George's last post ever....or "The Imaginary Collection"

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Posted By: barrysloate

This is the 100th post and I don't even know what we're talking about!

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Posted By: peter chao

Guys and Gals,

Here's what gets me upset. We know that in the real world that money is coin of the realm. But come on, as Joe Pelaez would say, the hobby has become too market oriented.

The hobby should be different, it shouldn't be the size and scope of the collection but the heart of the collector. When you start talking about size and scope of the collection you are starting to discuss the market value of the collection.

Let's go beyond that, wasn't it Jeff Lichtman who said you can still be a collector without a collection. For me collecting is a state of mind and collegiality.

Come on, face it, we collect for fun and to meet people. Isn't that what it's all about. If it was only about the cardboard wouldn't it be kind of boring. Shouldn't we really celebrate the hobby and the people we meet. Let's be collectors first a foremost.

Forget about measuring people by the size of their collection, it's more about the size of a collector's heart.

Peter

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Posted By: barrysloate

But if George is imaginary, he wouldn't have a heart.

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Posted By: Anonymous

Wrong Peter,
Size matters, and I'm bigger than all of the rest of you clowns. What a bunch of sentimental drivel. My plan, and it will work, is to soak and trim all of my thousands of cards and sell them on ebay, about a thousand at a time, for a fraction of what they are worth, then, when the market crashes I/m going to buy everything with my immense fortune, and I will be the most famous and powerful collector the world has ever known, and all of you pitiful little has-beens will be left pissing and moaning in my dust. HaHaHaHaHaHaHa.

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Posted By: ramram

Ok, Peter and Barry, please take a seat in the corner. You have indirectly offended me (and, I'm sure, several others). I'm sure that your irresponsible use of some "big" words was for the sole purpose of belittling me/us. In this day of political correctness, please consider your audience when you use such words again.

Rob M.

Per Peter: collegiality
Per Barry: misogynistic

I'm sure you have an entire wall of safety deposity boxes full of these.


Edited to add the appropriate smiley.

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Posted By: Alan

Since one can acquire a great collection just by having deep pockets, this hobby can divide the social classes very quickly. Other hobbies like photography, computers, gardening, sports, etc,... concentrate more on technique or skill rather than money.

I agree with Peter. I enjoy shows for the social stuff - meeting other collectors, dealers, lunches, dinners, etc,...since I have VERY LITTLE money to spend.

Alan

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Posted By: Kenneth A. Cohen

I've just now read through this thread and one thing has struck me. Is Brad the literary Norm Crosby of the forum?

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Posted By: Cat

I just read some of it too. It's a very funny thread. Unfortunately, for all the wrong reasons.

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Posted By: Jeff Lichtman

Ken, that was the best line of the entire thread!

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Posted By: Paul

"This is the 100th post and I don't even know what we're talking about!" I agree with Barry!

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Posted By: DJ

There are some people that simply don't know how to use this Forum.

One way to offend the masses is by Bs'ing them all. Adam did a great job and we piled. Those guys with the T206 Wagner did as well.

Wonka hit it on the head in this thread.

When a guy talks about his massive collection and how much he paid fof them, perhaps doubters are born.

When he starts a thread announcing his retirement, talks about in the year 2040 his cards will be in a catalog and shows scans where he uses a sharpies to point out a specific cards, sends photos of a Jack Ham rookie football cards from the 1970's, houses them in the type of bags you see in bank heist movies and a PSA graded Donruss card (Kurt Manwaring?) facing down, well, you have to expect this fine and amusing thread.

I just wonder in 2040 if PSA will give a O/C Qualifier to the 1971 Ken Houston football card and if it will have the sub-title of "The George Collection" on the

The jerk store called...

(kidding)

DJ

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Posted By: Dave S

Hey DJ..I'm sure I'll be taking the big dirt-nap by 2040, but can't help but wonder...do you think this thread will still be going??

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Posted By: brian

Dave mentioned two brothers who had a huge collection. I think I might know who he is talking about and one of them might have already passed away. Also, years ago there was a card show at the Hillsdale county fairgrounds. This guy drives up to the show from out of state in a van full of locked suitcases packed with graded cards to sell at a table he rented. He was way out of place bringing high grade tobacco cards that nobody could afford and with no security. I never saw anything like that before or since.

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Posted By: David Smith

You know, I see a Geraldo Rivera LIVE TV Special on the horizon.

"Who REALLY is George Dreher and WHAT does he REALLY have in those Safety Deposit boxes?".

A 2-hour Special that first reveals "George's" real name. Then it details him growing up and how he got interested in cards and collectibles. It tells of his first purchases and what he did as far as his occupation and family life.

It goes on to reveal the time or two where "he almost lost it ALL!!". These types of shows ALWAYS have a dramatic part where the main subject encounters times of trouble and nearly doesn't make it or something happens to endanger the collection but it survives.

The ending, of course, would show "George" in the bank vault opening the boxes one at a time to display the treasures within. Or maybe not.



David

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Posted By: Cat

"Is Brad the literary Norm Crosby of the forum?"

I think he's Canadian. You know how those people have their own verion of the English language. I think Imus referred to it as C-bonics.

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Posted By: Ken W.

"Come on, face it, we collect for fun and to meet people. Isn't that what it's all about."

I, for one, started collecting cards to meet girls. It is SOOOO working!!!

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Posted By: DMcD, eh

Yea, like in Canada they say "version" for "verion". Go figure.

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Posted By: Larry

??? I don't get it

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Posted By: JK

George has revealed his cards. Still dont see 100k in that mix.

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Posted By: Cat

George:

I am not busting your chops (seriously), but why are you so sensitive about showing us that Wagner M116 flip?

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Posted By: Wesley

Very cool! George updated his photos. Hopefully periodically we can check back here and see more of George's multimillion dollar collection.

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Posted By: Cobby33

Is Barry George, or is George Barry? Maybe it's Barry X. George, or George X. Barry?

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Posted By: John

Good stuff George, I count about 62 or so pre-war not counting the non-sports.

So lets just say 62 down and another 39,940 to go. Look forward to checking back once a week for the update. Roughly 62 cards at a time, per week that’s 644 weeks. So in about 12yrs we should have seen most of them…

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Posted By: Scott

Wonka,

Are you accounting for the shrinkage factor?

Maybe George has more than he's showing (or is able to show) at the moment.

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Posted By: leon

looks like 10's of millions to me.....

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Posted By: boxingcardman

No soup for George!

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Posted By: Frank Wakefield

Well I thought I'd help out George a bit...

Here's 512 different white border tobacco cards.

Frank

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Posted By: brian

when did the pics change? did you see the quality and the grades on some of that stuff?! i saved the photos and blew some of them up. it looks like it might be 100k in value and this is just three months of buying? there are dozens of rookie cards none of the slabs below psa-7!, brooks robinson, schmidt, mccovey, koufax, pete rose, marichal, bench, morgan, frank gifford, namath, bradshaw, clemente bird/magic, seaver, reggie, baylor, oj the hollywood slasher, hank aaron, t206 hof-ers, t207, m116
what is the blue card in front? and what is the weird looking red card to the far right?

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Posted By: brian

i am envious. and to see them all laying together like a deck of playing cards, awesome!

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Posted By: Larry

If the guy says he is putting the cards into safety deposit why in the world would he want to get cards back out and risk a fire or robbery just to post photos for doubters?

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Posted By: JK

Brian - I really hope you are kidding about those cards being worth 100k. If not, man have I got some cards that you might be interested in.

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Posted By: brian

jk, did you focus in real close on some of those slabs? i have a photo program that will get in close and sharpen images in realtime without saving them. ok, how much are just these cards alone worth?

elgin baylor rookie psa9
oj rookie psa9
winfield rookie gem mint 10
joe morgan rookie psa9
mike schmidt rookie psa9
doak walker rookie psa9
bob feller rookie psa9
reggie jackson rookie psa9
willie mccovey rookie psa9
55 topps fats henry sgc98

all of the other psa slabs that aren't covered up are psa8 and 7 with none lower!

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Posted By: Cobby33

$10K-$30K, depending on selling medium and the other unknown variables?

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Posted By: brian

all of the slabs that are visible probably do come out to about 25k, and when you add all the vintage that hasn't been graded, and the rest of the slabs not even in the pic, it looks like a pretty nice haul. the ungraded cards look to average about near mint also. maybe not 100k though?

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Posted By: Max Weder

Hi Brian

what's the program you used to getter a better resolution on the blown up photo? I think something like that would be useful for viewing bad scans on ebay

Max

[edited to change "getter" to "get", as last time I looked, "getter" was not a word}

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Posted By: brian

its called AKVIS and has a built in clarity enhancer. it was already installed when i bought this computer.

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

I would be interested in a program like that too. I need something to help me identify old ballpark photos where I can barely make out the scoreboard or the advertising on the outfield walls.