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

[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!

[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.

[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

[brianp-beme]

Holy Smokes...16 Sport Kings Babes, and in such nice condition! For $8. I just can't imagine it, and what a vintage card collecting dream not from 1980 or before, but so recently. And you could have gotten them for $7.

Amazing.

Brian

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.

[ahmanfan]

Originally Posted by brianp-beme

Holy Smokes...16 Sport Kings Babes, and in such nice condition! For $8. I just can't imagine it, and what a vintage card collecting dream not from 1980 or before, but so recently. And you could have gotten them for $7.

Amazing.

Brian

This is the craziest one. Even if you know nothing about baseball, something old with Babe Ruth on it you would think would prompt a google search or some second glance. Especially from someone who is in the business of selling things!?

[Kzoo]

Originally Posted by ahmanfan

This is the craziest one. Even if you know nothing about baseball, something old with Babe Ruth on it you would think would prompt a google search or some second glance. Especially from someone who is in the business of selling things!?

I can't remember the guy's face as I was in shock, but his general appearance resembled a cross between Kid Rock and Joe Dirt, including the wife beater and mullet. I didn't recall seeing him before and never saw him again. The crazy thing is, there were a couple other collectors canvasing the show that day and somehow I stumbled upon the cards first. I still can't believe it.

[jingram058]

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.

Have to say this one takes the cake!

[darwinbulldog]

I bought a group of about 100 "old tobacco cards" on eBay in 2005. There was just a picture of them strewn about on a table, and I noticed the corner of a Holland Creameries baseball card sticking out from underneath one of the others. Apparently no one else did, because I won the hundred cards for $11. That's maybe not the best deal I've ever gotten in terms of absolute dollars, but if you figure I was paying 11 cents per card and one of them was worth I think about $300 at the time, that was one of the most memorable.

[sonnyu2]

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.

What an amazing find / story! Congratulations on a once in many lifetimes find!

You're not the only one who'd like to know the history of those cards. And also the information of who the flea market seller was and where they currently setup if they still do. Ha. Can you imagine what else passed through that person's hands and the price they sold it for if they didn't know an old Babe Ruth card might have value. Who knows, maybe there were more cards in the "collection" but the guy didn't think they were worth anything and threw them out. Just crazy!

[SyrNy1960]

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.

Amazing story! As I was reading it, my heart was beating like I was actually going through it myself! Wow!!!

[thatkidfromjerrymaguire]

Well, I can't compete with most of these stories.

But mine is interesting in that it was pretty recent. In March 2020 I picked up this 1952 Bowman Minoso rookie on ebay for $8.95 with free shipping (there aren't any creases or marks, so probably a solid VG/EX to maybe EX). That was pretty cheap, but honestly not too much lower than what the average price was at the time. Anyone currently shopping for Minoso rookies knows this card would sell for 10x to 20x that today. He was very overlooked prior to his HOF induction.

Granted, that was literally right before the great baseball card price boom of 2020...but just goes to show you we don't have to time travel back to the 80's to get some good deals....there are probably thousands of overlooked cards sitting on eBay right now that likely won't be overlooked in a few years.

minoso.JPG

[atx840]

Purchased 100+ raw T206 Polar Bears @$25 a piece about 13 years ago. Most graded between 4-6s, several HOFs, two SGC 60 WaJo, SGC 50 Young and the O'Hara.

[joshleon]

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.

This is absolutely amazing. In 2014 no less!

[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.