the 14s were flat while the 15s went nuts. I sold two 3s and a 4 for over $350 each, and a 5 brought almost $400. There's a Pratt 4 for over $400 right now. Kinda crazy. It appeared a couple of guys were duking it out over my cards and running the prices way up. As a seller, I can't complain, but I was shocked.

The recent Heritage auction showed what I would consider flat (though high) values for most of the nice 1914s while the many PSA 8s and 8.5s from 1915 doubled previous prices....

Doug - Im curious what 10 you have left? Also, did you build a 1914 subset and if so what did you include? I got the 7 different poses found in the 1914s (Pratt, Matty, 60 Zeider and the 4 that aren't in the 1915 set) plus a no# Bresnahan just because.

Oldring, Crawford, Heinie Wagner, Wheat, Cicotte, Jackson, Birmingham, Konetchy, Rickey, and Oakes. They just don't seem to be coming up with much regularity, unless they're beaters or 8s! As for the 14s, I think I'm doing what everyone else is; trying to accumulate the different poses and team changes, etc. I need the Plank, Hoblitzell, Matty, Demaree, Pratt, Magee, Niehoff, and Marsans. Those certainly don't come cheap. It's a process, but fun nonetheless.

So you are going for the 199 card master set? Bres no #?

Rickey is tough...I think finding a mid-grade Crawford is also tough.

I have a Bres no #. There was a Crawford PSA3 on eBay about a year ago which sold for less than $350. I was kicking myself for not trying to get it. I think at the time I still had my 14 PSA 4 Crawford and was debating whether to sell or keep it.

I remember that card, I have the same regret. Finding a solid mid-grade Evers upgrade has also alluded me. In my set, the lower numbers all seem to be tougher in mid-grade. I picked up a ton of the high series though that were from the same collection, all raw and most of those are VG-Ex so I may be biased. I also screwed myself by not buying a beautiful sgc 4 wags at last years National, it had sold when I went back for the 13th time or so, but I was ready to pull the trigger. I feel 1915s lack the overall respect from the hobby due to being overshadowed by the 1914s...great cards.

Attachment 194644

How many current completed sets for both 14 and 15 do you think are out there both raw and graded? For 14 I'm thinking less than 10 complete. Don't know about 1915...

Most recent sale of Pratt PSA 4 for 1915 CJ was $57.

Right now at $430 in eBay auction...

1915 Pratt
 

It was the same two guys battling it out over the Pratt. I'm glad I had a couple of cards to sell them, but we may be out of the market until they've moved on to something else. WOW!

I love the CJ HOFers and can only afford the '15s. I remember missing out on my dream example of the Shoeless at a LOTG auction (graded a 2).

Several months later, a friend wound up brokering a sale of it from the collector who won it at that auction. I paid north of the winning bid at LOTG, which was in itself a record high at that time.

Here I am about a year later, and have received unsolicited emails from a few random collectors in the past six months asking to buy the card, with two offers above 10k. Unless it's to fund the pipe dream of reaching for a T210 Old Mill, I am not interested in parting with the CJ, but thought this was anecdotal evidence of the noted pricing uptick.

Matt, I bet your inbox is constantly full of offers on your collection.

1915 Cracker Jack
 

I believe the bottom line is that a lot of seasoned collectors don't really want 1, 2's or 3's and also don't want to invest in 7's, 8's and 9's ....this puts a crunch on mid grade with some cards being very tough to find as there are very few in these grades.....they just are not around......Great set!

I wouldn't necessarily say seasoned collectors don't want 1's, 2's or 3's. It all depends on the eye appeal. I think many CJ collectors like their cards with some staining. Nothing major but some that shows it come from a CJ box.