Stories with the big cards

[Bruinsfan94]

Seeing that great Plank and Mantle on ebay had me thinking. I'm sure some people on here have great tales of the key cards in collecting like the Plank or Lajoie before they were huge investment cards. Anyone care to share? It would surely be interesting

[drcy]

I had a T206 Plank, and to make sure it kept its value I bought ten more and destroyed them.

I also had a 1952T Mantle and, just for fun, resubmitted it to PSA 5,000 times until it received every grade 1 through 10.

[7nohitter]

Originally Posted by drcy

I had a T206 Plank, and to make sure it kept its value I bought ten more and destroyed them.

I also had a 1952T Mantle and, just for fun, resubmitted it to PSA 5,000 times until it received every grade 1 through 10.

Awesome. I literally laughed out loud.

[4815162342]

Originally Posted by 7nohitter

Awesome. I literally laughed out loud.

+1 Hilarious!

[Hot Springs Bathers]

Many years ago I hear and saw a great 1952 Mantle story from old-time dealer John England in Ft. Smith, Arkansas.

A lady had called in response to one of his "want to buy" ads saying she was pretty sure she had the 1952 Mantle. He asked her to check the back to see if it was indeed number 311, "yes" was her reply and she drove over from a town in Oklahoma.

When she arrived she handed him a stack on 1952's with a rubber band in the middle. The Mantle was the front card and it had been bent almost in two right across the middle when she did as told and checked for the number on the back!

[DHogan]

Originally Posted by Hot Springs Bathers

Many years ago I hear and saw a great 1952 Mantle story from old-time dealer John England in Ft. Smith, Arkansas.

A lady had called in response to one of his "want to buy" ads saying she was pretty sure she had the 1952 Mantle. He asked her to check the back to see if it was indeed number 311, "yes" was her reply and she drove over from a town in Oklahoma.

When she arrived she handed him a stack on 1952's with a rubber band in the middle. The Mantle was the front card and it had been bent almost in two right across the middle when she did as told and checked for the number on the back!

Ouch !

[drcy]

My ex brother-in-law used to work on the telephone helpline for Adobe and dealt with all sorts of computer clueless people. He asked a woman on speaker phone why it was so hard to hear her and she said because she went over to her windows as he told her to (he meant Microsoft Windows on her computer, she thought windows in her livingroom wall). Another customer mailed in a Xerox copy when he ask her to send a 'copy of her disk.'

[HOF Auto Rookies]

Originally Posted by drcy

My ex brother-in-law used to work on the telephone helpline for Adobe and dealt with all sorts of computer clueless people. He asked a woman on speaker phone why it was so hard to hear her and she said because she went over to her windows as he told her to (he meant Microsoft Windows on her computer, she thought windows in her livingroom wall). Another customer mailed in a Xerox copy when he ask her to send a 'copy of her disk.'

Impressive. When I worked at a bank, lady came in about a fraud issue. She said she lost her debit card and people were withdrawing money from atm's all over. First thing I asked was if her pin number was safe etc. She said she wrote it in marker (sharpie) on her card.


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[clydepepper]

Originally Posted by Bruinsfan94

Seeing that great Plank and Mantle on ebay had me thinking. I'm sure some people on here have great tales of the key cards in collecting like the Plank or Lajoie before they were huge investment cards. Anyone care to share? It would surely be interesting

There's also a Jackson up to $10K

Plank is at $55K

Mantle is at $430K

...so, at least these bidders , don't have a 'investment' story of the kind you are asking.

Question: Has there ever been a single card besides the Wagner that sold for more than $500K?
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[HOF Auto Rookies]

Speaking on this, if the Mike Trout 2009 Bowman Chrome Superfractor were to surface for that, that would be the first modern card to reach $100k. For the folks who are unaware of what a Superfractor is, it's basically a shiny card with a pattern numbered 1/1.

For a price comparison, his 'Red' version (which is serial numbered up to 5) sold for $50k?


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[Baseball Rarities]

Originally Posted by clydepepper

Question: Has there ever been a single card besides the Wagner that sold for more than $500K?.

Privately, there have been several cards that have sold for more than $500K - PSA 10 1951 B Mantle, PSA 9 1952 T Mantle, PSA 8 T206 Plank, etc.

In auction, the only other card that I can think of off of the top of my head is the SGC 3 Baltimore News Ruth in REA several years ago.

[clydepepper]

[QUOTE=HOF Auto Rookies;1468408]Speaking on this, if the Mike Trout 2009 Bowman Chrome Superfractor were to surface for that, that would be the first modern card to reach $100k. For the folks who are unaware of what a Superfractor is, it's basically a shiny card with a pattern numbered 1/1.

For a price comparison, his 'Red' version (which is serial numbered up to 5) sold for $50k?



Maybe I could offer my stash of 1988 Mark Grace cards in a trade???

[HOF Auto Rookies]

[QUOTE=clydepepper;1468411]

Originally Posted by HOF Auto Rookies

Maybe I could offer my stash of 1988 Mark Grace cards in a trade???

I believe your post was in jest, but the Red did actually sell for that. A few times that I know of. As for the Super, that's my estimate. If he stays healthy and produces like he has been, being 2nd, 2nd, 1st, and then 2nd (most likely behind Donaldson) again to start your career in MVP voting. It's impossible to argue against what he has done in his short career so far.

I will admit I am heavily invested in him. I miss the days buying his signed 2009 Bowman Chrome's for $25 a piece. Now, almost a $2k card raw around the AS break.


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[ls7plus]

[QUOTE=HOF Auto Rookies;1468418]

Originally Posted by clydepepper

I believe your post was in jest, but the Red did actually sell for that. A few times that I know of. As for the Super, that's my estimate. If he stays healthy and produces like he has been, being 2nd, 2nd, 1st, and then 2nd (most likely behind Donaldson) again to start your career in MVP voting. It's impossible to argue against what he has done in his short career so far.

I will admit I am heavily invested in him. I miss the days buying his signed 2009 Bowman Chrome's for $25 a piece. Now, almost a $2k card raw around the AS break.


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That's a very big IF. We can start with Hal Trosky, who was threatening to become a rival for Gehrig before illness (chronic migraines?) did him in; Pete Reiser, Cesar Cedeno, Tony Oliva, Tony Conigliaro, Rocky Colavito, Dale Murphy, Kerry Wood, Don Mattingly and quite a few others who went into a tailspin early, either due to injury or the well of talent simply running dry too soon. Ralph Kiner might well have hit 600 HR's but for back problems doing him in in his very early thirties.

Plus, Trout has quite a strikeout problem (187 last year? over 150 or 160 again this year?) due to a weakness in the upper part of the strike zone that pitchers didn't learn to exploit until 2014 (which is why the batting average dropped so significantly the last two seasons). With this weakness, I highly doubt Trout will ever have the gigantic seasons Mantle had--1956: 52 HR, 130 RBI, .353 BA; 1957: 34 HR, .365 BA; 1961: 54 HR, 126 RBI, .317 BA. Mantle is just one of eight players to have created more than 200% of the runs the league average player produced over his entire career (other members by way of example include Williams, at the top; the Babe, just behind; Cobb; Hornsby; Jackson; and Gehrig--Mays and Aaron were in the 180% range, by the way--too many outs made and too few walks for the latter two, compared to the Mick. The guys that draw tons of walks also put up enormous runs scored totals, an area where Trout has been good, but certainly nowhere near the caliber of Ruth, Williams and Mantle. The latter stat is reflected in their career on base percentage: Williams at .483; Ruth .464, and Mantle .423. Take a look at the runs scored totals for these three--they are astounding, and not even Ted's mother would have considered him fast!

In addition, the one-of-one isn't really that in the truest sense--Trout has many, many rookie cards which will satisfy much of the demand, and the effect will be to fragment demand for any given "rare" card. If you have one and it ever touches $100K, however briefly, sell immediately! Mike would have to improve quite a bit to ever touch Mantle's toes by the truest measurement yardsticks. It's fun to "invest" in a current player/phenom, but remember the speculative element portion of the demand for his "best" cards is HUGE! And I like Trout too! But if I was going to put $100,000 into cards, he wouldn't even make my list. There's a lot of cards of the Babe, Ted Williams, Cobb, etc. that will do a helluva lot better as investments.

Just my 85 cents worth,

Larry

[clydepepper]

So, I'm guessing that's a no on the prospective trade for a bunch of Mark Grace cards?

I have to admit I was irked at myself for not getting on the Trout band-wagon at the right time and while I have done more investing in Kris Bryant (199 Ks), my favorite 1-of-1's are still my Allegeheny cards.
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[Leon]

Originally Posted by HOF Auto Rookies

Impressive. When I worked at a bank, lady came in about a fraud issue. She said she lost her debit card and people were withdrawing money from atm's all over. First thing I asked was if her pin number was safe etc. She said she wrote it in marker (sharpie) on her card.


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Sounds like something I would do.