Just starting up, trying to understand things....
DWEarle
Posts: 32 ✭
Hello everyone, my name is Dave and for some oddball reason I am still trying figure out, I recently became obsessed with collecting baseball cards. No rhyme, no reason, I just had a handful of old Post Cereal cards from 2002, still in their wrappers and thought they were perhaps 'gems' because of the Post logo being on them, and my collecting went on from there (I've found out those cards are barely worth the cardboard they are printed on. I have since removed them from the wrappers, and put them in a binder). However, I didn't start collecting anything recent; I started purchasing older stuff off Ebay, looking for the proverbial diamonds in the rough. There is a particular era I've learned about called "Tiffany", and I am trying to understand what that is all about, and what makes a Tiffany card, a Tiffany card; like, how do you identify a Tiffany card? I read an article on Beckett, but it only served to confuse me even more, because the article talked about some method called the "star method", and many of the cards I own have a little star in the copyright area, but they can't ALL be Tiffany.....right? I have a bunch of 1989 Topps Traded cards with two little stars in the lower left corner, and that is, according to the article I read, supposed to be indicative of a Tiffany card. So all that aside, I'd like some advice, and please no criticisms, well maybe some constructive criticisms. I've even started asking myself "what the hell are you doing? why are you getting involved in this? what is your motivation?". I feel so lost because I don't know a soul near me to talk to about this, and who would be willing to teach me some things. I almost feel like Marty McFly, when he is worried about what the record companies would say to him, like "get outta here kid, you got no future". I have no direction, and really no idea what I'm doing here, and I'm also worried about offending other collectors just because I don't know what I'm doing. At any rate, I've rambled on long enough, and this post has gone on for much longer than I thought it would. If anyone out there would be willing to help me, I'd greatly appreciate it; if not, I'd understand.
Thanks for reading this.
Dave
Comments
Welcome to the board. You might want to read this link in regards to Tiffany cards.
https://cardboardconnection.com/comprehensive-guide-to-topps-tiffany-baseball-cards
Welcome to the board! I don't know anything about Tiffany versions but this is a great
place to find out about them.
Thank you for pointing me to that article, JBRules. At this point, I am working on the '92 Stadium Club set, trying to get the whole set, all 900 cards
It's a big undertaking, and I have quite a few already, but I'm drawn to the design; I love the glossiness, and the pictures themselves are very pretty to me. As for the Tiffany, I was just looking on Ebay, and the prices for them are horrendous to say the least. But I understand the value. Those sets originally were meant for shop owners, and collectors if I understood the article correct. I'll just have to save up my money if I am going to get my hands on a set.
Hi Dave, welcome.
It appears you have discovered the collecting bug. It's best not to fight it.
I LOVE collecting baseball cards.
It's important to pick a genre as bouncing around can be very overwhelming.
Examples are rookie cards, autograph cards, modern, vintage, mickey mantles, HOF members only....the list is endless.
I can recommend a couple genres.
T206 tobacco era & 1933 goudey. The artwork is gorgeous.
No matter what your taste, be sure to search sold listings on ebay to get a sense of market values before jumping in feet first.
And take your time! Most of all, enjoy your new found hobby!
Keep us updated
BTW, I'm a rookie card collector
Collect what you like.
Buy what you can afford.
Enjoy what you buy.
Welcome to the forum.
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
It might help us to know a little bit of your history that way some of us may be able to guide you and point you in a direction. That might make it enjoyable for you. This hobby is vast and you can go and so many different directions that it will make your head spin.
If you don't want to give your specific age, what is your age range? Did you collect as a kid? If so, what packs did you remember opening? Do you love baseball or are you just a casual observer? Do you have a favorite team? Do you have a favorite player? If you are young, do you enjoy the history of baseball?
If you are young and you do not enjoy the history of baseball then you probably would not enjoy vintage cards. If you do love the history of the game like I do, then you will love vintage. If you are older and you remember players from the 1960s for instance then you most definitely would enjoy vintage cards. If you are a Cardinals fan like I am and you might enjoy collecting team sets like I do. If you ever got an autograph as a kid you might enjoy collecting autographed cards. If you like a certain player you might want to collect that certain player. You might enjoy collecting Topps complete sets like I do from the present year going all the way back. Right now I am back to 1961.
My point to this is that collecting cards is so much more enjoyable when you have a goal in mind. If you just collect anything and everything it just won't be as enjoyable, in my opinion, and you might not last very long doing it. But if you have a focus in your collecting then it can be very satisfying. I have been collecting Cardinals team set since 2002 and I haven't looked back.
By the way, Topps Tiffany from 1984 to 1991 is just a glossy version of the regular set. They are much more scarce and quite a bit more valuable. To my knowledge they did not come in packs like regular cards. They came in complete factory sets.
Shane
Welcome!
Ok, where do I start? I am 51. I did do some collecting as a kid, but it was random at best from what I remember. My Dad's favorite team was the Mets, so I would sit down with him every Saturday afternoon to watch them play. I think I have to answer honestly and say I am a casual observer, although since I live in MA, my team to watch when I choose to is the Red Sox. As for players, I don't really know enough about any one player to say I have a favorite.
I think one thing I'd like to collect is autographs. I recently acquired an autographed "Goose" Gossage card - a real autograph mind you, not a facsimile. I am going to try to get an autographed Bonds from the same source. As for specific collections, I have taken a liking to Topps Stadium Club. I bought a 1000 card lot from Ebay, and there was quite a few Stadium Club cards in that lot, and I instantly fell in love with their beauty - the high gloss, and the pictures themselves, too. Using Kodak Imaging technology to make them was a stroke of genius on the part of Topps. I've started building the 1992 set, since that was the year of the cards in the lot. It's going to be a 'labor of love' building that set, because there were 900 cards in it! lol. I also do want to collect vintage. I have a mostly complete '75 set coming, minus 3 cards, which when I asked the Ebay seller which three cards were missing, and he told me, I researched them finding out they were about the three most high dollar cards in the set. I can't blame the seller for keeping them, and there are plenty of others in that set which are valuable. I also acquired the '80, and '87 sets. At some point, I want to get into having the more valuable cards graded, as that will increase their value, especially the autos.
As far as the Tiffany sets go, it is my understanding from what I read that they were originally only intended for sale to dealers, people with card shops. There are some for sale on Ebay, albeit quite expensive and I don't know if I will be able to afford any too soon. I recently purchased a baseball "collectors treasure chest" from a seller on Amazon (I actually purchased that twice), it was 1000 cards in a box, supposedly covering seven decades. What I got was one card each from the 50's, 60's, and 70's with the rest being from the 80's, 90's, 2000's and a few from the 2010's. I feel like I got ripped off with those purchases, really; there were Topps Traded Tiffany's (EDIT: they were NOT Tiffany, just the regular traded cards) in both sets, but with approximately 8 cards missing from each set. I made a note of the numbered cards missing, then checked them off on the checklist card, finding that those 8 cards missing were all the most valuable ones! It was a really grimy move by the seller, but I suppose I have to expect that, and I've got to learn how to spot things like that so I don't feel like I got ripped off.
So to sum this all up, I do have some idea what I want to accomplish, it's not all random. I've started to make a solid collection of big names in baseball, and it's those I want to get graded, increasing their overall value, making my overall collection thus more valuable (dang, I keep using that word. Am I wrong for wanting to have "value" in my collection? <== really stupid question there, can you tell I am new at this? heh).
Thank you for your response, and your suggestions.
Dave
I plan on doing exactly as you have suggested. I have discovered some things that I like, such as the Topps Stadium Club, and autographed cards, so I want to at least build some of my collection off those. I do want to enjoy this, and I suppose one of my goals is, as I said in my original post, to find those 'hidden diamonds', some of the most desirable cards out there.
Thanks for your response, and the welcome.
Dave
Hi, how do I 'search sold listings' on Ebay? When I am researching the value of a card, I am using the Auction Prices Realized section of psacard.com. Is that what you mean? I am collecting autographed cards, vintage, and rookies/stars/HOF's, although it's not just any, but specific players. I am also building certain sets, which at the moment I am working on building the 1992 Topps Stadium Club set, all 900 cards
Thanks for your response, and suggestions.
Dave
Hey Dave,
Welcome to the forum. There are a lot of very knowledgeable collectors here that can help answer your questions.
One thing you may want to consider is the cost of buying vs. building a set, especially for some of the more modern and plentiful sets. To piece together a 900-card set will take a lot of time and effort, and you will likely spend a small fortune buying a few cards at a time, especially if you are buying online and have to pay for shipping.
Here are a couple of listings for complete 1992 Stadium Club sets for about $30. I don't know the sellers, so I am not recommending you buy these sets, but just giving examples:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1992-Topps-Stadium-Club-Baseball-Series-1-2-Complete-in-Binder/383812607578?hash=item595d039e5a:g:lJUAAOSwmktfsT8H
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1992-Stadium-Club-Baseball-Complete-Set-Hand-Collated-Series-1-Cards-1-300/164508661634?hash=item264d7af782:g:i74AAOSwgtBfrX4Y
Ultimately it boils down to what you want as a collecting experience. There is certainly nothing wrong with building a set. In fact, it's a fun experience. I'm just suggesting you give some thought to buying the cheaper sets you like outright and reserving the set collecting experience for something more challenging.
Either way, good luck and jump into the forum.
Thanks, Todd
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After you search your item, scroll down and on the left side check the Sold Items box.
This works if you're using a desktop computer or tablet.
It's formatted differently if you're on a smart phone.
Here's the link to search sold 1992 Stadium Club baseball:
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&_nkw=1992+stadium+club+baseball&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0&_osacat=0&_odkw=1952+minnie&LH_Complete=1&LH_Sold=1
Welcome to the Forum!!!
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
Welcome to the Boards!
A couple notes Dave after reading your comments:
It's easy to get ripped off on ebay or amazon. It pays to take your time and do your research prior to a big purchase.
All of us have gotten trigger happy and paid too much for a want-list item.
Hobby or investing? I can never be disappointed if I paid too much. It's my hobby and I might have filled a rare want list item.
You will be quickly disappointed if you're collecting solely for the price appreciation.
Cards are at an all-time high. Proceed with caution.
Hidden diamonds:
Some collectors try to speculate who will be the next hot prospect and jump on the bandwagon early. That's speculative and risky.
Myself, as a rookie collector, I try to speculate who will be the next HOF inductee. Several years ago I bought a nice '71 Ted Simmons for $40. Sure enough, the Veterans Committee put him in the Hall and today his '71 PSA 8 card is at $500-$600.
Same for my '71 Bert Blyleven. Bought it prior to his enshrinement.
Yes, finding the hidden diamonds and speculating can be fun and rewarding.
Stay tuned to the Collector's Board for more valuable insight!
Hey Todd,
I am well into building that Stadium Club set. I am actually buying boxes of Series 1, 2, and 3 off Ebay and building the set that way. To go and buy a full set now would negate all of the work I have done building the set thus far. I may ultimately spend more money trying to get all of the cards in the set, but it is what I've chosen to do, and it's fun to me. I'm not trying to be offensive by asking you this, but you don't think building a 900 card set is challenging? Let me tell you that trying to organize them, number by number is VERY challenging (the one frustrating part of that is when I run into multiples of cards I already have, and with a set that big, there are LOTS of multiples). Those sellers who have the complete sets also collated theirs like I am doing mine; it's all part of the collecting experience, and I just think by buying the set outright rather than hand collating myself, robs me of that experience. In the listings you gave, the first one is only Series 1 and 2, and the second listing is just Series 1 so they are not COMPLETE complete
. You know what's funny is that I never considered even once searching for a complete set, but rather jumped right into building it. I have bought other complete sets, though, all vintage sets, two from the 80's and one arriving today from '75. I'd like to go back even further, but of course the further back I go, the more rarer it is to find them, and therefore more costly.
At any rate, thanks for your response and suggestions. They are appreciated.
Dave
Hey Dave,
I apologize if my comment was offensive. It was not meant to be. Putting together a 900 card set is absolutely challenging. I simply meant that a complete set could be purchased inexpensively, so getting a set isn't much of a challenge. Again, building a set is a different story. Ultimately we all participate in this hobby in the manner that brings us the most joy, so if you are enjoying the process, then you are absolutely doing it correctly. As you are new to collecting, I just thought I would offer a perspective that you may not have considered to this point.
Hey thanks for that! Never looked at the left side of the page, so I didn't see those filters. Also, I have a question about #'d cards; what does it mean when I see listings that just have this: /10000, without a number on the left side of the slash. If the card is numbered, how would I know which number that card is in the series, and why wouldn't there be a number there? Also, I bought a card recently, a Jeter card that was when he was a rookie, and on the front it says 1 of 3,000, BUT, I have seen listings on Ebay for the same exact card, and many of those listings ALSO say 1 of 3,000. What does that mean? Sorry if I am full of questions, but there is so much I have to learn. I feel like it may have been a waste for me to start this so late in my life.
In those instances, the #/3000, /3000 or in most cases 1/3000 simply means that the card is numbered out of 3000. They have left out the actual serial number in those instances. As the serial number itself (234/3000 or whatever) is of little actual significance, it isn't really important which number it is. The slight exception to that is maybe if you actually do have #1/3000 or perhaps the player's uniform number (#19/3000 for a Tony Gwynn card, for example) or something along those lines. Even then I believe it is more a novelty than an actual value enhancer.
And don't worry about starting late in life. This is not a race of any kind. This hobby is so vast that we all have a lot to learn, regardless of how long we have been collecting. I've been at it for 40 years and there are many segments of the hobby for which I would be a complete novice.
Todd,
It's really cool to see a lot more entry level collectors coming on the CU board.
Says a lot about the health of the hobby
I agree completely. I've noticed a number of new members joining and beginning to look for info. And it is great that they are coming here to learn, where basically every kind of card collector can be found. Lots of great hobby experience here to answer questions.
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Yeah, you should avoid those "grab bags". They invariably are made up of cards that couldn't be sold any other way, or at least not at even a tenth of the price. Pretty tacky to include a set minus the key cards. I would have expected the sets to be broken up among, say three such grab bags.
Welcome!
How's that old saying go? "You live and learn"? That definitely applies in this case. I want to thank you very much for responding, and treating me with respect. I was really concerned with how I might be regarded, maybe in a negative light because I was a "noob", but you and others have responded to my posts here with absolute respect, and many helpful suggestions. As far as the Tiffany's, I managed to score a box of the '87 Topps Tiffany on Ebay, and for a very decent price. It was an auction, and I managed to slip in a winning bid at the last minute
(Oh but my checkbook is screaming for mercy about now). I don't know what I'll find when I get it, but hopefully I can add some really decent cards to my ever growing collection.
Again my thanks to you,
Dave
Dave, your lightheartedness is a breath of fresh air.
Newbies sometimes come stormin' in with a slight undertone of negativity & cynicism
Hi again Dave!
Just a word to the wise on your "I don't know what I'll find when I get it, but hopefully I can add some really decent cards to my ever growing collection."
On modern cards there's usually only a few in each set anyone wants, the rest of the cards are virtually worthless. Even the players who are worth something must be a flawless card.
Very few are collecting sets with the expense of grading, most are "player collectors"
Any time you buy a group of cards that have been searched, you are going to get a LOT of garbage.
Again, welcome to the forums and I'm glad to see that you are having fun collecting!
I'm new to collecting too Dave. Welcome to the wild world of cards! With that being said, some of us are out there to hit the big 1-of-1 retirement savings kind of card. Some of us just plain out like the hustle and excitement of opening packs and trying to make a quick buck. Since covid-19 happened, the whole card business exploded, from Pokemon to sports and everything in between. I can't wait to see where it takes us all...
Welcome to you too!
Welcome. I've got quite a few 92 Stadium Club cards that are pack fresh and many sealed packs. If you have a list of the cards you're missing, i may be able to help you out.
Brian
Welcome!
I still don't know what my goals are.
ISO 1978 Topps Baseball in NM-MT High Grade Raw 3, 100, 103, 302, 347, 376, 416, 466, 481, 487, 509, 534, 540, 554, 579, 580, 622, 642, 673, 724__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ISO 1978 O-Pee-Chee in NM-MT High Grade Raw12, 21, 29, 38, 49, 65, 69, 73, 74, 81, 95, 100, 104, 110, 115, 122, 132, 133, 135, 140, 142, 151, 153, 155, 160, 161, 167, 168, 172, 179, 181, 196, 200, 204, 210, 224, 231, 240
Hi, I am a vintage collector at the moment, and not collecting "modern cards", for instance the latest 2020 set from Topps. Although, I wish I had known about the Heritage cards when they came out, and now they are sold out on the Topps web site.
On another note, I am interested in grading cards, learning to be objective in self-grading prior to sending them to, say PSA or Beckett. For instance, at this particular moment I was looking at a Ken Griffey Jr card (by the way, why are his cards worth more than his old man's cards?), this card being a 1995 Fleer Ultra Power Plus 2 of 6. Looking at with a jewelers magnifying glass with a light, I noticed some fine white crap along the edge of the card; what is that, can it be removed safely, and how do I remove it? I guess I could try to look up some videos on YT for cleaning cards safely. I did actually, now that I remember, see one video in which the creator was showing how to clean using a soft paper towel. I picked up some Bounty paper towels to do this with, but I haven't actually done it as I am nervous about damaging the card while cleaning. I hope these are normal fears, and I am not just paranoid.
Ugh, I have SO many questions! Thanks for your patience.
Dave
Thanks for your response. I have picked up quite a few sets, but not with the idea of collecting the set, rather pulling out the valuable cards in that set, such as All-Stars, League Leaders, players that are well-known for their abilities on the diamond, etc. I've often wondered what I am to do with the "worthless" cards; use them for kindling, perhaps? Have a nice little card barbecue in the back yard? Just throw them into the trash? What do you do with yours?
I've actually found a seller on Ebay, among several, that sells '92 Stadium Club cards by the box, all three series'. At the same time I am building the set, I am also looking to collect all 20 cards in the Members Choice subset. That does present a bit of a problem in that those card numbers would be missing from the main collection, so I have to hope I come across doubles of them. The ones I have thus far are 591, 595, 596, 599, 607, and 610.
Funny you should ask. I have a buddy who wants to start a business selling common cards. he has been doing what you are on a very large scale. He buys off of Craigslist, rarely ebay, and refuses to pay more than a few cents per card. I think he now has close to one million cards!
He has actually gotten some valuable cards doing this. All of these are searched, but sometimes the original owner just took out the "big" rookies and sometimes missed cards that increased in value later.
I give him my commons, they are worth nothing to me. If I didn't know him, I would donate the cards to someone who could give them away to children, possibly a hospital?
I recently bought several inexpensive sealed factory sets and some vending and rack boxes from the late 1980's and 1990, looking for some Griffey, Bonds etc Rookies. I would suggest this before buying your "grab bag" lots. For example a 1990 bowman baseball factory set will run you about $20.00. I will warn you that I bought several and didn't get a single Frank Thomas card worth grading, however I did get one Thomas in every factory set, plus one of every other rookie.
That was fun, but I was amazed at how few "perfect" cards I got.
Stay away from the grab bags my friend!!!
Have fun collecting!
He was a better player than his father, he's in the Hall of Fame and his father is likely never to be, and he's one of the most popular players to collect since Ryan.
Yeah, to amplify this - Griffey was a gigantic star in the 90s, one of the most popular players ever. His dad, no offense to Griffey Sr, was a pretty good player who had a long, but generally unremarkable, career outside of playing for the Big Red Machine.
I just found some ‘92 stadium club boxes series 1 and series 3 at an antique store! They are beautiful! The members choice cards are cool too. I opened one box, want me to sleeve up the members choice cards and ship them off to ya?
Wow, yea, if that's what you want to do! I'd certainly appreciate it. How do I get my addy to ya without posting it publicly?
Yes, I have to admit that's one of my goals, although I feel a little discouraged that I may not have enough money to invest in this to find that "retirement savings kind of card". The top-of-the-heap collectors have all those cards, and they aren't letting them go at almost any price, and who can blame them, really. I feel as though I'll never be lucky enough to wind up with a Ruth, or any of the guys in that era or before.
As someone who has been in this hobby a long time, my advice is that if you want big time cards but don't necessarily have the wallet for them, just keep your eyes open and keep hustling. Things happen. Old cards are discovered. Garage sale finds do occur. Of course you probably have to go to 50-100 sales before you find a gem, but it does happen. I think most of us could tell you at least one story of a find that we've made or an acquisition that we never thought we would make. A newby occasionally pops a high-dollar 1/1 or something similar, but I think most finds come from people who just keep at it.
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Forget about Ruth and the retirement cards. They are way, way out my league and many other casual collectors' leagues.
There are nice early century low grade cards to be proud of:
Link:
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=t206+psa+2&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0&_sop=15
Also, 1933 Goudey was the 1st mainstream baseball card set produced.
Link:
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=1933+goudey+psa+2&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0&_sop=15
You can move up the quality scale:
Change my "PSA 2" search term to "PSA 3", "PSA 4",,,etc.
Collectors like to study the quality of the card:
1) Why is it only a "2"...looks like a "5"
2) How nicely is it centered. Centering is clutch for many collectors.
3) Is there an ugly crease down the middle, stain on the back (not a big deal), eye appeal,,,,etc.
I often study my collection, just to make sure I didn't miss something
It's funny you mention centering. I was just going over some cards for possible grading, and so many of them, although perfect in every other way, were off-center; do the grading companies really take points off for centering, even if the card were, say, a GEM-MT in every way except the centering? I mean, would off-center really keep it from being given a GEM grade? That just SUCKS. Also, I know there is some kind of 'tool' that would measure the width of the margin on either side of the picture, I just don't know what the tool is called so I can get one. I know there are certain measurements the grading companies use as a basis for grading; I haven't learned it all yet, but I am trying to learn it.
Yes, grading companies lower the grades for a card being off centered. Otherwise there would be a million 10's of every card.
Technically a card can be 55/45 and still get a 10 and I have seen worse, but PSA seems to have gotten stricter lately.
I just use my eyes to judge centering.
Yes, I also use my eyes to judge the centering, although sometimes the difference is so very close, I am left to wonder if the grading company is going to penalize it or not, and THEN I have to decide from there if it will be even worth the trouble, not to mention the expense of getting it graded. PSA is $12 a card with a minimum of 20 cards, which is $240 per round of grading. At least with Beckett, you can send in one card at a time (I think you can, right?), and that's according to what I saw in their grading schedule, but the cost per card is way more expensive than PSA, at $30/card, or a bit less if you cut out the sub-grades. Do you know of any other place I can check the value of a card, other than Auction Prices Realized on PSACard.com? I mean a FREE service? I know there is VCP, but you have to pay for that.
Welcome aboard, Dave.
PSA seems to be the best bet for selling, I wouldn't seriously consider anyone else. The exception is if they get so strict you can get cards graded two(?) grades higher with someone else.
I have a bulk sub in right now, and will know more when it comes back. Went through 8,000+ cards and sent in 171, some of which I knew ahead of time won't be 10's. I went through them 4 times and then had a "card buddy" who has a good eye go through them. About 150 seemed to be flawless with none even worse than 55/45 and most better. I tried to send in cards that had at least $15.00 value in a 9, (probably too low) so I wouldn't get obliterated if I didn't get many 10's.
I thought I was pretty good at grading cards until I went through the 8,000. I found that the more you look at the easier it is to find flaws. I also strongly suggest finding a friend who is good at it double check for you.
With the cost of grading and the difficulty getting 10's and the fact that buyers won't even think about anything graded lower, it's best to send in only the best of the best.
I have seen some scans posted here of cards coming back and they better be near perfectly centered to get a 10.
For card values, I check on ebay under advanced search, sold listings.
This will give you a realistic idea of what the card is going for.
Hi guys, I have attached an image to this post. It is of the 1987 Topps Bobby Bonilla card, with what appears to be a RARE printing error in the "I" of his last name. I am thinking about selling it on Ebay, yet at the same time I don't want to be seen as one of those guys that charge a ridiculous price for a printing error, even if it is rare. Case in point is the 1987 Topps Barry Bonds with the printing error in the card number, which I also have, and it appears to be VERY common and NOT rare. I believe this Bobby Bonilla card to be rare as I have searched for listings of it, and though I have seen some, I haven't seen any cards with this printing error. Whatever price I do settle on, I will also put that I am accepting offers. But, what would be a reasonable sum to charge? I was thinking about $150, but is that "ridiculous"? I think $500 would be ridiculous, or even into four figures, like I have seen on other error listings such as that Bonds card.
Well , sorry to burst your bubble here but this isnt an error. Its just a print dot. Something (dirt) gets in the way during the printing of a card and actually hurts the value of any card. Sorry but its still a .05 card
Thank you
Best education would be to spend a day at a card show and look at every dealer table - even the dumpy ones. You’ll likely find some sets you are interested in at very reasonable prices. For instance when I got back into collecting (I took a break from 93 - 99) I wanted to buy a 1992 Bowman FB set - they were sky high when I left the hobby. I found one at a show for $5 in a huge mountain of sets a dealer was blowing out.
Kiss me twice.....let's party.