New collector need help with 1910 and 1911 cards

[ptowncoug3012]

My grandfather just opened his safe deposit box after 40 years and gave me his card collection that he received from his uncle 40 years ago.
From my review of the collection I have the following
47 cards plus some dupes from 1910 Obake 150 and 175 subjects
19 cards from 1909 Obak Old English series
173 plus dupes from the 1911 Obak Red Back series
10 cards from the 1911 Turkey Red
85 cards from 1911 Zeenut
10 cards from 1912 Mono (T217)
10 cards from 1910 sporting life.
Included in these cards is the Weaver 1911 Zeenut that I just sold at auction for $17k in Oct. 2009.
None of these cards he gave me have ever been graded, but from what I can tell are near mint to mint as they have been kept in safety deposit boxes b/t my grandfather and his uncle for nearly 10 decades.
I have no clue where to begin or who to turn to have these graded, or even if I should. He gave them to me with the intention that I sell them, but I am not sure. Just a bit overwhelmed as really didn't realize the value, just thought it was great that these were 100 years old!
I would be much appreciated on some guidance. I have compling an inventory on excel of the cards and I also plan to scan them.

[caramelcard]

You're a lucky man.

Sounds like a West Coast collection. Enjoy the cards!

[rhettyeakley]

Sounds like a really nice collection you have there. The rarest cards you have in the group are the Mono cards. The Turkey Red, Sporting Life & Obaks are the least rare (with the 1909 Obaks being in much higher damand than the later years.) The 1911 Zeenuts aren't particularly difficult but if there are tough to find players in there they could bring a premium.

If you decide to sell & want to maximize your price and only have very limited experience with vintage cards I would probably contact a trusted auction house (I would recommend REA (Robert Edward Auctions) but everyone has their preference). However, if you are somewhat computer savvy and have some time on your hands you could also just list them on ebay individually (each card by themselves), if you do this be sure to take good scans, identify any flaws, and list them in the correct area and you could do it yourself.

What I wouldn't do is let anyone try to get individual cards before you go to sell as they probably have more knowledge than you do and will likely pick the rare ones out without you knowing.

Whatever you do I wish you the best.
-Rhett

[Jacklitsch]

"What I wouldn't do is let anyone try to get individual cards before you go to sell as they probably have more knowledge than you do and will likely pick the rare ones out without you knowing."

Great advice Rhett!

For example if you have a 1911 Zeenut Bohen it could be worth thousands of dollars. If you have a 1911 Zeenut Wares it could be worth $150.00. Be very carefull!

I would recommend that you contact SGC and have all of the cards graded. SGC is the premier grading company for the card issues you have. Once graded get them into a high profile auction.

Good luck you lucky dog.

[Matt]

Congrats on your inheritance!

One piece of advice; since you mentioned your not familiar with handling cards, you might want to consider sending them in to SGC for grading as soon as you can and then work on cataloging and scanning later; that way you don't have to worry about damaging the cards as you flip through them or remove them from the scanner bed. A tiny hairline crease or a corner ding can make a significant difference in the value of the card.

[FrankWakefield]

If you want to start "collecting" old ball cards, then HOLD onto all of these, and start reading and learning about old cards. Try to find vol 2 and vol 3 of Mr. Lew Lipset's Encyclopedia of Baseball Cards. It is a bit dated now, but it is an excellent starting point for understanding the cards. No need to spend money on grading these if you're "collecting". Over the years you can add to the family collection. (I'd list what you have now, so the next collector in your family can ascertain which cards are additions to the family collection.)

If you just want to pass these on down to a male child in a generation or so, then close the safe and remember the combination. Again, no need to spend money on grading. Keep these cards in the family.

If you're wanting to cash out... get in touch with some of the reputable card dealers... they could sell your cards the best way, depending on the cards. Bill Goodwin, Barry Sloate, Lew Lipset come to mind. Brockleman and Luckey sell cards. Talk to several before settling on one.

Don't let us buzzards here pick the bones... we'd all like to have one or all of them. You could contact a few of us, and send us scans, we could tell you what you have. If you go to Barnes & Noble, or Amazon, you can get a new edition of The Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards, it will help and guide you toward recognizing some of the more valuable cards.... the guides aren't perfect, and are less so in a novice's hands. Generally, folks new to the hobby overgrade and misidentify.

[asoriano]

Originally Posted by Jacklitsch

I would recommend that you contact SGC and have all of the cards graded. SGC is the premier grading company for the card issues you have. Once graded get them into a high profile auction.

I couldn't agree more. I'd also think about subscribing to Vintage Card Prices as well.