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Biggest Triumphs buying, trading and selling cards

72skywalker72skywalker Posts: 1,539 ✭✭✭
in Trading Cards & Memorabilia Forum

In response to the biggest regrets to buying, trading and selling cards. Let's look a the positive. What are your biggest triumphs in buying and selling cards?
In about 1991 or maybe 1992 I traded a binder full of 1990 football rookies from Score and Pro Set for a 1986 Topps Jerry Rice rookie to a dealer. The Rice card would probably grade a 6 or 7 when I get it graded. Also about 15 years ago I bought an ungraded 1986 fleer Jordan rookie from a dealer at a store for $300. I did my research and determined that it was not a fake but real. I got it graded about a year ago and it came back a Beckett 8.

Collecting Yankees and vintage Star Wars

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    LarkinCollectorLarkinCollector Posts: 8,975 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I'll just lay it on the line, selling during a pandemic. Who knew?

    Who is the Golf Card Guy?
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    billwaltonsbeardbillwaltonsbeard Posts: 3,748 ✭✭✭✭

    Completing the 2012 Panini Silver Prizm set in 2014-2015. I remember thinking $100 was a bit steep when I bought the Anthony Davis.......

    My cards on COMC
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    OmegaDOmegaD Posts: 25 ✭✭

    I bought a PSA 9 '93-'94 Jordan refractor in the $150 range back in the mid-'90s. I came out okay!

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    Canes8387899101Canes8387899101 Posts: 284 ✭✭✭

    Although most Craigslist card sales involve Vintage 1988 Donruss for hundreds of dollars I have scored a couple nice deals/steals.
    The first one was really just a hunch, since the post had a bunch of cards in two old suitcases with just commons from the 50's, 60's and 70's. No one on these boards for the most part would have followed up on these VG commons for $100. However, the pics below are just a small sample size of what was in these suitcases. Average grades would be a 3's and 4's with a few 5's mixed in.
    The story behind this find was rather amusing. The elderly couple who sold these said,"These are my daughter's ex-husbands cards, and we just want them gone." Moral to the story is don't get divorced, and leave your collection behind! 😎
    Craigslist deal/steal #2 was a sealed 1982 Topps Traded set for $15. I broke the set, sent the Ripken in, and it came back a PSA 9.

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    stevegarveyfanstevegarveyfan Posts: 579 ✭✭✭✭✭

    When I was a teenager I attended a local show, and one of the dealers had a box of 1983 Topps Michigan Test packs. I actually went through each, looking for one with Boggs showing, and I found one with the back of the Boggs showing on the bottom of the pack. I paid him the $5 and began rejoicing with my friend who came along. The dealer heard me and told me not to do that again. You live, you learn. But I still have that unopened pack and still don't really know what it's worth.

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    mtcardsmtcards Posts: 3,342 ✭✭✭

    I spent most of the early 2010's buying the mid 90's case hit inserts. Its paying off quite nicely now with the Ex-2000 Cut Above, Diamond Immortals, Destination Honolulu and many others.

    IT IS ALWAYS CHEAPER TO NOT SELL ON EBAY
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    GreenSneakersGreenSneakers Posts: 908 ✭✭✭✭

    @stevegarveyfan said:
    I paid him the $5 and began rejoicing with my friend who came along. The dealer heard me and told me not to do that again. You live, you learn.

    Don’t do what again? Be happy with a purchase made from said dealer?

    Caveat emptor works both ways. One thing if you had done this from some old widow who didn’t know what she had. Quite another from a guy that set up a table at a show.

    I say job well done.

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    bobbyw8469bobbyw8469 Posts: 7,139 ✭✭✭

    I bought a raw 1961 Fleer basketball set once. Really sharp. Pulled 4 9's out of it!!!

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    dontippetdontippet Posts: 2,586 ✭✭✭✭

    @LarkinCollector said:
    I'll just lay it on the line, selling during a pandemic. Who knew?

    Yep, I agree. My two month ebay sales total is more than double what it ever has been. Now, I admit that I have put a lot of stuff up for sale, but that's only because sales started looking real promising.

    Don

    > [Click on this link to see my ebay listings.](https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=&_in_kw=1&_ex_kw=&_sacat=0&_udlo=&_udhi=&_ftrt=901&_ftrv=1&_sabdlo=&_sabdhi=&_samilow=&_samihi=&_sadis=15&_stpos=61611&_sargn=-1&saslc=1&_salic=1&_fss=1&_fsradio=&LH_SpecificSeller=1&_saslop=1&_sasl=mygirlsthree3&_sop=12&_dmd=1&_ipg=50&_fosrp=1)
    >

    Successful transactions on the BST boards with rtimmer, coincoins, gerard, tincup, tjm965, MMR, mission16, dirtygoldman, AUandAG, deadmunny, thedutymon, leadoff4, Kid4HOF03, BRI2327, colebear, mcholke, rpcolettrane, rockdjrw, publius, quik, kalinefan, Allen, JackWESQ, CON40, Griffeyfan2430, blue227, Tiggs2012, ndleo, CDsNuts, ve3rules, doh, MurphDawg, tennessebanker, and gene1978.
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    BJY83BJY83 Posts: 245 ✭✭✭

    I picked up 2 pack fresh and centered 1986 Fleer basketball sets (minus the Jordans) a few years ago on Facebook for $250 total. It included a PSA 8 Barkley, Malone and Dr. J.

    Brian

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    WFFLWFFL Posts: 494 ✭✭✭

    A small victory, but I enjoyed picking up a very nice 1959 RC of George "Sparky" Anderson in the commons box about 15+ years ago.

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    Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I purchased a sealed set of the 1982 Wrestling All Stars Series A in early April of 2010 and ripped it open and signed up to submit them to PSA. This was my first submission ever. I sent in a second sub in August of that year and got for sure another 10 and most likely two and other high grade cards from the pack. The Bruno and JYD are still Pop 1's and the Muraco is a Pop 2 and I have submitted both.

    Total Items: 15
    Date Received: 4/17/2010
    Date Shipped: 4/22/2010

    Line # Item # Cert # Grade Description Type
    1 1 16725763 GEM MINT 10 1982 Wrestling All-Stars Series A 13 Bruno Sammartino Card
    2 1 16725764 GEM MINT 10 1982 Wrestling All-Stars Series A 5 the Junkyard Dog Card
    3 1 16725765 GEM MINT 10 1982 Wrestling All-Stars Series A 31 Ken Patera Card
    4 1 16725766 MINT 9 1982 Wrestling All-Stars Series A 28 Ivan Putski Card
    5 1 16725767 NEAR MINT-MINT 8 1982 Wrestling All-Stars Series A 27 Ric Flair Card
    6 1 16725768 NEAR MINT-MINT 8 1982 Wrestling All-Stars Series A 20 Bruiser Brody Card
    7 1 16725769 NEAR MINT-MINT 8 1982 Wrestling All-Stars Series A 2 Hulk Hogan Card
    8 1 16725770 MINT 9 1982 Wrestling All-Stars Series A 4 Ted Dibiase Card
    9 1 16725771 MINT 9 1982 Wrestling All-Stars Series A 6 Dusty Rhodes Card
    10 1 16725772 NEAR MINT-MINT 8 1982 Wrestling All-Stars Series A 8 Harley Race Card
    11 1 16725773 NEAR MINT-MINT 8 1982 Wrestling All-Stars Series A 10 Terry Funk Card
    12 1 16725774 NEAR MINT-MINT 8 1982 Wrestling All-Stars Series A 32 Ernie Ladd Card
    13 1 16725775 MINT 9 1982 Wrestling All-Stars Series A 12 Bob Backlund Card
    14 1 16725776 GEM MINT 10 1982 Wrestling All-Stars Series A 15 Don Muraco Card
    15 1 16725777 MINT 9 1982 Wrestling All-Stars Series A 11 Nick Bockwinkel Card

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    MantleMarisFordBerraMantleMarisFordBerra Posts: 1,698 ✭✭✭

    Great idea for a thread 72skywalker. I've got a couple that come to mind:

    1- back in the mid 90's I was thumbing through some binders of cards at a flea market. I saw a 78T Thurman Munson and asked the guy "How much is this?" while pointing to the card. He replied fifteen dollars. At first I was shocked at such a high price but then I realized he was talking about the entire binder and all the cards in it It was full of late 70's football, baseball & hockey. The Molitor/Trammell Rookie, 78T Ryan, 79T Gordie Howe, 79T Payton, Stahbach, Bradshaw and so many other cards in very nice grade (avg would be 7's or 8's) Sadly no Gretzkey.

    2- Walked into a Toy Store a few years back and noticed two raw wrestling cards sitting out on the counter, totally unprotected. Thanks to DPeck and other wrestling card posters on this forum I knew I was looking at the very rare 1986 Carnation Rick Martel & Road Warriors cards. The owner threw them in for free when I bought some toys for my son. They came back graded a PSA 8 (Martel) and PSA 7 (R.W.). Not bad for free!

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    Kep13Kep13 Posts: 515 ✭✭✭

    @Canes8387899101 said:
    Although most Craigslist card sales involve Vintage 1988 Donruss for hundreds of dollars I have scored a couple nice deals/steals.
    The first one was really just a hunch, since the post had a bunch of cards in two old suitcases with just commons from the 50's, 60's and 70's. No one on these boards for the most part would have followed up on these VG commons for $100. However, the pics below are just a small sample size of what was in these suitcases. Average grades would be a 3's and 4's with a few 5's mixed in.
    The story behind this find was rather amusing. The elderly couple who sold these said,"These are my daughter's ex-husbands cards, and we just want them gone." Moral to the story is don't get divorced, and leave your collection behind! 😎
    Craigslist deal/steal #2 was a sealed 1982 Topps Traded set for $15. I broke the set, sent the Ripken in, and it came back a PSA 9.

    I too have had a lot of good fortune with Craigslist purchases...in Spring of 2019, I bought 5 Topps and 5 upper Deck Jeter rookies for $70....4 of the Topps and 3 of the Upper Decks are currently at PSA...all are easily 9's and guessing 4+ are 10s..

    Back in Fall of 2018, I bought a load of cards off C-list for $450...guy was guessing 100k cards...figured I would have no problem recouping $450 after grading the better cards...it took me 3 Honda CRV-loads to get all of the boxes of cards out of the elevator to my house...guessing 500k cards....Metal Universe basketball sets (3 Jordans at PSA currently), 10 each of Klay and Kawhi SP Authentic rookies (5 Kawhis at PSA), a dozen or so each of Pedro and Piazza Cal League rookies (a few at PSA now), Jeters, sets from all sports from early 80's to mid-90s, etc etc...I have about 100 or so cards at PSA now from this purchase, and I have another 500 to 1000 more that will eventually make their way...1 of the Metal Jordans will pay for the whole buy....the guy who sold them to me was selling them for a friend who had passed away a year earlier, and this guy's wife wanted the use of the elevator in their antique shop, so he finally posted them on C-list...the gentleman who had owned the cards prior used to set up at shows in AZ and MN, so he had a wide array of card and sets....every day I pulled a box or 4 out to go thru was like x-mas....I had 3 months or so of x-mas mornings :)

    a few from Ebay stick out...after reading some stuff and then watching some highlights of Chris Godwin at Penn State, in the Fall of 2017, I started buying up a bunch of his numbered auto rookies for $3 to $6, including some numbered to his jersey number. Now with Brady there, his cards have really shot up in high grade...

    Another is similar -- watched some video of Luka back in Winter of 2018 and was very impressed, so decided to buy a bunch of low level rookies since they were so cheap...I was buying various lots of Hoops and Donruss rookies for average of $3 or so per card....

    I did the same thing with DeShaun Watson in Fall of 2017...bought a wide array of his rookies, including Prizms, for $4 to $8 per card...I've been lucky with the rookie speculating I have done...

    oh -- just remembered another C-list buy...June 2019 I purchased a binder of Jordan cards for $600...the listing was for $700, and I knew I could recoup that no problem after grading, as one of the cards showing was a Metal Universe...when I got there to buy the cards, i started going thru the pages and saw that the Metal Universe card was no longer there...he said he had sold that one to a local card shop...bummer...i told him that I would give him $600 then...tons of inserts in 9 or 10 condition...Sticky Fingers, En Fuego, Boss, Pro Files, Finishers, Topps Archives, Fleer Metals, etc...have 60 cards pulled from the binder that look to be 9s or 10s and that I need to submit, and guessing whatever I don't grade I could sell raw and recoup the $600 just from the raw sales, with current pricing...

    It's a lot of fun finding these diamonds in the rough, as many others know

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