Your Best Deal Ever (Going Back All The Way!)

[jingram058]

Perhaps this has been discussed before, but I haven't looked. This should be really fun. What is your best deal ever? Feel free to go all the way back. Don't be ashamed of that $100 red Cobb. Stick that knife in there, and give it a twist! Rub salt in that wound! Let's see 'em (if you still have them or even photos or scans of them). Mine is this little album of t205-t206-t207 and railway engines. I got the album decades ago and put all my tobacco cards (at the time) in it. Add up the total and it's somewhere near $500.

[Pat R]

I paid $480 for this group of Hindu's ungraded, I kept them that way for a few years before I had them graded.
I sold them all a few years ago but I wish I'd kept 1 or 2 of them.


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[Exhibitman]

I picked up this card years ago when I was purchasing offbeat Ruth cards because they were so cheap, relatively speaking:



Per REA, which is selling a 1.5 condition card now:

"Exceptional and extremely rare example of #60 Babe Ruth from the unusual Jean-Donat Dupont set issued in circa 1936. This card (3 x 2-3/8 inches) is from a multi-subject set issued in France that features 64 different subjects (including athletes, cowboys, planes, etc.) and is one of only two cards in the series representative of the game of baseball. This is an extraordinary card. Few card issues of any type approach the rarity of this unusual issue, which is no doubt related to the fact that they were issued only in France. This is the key card of the set and the first example we have ever offered. The photograph used for this card, dating from the famous 1934 Tour of Japan, features Ruth’s mighty home run swing. "

Pop as between all services is 5 cards, next highest grade besides this one is the 1.5. Needless to say, I am truly intrigued to see what REA gets for the 1.5.

There are a lot more deals to be had on memorabilia and regionals with little history. This was a $10 pick at a local cafd show that I especially relished:



it is from the integrated California League. The guy on the left is Biz Mackie, who played winter ball in the league for 26 seasons.

[Smarti5051]

I think I have a "deal" that is pretty hard to beat, as it is 100% by accident. I have been a ticket broker for the better part of 15 years. In 2011, one of the teams we held season tickets for was the Anaheim Angels. They had a promotion going where if you bought 400 and 500 level seats, you could get 4 season tickets for the price of 2. So, we purchased 4 tickets in 406, A for the equivalent of about $2000. We proceeded to resell all of the tickets that season and netted about a $3000 profit. Stubhub was one of the primary companies we moved our tickets through, and they had an integration deal with all of the MLB teams. So, instead of shipping the physical tickets when they sold, you just scanned in the barcodes. We then tossed all of the scanned tickets into a banker's box and forgot all about them for a decade.

During the Covid lockdown, I noticed a couple of crazy Ebay sales for the Mariners v Angels game from 2011 (Trout's first game), so I went back to box and unearthed all four ticket stubs in essentially mint condition. Over the next three weeks I listed and sold 3 of the 4 tickets for about $1100 each. I have kept one for myself just in case prices go even crazier in the future. So, I basically made over $3000 + the one remaining ticket in a box that I gladly would have let go for $100 before I did my research. To all of the hoarders out there: don't let them throw your stuff away, there is gold in there! LOL

[egri]

A few years ago, I found a lot of four signed 1953 Topps, including Fred Hutchinson (died in 1964 and very highly collected) on eBay for $80. There was only one picture of the lot, and I could barely see the signatures, much less make an assessment of their authenticity. I figured at that price it was worth taking a chance. Not only was the Hutchinson good, but the other three cards were beautiful vintage signatures as well. Then a few months later, I found a few other tough cards with an error in the title; me and another board member were able to grab vintage signatures of Hank Thompson, Chuck Dressen and Cliff Fannin for under $100 total.

[jcmtiger]

1980’s Sports Collectors Digest buy. T206, Cobb Green, Cobb Bat Off, Cobb Bat On purchased Raw $265.00, still have the receipt. Since sold. Got them graded in the 1990’s. Pictures on my old computer. Joe

[G1911]

Have gotten lucky my fair share of times, but this was my best. $90 a few months ago on eBay, listed as an uncut sheet of reprints.

There are 4 known copies of this card outside of this unfinished sheet panel. The card was unproven to exist at all until 2006.

[CTDean]

Originally Posted by jcmtiger

1980’s Sports Collectors Digest buy. T206, Cobb Green, Cobb Bat Off, Cobb Bat On purchased Raw $265.00, still have the receipt. Since sold. Got them graded in the 1990’s. Pictures on my old computer. Joe

Joe, was that an SCD phone auction? I had four Cobb's in one of my auctions in the early 1980's and I think three went to a Fireman in Virginia. Was that you?
If your invoice says Dean, Secretary, Md. That was me.

[Pat R]

Originally Posted by G1911

Have gotten lucky my fair share of times, but this was my best. $90 a few months ago on eBay, listed as an uncut sheet of reprints.

There are 4 known copies of this card outside of this unfinished sheet panel. The card was unproven to exist at all until 2006.

Greg, have the sheets the seller pulled come back up for sale anywhere?

[G1911]

Originally Posted by Pat R

Greg, have the sheets the seller pulled come back up for sale anywhere?

Not that I have seen, sir - I'm still hoping the ones that were listed and then pulled turn up somewhere eventually, and that pictures of the presumed missing-in-action panels at least turn up. What we've learned about sheet sizes and the printers were as fun as the panels themselves.

[jcmtiger]

Originally Posted by CTDean

Joe, was that an SCD phone auction? I had four Cobb's in one of my auctions in the early 1980's and I think three went to a Fireman in Virginia. Was that you?
If your invoice says Dean, Secretary, Md. That was me.

I would have to locate the letter telling me I won the Auction. Not a fireman from Virginia though lol

[Ricky]

In 1987, I traded a bunch of Topps football cards from the 1970 and 71 sets for a 1939 Joe DiMaggio Play Ball card. Years later, I had it graded and it came back PSA 5.

[Bigdaddy]

I can't tell you how many Eric Davis, Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry RCs my dad and I traded for vintage cards, but I do remember one trade specifically.

In probably the fall/winter of 1988, we traded an unopened wax box of 1988 Fleer baseball for a nicely centered EX 1955 Ted Williams. At the time, I didn't have any Ted cards and I was thrilled with the trade.

Probably the best buy though was a hand-collated 1986 Fleer basketball set for $5.

[ullmandds]

some of my best deals have been:

t206 drum solly hofman $37 card show in silver spring md c1993

t206 red hindu m brown/hal chase $185 c1993

a few e94's in a bargain box for $3 ea c1995

bought the 4 t206 cobbs from lipset auction, sold 3 got the greenie for free 2005ish

5 blue bird babe ruths for 12000(pandemic buy)ebay 2020

my e122 ruth i bought right here on the bst many moons ago for 800 atleast 15 years ago

all gone except 1 bluebird ruth and the e122 ruth

[tkd]

Blue Bird Ruth is beautiful. The back is one of my favorites

[milkit1]

In 2015 I was preparing to go to Spacefest in Arizona and had the bright idea to make a panorama of Gene Cernan during his Gemini 9 spacewalk. One had never been made before and there was only one good picture of his fateful spacewalk that nearly killed him. Anyways I got the panorama made (2 copies) on board and paid Cernan $500 each to sign. As I was handing over $1000 cash I started feeling a little regret. However Cernan was the coolest person I have ever met. Super nice and after hearing his story about the spacewalk I was in awe. Well he died 6 months later. Flash forward to 2019. I consigned one of the two to an auction and it sold for $32,000. When I saw the final bid i refreshed my screen about 8 times because I thought it had glitched.
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cernan eva close up.jpg

[D. Bergin]

Originally Posted by milkit1

In 2015 I was preparing to go to Spacefest in Arizona and had the bright idea to make a panorama of Gene Cernan during his Gemini 9 spacewalk. One had never been made before and there was only one good picture of his fateful spacewalk that nearly killed him. Anyways I got the panorama made (2 copies) on board and paid Cernan $500 each to sign. As I was handing over $1000 cash I started feeling a little regret. However Cernan was the coolest person I have ever met. Super nice and after hearing his story about the spacewalk I was in awe. Well he died 6 months later. Flash forward to 2019. I consigned one of the two to an auction and it sold for $32,000. When I saw the final bid i refreshed my screen about 8 times because I thought it had glitched.
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WOW! That's awesome!

Happy you got a good price, but those pieces are just cool as hell regardless of what one of them sold for.

[jingram058]

Originally Posted by D. Bergin

WOW! That's awesome!

Happy you got a good price, but those pieces are just cool as hell regardless of what one of them sold for.

+1!

THAT'S what I'm talking about!

[Vintagedeputy]

I don't like discussing good deals on cards that I still own, but I'll tell you one that I got and that got away.

When I was 16, I found an absolutely gem mint 1957 Topps Mantle / Berra #407 Yankee Power Hitters card along with an Al Cicotte card from the same year. Bought them at a garage sale for $5.00.

Fast forward a year and I'm a big time (I thought) card dealer at a show in NJ and the Power Hitters card is booking for about $40 or so....and I sold it. Had it on the table and a guy bought it. Stupid, stupid kid.

[bnorth]

My best deal was a trade back in the real early 90s. I was young and broke at a gun show. I seen a older lady sell a dealer a older German made Walther PPK in the factory box with the target used for test firing in the box. It is the gun James Bond used in most of his movies.

Back then a somewhat local dealer was there that sold guns, fishing equipment, and vintage baseball cards. I traded a 1966 Topps Sandy Koufax in NrMint condition for a new Smith & Wesson 38. I then traded the S&W even up for the Walther PPK I wanted from the other gun dealer.

The dealer with the Walther didn't look close to see it was a German made gun and not the American version. In card terms I traded a common T206 even up for a T206 Red Cobb in the same condition.

[sreader3]

Paid $30 for this beauty at the 1985 National in Anaheim when I was in my teens. Obviously ungraded at the time. From a "dealer." Imagine that!

(Also wow great Hindu group Pat!)

[steve B]

Most of the cards I have from hockey, football, and basketball from about 1968-72 came from one buy.
A flea market card dealer who did only baseball and generally over priced it had a shopping bag full of loose cards basically laying on the ground next to his table but not too close. When I asked how much he gruffly said "you don't want that stuff, it's not baseball" I had to press a bit for a price, which turned out to be $20 for the whole bag. About 3/4 of each football and hockey set, and a decent number of basketball, and no stars pulled out.

Another deal was a day I went early and as a guy set up he put out a plastic bag full of pennants, old sewn felt. Right on top was a "newer" 50's baseball pennant. picked up the whole stack and asked, $20 for everything. That one baseball one was the only one, but nearly all of them were sewn felt from roughly the late teens. And in great condition.

Since I was buying in the late 70's early 80's, most of my "good" cards were great bargains, even if they weren't at the time.

[abothebear]

In '89, I traded a 50 cent bag of popcorn to my friend for the doubles of his 86-87 and 87-88 fleer basketball cards - which included some stars and a Jordan sticker (not-great condition). I sold the Jordan last year for $400. Considering the 30+ years that passed, it isn't that exciting, but I like to bring it up to my friend whenever I can.

[Michael B]

I don't collect cards, but there are still a few sports collecting stories I can share.

Brimfield, Mass flea market mid 1990's. At that time I was mainly buying and selling Civil War related signatures, documents and the such. I collected the 4 main sports in person in and around Boston. I was at the Brimfield flea market during the July event. I walked up to a table manned by an older man and his wife. It was filled with postal covers and similar items. He had some items I wanted immediately so I put them aside. I was looking at his first day covers and spotted the 1939 baseball one. It was signed. I stared at it for a few minutes then it hit me: Johnny Evers. I asked how much? He said $5. I did not even try to bargain. You need to know when to keep your mouth shut, not one of my strongest qualities. I paid exactly what he wanted for everything and walked away. As I did his shrew wife started screeching "He ripped you off!" How can you rip someone off when you pay exactly what they ask? I got home, called a doctor I know who collected Civil War and Baseball and sold it for $350. Probably worth quite a bit more today, but I was happy with that.

My main collecting is Olympic photography. I also collect, buy and sell Olympic autographs. I am very fortunate as I am able to find quality signatures of rare Olympians that European collectors need. That is my main market. I saw this photo on ebay. It was of a U.S. fencer who competed in 1920, 1924 and 1928 and it was signed by him. I got it for about $20. When it arrived I noticed the writing below the photo. On the left '1928'. On the right, the signature of the photographer - Nickolas Muray. Muray was a world famous photographer in the 1920's and 1930's. He travelled the world photographing famous people including almost everyone in Hollywood, Claude Monet, Charlie Chaplin and others. The portrait of Babe Ruth sitting with the bat on his left shoulder was taken by him. The best known photos of Frida Kahlo (think the movie 'Frida' with Selma Hayek) are by him. He was also her lover. Not only was he a photographer, he was a fencer, competing for the U.S. at the 1928 and 1932 Olympics. He died while fencing at a club in New York City. You can find his photos on ebay. Some blind stamped, some stamped and some signed with a stylized version of his last name. They can range from hundreds to thousands. Not a bad pickup for something that will stay in my collection.

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[cardsfan73]

Picked up these three at a small antique mall for just over $100.



One of the three had a little bit of value!

[philliesfan]

Well probably me best deal ever was not a card purchase. it was a stamp collection.

About 4 or 5 years ago, I answered a craigslist add for a stamp collection for sale for $200.00. I decided to check it out. I drove an hour and 30 minutes to the Allentown, PA. area and made the purchase. In the very large collection was about $4,325.00 is unused United States postage stamps ready to be used for postage. I have been using them to send out my ebay sales.

I am still using them and selling lots once in a while at a discount.

Besides the unused stamps there were many other US stamps that I sold anywhere from a few dollars to about $75.00. I figure the total value of my $200.00 investment was about $6,000.00+.

Not bad considering I was out of work at the time.

[z28jd]

I collected T206 cards as a teenager and finished the set in 2003, so with current prices a lot of them would be great deals. One of the deals that really stands out now started off bad.

A board member here begged for a Carolina Brights Eddie Collins at least ten years ago and said they needed it for their collection. We had made previous deals, so I decided to let it go for a even trade to help them out. A month later it was in a graded holder and in an auction, where it got a good price. Definitely more than I would have sold it for, but much less than what it would go for now (I think it was just over $1,200 with the juice). Needless to say, I was furious and didn't do any more deals with that person and still wouldn't.

Cut to 2022 prices and I have a low grade Roger Bresnahan Carolina Brights back to replace the back in my collection, a mid-grade Hal Chase pink portrait (with a large crop mark on the back, which I collected) and a replacement Eddie Collins for my set that was in nicer shape than the original one (common back though). I paid $110 for the original Collins, so I'd say it worked out great for me in the long run (especially since I would have sold it for about $800 back then and just replaced the Collins with part of that money), but I definitely didn't like the middle part.

[fkm_bky]

Back in the earlier days of the Net54 board when I was just getting into pre-war I had wanted to collect the E95 set as a starting point. Another board member (I don't remember who any longer) offered me 12 of the players in the set for $250.00. It included Wagner, Matty, Chance, Collins, and Crawford. I also picked up a nice E95 Cobb about a month later from the board for $115.00.

I wish I still had all the scans of my collection before I liquidated it in 2008 due to some financial needs.

Bill

[yanks87]

When I was in high school in central NY, there was a card auction at a hole in the wall auction house. I had a bunch of summer jobs, and was scarfing up on T206's at $10 a piece, which were all HoF'ers. Near the end of the sale, a 1933 Babe Ruth came up for sale, winning price was $400, my dad was pushing me to go for it, but I was content with my haul. Of course then came the remorse for not going for it. Fast forward 20+ years, I moved to Oregon and always kept tabs on another hole in the wall auction house. One week, randomly, a 1933 Babe Ruth popped up, not in great shape, but still, a chance for redemption. I went and looked at it, and confirmed it was the real deal. Bidding starts, and I jumped in, hammer price $375. It ended up grading a PSA 1, with current prices, I would say that is my best. Close second would be the 48 Leaf Jackie Robinson that I bought from a very angry, recently divorced wife who sold it to me for $800, which graded a PSA 4.

I was on the other side of a "helluva deal" on this very board around 2009. I sold my T206 collection to a board member for $1500, and I can only imagine what that lot is worth now. I needed the money to ship my paintings to my first solo gallery opening, so it went to a good cause, but I know there was a lot of value in there. Oh to go back in time...

[riggs336]

In 1958 I bought a Little League teammate's collection of about 250 cards for $4. Most were '51-'53 Bowmans and '53 Topps, but there were also two Leaf Ruths. I traded one Ruth but I still have the other one, a PSA 4.

[joshleon]

When you started collecting so long ago, almost every deal sounds "sick" by today's standards.

One of the best deals was a deal my dad got for me as a present. He traded two Daily News "715" Hank Aaron newspapers PLUS 35$ for a Red t206 Cobb. The Cobb is a Polar bear and a bit rough but no creasing. In any case, great deal.

Another is when I was at a card show around 1987(ish) and this table had binders of T206 beaters. Backs weren't a big deal back then so everything was priced "3 for 15$" and the such. I was only 12 and I think I blew my show budget there (wish I had done more damage). I got a Kling Sov150, a MyersAB, and the real coup was a Hal Chase Dark Cap Red Hindu. My t206 focus at the time were HOF Portraits...So then, and I think I am remembering this correctly, as I was leaving, he had this really beat up Cy Young Portrait. I know I didn't pay more than 10/15 dollars for it but don't think it counted as part of the 3 for 15.

I still dream about that table...and time machines

[Leon]

Here are some prices I paid on my first collection.. I sold it in 2015 so the prices are from there back....I might post the next ones later...


1914 B18 Boone and envelope ex 50
1914 B18 Blanket Chance vg-ex 20.
1914 B18 Blanket Dots Miller color variation vg 80
1914 BF2 Pennant Judge ex 100
x1916 BF2 Pennant Honus Wagner vg 550
1916 BF2 Pennant Premium Alexanxer ex 3585
1916 BF2-Unc Pillow Top w/Wags/Cobb/Johnson etc vg+ 6573
1916 BF2-Unc Movie Stars Mary Fuller and v.Rich pr 11-total
1936-37 BF3-1 Felt Paul Waner fr 25
1936-37 BF3-2 Appling ex 30
1936-37 BF3-3 Terry ex 30
1936-37 BF3-2 Warneke miscut fr 12
1936-37BF3-4 Giants,Pirates,Reds,White Sox gd 15 ea
1936-37 BF3-5 Athletics,Bees,Cubs,Tigers gd 15
1936-37 BF3-7 Joe Dimaggio ex 70
1936-37 BF3-7 Paul Waner ex 30
1936-37 BF3-8 Lucas gd 23, Yankees Champs vg 15
1936-37 BF3-9 Giehl (1938) gd 165
1936-37 BF3-9 Durocher, Lopez vg+ 15
1936-37 BF3-11 Colonels, St.Paul Saints vg 15
1937 BF104 Mack, Hartnett, York vg 219 ea
1910's B-unc Pennant McBride fr 102
1913 BF-Unc Cravats felt Dooin pr 170
1913 BF-Unc Cravats felt McGraw pr 300
1937- B-unc Pennant Rowe vg 200
1911 C46 McGinnity vg-ex 90.
1932 D32 Drakes Cakes Ruth sgc40 3000
1940s D38 Bell Bakeries base runner plus 6 vg 10
1940's D39-8 Gordon's Bread base runner gd 10
1930s D48 Invisible Color Pictures A Home Run Wools gd 50
1947 D302 Bond Bread Robinson portrait SGC10 95
x1914 D303 Gen Baking Speaker sgc20 1750
x1914 D303 Mothers Br. Chase sgc40 180.
x1914 D304 Fleischmanns Kelly vg+ 150
x1914 D304 General Baking Chance gd-vg 550
X1914 D304 Martens Bakery Cobb sgc 30 10000
x1914 D304 Weber Collins sgc50 190
x1914 D304 Brunners Bell ex 60
x1914 D304 Brunners Br. Evers sgc40 101.
1914 D304 General Baking Rucker (miscut back) pr 60
1047 D305 Bond Bread Mize ex round corners 20
x1948 D305 Bond Bread Kiner ex square corners 25
1947 D305 Bond Bread Feller/London Dry stamp pr 57
1911 D310 Pac Co Bisc Moore W/cancellation pr 103
X1911 D310 Pac Co Bisc Stinson w/stamp sgc80 909
1911 D310 Pac.Co.Bisc. Thompson GD 70.
nice purple cancellation
x1911 D310 Pac.Co.Bisc. Weaver sgc10 670
1911 D310 Pac.Co.Bisc. Ryan gd+ 30
x1911 D311 Pac.Co.Bis. Byram sgc40 125
x1911 D311 Pac.Co.Bis. Arrelanes sgc40 50
1911 D311 Pac Co Bis Danzil w/overprint back pr 200
x1911 D311 Pac.Co.Bis. Maggert vg 20
1911 D311 Melchoir SGC40 256
x1911 D311 Pac.Co.Bis. Van Buren vg 20
1947 D315-2 Sunbeam Br. Babbit vg+ 10
1947 D315-2 Sunbeam Br. (back variation) Warmer ex+ 39
1946 D317 Remar Bread Stengel gd 19
1947 D317 Remar Bread Sabol fr -
1949 D317 Remar Bread Martin vg-ex -
1950 D317 Remar Bread Gettel ex-mt -
1950 D317 Remar Kelley vg 25
x1910 D322 Tip Top Brea Clarke sgc50 365.
1947 D323 Tip Top Garagiola PSA 2 50
x1921 D327 Holsum Bread Hornsby sgc50 50.
1916 D350-1/ E135 Tesreau vg+ 30.
Standard Biscuit
1916 D350-1 / E135 Baker pr -clipped 65
1922 D350-3/E121 Standard Bisc Strunk sgc50 150
x1911 D359 Williams Bak. Baker sgc50 450
x1911 D359 Williams Bak. Davis SGC60 -
x1911 D359 Rochester Livingston sgc40 634
x1910 D380 Clement Bros. McConnell SGC30 1300
Oval
x1910 D380 Clement Bros.McConnell SGC10 150.
Square
x1916 D381 Fleischman's Wagner sgc30 3525.
w/ coupon & (type 1 photo $450)
x1916 D381-1 Fergusons Burns SGC 40 vg 3884
w/coupon
x1916 D381-1 Fergusons Lewis SGC 40 vg 2760
w/coupon
x1934 D382 Tarzan /Trophy Bridges fr-gd 690
x1934 D382 Tarzan Munns SGC 30 500
1921 D383 Koester Stengel sgc40 600
1910s D-unc Schmidt’s bakery Dressing dolls baseball gd 20
1921 D-Unc Tip Top Bread Lefler SGC 20 3525
1927 D-unc Middy Bread Mullen gd 179
1927 D-unc Middy Bread Shang (sp?) gd 448
1928 D-Unc Greiners Bread Harris SGC50 5500
1936 D-Unc Kroger Bread Bolen pr 228
1936 D-Unc Kroger Bread Heath full card pr 250
1936 D-Unc Kroger Bread Logan pr 250
1938 D-unc Sawyer Biscuit Hartnett vg+ 318
1938 D-Unc Sawyer Biscuit Dean ex-mt 77
1938 D-Unc Sawyer Biscuit PorkChops whitehead ex -mt 77
1940's D-unc Rubel Baking x2 announcer vg 75 ea
1945 D-Unc Beaver PCL teams- 9 x 19, 9 x14, signs pr 2x 10ea
1946 Gordon’s Bread, Tacoma Tigers, team display 17” x 8 ½”, pr 50
1947 D-Unc Gordon’s Bread, Morley Studios Tigers Kuper pr trim … 30
1947 D-Unc Bond Bread Premiums- Musial fr 16
1921 Exhibit Maranville GD 30.
1922 Exhibit Baker vg 50
1922 Exhibit Heilman gd 45 no border
1922 Eastern Exhibit PC Speaker vg 95
1925 Exhibit Collins vg 60
1926 Exhibit Frisch- sliding vg 38
1927 Exhibit Traynor vg 55
1927 Exhibit green tint Goslin vg 70
1928 Exhibit PCL Weathersby vg 200
1928 Exhibit PCL Weathersby w/stamped back sgc30 100
1929/30 Exhibit 4-1 Grover Alexander vg 55
1931/32 Exhibit 4-1 Stewart Farrel,Gray,Kress SGC10 30
1936 4-1 Exhibit Appling, Dykes, Lyons, Bonura, SGC40 40
1937 Exhibits 4-1 Gehrig Dimaggio Lazzeri Gomez gd+ 275
1939-46 Exhibit Salut. Dimaggio, Greenberg,Evers, 114 total
1947-1966 Exhibits Hal Newhouser signed ex 35
1947-1966 Exhibits Bearden w/ An Exhibit Card on front, ex -
x1920's Exhibit-unc Ruth gd+ 405
1920's Exhibit generic baseball cut out ex 25
1920s Exhibit 4 in 1 Anon. w/Johnson, Simmons boxer sgc30 350
1920s Exhibit 4 in 1 Anon. Smith, Kelly etc.....sgc45 185
1929 Exhibits unc Star Picture Stamps Ruth vg- 200
1940's Exhibit ad piece w/young,mack,mcgraw gd 68
1909 E90-1 Amer.Car. Jennings vg 41.
1909 E90-1 Knight PSA 2 crosshairs 75
x1909 E90-1 Amer.Car. Murphy pr-fr 400
e-unc Managerie Gum back
x1909 E90-1 Amer.Car. Young-Boston SGC 50 800
1910 E90-1 Amer.Car Krause - miscut back pr -
1910 E90-2 Amer.Car Clarke - miscut back pr 150
1910 E90-2 Amer. Car. Maddox gd+ 50.
x1910 E90-2 Amer. Car. Wagner sgc20 1000.
x1910 E90-3 Amer. Car Gandil sgc40
1910 E90-3 Amer.Car. Hofman miscut SGC20 200
1910 E91- a Amer Car Sheet w/Plank pr 569
1910 E91-A Amer. Car. McGraw SGC 20 60
1909 E91-B Amer.Car Plank sgc40 75
1909 E91-C Amer.Car. Johnson EX 350.
1909 E91-C Amer.Car. Browne SGC 40 140
1909 E92 Nadja Baily miscut back SGC 30 69
1909 E92 Nadja Jennings fr 340
1909 E92 Nadja Wallace ex 180
1909 E92 Nadja Oakes SGC50 150
x1909 E92 Crofts Cocoa Jennings vg 80
x1909 E92 Crofts Cocoa Miller vg 70
x1909 E92 Crofts Candy Mathewson black back gd-vg 205
1909 E92 Crofts Candy Bescher black back miscut gd 130
1909 E92 Crofts Candy Jennings blue back SGC40 25.
1909 E92 Crofts Candy Davis blue back SGC40 200
1909 e92 Crofts Candy Barry re d back AUT 350
1909 e92 Crofts Candy Bemis red back AUT 350
Missing 1909 e92 Crofts Candy Bescher red back vg-ex 350

x1909 e92 Crofts Candy Davis red back ex
350
x1909 e92 Crofts Candy Miller red back sgc40 800
1909 E92 Dockman Lajoie CTA 4 135.
x1909 E92 Dockman Young vg-ex 200.
x1909 E92- unc Magee SGC40 450.
E78 boxing back
x1909 E92- unc Young SGC20 550.
E78 boxing back
1909 E92 Miller fielding SGC40 100
blank back
x1910 E93 Standard Car.Waddell SGC 40 205.
1910 E93 Standard Car. Dooin SGCA 210
x1911 E94 Close Candy Grant sgc10 1040
Your Safe if you eat
x1911 E94 Close Candy Kleinow sgc30 1040
Your safe Have a Cuckoo
x1911 E94 Close Candy Cicotte sgc30 1040
Close's Oppie Dildock
x1911 E94 Close Candy Speaker sgc10 1040
Home Run for Closes Butter Balls
x1911 E94 Close Candy Cicotte sgc40 1040
Your Out if you don't eat..
x1911 E94 Close Candy Turner sgc50 1040
A Base Hit Close's Sponge Cake
x1911 E94 Close Candy Lake sgc30 1040
Three Strikes get a Lemon
x1911 E94 Close Candy Bates sgc20 795.
Blomes overprint
x1911 E94- Close Candy Doolan sgc 40 1800
Oh You Fan!
x1911 E94 Close Candy Byrne vg 1350
Pennant Winners
1911 E94 Evers (red background) SGC30 525
x1911 E94 Crawford orange background sgc20 2040
1909 E95 Phil Car. Chance vg-ex 170.
1909 E95 Cobb SGC45 2600
1910 E96 Phil. Car. Marquard gd-vg 110.
1910 E96 Notebook Tinker vg+ 110

[GasHouseGang]

Originally Posted by riggs336

In 1958 I bought a Little League teammate's collection of about 250 cards for $4. Most were '51-'53 Bowmans and '53 Topps, but there were also two Leaf Ruths. I traded one Ruth but I still have the other one, a PSA 4.

I didn't expect anyone to go back to the 3rd grade!

[scottglevy]

Too many memories to list. But here were some of my favorites:

1. This may be in first place. A T206 Old Mill 1 that I thought may be a brown back. And it was!!! Got that one back in the day for around $25

2. The most fun. An album of cards that were glued in. Can’t remember exactly. But this lot was close to $10k. Once removed the Cobb bat-off had an Uzit back. There was one other common that had an uzit back as well. And there were at least a dozen high grade piedmont art stamps!

3. The most personally significant. From the National in 1983. My very first vintage cards - an OJ in vg/ex and a Cobb strip card in ExMt for $30.

[SyrNy1960]

About 10 years ago, I bought an ungraded, autographed 1986 Fleer Michael Jordan Rookie Card (gorgeous early autograph) on ebay for $650. I sent the card to PSA for grading; came back a PSA 8. I sold it for $4,000. Within a few months, I later see it was upgraded to PSA 9. Well, in the end, I was happy because I was able to purchase Arod's First Career Grand Slam Bat (PSA 9.5) with the money. Since then, I have been offered $12,500 and $15,000 for the bat. Sorry, not for sale!

[parkplace33]

One that got away

In the late 90s, I was at a local flea market. Older gentleman had some new cards (80s/90s). I asked if he had any vintage. He said he he just sold some 50s cards (in a shoebox) to a guy standing by the table.

That guy (I kid you not) ran away from the table, clutching the shoebox like he was on a prison break. Never seen a guy at a flea market run so fast. He then peeled out of the parking lot, dust and rocks flying.

I talked to the older gentlemen later (we were both laughing about the other guy). Not sure what was in the shoebox, but my guess it was something good. Older guy did tell me he sold the entire box for $50.

Oh well, good for that guy. Early bird gets the worm!

[campersmd]

In 1987, a booth at a antique show had a E-95 Wagner for $10. My offer for $7 was accepted and we were both happy!

[jingram058]

Originally Posted by Leon

Here are some prices I paid on my first collection.. I sold it in 2015 so the prices are from there back....I might post the next ones later...


1914 B18 Boone and envelope ex 50
1914 B18 Blanket Chance vg-ex 20.
1914 B18 Blanket Dots Miller color variation vg 80
1914 BF2 Pennant Judge ex 100
x1916 BF2 Pennant Honus Wagner vg 550
1916 BF2 Pennant Premium Alexanxer ex 3585
1916 BF2-Unc Pillow Top w/Wags/Cobb/Johnson etc vg+ 6573
1916 BF2-Unc Movie Stars Mary Fuller and v.Rich pr 11-total
1936-37 BF3-1 Felt Paul Waner fr 25
1936-37 BF3-2 Appling ex 30
1936-37 BF3-3 Terry ex 30
1936-37 BF3-2 Warneke miscut fr 12
1936-37BF3-4 Giants,Pirates,Reds,White Sox gd 15 ea
1936-37 BF3-5 Athletics,Bees,Cubs,Tigers gd 15
1936-37 BF3-7 Joe Dimaggio ex 70
1936-37 BF3-7 Paul Waner ex 30
1936-37 BF3-8 Lucas gd 23, Yankees Champs vg 15
1936-37 BF3-9 Giehl (1938) gd 165
1936-37 BF3-9 Durocher, Lopez vg+ 15
1936-37 BF3-11 Colonels, St.Paul Saints vg 15
1937 BF104 Mack, Hartnett, York vg 219 ea
1910's B-unc Pennant McBride fr 102
1913 BF-Unc Cravats felt Dooin pr 170
1913 BF-Unc Cravats felt McGraw pr 300
1937- B-unc Pennant Rowe vg 200
1911 C46 McGinnity vg-ex 90.
1932 D32 Drakes Cakes Ruth sgc40 3000
1940s D38 Bell Bakeries base runner plus 6 vg 10
1940's D39-8 Gordon's Bread base runner gd 10
1930s D48 Invisible Color Pictures A Home Run Wools gd 50
1947 D302 Bond Bread Robinson portrait SGC10 95
x1914 D303 Gen Baking Speaker sgc20 1750
x1914 D303 Mothers Br. Chase sgc40 180.
x1914 D304 Fleischmanns Kelly vg+ 150
x1914 D304 General Baking Chance gd-vg 550
X1914 D304 Martens Bakery Cobb sgc 30 10000
x1914 D304 Weber Collins sgc50 190
x1914 D304 Brunners Bell ex 60
x1914 D304 Brunners Br. Evers sgc40 101.
1914 D304 General Baking Rucker (miscut back) pr 60
1047 D305 Bond Bread Mize ex round corners 20
x1948 D305 Bond Bread Kiner ex square corners 25
1947 D305 Bond Bread Feller/London Dry stamp pr 57
1911 D310 Pac Co Bisc Moore W/cancellation pr 103
X1911 D310 Pac Co Bisc Stinson w/stamp sgc80 909
1911 D310 Pac.Co.Bisc. Thompson GD 70.
nice purple cancellation
x1911 D310 Pac.Co.Bisc. Weaver sgc10 670
1911 D310 Pac.Co.Bisc. Ryan gd+ 30
x1911 D311 Pac.Co.Bis. Byram sgc40 125
x1911 D311 Pac.Co.Bis. Arrelanes sgc40 50
1911 D311 Pac Co Bis Danzil w/overprint back pr 200
x1911 D311 Pac.Co.Bis. Maggert vg 20
1911 D311 Melchoir SGC40 256
x1911 D311 Pac.Co.Bis. Van Buren vg 20
1947 D315-2 Sunbeam Br. Babbit vg+ 10
1947 D315-2 Sunbeam Br. (back variation) Warmer ex+ 39
1946 D317 Remar Bread Stengel gd 19
1947 D317 Remar Bread Sabol fr -
1949 D317 Remar Bread Martin vg-ex -
1950 D317 Remar Bread Gettel ex-mt -
1950 D317 Remar Kelley vg 25
x1910 D322 Tip Top Brea Clarke sgc50 365.
1947 D323 Tip Top Garagiola PSA 2 50
x1921 D327 Holsum Bread Hornsby sgc50 50.
1916 D350-1/ E135 Tesreau vg+ 30.
Standard Biscuit
1916 D350-1 / E135 Baker pr -clipped 65
1922 D350-3/E121 Standard Bisc Strunk sgc50 150
x1911 D359 Williams Bak. Baker sgc50 450
x1911 D359 Williams Bak. Davis SGC60 -
x1911 D359 Rochester Livingston sgc40 634
x1910 D380 Clement Bros. McConnell SGC30 1300
Oval
x1910 D380 Clement Bros.McConnell SGC10 150.
Square
x1916 D381 Fleischman's Wagner sgc30 3525.
w/ coupon & (type 1 photo $450)
x1916 D381-1 Fergusons Burns SGC 40 vg 3884
w/coupon
x1916 D381-1 Fergusons Lewis SGC 40 vg 2760
w/coupon
x1934 D382 Tarzan /Trophy Bridges fr-gd 690
x1934 D382 Tarzan Munns SGC 30 500
1921 D383 Koester Stengel sgc40 600
1910s D-unc Schmidt’s bakery Dressing dolls baseball gd 20
1921 D-Unc Tip Top Bread Lefler SGC 20 3525
1927 D-unc Middy Bread Mullen gd 179
1927 D-unc Middy Bread Shang (sp?) gd 448
1928 D-Unc Greiners Bread Harris SGC50 5500
1936 D-Unc Kroger Bread Bolen pr 228
1936 D-Unc Kroger Bread Heath full card pr 250
1936 D-Unc Kroger Bread Logan pr 250
1938 D-unc Sawyer Biscuit Hartnett vg+ 318
1938 D-Unc Sawyer Biscuit Dean ex-mt 77
1938 D-Unc Sawyer Biscuit PorkChops whitehead ex -mt 77
1940's D-unc Rubel Baking x2 announcer vg 75 ea
1945 D-Unc Beaver PCL teams- 9 x 19, 9 x14, signs pr 2x 10ea
1946 Gordon’s Bread, Tacoma Tigers, team display 17” x 8 ½”, pr 50
1947 D-Unc Gordon’s Bread, Morley Studios Tigers Kuper pr trim … 30
1947 D-Unc Bond Bread Premiums- Musial fr 16
1921 Exhibit Maranville GD 30.
1922 Exhibit Baker vg 50
1922 Exhibit Heilman gd 45 no border
1922 Eastern Exhibit PC Speaker vg 95
1925 Exhibit Collins vg 60
1926 Exhibit Frisch- sliding vg 38
1927 Exhibit Traynor vg 55
1927 Exhibit green tint Goslin vg 70
1928 Exhibit PCL Weathersby vg 200
1928 Exhibit PCL Weathersby w/stamped back sgc30 100
1929/30 Exhibit 4-1 Grover Alexander vg 55
1931/32 Exhibit 4-1 Stewart Farrel,Gray,Kress SGC10 30
1936 4-1 Exhibit Appling, Dykes, Lyons, Bonura, SGC40 40
1937 Exhibits 4-1 Gehrig Dimaggio Lazzeri Gomez gd+ 275
1939-46 Exhibit Salut. Dimaggio, Greenberg,Evers, 114 total
1947-1966 Exhibits Hal Newhouser signed ex 35
1947-1966 Exhibits Bearden w/ An Exhibit Card on front, ex -
x1920's Exhibit-unc Ruth gd+ 405
1920's Exhibit generic baseball cut out ex 25
1920s Exhibit 4 in 1 Anon. w/Johnson, Simmons boxer sgc30 350
1920s Exhibit 4 in 1 Anon. Smith, Kelly etc.....sgc45 185
1929 Exhibits unc Star Picture Stamps Ruth vg- 200
1940's Exhibit ad piece w/young,mack,mcgraw gd 68
1909 E90-1 Amer.Car. Jennings vg 41.
1909 E90-1 Knight PSA 2 crosshairs 75
x1909 E90-1 Amer.Car. Murphy pr-fr 400
e-unc Managerie Gum back
x1909 E90-1 Amer.Car. Young-Boston SGC 50 800
1910 E90-1 Amer.Car Krause - miscut back pr -
1910 E90-2 Amer.Car Clarke - miscut back pr 150
1910 E90-2 Amer. Car. Maddox gd+ 50.
x1910 E90-2 Amer. Car. Wagner sgc20 1000.
x1910 E90-3 Amer. Car Gandil sgc40
1910 E90-3 Amer.Car. Hofman miscut SGC20 200
1910 E91- a Amer Car Sheet w/Plank pr 569
1910 E91-A Amer. Car. McGraw SGC 20 60
1909 E91-B Amer.Car Plank sgc40 75
1909 E91-C Amer.Car. Johnson EX 350.
1909 E91-C Amer.Car. Browne SGC 40 140
1909 E92 Nadja Baily miscut back SGC 30 69
1909 E92 Nadja Jennings fr 340
1909 E92 Nadja Wallace ex 180
1909 E92 Nadja Oakes SGC50 150
x1909 E92 Crofts Cocoa Jennings vg 80
x1909 E92 Crofts Cocoa Miller vg 70
x1909 E92 Crofts Candy Mathewson black back gd-vg 205
1909 E92 Crofts Candy Bescher black back miscut gd 130
1909 E92 Crofts Candy Jennings blue back SGC40 25.
1909 E92 Crofts Candy Davis blue back SGC40 200
1909 e92 Crofts Candy Barry re d back AUT 350
1909 e92 Crofts Candy Bemis red back AUT 350
Missing 1909 e92 Crofts Candy Bescher red back vg-ex 350

x1909 e92 Crofts Candy Davis red back ex
350
x1909 e92 Crofts Candy Miller red back sgc40 800
1909 E92 Dockman Lajoie CTA 4 135.
x1909 E92 Dockman Young vg-ex 200.
x1909 E92- unc Magee SGC40 450.
E78 boxing back
x1909 E92- unc Young SGC20 550.
E78 boxing back
1909 E92 Miller fielding SGC40 100
blank back
x1910 E93 Standard Car.Waddell SGC 40 205.
1910 E93 Standard Car. Dooin SGCA 210
x1911 E94 Close Candy Grant sgc10 1040
Your Safe if you eat
x1911 E94 Close Candy Kleinow sgc30 1040
Your safe Have a Cuckoo
x1911 E94 Close Candy Cicotte sgc30 1040
Close's Oppie Dildock
x1911 E94 Close Candy Speaker sgc10 1040
Home Run for Closes Butter Balls
x1911 E94 Close Candy Cicotte sgc40 1040
Your Out if you don't eat..
x1911 E94 Close Candy Turner sgc50 1040
A Base Hit Close's Sponge Cake
x1911 E94 Close Candy Lake sgc30 1040
Three Strikes get a Lemon
x1911 E94 Close Candy Bates sgc20 795.
Blomes overprint
x1911 E94- Close Candy Doolan sgc 40 1800
Oh You Fan!
x1911 E94 Close Candy Byrne vg 1350
Pennant Winners
1911 E94 Evers (red background) SGC30 525
x1911 E94 Crawford orange background sgc20 2040
1909 E95 Phil Car. Chance vg-ex 170.
1909 E95 Cobb SGC45 2600
1910 E96 Phil. Car. Marquard gd-vg 110.
1910 E96 Notebook Tinker vg+ 110

Holy smokes, Leon! Some of those are absolutely INSANE!

If only time travel was for real!

[jingram058]

Originally Posted by GasHouseGang

I didn't expect anyone to go back to the 3rd grade!

These stories are absolutely priceless!

[CurtisFlood]

I was able to buy a 1915 Cracker Jack Cobb at an auction in San Diego in the very early nineties for $100. Only me and one other guy at the auction and he didn't want an old card like that. It was about VG-EX condition. It was my lucky day as I also won the door prize which was a 1961 Topps Willie Mays.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by jingram058

Holy smokes, Leon! Some of those are absolutely INSANE!

If only time travel was for real!

I wish some of these deals were still around... I paid up for some things...others were a good deal (at least by todays standards)

x1910 T213-1 Coupon Cobb red SGC30 2218
1914 T213-2 Coupon Crawford gd+ 65
x1914 T213-2 Coupon Cobb red SGC 40 1500
x1914 T213-2 Coupon Doolan-stats front vg 65
1919 T213-3 Coupon Cobb-bat off/fact 8 SGC 30 2000
x1919 T213-3 Coupon Cobb- red sgc30 1300
x1919 T213-3 Coupon Marquard vg 200.
1914 T214 Victory Jennings PSA2mk 2500
x1914 T214 Victory Wiltse sgc50 1150.
x1915 T215 Pirate back Street PSA AUT 10073.00
x1915 T215 Red Cross McGraw sgc40 135.
type 1 Brown
x1915 T215 Red Cross Murray SGC30 100.
type 2 blue
*1914*(same grouping) T216 Bender Kotten back SGC A 314
*1914*(same grouping) T216 Bender blank back SGC A 350
*1914 T216 Kotten Evers miscut SGC A 259
*1914 T216 Kotten Gibson Front view blank back SGC A 176
*1914 T216 Kotten Jacklitsch blank back SGC A 236
*1914 T216 Kotten Jennings miscut SGC A 259
x1914 T216 Kotten Marquard vg+ 148.
extra mild back
x1914 T216 Kotten Bender sgc20 230
1,2,3 back
x1914 T216 Kotten Cobb PSA 2 4320
never go out back-type 2
x1914 T216 Kotten Lobert sgc30 430
never go out back-type 2
x1914 T216 Mino Gibson sgc40 525.
x1914 T216 Virginia Ext.Dooin sgc10 750.
x1914 T216 Virginia Ext Doyle sgc20 380
1914 T216 Virginia Ext Jacklitsch sgc10 899
x1914 T216 Virginia Ext Jennings SGC20 2800
x1911 T217 Mono Daley SGC80 3000
x1911 T217 Mono Couchman BVG4 900
1914 T222 Fatima Schang gd 50
1914 T222 Fatima Huggins SGC40 330
1912 T227 Cobb Miners Extra Sgc 30 2990
x1912 T227 Honest Long Bender GD 101.
x1912 T227 Miners Extra Baker vg-ex
x1922 T231 Fans Cigs Baker sgc 20 12000
1914 T330-2 Piedmont Wagner psa 2 40

.

[robw1959]

Right at the top would be a raw 1953 Topps Mickey Mantle card I bought in the summer of 1976. It would likely have graded a 4 by today's standards. The price was $10.

[tedzan]

SPORTS-CARD LITHOGRAPHY AT IT'S BEST. 1888 - 1889 GOODWIN CHAMPIONS (N162)

There are numerous finds and deals I've been lucky to acquire these past 44 years. I prefer to display this deal. It's my absolute favorite. Back in the 1980's
I acquired King Kelly and a 1/2 dozen N162's Sports players. In 1991, SCD was running an auction of 60 of these cards, including a complete set (50 cards).
After a fierce bidding contest my $3101 bid won these cards. I decided to drive the 400-mile trip to Peterborough, New Hampshire to get the cards. I stayed
with my cousins in nearby Manchester (NH).
I eventually sold the extra 10 cards for $1100. Therefore, the complete set cost me only 2000. Cap Anson, alone, nowadays sells for a lot more than 2000.






Album cover and pages 1 & 2 of 12....Several years later, I was fortunate to pick-up the GOODWIN CHAMPIONS Album (A36).



.



TED Z

T206 Reference
.

[brianp-beme]

These five at my first card show in 1981 at the first table on the right just as I walked into the show. They were my first vintage cards, and I spent about all the money I had with me on them...$11 total.

They got me started in the vintage card hobby which I have never left, and as a result these cards are to blame for me having posted over 5000 times here.

Brian

[rand1com]

In 2019, I purchased a boyhood collection from a guy in his late 70's. He had opened packs in 1951/2/3 starting when he was around 10 years old and had stored them all in a large box loose. There were about 600 hundred cards in total. No '52 Topps high numbers and no Mays but still a lot of star cards in reasonable condition. No '53 Topps Mantle or Mays either but a couple of Paiges.

When he was in his 40's, his dad found them in the attic of his old home and asked him if he wanted them so he had him ship them to him. They had been in storage at his home for 30+ years before I saw them.

He had (2) 1951 Bowman Mantles and (1) Mays. I got the Mantles graded and one was a 3 and the other a 3.5. At that time just 3 short years ago I got $11K for the pair which was very high for those grades at the time.

I offered $10K for his collection and he said that was too much and countered at $7500 and told me if I did not make good money on the deal he would give me some money back.

I figured the collection would bring about $20K so I told him I was OK with the $10K but he said no. For sure, the only time in my card dealing time where the offer was refused because it was too high.

I got the $20K eventually for the collection so I guess we were both happy.

[jcmtiger]

Saw a small newspaper with a Detroit Tigers 1935 WS black bat for sale, 1980’s. Went to the house could not make a deal. Couple years later called the phone number. Was sorry the man had passed away. The widow said she wanted to sell the bat. Purchased for $600.00.

[Seven]

A few to say the least, even though my journey started much later than many people here on the board.

I purchased a lower grade, Hank Aaron 1954 Topps, in the 2006 with most of the money I had saved at that point. I don't remember an exact dollar amount, I want to say maybe around 170-190 dollars, off the Beckett Marketplace, I believe. I would eventually purchase an Ernie Banks 1954 Topps the same year for 50 off Ebay. The Same summer my father purchased a 1953 Willie Mays Topps, for me, from Baseball Nostalgia, I do indeed remember the price, $300, which might have been a slight overpay at the time for all I know, but certainly a bargain by today's standards. All three cards still sit, ungraded, in my small collection, to this very day.

More recently, I was purchasing a number of 52 Topps from a member on here, 8thEastVB, who was getting rid of a bunch of them. We talked back and forth about Minnie Minoso. To make a long stories short, in the last group for cards I purchased from him, he sent me Minnie for free. This was shortly before Minoso was announced for the Hall of Fame. I appreciated his generosity and thanked him profusely. It was such a nice gesture. He hasn't posted much at all since then. I hope he's well.

[Kzoo]

Back in the spring of 2014 at a local flea market a seller was in the process of setting up for the show with a friend of his. I was the only potential buyer around and while strolling through his items for sale, I overheard the conversation with his friend about how his move to Florida was in the near future. Amongst a bunch of other stuff under a couple white tents, he had a small stack of cards on a table with a '33 Goudey Sport Kings Ellsworth Vines on top of the stack. As I picked up the stack of cards to begin looking through them, he mentioned that 'the cards were .50 cents each or if I wanted the whole stack of 28 cards he'd sell them to me for .25 cents each'.

My first thought was reprints? No, they were thicker and felt correct for the issue. I held one to my nose and it smelled correct. I asked him where he got the cards and he pointed to an old, wooden toybox that was painted black with artwork of roses/flower arrangements on the outside that was sitting under a table. The inside of the toybox was lined with newspaper from 1933, but I don't remember the city or newspaper name. He said the toybox was full of old toys that he also had for sale and the cards were just loosely laying on the bottom. He said the toybox came from a local 'storage unit' auction. As I was looking through the cards, my heart was beginning to beat through my chest and tunnel vision set in.

There were many duplicates of only a few different cards.....there were 5 Indian Gum cards of Kishkalwa, 2 Sea Raider cards of Charles Gibbs, 5 Sport Kings cards of Ellsworth Vines, 7 Sport Kings cards of Babe Didrickson, and 9 Babe Ruth Sport Kings cards.

A couple cards had minimal damage from sitting under the toys and they were all a bit dusty, but the majority were BEAUTIFUL. The colors popped, most of the corners were sharp, and they looked uncirculated. I made the mistake of trying to add up .25 cents x 28 in my mind and paid him $8 for the stack. In a blur, I headed about 200 yards for my car. I sat down, looked around, locked the doors and put each card in a top loader. I took some deep breaths and just tried to figure out what just happened. I texted my wife 'I think I just found some great cards'. I think I was in shock, my brain was mush and I headed home shortly afterwards.

I graded most of the cards at some point over a couple year span and have since sold most of them (a few years too early) except for 3 Ruth's (a PSA 6 and 7 & a SGC 6.5) and a nice 8.5 Didrickson (there were three 8.5 Didricksons). I cracked out a few for re-grading in some instances. A couple of the Vines cards graded 8, one Ruth with the best centering but creases graded 2.5. Two Ruth's graded 7, plus three 6's and three 5's. All of the Ruth's were off center towards the bottom except for the 2.5. IMO, the best Ruth graded a PSA 6, so I cracked it out and SGC graded it a 6.5 (I still think it's better than that). The posted picture is from late 2014 and is missing a Didrickson, as I cracked out a couple cards during a couple year span to regrade back when it didn't cost a small fortune. Also posted is the SGC 6.5 that I believe was the best Ruth.

I still don't understand why those were the only cards in that toybox with so many duplicates. I don't think these cards were ever issued in packs. Why no Sport King Cobb's or regular issue 1933 baseball cards? I'd love to know that story.

[deadballfreaK]

Around 1976 or 77 when I was 22 I started getting the SCD and realized that there were other collectors and you could actually buy these fabulous old cards. One day two of my buddies and I read about the big national convention that was happening in only couple of days. We just gassed up my old '66 Plymouth Fury that was three different colors and took off for Detroit (a 9 hour drive). I had about $200 which was a goodly sum for a kid in those days. I was so amazed at the stuff there, that I was almost paralyzed. What to buy? At the time I had two T206s in my collection. Doc White and Wilbur Goode. I wound up buying a stack of 100 lower grade T206s wrapped in a rubber band from a big collector who considered them junk. The price $25. A quarter apiece. Condition was mostly G-VG with a few in terrible shape and a few VG-EX. I wish I had a record of what was in that lot. There were a few HOFers and though you may not believe it there were three Uzits, three Carolina Brights, and a Drum! At that times the backs were unimportant and I traded one of the Uzits to one of my buddies for just another common I needed probably just a Piedmont. I know it was a NY Giant maybe Doc Crandall. Two of the Uzits were General Schlei. I still have the portrait. The batting version I sold on ebay for about $250 about 20 years ago. I still have the Carolina Brights (Cy Barger, Jack Warhop, and Nick Maddox)and the Drum (Ira Thomas). I have posted these before, but I am totally unable to figure out how to post pics anymore.

[jcmtiger]

Originally Posted by Kzoo

Back in the spring of 2014 at a local flea market a seller was in the process of setting up for the show with a friend of his. I was the only potential buyer around and while strolling through his items for sale, I overheard the conversation with his friend about how his move to Florida was in the near future. Amongst a bunch of other stuff under a couple white tents, he had a small stack of cards on a table with a '33 Goudey Sport Kings Ellsworth Vines on top of the stack. As I picked up the stack of cards to begin looking through them, he mentioned that 'the cards were .50 cents each or if I wanted the whole stack of 28 cards he'd sell them to me for .25 cents each'.

My first thought was reprints? No, they were thicker and felt correct for the issue. I held one to my nose and it smelled correct. I asked him where he got the cards and he pointed to an old, wooden toybox that was painted black with artwork of roses/flower arrangements on the outside that was sitting under a table. The inside of the toybox was lined with newspaper from 1933, but I don't remember the city or newspaper name. He said the toybox was full of old toys that he also had for sale and the cards were just loosely laying on the bottom. He said the toybox came from a local 'storage unit' auction. As I was looking through the cards, my heart was beginning to beat through my chest and tunnel vision set in.

There were many duplicates of only a few different cards.....there were 5 Indian Gum cards of Kishkalwa, 2 Sea Raider cards of Charles Gibbs, 5 Sport Kings cards of Ellsworth Vines, 7 Sport Kings cards of Babe Didrickson, and 9 Babe Ruth Sport Kings cards.

A couple cards had minimal damage from sitting under the toys and they were all a bit dusty, but the majority were BEAUTIFUL. The colors popped, most of the corners were sharp, and they looked uncirculated. I made the mistake of trying to add up .25 cents x 28 in my mind and paid him $8 for the stack. In a blur, I headed about 200 yards for my car. I sat down, looked around, locked the doors and put each card in a top loader. I took some deep breaths and just tried to figure out what just happened. I texted my wife 'I think I just found some great cards'. I think I was in shock, my brain was mush and I headed home shortly afterwards.

I graded most of the cards at some point over a couple year span and have since sold most of them (a few years too early) except for 3 Ruth's (a PSA 6 and 7 & a SGC 6.5) and a nice 8.5 Didrickson (there were three 8.5 Didricksons). I cracked out a few for re-grading in some instances. A couple of the Vines cards graded 8, one Ruth with the best centering but creases graded 2.5. Two Ruth's graded 7, plus three 6's and three 5's. All of the Ruth's were off center towards the bottom except for the 2.5. IMO, the best Ruth graded a PSA 6, so I cracked it out and SGC graded it a 6.5 (I still think it's better than that). The posted picture is from late 2014 and is missing a Didrickson, as I cracked out a couple cards during a couple year span to regrade back when it didn't cost a small fortune. Also posted is the SGC 6.5 that I believe was the best Ruth.

I still don't understand why those were the only cards in that toybox with so many duplicates. I don't think these cards were ever issued in packs. Why no Sport King Cobb's or regular issue 1933 baseball cards? I'd love to know that story.

Yes, Matt from Michigan too. Those were the days at flea markets & antique stores. Bought 3 flannel baseball jerseys at Pontiac Flea market $35.00 each. Another dealer there sold books etc. walked by his display case, had a Mickey Mantle mini bobber. I said can I see it, he said hard to get out of the case, really want to buy it. Yes,how much $35.00 , sold it later for $1000.00. Those were the days. Lol