Your Best Raw Card Success Story

[FrankWakefield]

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[Leon]

Me, I am thinking about getting my slabs slabbed.

(and I know it's almost happened in the coin arena....CAC?)

edited to say I was correct

http://www.caccoin.com/

[Rob D.]

Originally Posted by FrankWakefield

Why must the success culminate in a plastic slab?

I didn't read anywhere in this thread where someone said success must culminate in a plastic slab. But for many collectors it does. Not sure why that would bother other folks or be a cause for "concern."

[barrysloate]

That they missed the Nodgrass was extremely sloppy and a disservice to their consignor. But as it turned out it was the least of their problems.

[FrankWakefield]

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[cfc1909]

to me the raw card success of the tough cards you could pick off ebay in the 2000 to 2004 era will never be matched again. During that period ebay was loaded.

outside ebay -I remember picking up 2 American Beauty 460 Gandil cards at FT. Washington both ex for $150-that was around 2000 I still have one and sold the other to get my money back. I saw the card I got rid of sell on ebay for $400 plus 2 years later. I don't think the seller was who I sold it to. looks like several people made out on this one.

[Rob D.]

Originally Posted by FrankWakefield

Then what we need, rOBd, is for you to benefit from lots of quoting, so you can read everything twice, then maybe it will sink in once. I'm glad you finally got to this thread.

When 03sox talks about there always being a dissenter, he's referring to me and my post. I was praising a guy for a success story that didn't involve slabbing, just buying, holding, then selling an Old Judge Mack. To me that is success. It seemed to most others, a raw success ends with something being slabbed. They didn't say that, but it seems obvious from most of the other posts, save Ted's. And you won't be attacking him in this thread because I'm in your sites.

I'm weary of the smart-ass responses you put after some of my posts, and some of the others on the board. I know of folks who've quit posting because of your crap. Some post less. That hurts the board. IF that is your goal, then you're having some raw success yourself.

Frank,

I understand you wanting your criticisms of how other people choose to collect to go unchallenged. And I understand that you think the way you collect is the "right" way. You've proved that time and time again. I don't need to read your posts twice, because you rarely post a new idea.

You raise a fair point that I'll bring sarcasm to my posts. But my guess is for all the multitudes of people who supposedly have told you I've chased them away, just as many folks e-mail me asking why you're so intolerant of people who prefer graded cards and the arrogance you display to anyone who disagrees with you.

You're weary? Join the club.

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by FrankWakefield

Hardly a success story, 03sox... surely you can jab better than that.

I bought 3 McGuire rookie cards a few months before his hype hit. 2 were in great shape, one had a crease. I think I had about $25 in the cards. When the cards were selling for $100 or so, I sold one of the good one's to a friend for $50, he was glad to get the card for what was then about half price. Sold the one with the crease to a fellow for about $10, he saw the crease and was pleased with the affordable card. Me, I was money ahead and still had one good card, which I still have. Success without slabbing. Ted managed to do that, too. Why must the success culminate in a plastic slab?

Frank, pal, I think you need to tone down the level of sanctimony. The call of the question as originally posed was a fun thread on a positive subject rather than a busted deal or a cheating auctioneer: getting a great deal on a raw card. Didn't define parameters for measuring the greatness of the deal. One metric of a great deal and the example used in the original post is getting a card that unexpectedly grades very highly with a TPG, whether sold or not. Another metric is getting a card on the cheap and selling it raw for a lot more than you paid. Apparently, you like the second metric and not the first. I don't think either way of characterizing a great deal is intrinsically better than the other. Every card in my example except the 1971 PSA 9 I kept. Am I more of a collector than someone who sold their great deal because I kept the cards I got the great deal on instead of selling them? Am I less of a collector because I had the cards slabbed--I like the way they look in SGC holders--even though I didn't sell them and don't plan to? The debate itself is silly. Some people like slabbed cards. Some don't. Some people flip cards, some don't. There is no correct answer, other than it is not necessary to elevate on one group over the other on what was supposed to be a fun thread.

[jbsports33]

Frank thank you your kind words, and I enjoyed having that Connie Mack card, I have many of stories about collections and other items. I just remember that was one single card that I can always go back to, because it was the beginning of my journey with pre-war issues.

Jimmy

[jb217676]

Hopefully I have some raw card success with these:

ebay item #: 220563650933

[jeffmohler]

A year or two ago I picked up a raw Matty Pinkerton postcard on ebay for $2.00. Granted, it had a pinhole at the top and some writing on the back, but I still thought it was a steal.

The postcard dealer didn't seem to have a clue as to what she had. BTW, it is still raw - I like graded cards, but I didn't think it was necessary to have SGC tell me it was a 10 when I knew it already!

I also picked up a Canadian Goudey Gehringer on Ebay a few months ago. It just came back from SGC as an 80. It wasn't really a bargain, but it is pretty unusual for any wide pen to grade an 80.

[LOUCARDFAN]

I have picked up several raw cards on Ebay over the years but these stand out.

1956 Topps Mickey Mantle - bought for appx. $600 and graded a PSA 8 and later sold for around $3k.

1952 Topps Duke Snyder - bought from same seller as Mantle for apprx. $200 and graded a PSA 8 and sold for around $1600.

1953 Topps Pee Wee Reese - bought for $90 and later graded a PSA 8.5. Still have it in my collection.

1959 Topps Roberto Clemente - bought for around $120 and later graded a PSA 9. This one is still in my collection.

[drdduet]

Around 2000 I bought a large lot of T206's, in there were a number of rare backs including Red Hindu, Hindu, and Broadleaf. I paid around $20/card for the lot, but was very pleased with the result.

[sox1903wschamp]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

Frank, pal, I think you need to tone down the level of sanctimony. The call of the question as originally posed was a fun thread on a positive subject rather than a busted deal or a cheating auctioneer: getting a great deal on a raw card. Didn't define parameters for measuring the greatness of the deal. One metric of a great deal and the example used in the original post is getting a card that unexpectedly grades very highly with a TPG, whether sold or not. Another metric is getting a card on the cheap and selling it raw for a lot more than you paid. Apparently, you like the second metric and not the first. I don't think either way of characterizing a great deal is intrinsically better than the other. Every card in my example except the 1971 PSA 9 I kept. Am I more of a collector than someone who sold their great deal because I kept the cards I got the great deal on instead of selling them? Am I less of a collector because I had the cards slabbed--I like the way they look in SGC holders--even though I didn't sell them and don't plan to? The debate itself is silly. Some people like slabbed cards. Some don't. Some people flip cards, some don't. There is no correct answer, other than it is not necessary to elevate on one group over the other on what was supposed to be a fun thread.

I could not agree more with this post. In my example, yes I had the T207 Cicotte graded but I have no intention of selling and if it had not been graded, I would still consider it a successs. The grading was some icing on the cake. And for the record, I greatly admire the way Frank tells us he collects and his passion. This should be a fun thread and I love all of the stories.