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The card(s) you sold, but wish you never had
MCMLVTopps
Posts: 4,616 ✭✭✭✭✭
in Sports Talk
I already hear the "oh my God" comments on mine, but, sadly it's true.
In 2007, maybe 2008, I had finally completed my 1955 Topps set. It was about 15 cards short of a straight PSA 8 NQ set. The set included a Clemente PSA 8, which I had gotten for $3,800...three thousand eight hundred!!. It sold for $4.5k and at the time thought I made a nice profit. Well, if you look the card up today, it goes for very high 5 figures. Hard to believe how it just skyrocketed to such an incredible price level.
Attached is a pic of that 55 Topps set. I hate the flash, but you still see the set. 
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Started collecting them in 1952. Pack a week, every week. Visiting aunts and uncles would buy a complete carton, as a gift for me, at the small local grocery store.
Had two shoeboxes filled, stuffed tight, including the sides.
Nothing collected after 1955.
Threw them away in 1969, without looking at them.
Al I remember you posting pictures of your hat set before and it was a thing of beauty. Regarding the Clemente card I can relate, I had some high Graded HOF Rookies and low pop cards from my favorite Football set the 1952 Bowman Large, I sold a near complete set back around 10 years ago and left a lot of money on the table by not holding on to it and waiting but at the time it was the right decision.
How many Mantles you think you had? You must of had some ‘52’s
I had a lot. Mantle and Mays were my favorites, so I would trade my cousins and friends for theirs.
It must be Crazy for you looking back at how they were so plentiful and the insane money they can command now. My father is younger than you, born in ‘49 and his wheelhouse was 1957-1962 He told me he had a ton of Ted Williams since he was his favorite player. He gave them all to his cousin when he was a teenager and they are long gone
I hate to think which priceless cards that I clothespined to my rear Western Flyer bicycle wheel to make noise.
For me the thread would be " The cards that drive you absolutely insane trying to find". I've been stuck on this ship hunting white whale Joe Louis cards for years. Twenty degrees to the starboard side Mr Starbuck! Onward we sail men!
😂😂😂
Did you sell the entire '55 set or just the Clemente?
For me, I had 1934 Goudey Hank Greenberg and 1914 Cracker Jack Mordecai Brown cards that I submitted to PSA. I didn't like the grades (I think PSA 5 and 3, respectively) and sold them. Wish I still had 'em!
Sold my 1986 Jordan Rookie NM/MT in 1999 to buy my kids Xmas gifts. Right move at that time
I sold a complete 1963 Fleer football set PSA 8.12. It was a passion to assemble but hardly ever looked at it when it was completed. No regrets. Seriously thinking of selling my entire collection. Just not that into it anymore. Probably keep some raw football sets and some Bills stuff. If I sell I’ll still have no regrets.
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
stashed away boxes of cards from the early 60's, at least 4 shoeboxes. As I remember a full set in each box and multiples of Aaron, Mays and of course all the Phillies cards. they were in fairly good shape. when my parent were getting ready to sell the house, i looked everywhere for them. never could find them.
When I moved into my new house, while cleaning out one of the rooms, we came across some 1950's uncut sheets. they were in a closet behind some water pipes. One of the pipes must have broken at some point and the cards were just in terrible shape....water damage, warped etc. What a waste!!!!!
I sold the entire set. Final was around $60k+
Sold a 1948 leaf Larry doby psa 2 during college. Needed the money for bills. I wish I never sold it, I still look out for it, as I’d like to buy it back.
PSA HOF Baseball Postwar Rookies Set Registry- (Currently 77.97% Complete)
PSA Pro Football HOF Rookie Players Set Registry- (Currently 19.26% Complete)
PSA Basketball HOF Players Rookies Set Registry- (Currently 6.02% Complete)
I've accumulated what I think is an extremely nice 72 set that I initially thought I would sell when I retired, which will be in a few years. Justified the prices by telling myself it is part of my retirement fund. 350+ PSA 10's, the rest PSA 9 except for 5 SOB cards which I have not been able to get. Don't want to let it go now, but there's no one in my family who really appreciates it. Probably will wind up selling it after all is said and done and will most likely regret it as soon as I sell.
Well, therein lies the dilema..."no one in my family really appreciates it"! As soon as you say "I'm collecting this baseball card set", they look at you kinda funny and think you're crazy...right?
So, I must admit to serious buyers remorse...the Clemente 8 I had in the set pictured above, has way, way...WAY MORE than gone through the roof. Having paid a paltry $3.8k for it, you can't touch the card now for under $60k, and that's considered a bargain. And, I'm leaving out the part where I called Joe Orlando to cut a deal and have my entire set reviewed for upgrades...caught some incredible bumps to 8.5, and once had the only Gus Triandos 8.5, not even the top set had that card, even got a Berra bump to 8.5, about 20+ came back bumped up, for cheap money. The set today, would easily push over $100k...nuff said. We were buying a new home, it put a very nice dent in the mortgage, so, it's not like I went to Vegas and got crazy, I have a beautiful home and know I did the right thing.
My advice...stay in the hunt till you finish. Enjoy the chase and the thrill. Then, when you've kinda had your fun and realize it's time to let it go, sell it at auction (get a bargain vig from auction house)....and then go buy the car you've always dreamed of, a vintage corvette, hemi cuda, crazy Mustang, whatever, Mecum auctions or Barrett-Jackson will make your dreams come true!! Then, enjoy the hell out of it. When the family says, "hey Ed, where'd you get that from"? Just tell them baseball cards have been very, very good to me.
Thanks, I appreciate that. Worked in the car business for the vast majority of my life, so cars won't cut it, but I do have a few other things in mind that I never thought I'd be able to do. You just have changed my thinking about it. Thanks........and the chase is on!
I can definitely understand the need to complete a set, I’ve never been able to do it but I can imagine it’s pretty cool to finally finish a slabbed set in high grade
It really is Paul. I think the chase is better than finishing, finishing, well, kinda finishes things. I have put together 3 complete 1955 Topps sets, one a very high grade shown above, the other a straight PSA 7, the other a straight PSA 6. It's almost like a disease, once you commit, it's like getting on a roller coaster and buckling up. Click, clack, click, clack, you're in the hunt. When I'd get down to about 10 cards, I was almost obsessed with finding that next, then the next then the next, and finally it was done...almost a letdown to tell you the truth, but, when you see the set displayed like I did mine above, you really see the incredible beauty of the set.
Enjoy the leaves Paul, you know the crap is coming. Take your lady on a day trip up through the Notch, maybe a picnic along a river, or stream, ride the tram up Cannon mtn, maybe spend the night and do the auto road up Mt. Washington. You're in a beautiful place this time of year...take time to see and maybe not smell the roses, but enjoy the color and crispy air! Hope you do!!
Best,
Al
It just becomes all consuming as you get down to the end, and then there will be days without even a sighting of those last few elusive cards, but you just keep on searching until they become yours and you've completed the set. Just a great feeling.
Thanks Al, nothing like New England in the Fall! It’s beautiful but as the leaves get more colorful it’s a quick reminder that they will be turning ugly brown and the snow will be piling up soon.
Those pretty falling leaves just mean it will soon be time to start raking them!!! I must say that is the one think I dislike most about the burbs. Grew up as a city boy; never had to deal with that until we moved. All in all, the pluses far outweigh the minuses.
This is not my copy, but the cowardly Lion's rookie card. The cowardly Lion put up huge numbers his rookie season, making 54 trips down the yellow brick road, and avoiding 115 evil talking trees.
I just hope the roaches in my kitchen don't make their way into my Joe Louis card room. They're very bold. They've made themselves at home in my kitchen. I snapped this picture of a roach eating dinner at his little table in our kitchen recently.