Phone Call of a Lifetime

[butchie_t]

Originally Posted by parkplace33

Earlier this week, I got a phone call from a gentleman saying he had a large collection of baseball vintage sets that he wanted to sell. He was very excited and had been saving these sets for a while. All were "vintage and in mint condition". I asked him to send me pictures of the cards. When I got the pictures, all of the cards were.....

1988 Topps Baseball

He must have had 25 1988 Topps sets in binder pages. He asked what I was willing to pay. I told him the binders and binder pages were probably worth more than the cards. He was not happy and insisted I was wrong. I then pointed out you can buy a NM 1988 Topps baseball set on ebay for $10. He hung up.

I am willing to go in half with you.....$5.00(for all of his cache of sets). I need another opportunity to find the Bob Sebra Enfuego card.
One on the left!

Cheers!!

[jsfriedm]

I recently ran into a guy trying to sell his sealed cases of 1993 Upper Deck for about $6,000.

[bmattioli]

We all know the value of the junk wax period but I will always remember chasing around the wax and stocking up.. It was a fun time and vintage was still affordable no internet and wonderful card shows and stores..

[Kidnapped18]

Last year my realtor told me she found some baseball cards abandoned in one of her houses and she asked me to look at them since she knew I collected and she hoped to find some value in them. She dropped them off at my house and when I arrived I looked through the 10 binders of cards and all were late 1980s to early 1990s cards (Fleer/Donruss/Score/Topps)

I had to tell her that they weren't going to be worth much when I returned them to her...she was seriously disappointed.

[Sterling Sports Auctions]

I probably get at least two calls or more with the same type of story. It's amazing how many try to convince me they are worth a whole lot of money. Mostly tell people to donate them to a church.

Lee

[drcy]

Yes, many late '80 to early '90s junk card stories.

My story is an old lady who had an old baseball card that she wouldn't sell for less than $20. It was an SF Hess and I paid her $800. She asked where she could find another. I said she couldn't, which is why I paid her $800.

[Tao_Moko]

Originally Posted by drcy

Yes, many late '80 to early '90s junk card stories.

My story is an old lady who had an old baseball card that she wouldn't sell for less than $20. It was an SF Hess and I paid her $800. She asked where she could find another. I said she couldn't, which is why I paid her $800.

You mean you acted professionally with basic human decency and as an adult?!

[bigtrain]

Originally Posted by drcy

Yes, many late '80 to early '90s junk card stories.

My story is an old lady who had an old baseball card that she wouldn't sell for less than $20. It was an SF Hess and I paid her $800. She asked where she could find another. I said she couldn't, which is why I paid her $800.

This reminds me of my own “old lady” story. Years ago, I had a small antique shop. An old lady brought in a 1910 vintage typewriter and said she couldn’t sell it at her yard sale for $10. I also collected typewriters at the time. Instead of paying her $10, I explained to her why it was unusual and rare. I offered her $200. She decided to keep it.

[rhettyeakley]

Originally Posted by bigtrain

This reminds me of my own “old lady” story. Years ago, I had a small antique shop. An old lady brought in a 1910 vintage typewriter and said she couldn’t sell it at her yard sale for $10. I also collected typewriters at the time. Instead of paying her $10, I explained to her why it was unusual and rare. I offered her $200. She decided to keep it.

I've had more than my share of these types of stories. I don't usually do it unless I am at a show or shop and the item is already priced and the dealer should know better, but usually it is just best to pay them their $20-30 and take it off their hands, they leave happy and so are you. The likely end to this story is that she will have that typewriter until the day she passes and the person inheriting their estate will end up getting $5-10 for it.

I have had a lot of people reach out to me to sell and use my expertise [that I offered for free] against me and have it blow up a deal. Greed does funny things to people.