How to track down elusive white whales?

[MattyC]

Great post, Brian. A really fun and spirited read.

I suppose that sometimes what makes a collector's whale is not just sheer rarity, but rather a confluence of factors. In my case a big challenge was finding the right one for my taste, and fighting the occasional temptation to settle for an example that just didn't feel right.

For example, if one is a serious stickler for centering or image brightness, and shopping in a capped price range to boot, there is always the chance your perfect desired copy of a card does not exist. In this sense, when you finally lay eyes on your dream copy after years of searching, it can feel like a 1 of 1 so to speak.

I personally love older cards that look the part and exhibit charm and character, but there is a fine line between character and utter absence of eye appeal. Finding a specimen which strikes that delicate balance can be tough.

Then a card can feel like a whale eluding you, as its price increases-- perhaps at a pace faster than your income is increasing, lol. So it can be a whole host of things, along with there being relatively few copies in your price range/grade.

It is so true, though, that when buying to keep forever you never regret making that one last, big reach that grabs it.

[brian1961]

Originally Posted by MattyC

Great post, Brian. A really fun and spirited read.

I suppose that sometimes what makes a collector's whale is not just sheer rarity, but rather a confluence of factors. In my case a big challenge was finding the right one for my taste, and fighting the occasional temptation to settle for an example that just didn't feel right.

For example, if one is a serious stickler for centering or image brightness, and shopping in a capped price range to boot, there is always the chance your perfect desired copy of a card does not exist. In this sense, when you finally lay eyes on your dream copy after years of searching, it can feel like a 1 of 1 so to speak.

I personally love older cards that look the part and exhibit charm and character, but there is a fine line between character and utter absence of eye appeal. Finding a specimen which strikes that delicate balance can be tough.

Then a card can feel like a whale eluding you, as its price increases-- perhaps at a pace faster than your income is increasing, lol. So it can be a whole host of things, along with there being relatively few copies in your price range/grade.

It is so true, though, that when buying to keep forever you never regret making that one last, big reach that grabs it.

I'm sorry. I probably misread and misinterpreted what you were asking advice about. I'm a bit embarrassed, but I'll get over it. When you wrote of white whales, it connoted something else to my mind. Oh well. Also, I am probably unworthy of giving that advice since I have not been collecting competitively for a decade now. Some of what I conveyed still holds true, however. Still, in this massed wired era, a few strategies are completely unknown to me, me thinks. So, you are by no means naive, and I by all means jumped the gun. Hopefully you'll allow me one false start, as in track & field.

Be that as it may, I can well understand your frustration over the difficulty of finding certain cards, that have the right combination of characteristics you find appealing. Many that you want are entrenched in sets, whose owner will not break up until he wishes to part with the set as a whole. Then the set may or may not be sold or auctioned off individually. After a few years, those heavily desired cards would take on the persona of a white whale to you. Quite.

The confluence of factors is finally crowned with the diabolical reality that by the time you find the right piece, it is priced out of your range. As Daffy Duck would say, in part, "what a revolting development!"

Putting the word out via message boards, and enlisting the help of a good dealer might still be viable allies to you in your fight to gain your cardboard gold.

Cheers. ---------Brian Powell

[MattyC]

Brian,

All good. Your writing is quite enjoyable. Ultimately I wanted it badly enough to go all out and win it. Amazing feeling.

I just knew, beyond any doubt, that I would never find another specimen in the grade as nice as the one in question. It was a true anomaly of eye appeal for the grade, and the one for me. Luckily it was my very max bid that held on.

[CW]

OK, I got tired of the innuendo so I did some sleuthing.

And if you're not going to ****ing post it, I will

[ullmandds]

wowsers...that's an awesome example!!!!!!!

I was wondering when this beating around the bush would end?!

And the answer to how one gets their white whale...you throw lots of $$$$ at it!!!!!

[MBMiller25]

Thats a beautiful card. Just unreal. Congrats Matt

[glchen]

Congratulations, Matt. That's a huge card.

[MattyC]

Okay, CW-- you are my boy so I will cop to it

I thank the Cardboard Gods every day for that little paper loss on the verso. Or perhaps, more accurately, I should thank the grading rules that put that specimen in a 10/1 holder.

Thanks so much for the good vibes and nice words.

I'd never have went so hard for it were it not for some very educated, generous, and helpful fellow collectors who provided amazing insight and advice.