Any good Memorial Day Garage/Flea Market Finds ?

[insidethewrapper]

Best I found so far this weekend was a 1985 topps set for $ 20 at a garage sale. Far from vintage but 25 years old at a good price. Steroid rookies (Clemens and McGwire). Any vintage still found at flea markets or garage sales etc. ?

[bigfish]

Bought 25 sterling silver sports charms with some age. Boxing, golf, baseball, football, basketball, tennis......

[robedits]

Since it was such a beautiful day here in Bklyn,NY...we decided to have a spur-of-the-moment garage sale outside our garage (where else?)...got up early,put lots of stuff out there.
Things were going pretty well and selling here and there....but,even with all the young hispters in my 'hood heading aimlessly to and fro (looking for places to spend their parents' money,no doubt)...NOONE expressed ANY interest in my 80s baseball sets,which I was practically GIVING away. Not a drop of interest.
Now,I've been living in this neighborhood for 20 years (Greenpoint) that lately is comprised of basically 50% Polish and 50% middle-America hipster transplants (don't get me started on gentrification!),so I didnt expect much interest...but c'mon...I can't tell you how many 20 to 30-something lanky haired,neck-bearded,pipe-armed guys,surely SOME of whom MUST have been at one time interested in baseball growing up, just rolled on by.
My wife even went so far as to go down the block and purchase some organic coffee (I heard the hipsters LOVE this!) for folks to drink while they peruse. Noone even took a cup...FREE!
I was just now taking an online break and read this ironic thread! I ,too,had my 85 Topps down there with its PSA8 McGwire and mint Clemens...whole set for $35 and not a bite. 81 Topps for $7.50, 81 Donruss for $10. I think since theyr'e all mint and you can "pick em up and go"...not such a bad deal.
But I guess no young guys are interested in baseball anymore. Maybe I should trudge a few of my vintage cards down there and see what happens!
On that note..have a good Memorial Day everyone....give thanks to our troops past and present!

[barrysloate]

Rob- I'm in Cobble Hill and stoop sales are a way of life...but I never ever see baseball cards.

[HRBAKER]

"neck-bearded and pipe-armed"

There's something to be said for being too old to be hip.

[ctownboy]

I live in Indianapolis and because it is race weekend, not many people were having sales.

Three weeks ago, however, there was a sale that listed baseball cards in the ad. Most times when I go to these sales it is newer, shiny junk that is there. This time I made it five minutes after the sale opened (took a wrong turn or I would have been there BEFORE the sale opened) and the cards were nowhere to be found.

I asked the lady running the sale about the cards and she said they were the first thing that sold. I asked if she knew anything about them and she said go talk to her husband.

I found him in the garage and he said he was 62 and they were cards he had collected as a teenager. He said it was shoebox full and he knew there were a couple of Mickey Mantles and a Roger Maris card in the box but didn't know much more about them because they had been sitting in a closet for a long time and since they were moving, he decided to put them in the sale and get rid of them.

The price? $25 for the box.

David

[barrysloate]

Somebody got a really good deal for $25. Of course that was the first thing sold.

[slidekellyslide]

Originally Posted by insidethewrapper

Best I found so far this weekend was a 1985 topps set for $ 20 at a garage sale. Far from vintage but 25 years old at a good price. Steroid rookies (Clemens and McGwire). Any vintage still found at flea markets or garage sales etc. ?

I'll be having a garage sale on the 11th of June with a crapload of baseball stuff...Topps 1962-??, some 1949 Bowmans, 1980-90s sets and unopened boxes. Autographed baseballs, a ton of baseball gloves and bats...and a whole lot of miscellaneous baseball memorabilia like RC cans, magazines, about 500 baseball books, et cetera. I'm looking to regain my basement for an actual family room.

[robedits]

Originally Posted by barrysloate

Rob- I'm in Cobble Hill and stoop sales are a way of life...but I never ever see baseball cards.

True,Barry. I've been to countless stoop/garage sales all over Bklyn and only ONCE did a see a baseball box,and they were of the shiny variety. I figured: why not try it?

Well,anyway,the ten 80's sets I had out there never DID sell,so back up they trudged. Sold most of the other stuff,though. Wound up GIVING stuff away at the end. Now it's BBQ time!!! Hope everyone had a nice Sunday, and all have a good Mem Day!

[robedits]

Originally Posted by HRBAKER

"neck-bearded and pipe-armed"

There's something to be said for being too old to be hip.

Ain't THAT the truth?
I mock the hipsters,but in truth,they're mostly harmless..unless you're one of the folks priced out through gentrification. Luckily,we've been here long enough.

[Brian Van Horn]

Found some T206s, but I haven't purchased them yet.

[Rob D.]

My daughter bought an old, leather briefcase to use next year in fourth grade (at least that was the rationale for buying it) for $1. I keep looking through all the pockets and storage areas for a T206 or two. No luck.

[GoldenAge50s]

Originally Posted by Rob D.

My daughter bought an old, leather briefcase to use next year in fourth grade (at least that was the rationale for buying it) for $1. I keep looking through all the pockets and storage areas for a T206 or two. No luck.

That's REALLY strange Rob! Most of the old leather cases I buy have at least 3 Wagners in them. (But you have to make SURE it was "Grandpa's briefcase" and had been in the attic.)

[Brian Van Horn]

One thing I did pick up was a 1965 Photo Pack of the Pirates. The guy had about five or six of them. They each had an order form in with the pack. The flaw on Crandall's chin and lip was consistent through each pack:

[cubsguy1969]

I've posted before on my tag sale/estate sale obsession. I live on Long Island and go out just about every weekend, plus many weekdays, bouncing from sale to sale. This area's an amazing place for estate sales. Lots of rich homes, lots of old homes, and close proximity to New York City, so you can find really cool stuff in these old houses.
Yesterday, I bought a Franklin D. Roosevelt signed letter from when he was governor of New York. It wasn't cheap, but I couldn't pass it up. Really neat to hold something like that in your hands.

Last week, I really scored. I know nothing about wine, but took a chance on a bottle I found in a wine closet in the basement at an estate sale. It was dated 1959, so I thought it might be worth a shot. The woman running the sale wanted 20 bucks. I walked around and debated, but eventually bought the bottle. Turns out it was a 1959 Chateau Lafite Rothschild, which is considered one of the best wines ever produced. (I had no idea; blind luck.) Anyway, bottles typically sell for 2 to 3 grand. I've already found an online site that said they'd take it on consignment. Kinda cool. Not a bad return on a $20 investment.

[aelefson]

Hi-
I too am a flea market/antique shop junkie, and I found several items this morning. I found three T205s (commons in rough shape), three Diamond matchbook covers (including Bottomley and a red bordered one), 2 1915 Fordham University Football team photos, a couple of early baseballs, and a Kren's special fungo bat. Plus a bunch of other items. The best thing is, everything I got was very low priced.
For those who say they never find anything at flea markets, I say you just need to put in additional effort. You need to go to a flea market every week, talk to every dealer (nicely), and constantly remind them what you are looking for. Most importantly, you need to get to a flea market as early as possible (I got to the one I frequent at 5:20 this morning, and that was a little later than I wanted to be). I frequently ask dealers as they setup if they have either boy scout items (one of my collections) or early sports items. Invariably, if they do have it, and you are the first to inquire about something, they will set it aside for you so you can move on to the next dealer.
Very rarely do I come home empty handed from a flea market. However, it is also very rare when I absolutley "steal" something (get an item for a dollar and sell it for a thousand). All that being said I enjoy finding something for my collection that I would have paid 20 or 30 dollars for 1 dollar.
Yours in collecting,
Alan Elefson
aelefson@hotmail.com

[GrayGhost]

I am on an extremely low budget, but once and a while find stuff at antique and flea markets too in my area. To me, its always a blast, plus I love to "people watch" and have got to personally know a lot of dealers at the big market pretty close to where I live. Flea mkts and group shops are GREAT!

[t206wagner]

Not that it is vintage, but I did pick up what I think is a game used Tony Armas bat for 50 cents.

[chris6net]

In the early nineties I had a female co-worker whose hobby was going to garage/estate sales on weekends up to 20 in a day. I told her to pick me up anything baseball related especially cards that she came across. After about 5-7 years of getting some nice stuff she could only find Shiny Stuff. I then had her stop getting me any items post 1970. I recently had a conversation with her and she told me the whole garage sale market has totally changed as everybody that has anything they percieve to be old either has some sort of a price guide or they want an exhorbitant amount. I think the days of getting any great finds are over. CN

[buymycards]

Dan,
I am about 8 hours from Nebraska, but it might be worth the trip.

Rick

[slidekellyslide]

Originally Posted by buymycards

Dan,
I am about 8 hours from Nebraska, but it might be worth the trip.

Rick

I'd feel bad if you came all that way for nothing. Almost all of the older topps cards are commons...there are probably some good bats, but I'm not fond of listing and shipping bats...the rest of the stuff *I* consider junk...like RC cans, starting lineups et cetera....although there are probably some good books in the lot.

[53Browns]

Unfortunately, if you are able to find cars in my area at a card show (greater cincinnati), it's nothing but mass produced 80's junk, or the new shiny stuff. Most people know that old baseball cards command high prices. Darn it!

[53Browns]

OOPs, I meant "cards", not cars, in my previous post....