Kalamazoo Bats on ebay.....not sold

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Posted By: leon

I was a little surprised that this didn't meet reserve at 10k....I can't think it's worth a ton more, but what do I know?....

http://cgi.ebay.com/1887-Kalamazoo-Bats-Baltimore-Team-Card-N693-Rare_W0QQitemZ260195358442QQihZ016QQcategoryZ86839 QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

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Posted By: Matt

maybe the guy was using ebay to establish market price for the card and the reserve was something set impossibly high.

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Posted By: barrysloate

Wow- didn't see that. Baltimore may be the toughest of the six team cards, but yes, 10K does seem like at minimum a fair offer.

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Posted By: Matt

"Wow- didn't see that."

This would seem to give ammo to those suggesting that a listing in the proper category would never be lost. That listing was listed in the correct category and stuck out as the most unique card to hit ebay in quite some time and was still missed.

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Posted By: Steve Murray

What it does say is that Barry has better things to do with his time.

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Posted By: Matt

Steve - I think that's exactly the point - he wouldn't have known about the listing if it wasn't posted here. I'm not sure how that's different from what I was saying. You're just explaining why he didn't see it.

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Posted By: barrysloate

Steve is right. Even though I sell regularly on ebay, I rarely look at the card section. I do have some searches for rare early material, but I don't buy cards off ebay. So I'm a bad example.

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Posted By: Jay

Last Baltimore, in worse condition, sold for $15K on Ebay. Team cards in order of scarcity are Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Detroit, Athletics, Philadelphia and Boston IMHO. Pittsburgh is the scarcest by far.

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Posted By: barrysloate

I thought of Pittsburgh, but there are I believe two small and one large, and I don't think there are three Baltimore known. But I'm sure you know better than I do.

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Posted By: Jay

I know of 5 Baltimores and only 3 Pittsburghs. Cabinets are a different story.

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Posted By: barrysloate

I didn't think there were that many Baltimores, and I only know of two Pittsburghs. So you are correct, Pittsburgh is the toughest.

Here's a little anecdote: back in the 1980's, Mark Rucker received an unsolicited package in the mail from an antique dealer he knew with an old baseball photograph he thought Mark would be interested in; and he could either return it if he didn't want it, or keep it and send him $35.

It was a Kalamazoo Bats Pittsburgh team card! Those things don't happen too much anymore.

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Posted By: Rob Dewolf

And that antiques dealer was ... Sir Edward Wharton Tigar.

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Posted By: barrysloate

Probably not. I do remember Mark being extremely excited, and even though we are talking 1980's prices, he knew that he had made one of his great scores. It was a gorgeous card, at least EX. It's one of the three that circulates today.

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Posted By: Rob Dewolf

In all seriousness, Barry, that's a great story.

It's a nice chance to remember the days when collecting acquaintances would send items along with a note that read, "If you can use this send me ..."

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Posted By: 1880nonsports

in upstate NY that I was looking for a copy of the Buckner Offenders and Defenders book. I told her I'd be willing to pay a couple of hundred dollars. Ten months later and long after I'd forgotten about it - the book comes in the mail with a bill for 45.00......