PSA 1 Fr-Pr

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Posted By: Anson

Without going down the bash path.....Has anyone noticed the tremendous amount of difference from one PSA 1 to the next? I understand that it's anything that falls into the poor to fair range but geeeeeeeezzzzzzzzuuuuuuuusssss.

Someone posted a pic of a PSA 1 E101 Cobb a while back that looked as if a school of piranhas had gotten to it. Yet, I've seen nice clean images with a few hairline creases get the same tag. Time for a 1.5 PSA?

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Posted By: Mark Holt

I have a number of PSA1's (mostly prewar hockey) and that grade certainly has a big variation. I think I've seen the advise on this board 'buy the card, not the holder.'

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Posted By: Judge Dred

Ok, lets see who has the ugliest SGC10, GAI1 or PSA1...

I'll start

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Posted By: RayB

Poor can be bad, really bad, god awful, horrendous, or road kill! Of any grade that PSA slabs, one should really be selective about what you will or will not accept in a PSA 1 holder.
Yup...buy the card.

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Posted By: Adam J. Moraine

My personal opinion is that PSA 1's,2's,3's are not even worth the plastic holders they are slabbed in, much less the amount of money these "collectors" spend on them.

Best Regards,

Adam J. Moraine

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Posted By: Hal Lewis

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Posted By: Andy

.....a BVG 1

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Posted By: T206Collector

I assure you, these cards are worth quite a bit more than the plastic cost to house them and secure their authenticity.

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Posted By: Ray

Adam, I wholeheartedly disagree with you! As a teacher, the SGC 10 and PSA 1 cards are my only way to collect. In less than two years, I've collected over 125 cards in the T206 set. I own all three Matty's in SGC10 cases and they are the pride of my collection!

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Posted By: Anson

Here's the link to the Cobb I was talking about.

No offense to the owner but I think the GAI .75 comment from another post is pretty accurate.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=31718&item=5210097032&rd=1&ssPageName=WD1V#ebayphotohosting

Adam, some of us aren't made of money. I'm glad that you won't settle for less than a four. I will gladly take your 1-3's for the price of the holder.

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Posted By: Adam J. Moraine

I do not mean to offend anyone, but do you guys honestly think your PSA 1's, 2's' or 3's would generate big bucks if they consigned to a major auction/auction house. When I began collecting in 1988 (age 8) I was a "collector at heart". I now see my collection as a "huge investment", as my odds of SOMEDAY drawing social security,(I was born in 1980) dwindle day by day. I plan to SOMEDAY do the same as Barry Halper did. Collect/invest in premium cards/memorabilia/autographs. and then..... CHA-CHING .... CONSIGN, CONSIGN, CONSIGN!

Best Regards,

Adam J. Moraine

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Posted By: Brian

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Posted By: Anson

Hmm, I don't know Adam. Someone shelled out $110k for that T206 PSA 1 Wagner a few weeks back.

You might take a look at what PSA 3 Mattys, W.Johnsons, Wagners,Youngs, and Cobbs are going for.

At the ripe old age of 25, I'm glad that you see the importance of investing. However, realize that sometimes manufacturing runs is more efficient than trying to hit the long ball.

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Posted By: Ray

wow, you're really young! I thought I was young (1976) for being a vintage collector. Anyways, I see the point you are trying to make and agree with it. Yes, the idea of quality over quantity works for your purpose. But, as a true collector, I couldn't ever complete the set that way. So, for my purposes, 520 beaters are worth much more than 100 PSA 4 cards. Nice to see more people my age in this market.

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Posted By: tbob

"My personal opinion is that PSA 1's,2's,3's are not even worth the plastic holders they are slabbed in, much less the amount of money these "collectors" spend on them."

Adam- no offense but that could be the dumbest thing I've heard all year, or maybe just the most naive. Let's see you try and collect the 1909 Obak set in PSA 4 or better. I bet you could come up with a grand total of one card. The hobby is made up of collectors, collectors who invest on occasion but primarily are in it for their love of the cards. It sounds like you will be collecting shiny chase cards from the Pokemon set if they have a huge upside.
Me, I'll take a slightly worn PSA 3 E98 Wagner any frigging day of the week and twice on Sunday.
tbob

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Posted By: will watson

i'm only 24- although i don't act a day over 15


"My personal opinion is that PSA 1's,2's,3's are not even worth the plastic holders they are slabbed in, much less the amount of money these "collectors" spend on them."

its worth it, just to know you're getting the real, unaltered thing.

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Posted By: Jeff Lichtman

Brian's card takes the prize: a PSA 1 with a qualifier! Does that make it a negative 1 when looking up it's price in the SMR? If so, Brian, please send me a check to take it off your hands...

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Posted By: Scottopotamus

Most of my T206 collection are in the SGC 10, 20, & 30 grades. I collect them (and 1955 Topps All American Football) for my enjoyment. I hope to one day pass them on to my daughter.

I fully realize I will never get rich from selling baseball cards.

...and in the spirit of showing off some "beat to heck cards" I give you Elmer Flick.



Scottoptamus
My T206 Web Site

http://www.freewebs.com/scottopotamus

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Posted By: Anson

Scott, thumbs up on your avatar.

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Posted By: Morrie

Adam said:

"I do not mean to offend anyone, but do you guys honestly think your PSA 1's, 2's' or 3's would generate big bucks if they consigned to a major auction/auction house."

It may surprise you to learn that not all of us purchase cards with the intent of one day consigning them to Mastro. I'm glad that you like your high-end cards. I'm happy that someone the age of my students is doing as well as you seem to be. But your motivation for collecting cards is clearly different from some of us, myself included.

No, I don't think any of my beaters are ever going to generate big bucks on consignment. But that's not why I bought them. I bought them because they make me smile.

Morrie

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Posted By: Adam J. Moraine

In my defense, I hate to burst your bubble, Tbob but I do not collect gaming cards. ONLY prewar/postwar ABSOLUTELY NOTHING AFTER 1965. The only exception being Cal Ripken, Jr.

Best Regards,

Adam J. Moraine

As far as the PSA 1 Wagner which sold for $110,000 It's all about supply and demand. How many T-206 Wagner's are there? Of those out there, I doubt IF most would grade higher than a 1,2, or 3. How many have graded PSA 4,5,6,7,8,9,10 ? Can someone show me a population report on the PSA graded Wagners?

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Posted By: jay behrens

Adam, collecting 50/4 or higher might be a nice thing for common sets like t206, Goudeys, etc, but there is no way you could put together most caramel sets in that condition. Many sets, like e104-3s, t208s, etc you have to buy what ever comes up. You can't worry about waiting a "nice". There jsut aren't that many around, and in some cases, they don't exist. I had one person laugh at my e104-3s because of how bad of shape they were in. He said he only likes vry high grade stuff. That's fine, but he'll never own a complete set of any caramel issue or other rare sets.

For me personall having been on both sides of the collecting spectrum, I really appreciate low grade now. High grade look nice, but they lack character. No one loved those cards enough to carry them around, flip them or show them off to their buddies.

Jay

My place is full of valuable, worthless junk.

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Posted By: Anson

Adam, here goes your bubble....

There are almost 25% more graded T206 Wagners than there are E101 Cobbs (just an example). Grade for Grade, there are higher examples of the Wagners graded than the Cobb.

While the number of T206 Wagners is almost nonexistent compared to the number of graded cards in the set, count how many TOTAL cards have been graded in some of the rarer caramel sets (E97, E107, Crofts Candy/Cocoa, Nadja etc... It's not all about the graded numbers or scarcity.

PSA pop perverts piss me off. It becomes counting holders and not enjoying the cards. I can appreciate high-end examples but I refuse to let the holder be the quest.

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Posted By: Josh K.

I just received nearly 1k for an SGC 30 E98 wagner - hardly my idea of worthless.

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Posted By: al davis

i guess some people call it an "industry," and they deal in "product." i call it a hobby, and i deal in cards. a well-worn vintage caramel or tobacco card in low-grade that has nice centering with smooth round corners and antique toning frequently looks nicer (more original and vintage) than a sharp and bright card. old cards bring me pleasure because they are historical....a bit of wear gives them realism.

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Posted By: Scott Elkins

A nice 2-4 vintage card looks like a 95+ year old piece of cardboard should look! I LOVE cards in this range.

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Posted By: John

Wow I’m shocked that anyone on this board would feel that way.

Not everyone can afford the best. Hell its getting to the point I cant even afford the avg.

Adam you may feel its silly to buy (PSA 1,2,3) and the guy who collects (PSA 7,8,9) thinks it silly that anyone would buy a (PSA 4,5,6). And somewhere I’m sure there is someone who thinks were all silly for spending any amounts of money on these silly pieces of paper.

Collect because you like it, collect what you like, and don’t plan on getting rich in the process.

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Posted By: Alan

Adam,

I think you did offend a lot of us when you made that comment. I can only afford the really poor, off grade material. But, I enjoy collecting it....

Alan

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Posted By: Chuck R

I agree with the general sentiments here, but I would like to make an indirect defense of Adam's statement. In my end of the hobby, I see examples every day of common cards in crappy condition that might go for $2-5 max if things were different than they are today. Instead, someone will throw them on eBay entombed in a PSA1 crypt and several people will bid the thing up to $25 or $30. It is in these cases that I would agree that the emperor has no clothes. The cards I'm talking about are things like Horrors of War from 1938. They have been reprinted, but nobody with any experience would be fooled by a reprint. Hence, encapsulating for authenticity purposes is relatively pointless.

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Posted By: warshawlaw

It all depends on the card and the collector. Some issues are so rare (e.g., 1928 PCL Exhibits) that you take what you find. I happily purchase p-f cards from rare sets because I know I may not find them again for years. My 1926 Zeenut Lefty O'Doul looks like it was folded in half and rolled up, but it's mine...

Some cards are so common (e.g., T206 HOFers) that you may not want to pay $800-$1,000 for a midgrade card. I am content with my "1" red portrait Cobb because there was no way in hell I was going to pay the freight on a "4"; I'd rather have three "1" Cobbs for the same price.

Some cards are not that rare but are so high demand that low grade is the only realistic way to collect. My caramel Cy Young cards are lower grade but no way could I bring myself to pay 10x-25x the price of those cards for better specimens.

While I don't want to repeat myself w/r/t investments and cards, I do not share the belief that lower grade cards are unsound investments. No, they will not be in Mastro but neither will many of the vintage collectors out there who cannot afford to spend $10,000 a card, even as an investment. Remember, an investment is worth whatever two people agree it is worth. IMHO lower end cards of primo players from popular sets have a ready market and one that will increase in size (unlike very expensive cards, which rely on a thin sliver of the populace for their continued value increases) as more people are drawn into the vintage area of the hobby but cannot or will not spend mega bucks on cards. Consider the lower grade cards penny stocks; lots of people do quite well on those. It all depends on your acumen in picking them.

Finally, there is a huge variation in 1's because the flaws that generate a 1 or even a 2 (why PSA doesn't have a "fair" category has always been beyond my understanding) can be multiple or a single severe one. I have some 1's that look like hell; others have a single flaw like album removal on the back, a small punch hole or clipped corner that generate a technical 1 but that look really nice in comparison. I will buy vg-ex with a small hole or a bit of back damage writing in a 1 slab all day long provided I am paying "1" prices for it.

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Posted By: Adam J. Moraine

Thanks, Chuck that's just ONE of the points I were trying to make. Second, do you guys actually think that WHEN/IF the time comes to sell these cards that you will get back what you paid for them? I think it's great that you collect PSA 1,2, 3 because you are in it for the hobby. So were I, at age 8. Things change, despite the fact I hate change. I just do not believe these cards are sound investments, in the long term. For example, Hal stated that he sold a PSA 1 Gehrig to a fellow collector for $5,000. When it comes time for Mr. Fellow Collector to sell the Gehrig, does Mr. Collector actually think that he will retain his $5,000 or more ? I seriously doubt it. MOST collectors who are in the hobby for "investment purposes"(i.e ME) want QUALITY cards, not beat-to-death cards that have been flipped,traded,put in bike spokes, put in the wash machine, baked in the oven,folded, squewed, fried, pinholed, scotched taped, wrote on, etc,etc, etc, You guys get the idea! I will NEVER have a PSA 1, 2, or 3 in my collection. Hell, I do not even like graded cards anyway. I only own three. 1954 Topps Jackie Robinson (PSA 5) 1958 Topps Ritchie Ashburn (PSA 5) 1958 Topps Roger Maris rookie card (PSA 7) I think it's absurd to spend big money on a card just because it has a lousey number attached to it. Which is why I ONLY buy raw cards from trusting individuals. (fellow collectors)

Best Regards,

Adam J. Moraine

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Posted By: Wesley

"I plan to SOMEDAY do the same as Barry Halper did. Collect/invest in premium cards/memorabilia/autographs. and then..... CHA-CHING .... CONSIGN, CONSIGN, CONSIGN!"


Adam,

Cha-ching indeed!

Good luck with your plans. Looking forward to seeing one of the big auction house devote a catalog to the "Morraine Collection."

Regards,
Wesley

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Posted By: warshawlaw

because it is RARE. You seem to miss a big point, which is that many (most) rare cards do not exist in higher grades and/or rarely come to market in any grade. Would you reject the 1914 Ruth that recently fetched a quarter mil because it is lower grade? A "1" T206 Wagner? Any E107 HOFer? etc., etc., etc.

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Posted By: identify7

With all due respect to your assessment, Adam, I think there are many ways to invest in cards, just like in stocks and other vehicles. As Leon points out, timing is crucial.

When it is better to put your x dollars into penny stocks rather than their high priced counterparts is a serious field of study.

I believe that the same is true for baseball cards. During periods of this hobby's brief history we have seen cyclical focus on various areas of collecting, including grade. If you have not researched this history you have missed interesting phenonoma.

It is common, as you point out, for significant investors to purchase highly graded material. This happened on a relatively large scale in numismatics beginning in the late '80s. Thus far, based on recent and current coin pricing, the choices were mostly ill advised.

Mr. Moraine: you state that you want QUALITY cards for investment (ie. relatively higher graded examples). What factual data do you rely on for this determination? My analysis indicates just the opposite of yours. The basis of my analysis (which I am doing for fun) is the best available card pricing history 1975 - date.

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Posted By: Brian

Jeff,

I had never considered a 1MK having a negative SMR value -- funny stuff.

Unfortunately, the card isn't mine. I saw it on ebay about 4 years ago and saved the scan.

Brian

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Posted By: Judge Dred

Adam,

There are two main factors why people will buy a beat and tattered card:

Economics (affordability)
Availability (how many ExMt E107 Wagners are there?)

I have a lot of respect for the collectors that love this hobby so much that they will place lower grade cards to complete their sets or to enhance their collections. These people are in it for the love of collecting. I'm not saying that people don't love collecting if they wont accept a lower grade card but the fact that getting joy from adding a card (whehter it be P/F or ExMt) to a collection is what it's all about. Hobby budgets vary from a few hundred dollars a year to millions. If you're on the lower end of the spectrum it's not reasonable to think that you're going to get ExMt cards in any quantity.

Getting a card graded is done for a few different reasons:

Protect the card for future generations to enjoy.
Investment vehicle that may produce a profit later.
Place the collection is a set registry.
Bragging rights.

MOST collectors who are in the hobby for "investment purposes" buy graded cards because that's supposed to be "where the money is" and the investment potential depends upon an assigned number from some trained monkey that knows less about this hobby than a stock broker really knows about picking the right stock.

There may come a day when you just might succomb to purchasing a P/F card to complete a set. When that day comes, hopefully you'll see the appreciation that many collectors have for this hobby. I'm not saying you don't have an appreciation but when a hobby is investment driven it makes it difficult to appreciate the hobby if a bubble bursts and the stuff turns out to be just pictures of baseball players on cardboard.

Keep collecting and be happy with what you obtain!

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Posted By: T206Collector

"It happened to me. I bought a doctored (meaning a reprint made to look aged/old/authentic)"1933 Goudey Lajoie". I got totally screwed, JASON DEAN (SELLER'S NAME) made a $122.50 profit ( my closing bid) off of a dime reprint.Which is why I NO LONGER use EBAY! EBAY SUCKS!!!! Best Regards,
Adam J. Moraine"

Before you try to unload that Lajoie on Mastronet, you might want to start purchasing cards graded by the Big 3, in whatever condition you find them in.

Paul Mifsud (aka T206Collector)

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Posted By: Adam J. Moraine

Wesley,

Here is goes, I am 24 years old, (25 on November 3) I have been collecting since 1988. Here's A SAMPLE of what I have autographs of Mantle(Got 10 of em')Dimaggio, Williams, Maris, Ruth, Cobb, Wagner, Foxx, Fox, Jackie Robinson, Waner Brothers, Presidents Kennedy, Teddy Roosevelt, Truman, Bush 41, Mother Teresa, individual 8x10 photos signed by nearly EVERY CURRENT A-LIST hollywood celebrity that you could name. Oh yeah, I have a pair of boxing gloves signed by Ali, a puck signed by Gretzky, and a basketball signed by Jordan, NOW Do you want me to go into my card collection? I have over 50,000 cards and over 300 autographs. I just picked up on an autograph of Jack Norworth. He wrote "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" in case you did not know. TRUST ME, for my age, I have one of the most premier collections here in Iowa. IF you want I will even mail you a copy of the 1 PAGE hometown newspaper article I were featured in. "The Des Moines Register", April 5, 2003 edition. SHOW ME another 24 year old, who has the collection that I have! Oh yeah, I also have a pair of game-used cleats from Sammy Sosa ( currently on display at the Bob Feller Museum). TRUST ME, ONE DAY, MY FRIEND YOU WILL SEE THE MORAINE COLLECTION HIT THE AUCTION BLOCK. WHEN MY COLLECTION GENERATES HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS, WE WILL SEE WHO HAS THE LAST LAUGH, AS YOU WILL STILL BE WORKING FOR A LIVING. I WILL BE RETIRED, YOUNG, AND WEALTHY LIVING IN AN ESTATE IN GREENWICH, CT, ONE OF THE MOST AFFLUENT COMMUNITIES IN THE ENTIRE U.S.

Best Regards,

Adam J. Moraine
p.s. Happy Bidding

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Posted By: Adam J. Moraine

AH, PAUL , I THREW THE LAJOIE REPRINT IN THE GARBAGE.IT'S IN A LANDFILL SOMEWHERE HERE IN IOWA. WHERE IT NOW RESTS PEACEFULLY.

BEST REGARDS,

ADAM J. MORAINE

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Posted By: Wesley

Best of luck to you Adam! That is quite a collection that you have amassed there. You are probably right in that I will still be working in this crappy job for years to come. Damn

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Posted By: identify7

Mr. Moraine: I congratulate you on impressing yourself with your accomplishments to date. I followed a different path in my first quarter of a century. By 25 I had a child with a second soon to follow, a house, and a solid job.

Times were different. I followed the ideal then and did well and am happy You are following the current ideal - and apparently also doing well and making yourself happy. Great.

But you did not answer my question.

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Posted By: Greg

WOW! I didn't know that a pair of "Slammin" Sammy Sosa cleats existed outside of the local sportsbar, much less in Iowa! Do you keep your Wagner autograph next to Christina Aguilera or Brittaney's auto...dude chill out I remember 24 and its not the best age to start banging on people for their financial situations vs. yours. You started collecting at age 8, I'm sure Dad's $$ started you out, do you plan on giving him a cut of your profits from the Mastronet extravaganza? I think the cover of the Mastro catalogue should just be a scan of the jerkwater newspaper article you mentioned. What was that paper thinking, I guess there were no cats stuck in trees that day? Hey, I live in LA not CT so I'll still be way cooler than you man, good luck on the move. By the way, the amount of sports memorabilia you have will not improve the size of your anatomy...only Porsches can do that. This was fun!!
GB

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Posted By: Brian

Gil, I agree times are different but in many respects they are still the same. People still have families young, own homes young and die for their country young.

Adam, you have an impressive collection but it pales in comparison to some other members on this board. However, they don't flaunt their collection nor do they define themselves by their collection. You're not the only young person on this board, I'm 26 and like you, collected cards off and on since 1988. By my 26th birthday I had been stationed in Europe for five years and done combat tours in Iraq, Kosovo and Bosnia. I treasure the collection I do have, but it's not who I am.

Brian

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Posted By: will watson

Adam,

you sound like a tool. your age shows- you're acting like an immature child. this is a hobby. keep the uppity spoiled talk between your fraternity buddies

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Posted By: T206Collector

I appreciate your reworking of my name, but I will resist reworking yours. Suffice to say, you live in Iowa with a pair of Sammy Sosa's shoes. If that was what I had to be proud of in my life I'd probably sell Sammy's shoes to buy a gun with one bullet to kill myself.

Why you continue to admit things that earn you scorn on this board is beyond me, but you may want to take a step out of Sammy's shoes for a moment before you pen your next post. Given your "extensive collection," it is remarkable to me that you would have recently spent $122 on a Lajoie reprint on ebay, and then complain that the seller duped you.

Suffice to say, I recommend that you take a step out of Sammy's shoes before you pen your next post. Read and then reread what you have said and how people have responded. You might actually learn something. Also, if I were you, I'd wait for the final sale price from your consignment before I quit my day job milking cattle.

Paul Mifsud (aka T206 Collector)

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Posted By: Adam J. Moraine

FIRST OF ALL, GREG I AM GLAD THAT YOUR HAVING THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE IN HOYYWOOD OR BEVERLY HILLS. HAVE YOU SEEN THE MOVIES CLUELESS, PRETTY WOMAN, OR DOWN AND OUT IN BEVERLY HILLS? THEY SPEAK A HELL OF ALOT FOR L.A. HUH? SECOND,GREG, IT WAS MY LATE GRANDFATHER, WHO HAD GOT MYSELF INTO THIS "HOBBY". ELEMENTARY, MR DEAR WATSON, I DO NOT BELONG TO A FRAT. NOR AM I AM "SPOILED BRAT". JUST A YOUNG INVESTOR, WITH LOFTY GOALS.

BEST REGARDS,

ADAM J. MORAINE

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Posted By: Adam J. Moraine

MILFSTUD, I LIVE IN THE CAPITAL CITY OF IOWA, (DES MOINES) NO FARMS IN DES MOINES. POPULATION 300,000. I DO NOT MILK CATTLE. WHERE ARE YOU FROM?

BEST REGARDS,

ADAM J. MORAINE

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Posted By: T206Collector

Copyright 2003 The Des Moines Register
All Rights Reserved
Des Moines Register

April 5, 2003 Saturday

SECTION: HOME AND GARDEN; Pg. 3H

LENGTH: 724 words

HEADLINE: Investment plan is in the cards;
Iowa Collects; This collection of sports memorabilia covers all the bases, from being fun to being valuable.

BYLINE: Beam Patrice, Freelance OK

BODY:
Patrice Beam

At the age of 22, collector Adam Moraine's goal is to become a millionaire by the time he is 50. To date, he has amassed a collection of more than 60,000 baseball cards, autographs and other memorabilia, which sport a six-figure book value.

When did you start to build your collec-tion?I began at the age of 8. My grandfather encouraged me to take up a hobby, and in the 1980s baseball card collecting was experiencing a boom. We both thought it would be a good collectible for me, so I started out buying packets of cards.

My grandfather also took me to baseball card shows to meet the stars, buy cards and get autographs. The first time I met Brooks Robinson was when I was 11 years old. During the past 15 years, baseball has become my love and my passion.

I go to games when I can fit them in with work, and I'm a charter member and volunteer at the Bob Feller Hometown Museum. In fact, I was born on the same date as Bob Feller, Nov. 3.

I've met many stars at the museum, including Stan Musial, Tommy Lasorda and Gaylord Perry, and had my picture taken with most of them.

When did baseball cards first come on the market?In the late 1880s, the first baseball cards were called Old Judge. They were approximately 1 by 2 inches and were put into tobacco packets. I have about a dozen tobacco cards dating from 1909.

The most valuable card from this time period is a Honus Wagner from the Pittsburgh Pirates, worth $1.2 million. I sure wish I had one of those cards. I do have his autograph, worth about $500.

Why do you collect?Mainly, I collect for investment purposes. I don't sell or trade -I just buy.

My No. 1 goal in life is to have a multimillion-dollar investment portfolio before the age of 50. Currently, my collection is worth more than $100,000. I do research on Internet auction sites and read the Beckett Almanac of Baseball Cards to keep abreast of current values.

Do you have limits on what items you buy?I prefer to collect vintage baseball stuff that dates from the 1950s and 1960s. Those were the innocent days of the hobby, when baseball stars played for the love of the game and not the multimillion-dollar contracts.

I have an autographed Babe Ruth "cut" signature card valued at $2,500; a Ty Cobb canceled check for $800 and an 8-by-10-inch photo of Roger Maris for $700. But the gem of my collection is a 1953 Topps Mickey Mantle card valued at $3,000.

Did you ever get a bargain?When I was a junior at East High School, I went to an estate sale and found a box of baseball cards from the 1950s. The seller wanted 5 cents each for them. There were no major star cards in the box, but they were worth $5 to $10 each. It was a nice find.

When it comes to autographed baseball items, are forgeries common? Yes, and collectors should always follow the old adage "buyer beware." For the most part, I get my autographs in person. Those I don't get myself I buy from a Universal Autograph Collectors Club dealer.

Do you have any desire to sell your collection? I can't see myself parting with my cards yet. Maybe I have an emotional attachment to them because of my grandfather.

I keep a written list of every item I own and have them sorted by category and stored in boxes. My most valuable items are in a safe deposit box.

Baseball cards have been around for 115 years, and I don't see the hobby winding down anytime soon. In 10 or 20 years, as these cards and autographs become more rare, my collection might be worth $500,000. A couple of years ago another collector auctioned off part of his collection for $2.5 million.

What items do you still hope to purchase? I have a Babe Ruth autograph and I want a Lou Gehrig one. I also want a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle rookie card. I have his second year, but not his first.

I understand you have branched out into other collections.Yes, several years ago I wrote to John Pappajohn and asked for investment advice. He suggested that I expand my collecting.

So now I have autographs of Hollywood celebrities, historical figures and other professional athletes in addition to baseball stars. My favorite nonsports autographs are Mother Teresa and President John F. Kennedy.

Have a large or unusual collection? Contact Iowa Collects, Box 41397, Des Moines, Ia. 50311 or patricebeam@hotmail.com.

GRAPHIC: _By: DOUG WELLS, REGISTER PHOTOS; Baseball legend: Adam Moraine, right, is a charter member and volunteer at the Bob Feller Hometown Museum in Van Meter. This is his autographed picture with the Hall of Fame pitcher. Left: A 1909 tobacco card of Hall of Famer Miller Huggins.A 1953 Mickey Mantle card from Topps. Signed ball: Adam Moraine has an autographed ball from Ted Williams._ Moraine; Collector details; WHO: Adam Moraine; COLLECTION: Baseball cards and other memorabilia; HOME: Des Moines; OCCUPATION: Clerk at Quik Trip Inc. NUMBER OF ITEMS: More than 60,000 items; WHAT IT COSTS: Many baseball cards can be purchased for $1 to $20, and autographs between $5 and $50. CONTACTS: Bob Feller will be at the Bob Feller Hometown Museum in Van Meter from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Go online at www.bobfellermuseum.org. CLUB: Universal Autograph Collectors Club, Box 6181, Washington, D.C. 20044 PUBLICATIONS: "Beckett Almanac of Baseball Cards and Collectibles," by Beckett Publications (2002)

LOAD-DATE: April 26, 2003

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Posted By: Adam J. Moraine

VERY GOOD, T-206 COLLECTOR.

BEST REGARDS,

ADAM J. MORAINE

[Archive]

Posted By: warshawlaw

Isn't that kinda like being the toughest Muppet?

Adam

You've got to remember that these are just simple farmers. These are people of the land. The common clay of the new West. You know... morons.