Let's see the best deals you've ever made...

[GrayGhost]

Question Jimmy. Is the image the only consideration for you? The chipping and mount (if applicable) might bother me some.

[D. Broughman]

Picked this 1889 Trophyball up at my local auction for $175.00

[GrayGhost]

Wow.. thats freaking AWESOME, that ball. CONGRATULATIONS.

[D. Broughman]

Originally Posted by GrayGhost

Wow.. thats freaking AWESOME, that ball. CONGRATULATIONS.

Thanks here is a picture of the team.

[mcgwirecom]

Bought this Babe Ruth bat on Ebay for $500. Thought it was a store model. Sold it to a bat dealer for $8000. I really don't think it was his but the dealer didn't mind. Saw it on Ebay bot long ago looking to get $25,000 but no bids.

[JohnH19]

A couple of very desirable board games from the 1960's that usually sell in the $500-$600 range:

-Challenge the Yankees. $135 on an eBay Buy It Now listing where the seller grossly understated the condition of the game. He described it pretty much as a beater but it's probably one of the nicer copies to be listed in the last few years. The box lid with the gorgeous artist's depiction of old Yankee Stadium is usually in rough shape but mine is in excellent condition as are the game components and the terrific player photo cards.

-Bamco's Hank Bauer Be A Manager game. Coincidentally also $135 in a bid style auction. My copy is the 1967 AL edition, again in excellent condition. This is one of the rarest of modern day baseball games and always goes high. For some reason this one stayed within my price range and I was lucky enought to snipe it for a very low price.

Two other bargains that come to mind are 1960 and 61 season complete APBA Baseball games both in gem mint condition. I paid $82 on eBay for the 1960 season game and $45 on an small obscure auction site for the 1961 game. The listings made no mention that either game was in unused condition so I had no idea until I opened up the packages. Needless to say, my jaw dropped when I saw what I had and it was all I could do not to drool all over the 40 year old (at the time) pearly white player cards.

[thekingofclout]

Originally Posted by GrayGhost

Question Jimmy. Is the image the only consideration for you? The chipping and mount (if applicable) might bother me some.

Good question Scott.

If it was a Carl Horner Cabinet, then yes, it would bother me and I would have passed on it. However, this Cobb image is in terrific condition and lightly pasted to an album page with two small family photos pasted on the back side.

A conservator should have no problem whatsoever removing the photos from the paper. If it is a problem, I'd simply have it matted once I decided to frame it.

Best, Jimmy

We have worked long and hard to build and world class baseball memorabilia collection. Back in1981 we acquired the Highest graded Four Base Hits and Highest Grade just So for $750 total

Whilst many of the key items that we acquired back in the late 1970's are now dream deals, it is our more recent "deals (steals) that make us proud.
Ouur best deals came when we worked with someone who had nothing to do with the hobby and we vigorously pursued them

1) 1930s ST; Louis Stars cabinet with twoHall of Famers- bought on the spot at a LA bowling alley for $100 cash- recently turned down 8500

2) 1912 Boston Garter Color card bought from a school teacher- non collector
after developing an 18 month acquisition plan $1200

3) E 107 common PSA 6 - bought in a local card shop that sold "new cards for $5.00

4) Ultra rare 1923 Negro League World Series program- in a trade for an item we had valued at $1200-

5) 2 "raw PSA Ramlys- traded with a young collector back in the early 90's
We traded three T-206's then worth $100 maximum- card value today close
to $10,000

Whilst the web and publicity have made it far more difficult to buy world class, high grade material at below market prices- we never stop trying.

Bruce Dorskind
America's Toughest Want List

[Gary Dunaier]

I collect celebrity signed checks, and this one was waaay out of my normal price range (which is "el cheapo" ) but it fell into the category of "gotta have it"... if memory serves me right it was a "Buy It Now or Best Offer," I made a "Best Offer," and it was accepted.



It's a Casey Stengel check written October 12, 1961, two days after the expansion draft in which the players who would comprise the inaugural 1962 Mets were selected... note the reference in Casey's very own hand to "N.Y. Expenses N.Y. Mets," six months before the Mets would play their very first game. Unfortunately the "N.Y. Mets" part is affected by bank cancellation holes, but it's still a pretty neat item.

Not sure I want to say exactly how I paid for this but it's my understanding that, given the price of Casey Stengel checks in general and the historical nature of this one in particular, I got a great deal.

[David Atkatz]

Originally Posted by Yankeefan51

it is our more recent "deals (steals) that make us proud.
Ouur best deals came when we worked with someone who had nothing to do with the hobby and we vigorously pursued them

Yesiree... there's nothing compares to fleecing someone who didn't realize what he had.

Whilst the web and publicity have made it far more difficult to buy world class, high grade material at below market prices- we never stop trying.

No... I wouldn't imagine that you would.

[Jim VB]

Originally Posted by David Atkatz

Yesiree... there's nothing compares to fleecing someone who didn't realize what he had.



No... I wouldn't imagine that you would.

+1

The high flying financial genius is crowing about screwing a school teacher. Nice. Very nice.

[jerseygary]

How did he fleece a school teacher? I'm going out on a limb here and guessing that he (them?) didn't twist an arm or threaten his family in order to buy what he wanted. What was to stop the teacher from shopping the thing around? I think I recall a thread on this some time ago, offered a vacation deal or something, right? I also think I remember that there was some other buyer trying to get the piece for a long time and Bruce swooped in and got it instead. That's terrible, but the seller should have been aware that the thing was worth something special if 2 collectors are hovering around trying to get the thing. It wouldn't be a great deal if you don't get it for under the market value, otherwise it is just a purchase.

And come on, I might just be an infrequent poster here but I get tired of people jumping all over Bruce for doing just what he does. Lets see some more great deals!

[David Atkatz]

Originally Posted by jerseygary

How did he fleece a school teacher? I'm going out on a limb here and guessing that he (them?) didn't twist an arm or threaten his family in order to buy what he wanted. What was to stop the teacher from shopping the thing around? I think I recall a thread on this some time ago, offered a vacation deal or something, right? I also think I remember that there was some other buyer trying to get the piece for a long time and Bruce swooped in and got it instead. That's terrible, but the seller should have been aware that the thing was worth something special if 2 collectors are hovering around trying to get the thing.

You don't remember correctly. There were not two collectors. (Unless Bruce counts as two.)

[Oldtix]

I've had some wonderful finds over the years...a Frank Baker decal minibat for $10; a 1919 Cincinnati World Series program for $200; a set of Polo Grounds cards in the original box for $60; a 1947 Babe Ruth Day ticket for $1...but I made my best deal ever when I was eight years old.

My older cousin had a huge set of HO model trains that I coveted. Seeing the opportunity to sell them to finance his newfound pursuit of the female of the species, he allowed my uncle (his dad) to put the hard sell on me and my dad. He wanted $10 for the entire layout...a significant sum to someone whose weekly allowance was 25 cents. Try as we might, they wouldn't budge on the price. So finally, in an inspired moment, I asked him to throw in his 1956-63 baseball and football card sets. Best $10 I ever spent!