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.

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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.

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https://thetraderspeaks.com/images/t...mond_sgc60.jpg https://thetraderspeaks.com/images/t...sgc60_back.jpg
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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.