What's The Best Way To Sell 1980s-1990s?

[butchie_t]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

I've decided to focus my collection to the years I collected as a kid (I quit in 1981), so I have a few thousand star cards from 1982-2020 that I want to get rid of. No major rookies or chase cards, just stacks of pack-fresh HOFers. I thought about boxing them up for my LCS but that seems like a costly way to get rid of it. I don't mind doing retail sales. I'd also not mind consigning to an AH.

There are some full and partial sets; I'd probably sell them together.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Remove any emotional attachment to what you have left. Carve up what you are sure to provide you a return, and either donate or ditch the rest. Yes, I said ditch the rest! They are worthless as a whole and are a boil that you just need to lance.

I have been doing this now as I am freeing up and releasing dead weight for an upcoming move. I have dumped a HUGE amount of junk dead weight and it felt cathartic as hell!

Check your local area and see if you can donate the chaff cards to an organization focused towards kids. They can then hand them out to the kids and get them interested in the hobby.

Regards,

Butch...

[Exhibitman]

I've recycled a lot of cards in the past. I once bought a collection that was 80% junk wax. Really junk, like Pro Set hockey. I basically told the collector that I was not going to pay for them but I would haul them away (he was moving and needed the space cleared) for free. I tried to give them away but no one wanted 5000 count boxes of them, so I dumped them into our recycling bin.

I've done some looking and there are quite a few cards in there with sold prices between $3 and $10 each, so there is value, just not the sort i wish to turn out at retail. I am probably just going to take it to my LCS and see what I can get.

The eye-opener is how worthless this stuff is with the exception of a handful of players and even then the really big money is gem mint slabs. I mean a Topps Gallery Players Private Issue Griffey is a $20-$50 card, raw, but in a 10 holder it gets into four figures. Otherwise, busting wax is like taking delivery on a new car: you open the pack and it loses value immediately unless you get a big hit.

[swarmee]

I've done some looking and there are quite a few cards in there with sold prices between $3 and $10 each, so there is value, just not the sort i wish to turn out at retail.

Well, this is the perfect group to send to COMC and have them do the work for you, in order to make the most from the cards over time. If you've already done the sorting on your lots, take the boxes of these cards and mail them to COMC.

[todeen]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

I've recycled a lot of cards in the past. I once bought a collection that was 80% junk wax. Really junk, like Pro Set hockey. I basically told the collector that I was not going to pay for them but I would haul them away (he was moving and needed the space cleared) for free. I tried to give them away but no one wanted 5000 count boxes of them, so I dumped them into our recycling bin.

I've done some looking and there are quite a few cards in there with sold prices between $3 and $10 each, so there is value, just not the sort i wish to turn out at retail. I am probably just going to take it to my LCS and see what I can get.

The eye-opener is how worthless this stuff is with the exception of a handful of players and even then the really big money is gem mint slabs. I mean a Topps Gallery Players Private Issue Griffey is a $20-$50 card, raw, but in a 10 holder it gets into four figures. Otherwise, busting wax is like taking delivery on a new car: you open the pack and it loses value immediately unless you get a big hit.

I am looking for late 80s junk wax, especially blue borders, like Donruss, and the 87 Topps wood border. I've got a project in mind. I'd take a few thousand from you. And if you have any Cincinnati Reds cards I'd take those also. We could strike a deal.

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[cannonballsun]

There's a dealer on eBay who is not averse to buying stuff like this. As long as it's not junk wax era commons. He will make you an offer for Hall of Famers and Stars. His eBay user name is Sewell, and his name is Chris Sewell. You may know him ?
He has a you tube channel called "baseball card collector investor dealer". Some of his videos show stuff he buys at shows, and he will buy from his viewers of his channel. He does buy stuff like this, puts them in large lots, and sells them on ebay.
I would say look into it. He does all the work of sorting and his viewers almost always find his offers to be fair.

[gawaintheknight]

I would also potentially be willing to pay shipping for cards from 1984 or earlier, assuming they're in nice shape, for someone looking to get rid of them but not wanting to throw them out....

[Rich Klein]

A few things about donating cards (and as a person who has accumulated and given away nearly a 1/2 million cards as part of our Adat Chaverim show I can say a few words of wisdom.

1) Obviously we accept any and all donations, and from a friend of mine I found out that shipping was also tax deductible. Since Adat is a Synagogue it is a 501-C with the EIN the accountants ask for (I know this from direct experience as well)

2) I never assign a value to the cards but always let the donor use his/her values. Everyone I've done that for has been very good about the real value.

3) The advice you have received is very good and one which does affect tons of collectors so this is a good thread. We're stil dealing with the overage of 1986-94 cards so as noted figure out what is best for yoiu

Rich

[Exhibitman]

My LCS (Burbank Sports Cards) told me they are not buying anything made after 1969 unless it is a key card or rookie.

I'm just going to bust them into coherent lots and list them on eBay at very low starting prices and see what I can get.