What do you regret passing up?

If we could only turn back the clock

Our twelve biggest card collecting mistakes

1. N 43 near mint sent (1981) from Tom Collier $6000
2. 1915 Cracker Jack Poster (1984) Rob Lifson $20,000
3. Sol White Colored Baseball (best condition copy) 1979-show $350.00
4. Round Album Advertising Poster (1981) - Herman Kaufmann $18,500
5. Bought and sold 100 T212- 1981 bought $300- sold $1,200 same Philly show
6. Underbidder at Sotheby's for only Baseball Oscar- won by S Verkman
7. Near Mint Large Gypsy Quenn- $1,500 Chicago National- early 1980's
8. Ron Oser's NY Kalamazoo Bat"find" of New Yorkers- should have sold the ranch to buy them all
9. Chance to buy 5 near mint N 162 bb sets- 1984 -Goody Goldfaden- bout one for $200- should have bought all for $1000.00
10. Near Mint-Mint 1933 Goudey set - 1982- Cliff Lambert- $1750.00
11. Complete Set of T 200 Premiums- $10,000 George Lyons 1981
12. Old Judge Advertising sign with Player photos- 1989-Lew Neman-- $8000

We learned that one can never pay too much for ultra rare quality material.
Our new strategy has enabled us to acquire more than 30 additions to
America's Toughest Want List since Memorial Day.

In the words of a famous general- We have only just begun to fight

Bruce Dorskind
America's Toughest Want List
bdorskind@dorskindgroup.com

[Peter_Spaeth]

Essentially Mint Wilson Franks Williams in a Boston card shop.

[milkit1]

1988-1989 - 4 signed Babe Ruth 1933 goudeys for $2400
this was the days before authentication but they did look good. Little too pricey for a boy with a paper route though

[Exhibitman]

A stack of 1918 Zeenuts at set-up day at a National. Why I went to set-up day if I wasn't going to buy things like that...

[rp12367]

Had a chance to buy a T207 Walter Johnson Buyback in high vg- maybe low ex back in 2003 at a local show for $250, dealer had it marked at $300. I wish I had got that card, never saw another one (buyback),I left the show with a box of 2003 Bowman baseball that was a bust...

[pete zouras]

Passing on a Walter "Johnston" Novelty Cutlery PC in VG+ for $300 about 10 years ago. I used the "it's not a card" argument to talk myself out of it.

[GasHouseGang]

Two Nm-Mt 1952 Topps Mantles, $1000 each, your choice. Both were beauties, couldn't pull the trigger. Oh well...

[bigtrain]

Originally Posted by Yankeefan51

In the words of a famous general- We have only just begun to fight


bdorskind@dorskindgroup.com

I believe its "I have not yet begun to fight" - John Paul Jones, Captain USN

[barrysloate]

I've told this story before, but in 1995 Rob Lifson was running an SCD Auction (pre-REA days) and he offered Barry Halper's Old Judge collection as one lot. It was loaded with Hall of Famers, Spotted Ties, Brown Champs, and assorted rarities. There were roughly 750 cards, with no pictures and minimal description (although he provided a set of black and white photocopies by request).

The lot opened at $17,500, roughly $25 a card, and received only the opening bid. Nobody would touch a large lot like that back then because there was no place to go with them. Wish I bought the lot and kept it.

[oldjudge]

Kevin-Let it go; it's only a little piece of cardboard.

Barry-That lot kept David Festberg going for about five years

[Bicem]

Originally Posted by oldjudge

Kevin-Let it go; it's only a little piece of cardboard.

you should sell it to him at cost then if it's no big deal.

[barrysloate]

I remember that Jay. David ran a weekly auction in SCD with five or six Old Judges in each one. It seemed he would never run out of them. But alas, he eventually did.

[kkkkandp]

Ahhhh, Jeff - I like the way you think. I already tried that tack with no luck.

I'd even be willing to allow him to make a profit!

Originally Posted by Bicem

you should sell it to him at cost then if it's no big deal.

[Volod]

"We have met the enemy, and he is us." Pogo, Walt Kelly.

Whilst we did do it our way, we went against our instincts a number of times.

Here is a list of our top 20 "pass ups"

1. 1915 Cracker Jack Poster- 1982- offered by Rob Lifson for $20,000
2. Round Album Poster- offered by Herman Kaufmann for $20,000
3. Complete Near Mint set of N43 baseball- Tom Collier - $1,500
4. Sol White Colored Baseball- at our second show 1977 100
6. Lot of 50 T202 cards- Philadelphia show- 1981- we bought for
$ 150 and sold for $600- worse $450 we ever made
7. Outbid by a good friend at a 1982 Woffers auction for a Four Base Hit of Zimmerman
8. Traded Babe Ruth's St Mary's Year book (100- from Denis Goldstein) for a near mint small Boston Kalamazoo Bat
9. Two near mint to mint 1952 Mickey Mantle from the Jerry Taylor collection
which we purchased in partnership with Rob Lifson, Greg B and Biil Mastro
We were friends with Taylor- we did make a good of money- but had a chance to hand pick several cards-our mistake
10;1933 Goudey set (near mint-mint) $1500 from the Cliff Lambert
11.1915 Cracker Jack Set (mint) from Cliff Lambert- Mr. Mint purchased it
12. Four near-mint to mint N162 sets for $800 -Goodwin Goldfaden
13. Complete set of Duke Baseball Cabinets for $2500 from George Lyons
14. Six near mint 1913 Boston Garters for $2500-Robert Ball
15. Hank Greenberg advertising poster- Hunt Auction in NYC in concert
with the all star game at the new Yankee Stadium
16. Pebble Beach of Lefty O'Doul for $1500
17. Complete set of 1911 Dingman PCL team cards- for $1500-Dennis King
said set recently sold for $9000 in a Legendary Auction
18, Four near mint square Ramlys from Wharton Tigar for $400
19. Old Judge advertising sign with 20 player cards- Lew Neman $5000
20 Walter Johnson Tuxedo Advertising sign (mint) $2000- Ken Felden

The Worst Decision Of All (perhaps in collecting history)

Getting married and not have a pre-nup which excluded our baseball
cards and memorabilia collection- $2 million

We continue to search for a number of these items, and will pay top
dollar for material that meets our exacting standards

Bruce Dorskind
America's Leading Acquirer of Ultra Rare High Condition
Baseball Memorabilia (no autographs, bats, equipment or uniforms)

Bruce Dorskind can be contacted at bdorskind@dorskindgroup.com

[calvindog]

Originally Posted by Yankeefan51

The Worst Decision Of All (perhaps in collecting history)

Getting married and not have a pre-nup which excluded our baseball
cards and memorabilia collection- $2 million