Been buying up packs, sets and boxes now I need to decide how to sort

[Tripredacus]

Even tho there has been a recent boom in interest in junk wax era products, the supply is still much larger than the demand. I think it is just due to the cards having very low value, and being priced accordingly people can just buy a box or a complete set for cheap.

If you want a feel for the secondary market, go to a card show. If anyone has those cards, they are likely to be dime box or cheaper, or bulk lots. Then you can get an example of how it is done, and whether your idea will work out. If you are doing it just for fun, maybe do team lots. I used to do that on Ebay but it was a lot of work. Even so, never made a profit.

[buymycards]

I used to sell a lot of this stuff at shows. People won't pay 1 cent each for commons. I was selling 3000 count boxes for $8 (The empty box costs $4). Sometimes they would sell and sometimes they wouldn't. Most stars and rookies from 1986 through 1992 went into my dime box, along with most of the inserts. If someone offered me $30 for a 3000 count box of dime cards, I took it. There were other dealers that brought dozens of these types of boxes.

There are some exceptions, such as tough inserts and big name rookies, but good luck getting more than a buck for most of these.

I purchased most of the cards as parts of larger collections, so I got rid of the junk at the shows and put the better cards on eBay.

Rick

[wdwfan]

That's why I asked in the OP which stars and RCs to pull. Everything else will be going into boxes for like 30/$1. I'd surely buy at that price if there was stuff I needed for sets. I'm not willing to buy a complete box of that when I don't need it. But a handful of cards I need for a buck or two? I'd do that.

That's why I asked which cards (RCs and stars/HOFers) to pull.

Originally Posted by buymycards

I used to sell a lot of this stuff at shows. People won't pay 1 cent each for commons. I was selling 3000 count boxes for $8 (The empty box costs $4). Sometimes they would sell and sometimes they wouldn't. Most stars and rookies from 1986 through 1992 went into my dime box, along with most of the inserts. If someone offered me $30 for a 3000 count box of dime cards, I took it. There were other dealers that brought dozens of these types of boxes.

There are some exceptions, such as tough inserts and big name rookies, but good luck getting more than a buck for most of these.

I purchased most of the cards as parts of larger collections, so I got rid of the junk at the shows and put the better cards on eBay.

Rick

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by wdwfan

That's why I asked in the OP which stars and RCs to pull. Everything else will be going into boxes for like 30/$1. I'd surely buy at that price if there was stuff I needed for sets. I'm not willing to buy a complete box of that when I don't need it. But a handful of cards I need for a buck or two? I'd do that.

That's why I asked which cards (RCs and stars/HOFers) to pull.

The only thing worth keeping is inserts from the 90's. They see to be selling fairly well.

Do people really put junk era set together? Whole sets can be bought for a few dollars.

If you are looking for inventory let me now what you are paying. I still have a ton of 80's-90's stuff.

[wdwfan]

Ok, well I guess it all not worth it. I just can't seem to wrap my head around someone burning a $40 BV Ripken RC or a $20 McGwire RC. Commons that book for 5 cents apiece? Sure. I can see that. But not superstar base and RCs that book for $6, $8, even $15-$30.

But as I said, guess I'll be doing something else. Was just looking to help fellow collectors out by making them available if anyone was working on sets. And yes, people still do build sets. I'm a set builder.

It's more fun to bust 50 cent packs and $8 boxes and trade for stuff you need over going to the LCS and plopping down $50 for a 1985 Topps set or even $25 for a 1987 Topps set.

[slinger23]

Originally Posted by wdwfan

Ok, well I guess it all not worth it. I just can't seem to wrap my head around someone burning a $40 BV Ripken RC or a $20 McGwire RC. Commons that book for 5 cents apiece? Sure. I can see that. But not superstar base and RCs that book for $6, $8, even $15-$30.

But as I said, guess I'll be doing something else. Was just looking to help fellow collectors out by making them available if anyone was working on sets. And yes, people still do build sets. I'm a set builder.

It's more fun to bust 50 cent packs and $8 boxes and trade for stuff you need over going to the LCS and plopping down $50 for a 1985 Topps set or even $25 for a 1987 Topps set.

If it is a key rookie like Ripken or even McGwire, then yes pull it. If it is gradeable, then get it graded. Pull out whatever key cards you want to save. Then, its up to you what you want to do with the rest: recycle, burn, giveaway at Halloween, etc.. Like everybody else has said, a flat rate box full of cards might not sell for hardly anything and a 3000-3200 count box sometimes will barely get $10.00.

[tonyo]

I feel ya wdwfan,

I've come to the reality over the last few years of trying to consolidate my collection that very very very few 80's and 90's cards that I actually purchased from retail stores and LCS packs back in the 80's and 90's are worth even a few cents - unless some random person just happens to be looking for a particular card(s) for their collections.

I pulled out about 10 or 12 rookies and 2nd year cards of Ripken, Henderson, Jeter, boggs, clemens, etc, Then I've been listing "the best" individual cards from my collection on ebay for 7 day auctions starting at $2 each ($3 BIN) over the last several months. Stars like Griffey , Ripken, Ryan, Jeter, Mattingly, all hall of famers, every time ebay gives me 100, 200, or 500 free listings, I almost always use them all. (usually the same cards over and over ) If I've listed 500 or 600 80's & 90's cards like those maybe 5 or 6 times each over the last year, I think I've sold maybe 20 or 30 of them at $2 to $5. People buy the most random cards at the most random times. Someone bought a 94 fleer flair Dennis Eckersley a couple weeks ago for $3, but I had listed that same card probably 6 times for the same price over the last year. It's the old "needle in a haystack" (in reverse?)

I'm giving up on selling my 90's cards, I can't bring myself to throw them away or burn them, so I'm trying to whittle them down to those that will fit in a wooden box I bought at an antique store recently - about 2000 will fit, and I tell ya, even though I know they are basically worthless, it's hard to decide which 2000 I like best.

I just like the cards

[Tripredacus]

Originally Posted by bnorth

Do people really put junk era set together? Whole sets can be bought for a few dollars.

Yes, i have done it in recent years. Something about putting the set together yourself is part of the fun. Buying a whole set is just like cheating yourself out of that. I ended up stopping because I had set too lofty of goals for myself.

Even after I stopped doing all sets, I had tried to do a 1988 Topps all-error/misprint set... but the amount of cards to go through took the fun out of it for me.

[wdwfan]

I agree. It's more fun to buy a few packs or boxes and bust to get started then trade your extras or other stuff for stuff you need. I enjoy set building. Always have. In fact, I just sat down and started sorting my 2018 Topps Walmart into order to put a set(s) together. Never gets old.

I think I'm going to keep 1 each of the Topps sets as I'd like to get a run of Topps sets from 1975 (when I was born) until now then work my way back into the 50s. The other sets (Fleer, Donruss, Score, Leaf, UD), I'll probably pull the key RCs and HOFers (and Rangers if I need them for my PC) and put everything into 5k boxes to get ready to head to the dumpster at work.

Originally Posted by Tripredacus

Yes, i have done it in recent years. Something about putting the set together yourself is part of the fun. Buying a whole set is just like cheating yourself out of that. I ended up stopping because I had set too lofty of goals for myself.

Even after I stopped doing all sets, I had tried to do a 1988 Topps all-error/misprint set... but the amount of cards to go through took the fun out of it for me.

[4k6]

Yep, I got the junk wax bug recently (1987 Topps), nostalgia? Bought four unsearched vending boxes off ebay cheap, had fun going through them.

Then, stopped at a tag sale, had to ask if they had any baseball cards. Sure enough guy brings out a box of 86-89 Topps, mostly 87s, offered/sold $10 for the fun (hey there were Bonds, Larkins, etc in there).

I've actually starting sorting them to try and build a complete set....nah WTF am I doing?

To the dump they go