Father Passed and Left me his collection. Please Help.

[Skatehabitat24]

Hello everyone, I'm new to these wonderful forums. I'm a diehard Yankees and NY Giants fan living in NY. My father was a diehard fan and collector all his life. Sadly, the old man got sick and passed away leaving me with his collection. It's been some time and I'm now ready to move forward with it and try to find these cards good homes. I don't want to continue collecting and I'm too afraid of keeping them and either getting destroyed or sitting in a safe/closet forever.

All of his cards are ungraded.... I'm going to post an overview picture of some of the cards. My knowledge isn't that great beyond the online research I have done... These pictures are a very small glimpse of the entire collection. For instance he has over 25 mickey mantles of various years (no rookie) and hundreds of cards in the 40's 50's 60's.... mays, clemente, ted williams, koufax, yas, hank aaron, ect ect ect ect.....

I have no family and I'm a young adult who is lost on what to do with them. Thank you to any knowledge or advice on where I should go from here.... I do have bad individual photos of each card I can upload as well with the front and back more clear, I dont have a scanner but will get one soon....

Again thank you everybody so much....

[JollyElm]

Step one: Get some larger photos/scans working, so people here can examine what you have and offer recommendations. Plus, very importantly, they'll be able to make sure everything is authentic.

You could probably (easily) sell a lot of stuff here to members through the Buy/Sell/Trade section. Good luck!

[ullmandds]

If you want to sell them all your best bet is to consign them to one of the auction houses. You will not have to pay a commission if anything you might be able to negotiate a little off of their buyers premium and they will take care of the grading and all necessary arrangements

[BLongley]

Originally Posted by ullmandds

If you want to sell them all your best bet is to consign them to one of the auction houses. You will not have to pay a commission if anything you might be able to negotiate a little off of their buyers premium and they will take care of the grading and all necessary arrangements

+1

By far the best route in my opinion, this way you don’t have to deal with selling one at a time, or issues on trying to get them graded yourself. You will get much, much more money for them graded vs raw too.

[SetBuilder]

I see Cobbs and other HOF's in there. High end T206 cards like these are in a bubble right now so you don't need to do much to get top dollar for them. The grading fees will pay for themselves in the added price premium. You may get a few surprises if a couple of cards come back in high grade. Worth it.

Avoid eBay fees (10% sales fee + 3% for PayPal payment) and go straight to the B/S/T section and ask for friends/family payment by PayPal (especially if slabbed/graded). If you don't get friends/family payment (no fee) you'll at least avoid the 10% ebay fee.

If you want to sell these yourself get a scanner (a $60 Epson from Amazon will do just fine), and a free subscription to CardTarget. That way you'll feel better about the prices you're getting and won't get that odd feeling that you got ripped off. This is important since the cards have some sentimental value and seller's remorse can ruin the experience.

[Skatehabitat24]

Step one: Get some larger photos/scans working, so people here can examine what you have and offer recommendations. Plus, very importantly, they'll be able to make sure everything is authentic.

You could probably (easily) sell a lot of stuff here to members through the Buy/Sell/Trade section. Good luck!

I apologize for the garbage photos I will be getting a scanner to have even if I don't sell them myself.

If you want to sell them all your best bet is to consign them to one of the auction houses. You will not have to pay a commission if anything you might be able to negotiate a little off of their buyers premium and they will take care of the grading and all necessary arrangements

I don't know much about auction houses. Does the forum have any suggested ones? What is the procedure?

I am very sorry to hear about your father, my condolences. Maybe keep 1-2 of your favorites for the memories instead of selling the whole collection?

I wouldn't rush to accept the first offer, it looks like you have a pretty nice collection there so you ought to find significant interest. I see a few ways to go for selling them, all depending on the amount of work you want to do.

1) Get them graded and then list them on eBay (or on the Net54 BST) at the prices you want and wait for them to sell (I wouldn't auction them by yourself).

2) Send them to an auction house - there are many that will do a good job for you. They will also take care of getting them graded for you and may even pay you a visit in person if you will consign the whole collection.

3) Sell them to a dealer. There are a few who may travel to you for a collection of this quality and size. Don't just walk into the nearest card shop and accept that offer though.

#1 will be the most work but has price certainty and perhaps the highest net to you. #2 and #3 will be about the same amount of work. The dealer will give you a guaranteed return while the auction house has a chance to hit a few home runs (and conversely, have a few strike outs).

I am sure the thread will have ample suggestions for dealers and auction houses, and some will certainly send you messages through Net54.

No matter what you pick, good luck! And again, sorry for your loss.

Thank you for the condolences, as with most passings it was horrible. He was a good man and taught me a lot. I strive to be like him one day and hope to have a son or daughter and raise them like he wouldve wanted me to. I kept a few of mine and my fathers favorite players that I won't be selling.

- I don't know much about the PSA system, but it seems like from what I've read around here, it takes a very long time? Their website is a little confusing and I don't know what the true costs are. Can I ship them as a package or individual? Im just very confused on where to even start...

- Interested in the auction house idea, again I have no clue what the procedures are or anything....

- Does the forum have recommendation on reputable dealers?


Thank you to everyone replying. I appreciate any help. Youre all amazing... The process is a little bit overwhelming, but I will put in the work to do it correctly.

[slipk1068]

So sorry about your dad. Nice collection he had.

First thing I would do is get them out of those old screw-down holders and into Card Savers. Good luck with the sales.

[sb1]

Don't take them out yet! they could be stuck and there are a few tricks to unstick them. No need to damage them.

[CW]

The high dollar cards like the Speaker, Cobbs, Cy Young, etc. should be graded with either SGC or PSA. While wait times with PSA are long, higher dollar cards would need to be submitted at a higher express level which will speed up the grading process. PSA charges different rates based on the declared value of the card. While it is not cheap to get some of those graded, the return on investment is worth it.

Some auction houses will likely be contacting you after they see this thread. I would consider REA or Love of the Game, but you should definitely weigh all of your options before deciding. Good luck and sorry about your Dad.

If you take the cards out of the screwdown holders you are likely going to want to pick up some Card Saver 1 semi rigid sleeves to put the cards into. It's a good idea to practice with some cheaper cards to get the hang of putting cards into Card Savers. Lay a clean towel on the table to help protect any cards you might drop while taking them out of the screwdowns. SB1 also has great advice to be careful because some cards could be stuck in the screwdowns. Go slow and easy and maybe try opening the lesser valued cards first.

[oldjudge]

For this type of material I would highly recommend an auction house in your area——Love of the Game Auctions (LOTG). Regardless of the auction house you choose(I would not use the BST as you are unfamiliar with the values of the cards and you would have no idea where to price them) I would insist that they submit and pay for the grading of your cards and that they charge you no sellers fees and possibly share a small portion of the buyers commission with you. Good luck!

[SetBuilder]

Originally Posted by oldjudge

For this type of material I would highly recommend an auction house in your area——Love of the Game Auctions (LOTG). Regardless of the auction house you choose(I would not use the BST as you are unfamiliar with the values of the cards and you would have no idea where to price them) I would insist that they submit and pay for the grading of your cards and that they charge you no sellers fees and possibly share a small portion of the buyers commission with you. Good luck!

Sending them to an auction house is no fun.

Why not have fun selling them?

[h2oya311]

Originally Posted by oldjudge

For this type of material I would highly recommend an auction house in your area——Love of the Game Auctions (LOTG). Regardless of the auction house you choose(I would not use the BST as you are unfamiliar with the values of the cards and you would have no idea where to price them) I would insist that they submit and pay for the grading of your cards and that they charge you no sellers fees and possibly share a small portion of the buyers commission with you. Good luck!

Couldn’t agree more! This is 100% the way to go. I also like the idea of keeping one or two as a memorial. Great advice here!

[bnorth]

Sorry about you Dad.

It really depends on how much effort you want to put in.

The easiest would be to find one of the big guys and sell it all at one time. Like said there are guys that will fly to you.

Your most return by far. Take some time before you ever sell a card and do a lot of reading on this forum. Also ask a lot of questions about what you have so you can get a inventory. This is a great forum with a lot of info about the type of cards you have. There is also a lot of people that will give you great advise for free.

Then after a month or three you will have enough knowledge to get top dollar for what you have. The Buy Sell Trade section here is great and it is also free.

Best of luck with your decision.

[x2drich2000]

As has already been said, definitely get some better pictures. This will allow people to recommend the best route and also show any auction house/buyers that what you have is actually real. Using an auction house is going be the least hassle, but you are paying for someone else to handle all the work for you. For an auction house, I highly recommend LOTG (loveofthegameauctions.com). Shoot him an email or give him a call and he'll walk you through everything.

Also do you know how long the cards have been in those screwdowns? From an outside prospect, they probably seem like the best protection, but many cards have been ruined by being in screwdowns too long and too tightly resulting in corners being pressed (damaged) and the cards literally being stuck to the plastic.

If you have any other questions, just keep asking, the guys on this forum are great and are always willing to help.

DJ

[Orioles1954]

PM sent.

[toledo_mudhen]

I will 2nd the LOTG route

The owner Al is a super honest guy and is also a board member here.

I suspect he will probably reach out to you from this thread at some point.

[mantlefan]

Originally Posted by toledo_mudhen

I will 2nd the LOTG route

The owner Al is a super honest guy and is also a board member here.

I suspect he will probably reach out to you from this thread at some point.

Yes that’s the problem with posting new finds here. The third rate Auction houses will come knocking on your door to “help” you. Beware.
If you really want to go the Auction route pick a more reliable firm like REA.

[Directly]

Might the Cobb green portrait graded a 5 + alone possibly see mid-five figures?

You might check attending the 2019 National Convention this year being in Chicago might present another option ?

Would make a opportunity to shop the cards since all the majors will be attending.

I am planning to attend this year taking a old baseball Photograph!

[swarmee]

http://www.net54baseball.com/showthr...hlight=caprice
I'll say that you're probably best off contacting someone like Greg Morris as well, especially for the post-1940s cards. But you would do well to find a trusted board member in your area to confirm authenticity and then advise you upon seeing the card.
People keep saying that you'll pay no "sellers premium" to an auctionhouse still think it's perfectly appropriate to pay 20% for the buyers premium. They're the same thing: a percent of your sold card price that goes to the place you sell the cards to.
If you want to be more involved in the actual selling part, I am a huge fan of COMC. I've sold thousands of cards on there in just a couple of years. You mail the cards to COMC, they scan and store them, you set the price, and when they sell, COMC mails them to buyers all over the world (even through eBay and Amazon).

[Jobu]

I am very sorry to hear about your father, my condolences. Maybe keep 1-2 of your favorites for the memories instead of selling the whole collection?

I wouldn't rush to accept the first offer, it looks like you have a pretty nice collection there so you ought to find significant interest. I see a few ways to go for selling them, all depending on the amount of work you want to do.

1) Get them graded and then list them on eBay (or on the Net54 BST) at the prices you want and wait for them to sell (I wouldn't auction them by yourself).

2) Send them to an auction house - there are many that will do a good job for you. They will also take care of getting them graded for you and may even pay you a visit in person if you will consign the whole collection.

3) Sell them to a dealer. There are a few who may travel to you for a collection of this quality and size. Don't just walk into the nearest card shop and accept that offer though.

#1 will be the most work but has price certainty and perhaps the highest net to you. #2 and #3 will be about the same amount of work. The dealer will give you a guaranteed return while the auction house has a chance to hit a few home runs (and conversely, have a few strike outs). The auction route will likely give you a higher net than selling to a dealer.

I am sure the thread will have ample suggestions for dealers and auction houses, and some will certainly send you messages through Net54.

No matter what you pick, good luck! And again, sorry for your loss.

[Hxcmilkshake]

You could search completed Ebay auctions to get an idea on what they go for on some of them.

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[TCMA]

Skatehabitat24, are you north or south of Cooperstown? I’m 3 hours south.


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[Skatehabitat24]

Originally Posted by TCMA

Skatehabitat24, are you north or south of Cooperstown? I’m 3 hours south.


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Albany Area

I will be hooking my scanner/printer up if people are interested seeing some cards up close I will post some in this thread. I appreciate all the help, responses and condolences again thank you.

[swarmee]

https://www.blowoutforums.com/showth...light=neighbor
Here's another useful thread.

[Skatehabitat24]

Wanted to throw some more photos up for you guys. Still got a lot more to go through, sorry if these dont belong in this section just wanted to keep everything in the same thread. Scanner isnt working that great photos coming out really bad gonna try some stuff to make it better, so shitty cell phone photos for now.

Good news though is every card that I have been unscrewing has been completely free, undamaged, and not stuck at all!

[ullmandds]

NICE!!!!! The cobbs are sweet...too bad the greenies got a little nibble on the corner...and a cycle speaker...that's much better than a common back!!!!!

Look real to me...grades are another question?

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Originally Posted by Skatehabitat24

Wanted to throw some more photos up for you guys. Still got a lot more to go through, sorry if these dont belong in this section just wanted to keep everything in the same thread. Scanner isnt working that great photos coming out really bad gonna try some stuff to make it better, so shitty cell phone photos for now.

Good news though is every card that I have been unscrewing has been completely free, undamaged, and not stuck at all!

Wow, you're dad was a stud! As much as I'd love to get my hands on all of these there are definitely some that should go to the big boys. My offer of helping you with no obligation on your end stands.

[markcal02]

Originally Posted by Skatehabitat24

Hello everyone, I'm new to these wonderful forums. I'm a diehard Yankees and NY Giants fan living in NY. My father was a diehard fan and collector all his life. Sadly, the old man got sick and passed away leaving me with his collection. It's been some time and I'm now ready to move forward with it and try to find these cards good homes. I don't want to continue collecting and I'm too afraid of keeping them and either getting destroyed or sitting in a safe/closet forever.

All of his cards are ungraded.... I'm going to post an overview picture of some of the cards. My knowledge isn't that great beyond the online research I have done... These pictures are a very small glimpse of the entire collection. For instance he has over 25 mickey mantles of various years (no rookie) and hundreds of cards in the 40's 50's 60's.... mays, clemente, ted williams, koufax, yas, hank aaron, ect ect ect ect.....

I have no family and I'm a young adult who is lost on what to do with them. Thank you to any knowledge or advice on where I should go from here.... I do have bad individual photos of each card I can upload as well with the front and back more clear, I dont have a scanner but will get one soon....

Again thank you everybody so much....

I'm sorry about your fathers passing. ~ Take care, Mark

[Hxcmilkshake]

Idk anything about the pre war but the Mantles look amazing. I'm betting this whole thing is legit, a few cards may have been altered but for the most part you've got an amazing collection. Good luck with it.

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