@Nathaniel1960 said:
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.
I am not able to travel anywhere, I don't drive. I wouldn't have the slightest clue where a card show would be anywhere near me. This area used to have a couple of shops, but they've dried up over the years. I'd like to collect Tiffany sets, but they are way too expensive; I mean, I can save up to buy a set, I suppose, which is what I have been thinking about doing. I do have the 87 Topps Traded Tiffany set, so that's something, but I think I'd like to have the full 87 Topps Tiffany set. I've seen them on Ebay, but for like $500, and more. Like I said in an earlier post, I think I picked the wrong time, and too late in my life to start this hobby.
I am not able to travel anywhere, I don't drive. I wouldn't have the slightest clue where a card show would be anywhere near me. This area used to have a couple of shops, but they've dried up over the years. I'd like to collect Tiffany sets, but they are way too expensive; I mean, I can save up to buy a set, I suppose, which is what I have been thinking about doing. I do have the 87 Topps Traded Tiffany set, so that's something, but I think I'd like to have the full 87 Topps Tiffany set. I've seen them on Ebay, but for like $500, and more. Like I said in an earlier post, I think I picked the wrong time, and too late in my life to start this hobby.
Oh no my man, you have picked a great time to start the hobby.
All you need to do is decide on a budget and stay within it! Collecting Tiffany sets is going to get expensive right off the bat.
Do you have a favorite player from the past? Hope it's not Mantle LOL. PSA 7's and even some 8's of HOF players from the 1960's-1980's can be beautiful and not that expensive!
Another fun and not too expensive thing is buy a box, or factory set of cards from 1989-1991 (not Upper Deck! ;-) ) and open looking for key cards.
Just like any hobby if you want the "Best of the Best" you are going to pay heavily.
2013,14 and 15 Certificate Award Winner Harmon Killebrew Master Set and Master Topps Set
@Ahmanfan said:
We aren’t talking about taking up bull riding or skydiving. You just have to sit there and buy cards. 😎
That is quite true. It's just that if I had started earlier in life, it's possible I could have collected more vintage cards at less expensive prices than they are now.
I am not able to travel anywhere, I don't drive. I wouldn't have the slightest clue where a card show would be anywhere near me. This area used to have a couple of shops, but they've dried up over the years. I'd like to collect Tiffany sets, but they are way too expensive; I mean, I can save up to buy a set, I suppose, which is what I have been thinking about doing. I do have the 87 Topps Traded Tiffany set, so that's something, but I think I'd like to have the full 87 Topps Tiffany set. I've seen them on Ebay, but for like $500, and more. Like I said in an earlier post, I think I picked the wrong time, and too late in my life to start this hobby.
Oh no my man, you have picked a great time to start the hobby.
All you need to do is decide on a budget and stay within it! Collecting Tiffany sets is going to get expensive right off the bat.
Do you have a favorite player from the past? Hope it's not Mantle LOL. PSA 7's and even some 8's of HOF players from the 1960's-1980's can be beautiful and not that expensive!
Another fun and not too expensive thing is buy a box, or factory set of cards from 1989-1991 (not Upper Deck! ;-) ) and open looking for key cards.
Just like any hobby if you want the "Best of the Best" you are going to pay heavily.
I do already have the '75 (minus 3 key cards), '80, and '87 sets. I've often heard that era you're talking about referred to as the "junk wax era", where the market was flooded with way too many cards, bringing their overall value down. Or is that with just specific makers of cards? You said "not Upper Deck", so were they one of the makers that flooded the market? I'd said I thought I was too old to start collecting because perhaps if I had started earlier in life, I could have collected vintage cards at lower prices than they are now. I don't really know a "budget" I should stick with, since I have more money to play with at certain times, than I do at other times - it fluctuates.
Thank you for that link. I actually found a show, or whatever it's called only an hour's drive away from me on Saturday, and Sunday! I don't quite understand what I'm looking at, though; what does "Magazine for...." mean at the top of the show listing? Also, is there an actual cost to browse? I see some listings say "free entry", while others have a fee, but is that fee for dealers?
I am not able to travel anywhere, I don't drive. I wouldn't have the slightest clue where a card show would be anywhere near me. This area used to have a couple of shops, but they've dried up over the years. I'd like to collect Tiffany sets, but they are way too expensive; I mean, I can save up to buy a set, I suppose, which is what I have been thinking about doing. I do have the 87 Topps Traded Tiffany set, so that's something, but I think I'd like to have the full 87 Topps Tiffany set. I've seen them on Ebay, but for like $500, and more. Like I said in an earlier post, I think I picked the wrong time, and too late in my life to start this hobby.
Oh no my man, you have picked a great time to start the hobby.
All you need to do is decide on a budget and stay within it! Collecting Tiffany sets is going to get expensive right off the bat.
Do you have a favorite player from the past? Hope it's not Mantle LOL. PSA 7's and even some 8's of HOF players from the 1960's-1980's can be beautiful and not that expensive!
Another fun and not too expensive thing is buy a box, or factory set of cards from 1989-1991 (not Upper Deck! ;-) ) and open looking for key cards.
Just like any hobby if you want the "Best of the Best" you are going to pay heavily.
I do already have the '75 (minus 3 key cards), '80, and '87 sets. I've often heard that era you're talking about referred to as the "junk wax era", where the market was flooded with way too many cards, bringing their overall value down. Or is that with just specific makers of cards? You said "not Upper Deck", so were they one of the makers that flooded the market? I'd said I thought I was too old to start collecting because perhaps if I had started earlier in life, I could have collected vintage cards at lower prices than they are now. I don't really know a "budget" I should stick with, since I have more money to play with at certain times, than I do at other times - it fluctuates.
No, 1989 Upper Deck definitely flooded the market. Still, prices are maybe twice what they were in 1989, which is way more than everything else.
I am not able to travel anywhere, I don't drive. I wouldn't have the slightest clue where a card show would be anywhere near me. This area used to have a couple of shops, but they've dried up over the years. I'd like to collect Tiffany sets, but they are way too expensive; I mean, I can save up to buy a set, I suppose, which is what I have been thinking about doing. I do have the 87 Topps Traded Tiffany set, so that's something, but I think I'd like to have the full 87 Topps Tiffany set. I've seen them on Ebay, but for like $500, and more. Like I said in an earlier post, I think I picked the wrong time, and too late in my life to start this hobby.
Oh no my man, you have picked a great time to start the hobby.
All you need to do is decide on a budget and stay within it! Collecting Tiffany sets is going to get expensive right off the bat.
Do you have a favorite player from the past? Hope it's not Mantle LOL. PSA 7's and even some 8's of HOF players from the 1960's-1980's can be beautiful and not that expensive!
Another fun and not too expensive thing is buy a box, or factory set of cards from 1989-1991 (not Upper Deck! ;-) ) and open looking for key cards.
Just like any hobby if you want the "Best of the Best" you are going to pay heavily.
I do already have the '75 (minus 3 key cards), '80, and '87 sets. I've often heard that era you're talking about referred to as the "junk wax era", where the market was flooded with way too many cards, bringing their overall value down. Or is that with just specific makers of cards? You said "not Upper Deck", so were they one of the makers that flooded the market? I'd said I thought I was too old to start collecting because perhaps if I had started earlier in life, I could have collected vintage cards at lower prices than they are now. I don't really know a "budget" I should stick with, since I have more money to play with at certain times, than I do at other times - it fluctuates.
I had a chance to buy a 1969 Mustang 428 Super Cobra Jet (California car=no rust) for $1,500.00 in 1978. Same thing with cards, I was born in 1957 and didn't start my collection until the late 1980's, so I could have done better there as well.
The reason I excluded Upper Deck was boxes from 1989 are very expensive. There are several players that sell for good money from the junk wax era, I thought it might be fun for you to buy some unopened from that time and rip them looking for rookie cards.
The point I was trying to make (and failed miserably) was you can have a lot of fun collecting cards by simply choosing a niche that is not overly expensive.
I collect Killebrew because he was my favorite player, I am not upset that I didn't choose Mantle, even though I would have a much more valuable collection.
From your post, I would start saving, and searching for those 3 cards you are missing from your 1975 set. It's a great set!
If collecting isn't fun for you, that's a shame.
2013,14 and 15 Certificate Award Winner Harmon Killebrew Master Set and Master Topps Set
@Moonman said:
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
Yeah that's nothing but a classic FISH EYE. I'd be Bill Gates if those made a card desirable!
It appears to me that you are getting hung up on the idea of collecting "correctly," or working with the thought that collecting needs to be done a certain way. The only hard and fast rules of this hobby (as far as I'm concerned) are pretty simple.
Collect what brings you pleasure
Don't buy cards you cannot afford
Try to be a good addition to the collecting community
Every one of us could say that they wish they would have started earlier. I can certainly say that about the things I collect and I had already been in the hobby 20 years when my focus shifted to where it is now. If you like junk wax cards, collect them. If you prefer vintage, go with that. You mentioned Tiffany, so do some digging and see what you can find there. If you want to be less focused and buy random things that catch your eye and bring you joy, then that is the way to go. Try to remember that while money can be made in cards, we still call it a hobby. It is supposed to be fun.
Todd Tobias - Grateful Collector - I focus on autographed American Football League sets, Fleer & Topps, 1960-1969, and lacrosse cards.
I am not able to travel anywhere, I don't drive. I wouldn't have the slightest clue where a card show would be anywhere near me. This area used to have a couple of shops, but they've dried up over the years. I'd like to collect Tiffany sets, but they are way too expensive; I mean, I can save up to buy a set, I suppose, which is what I have been thinking about doing. I do have the 87 Topps Traded Tiffany set, so that's something, but I think I'd like to have the full 87 Topps Tiffany set. I've seen them on Ebay, but for like $500, and more. Like I said in an earlier post, I think I picked the wrong time, and too late in my life to start this hobby.
Oh no my man, you have picked a great time to start the hobby.
All you need to do is decide on a budget and stay within it! Collecting Tiffany sets is going to get expensive right off the bat.
Do you have a favorite player from the past? Hope it's not Mantle LOL. PSA 7's and even some 8's of HOF players from the 1960's-1980's can be beautiful and not that expensive!
Another fun and not too expensive thing is buy a box, or factory set of cards from 1989-1991 (not Upper Deck! ;-) ) and open looking for key cards.
Just like any hobby if you want the "Best of the Best" you are going to pay heavily.
I do already have the '75 (minus 3 key cards), '80, and '87 sets. I've often heard that era you're talking about referred to as the "junk wax era", where the market was flooded with way too many cards, bringing their overall value down. Or is that with just specific makers of cards? You said "not Upper Deck", so were they one of the makers that flooded the market? I'd said I thought I was too old to start collecting because perhaps if I had started earlier in life, I could have collected vintage cards at lower prices than they are now. I don't really know a "budget" I should stick with, since I have more money to play with at certain times, than I do at other times - it fluctuates.
I had a chance to buy a 1969 Mustang 428 Super Cobra Jet (California car=no rust) for $1,500.00 in 1978. Same thing with cards, I was born in 1957 and didn't start my collection until the late 1980's, so I could have done better there as well.
The reason I excluded Upper Deck was boxes from 1989 are very expensive. There are several players that sell for good money from the junk wax era, I thought it might be fun for you to buy some unopened from that time and rip them looking for rookie cards.
The point I was trying to make (and failed miserably) was you can have a lot of fun collecting cards by simply choosing a niche that is not overly expensive.
I collect Killebrew because he was my favorite player, I am not upset that I didn't choose Mantle, even though I would have a much more valuable collection.
From your post, I would start saving, and searching for those 3 cards you are missing from your 1975 set. It's a great set!
If collecting isn't fun for you, that's a shame.
Collecting from the standpoint of increasing value of that collection is fun. Even ripping open packs is fun. I've been finding out that one of my favorite players is Nolan Ryan. The man was a serious threat on that mound, and had one of the fastest, if not the fastest fast balls ever. I've already put together what I think I want for my first submission to PSA, and I have about 8 Nolan Ryan cards in it; Griffey Jr is another favorite, and I have about 7 of his cards in that submission as well. Yet another player whom I like is Ricky Henderson. As Nolan was a threat on the mound, Henderson was as much a threat on the base paths. I don't have the precise stat in my brain yet, but how many stolen bases does he have to his credit?
As you can see, I am into vintage collecting. I am 51, and I watched a lot of baseball in the eighties with my Dad, so I got to know certain players, and although in recent years some of that knowledge has been forgotten, since I started collecting, it is all coming back to me slowly as I refamiliarize myself with the sport.
I must admit, though, I know nothing about more recent players, although three names I have seen quite a bit of is Ronald Acuna Jr., Vladimir Guerrero, and Shohei Ohtani. I actually have a #'d card of Vladimir Guerrero, 006/149 Panini Contenders Draft. I don't know anything about that card, but it was in a "grab bag" that I bought recently. I know - someone in this post told me to stay away from the grab bags, but sometimes I see what appears to be a good grab bag, and I can't help myself. In that same grab bag, I also received two PSA graded cards, a Randy Johnson rookie ('89 Score Traded, mint 9), and Carlton Fisk ('81 Donruss, VG-3); in fact, it was the graded cards that made me want to buy the grab bag. Admittedly, that Fisk is probably worthless, but hey, I wanted to add some graded cards to my collection and didn't want to wait 11 weeks (PSA's current stated turnaround time) to get my first ones. The rest of the grab bag was pretty much shit; way more Topps Heritage, and Gallery cards than I care to think about, and there was supposed to be some '70's cards, which there weren't and I complained to the seller about that, and they are making good on it, sending me what was missing. I believe it was an honest mistake, rather than them trying to pull a fast one, because they'd told me they were in the middle of moving and had much to unpack in the new house.
Sorry, I am rambling. I get like that. I guess my point is that over time I will figure out what aspects of collecting are fun for me, and then concentrate that. In an earlier comment, I'd said I was trying to build the '92 Stadium Club set, and have probably 600+ cards of that so far out of 900. So we will see what the future of collecting brings to me.
Thanks for your comments, and helpful suggestions.
@gsirookieripz said:
With that being said, some of us are out there to hit the big 1-of-1 retirement savings kind of card
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.
No Dave, it is amazing what you can find. There is always the next Mike Trout lurking on those roosters. I am a 65 yo collector who focused on 60's and 70's cards and sets. I bought hundreds of HOFer's back in the 90's at low prices. I refused to get involved with the grading of cards until around the late 90's. Once I did, I picked up hundreds of cards, mostly Topps 50-80's at low prices. There are still bargains out there, although expensive at even 2000 prices. Cards I used to pick up for $20 are now $200, yet I can still fund bargains. Don't get discouraged, collect what you want. And I think it is ok to get started on a project and then quit and start another. You'll go back to those earlier projects at som point. It took me 20 years to finish up my raw 60's sets. I would reccomend this: pick up the stars in those projects first, as they will continue to appreciate. Have fun, try and stay focused and don't be afraid to ask questions. Join some of those fFacebook Clubs that focus on certain things that focus on certain eras or cards. They are fun and you will find trusted trading partners. I was a part of the Heritage group here years ago that had a huge following of cool guys that were solid and informed. I always learned here first about the variations and errors, the color swaps, and the rareities. Best of luck to you...
John
Previous CU user: jmmiller777
Baseball HOFer's-PSA6+
Heritage Sets
Kellogg's Graded-PSA 8+
60's Topps Sets-Raw
Anything that Catches My Attention
I am not able to travel anywhere, I don't drive. I wouldn't have the slightest clue where a card show would be anywhere near me. This area used to have a couple of shops, but they've dried up over the years. I'd like to collect Tiffany sets, but they are way too expensive; I mean, I can save up to buy a set, I suppose, which is what I have been thinking about doing. I do have the 87 Topps Traded Tiffany set, so that's something, but I think I'd like to have the full 87 Topps Tiffany set. I've seen them on Ebay, but for like $500, and more. Like I said in an earlier post, I think I picked the wrong time, and too late in my life to start this hobby.
Oh no my man, you have picked a great time to start the hobby.
All you need to do is decide on a budget and stay within it! Collecting Tiffany sets is going to get expensive right off the bat.
Do you have a favorite player from the past? Hope it's not Mantle LOL. PSA 7's and even some 8's of HOF players from the 1960's-1980's can be beautiful and not that expensive!
Another fun and not too expensive thing is buy a box, or factory set of cards from 1989-1991 (not Upper Deck! ;-) ) and open looking for key cards.
Just like any hobby if you want the "Best of the Best" you are going to pay heavily.
I do already have the '75 (minus 3 key cards), '80, and '87 sets. I've often heard that era you're talking about referred to as the "junk wax era", where the market was flooded with way too many cards, bringing their overall value down. Or is that with just specific makers of cards? You said "not Upper Deck", so were they one of the makers that flooded the market? I'd said I thought I was too old to start collecting because perhaps if I had started earlier in life, I could have collected vintage cards at lower prices than they are now. I don't really know a "budget" I should stick with, since I have more money to play with at certain times, than I do at other times - it fluctuates.
I had a chance to buy a 1969 Mustang 428 Super Cobra Jet (California car=no rust) for $1,500.00 in 1978. Same thing with cards, I was born in 1957 and didn't start my collection until the late 1980's, so I could have done better there as well.
The reason I excluded Upper Deck was boxes from 1989 are very expensive. There are several players that sell for good money from the junk wax era, I thought it might be fun for you to buy some unopened from that time and rip them looking for rookie cards.
The point I was trying to make (and failed miserably) was you can have a lot of fun collecting cards by simply choosing a niche that is not overly expensive.
I collect Killebrew because he was my favorite player, I am not upset that I didn't choose Mantle, even though I would have a much more valuable collection.
From your post, I would start saving, and searching for those 3 cards you are missing from your 1975 set. It's a great set!
If collecting isn't fun for you, that's a shame.
Collecting from the standpoint of increasing value of that collection is fun. Even ripping open packs is fun. I've been finding out that one of my favorite players is Nolan Ryan. The man was a serious threat on that mound, and had one of the fastest, if not the fastest fast balls ever. I've already put together what I think I want for my first submission to PSA, and I have about 8 Nolan Ryan cards in it; Griffey Jr is another favorite, and I have about 7 of his cards in that submission as well. Yet another player whom I like is Ricky Henderson. As Nolan was a threat on the mound, Henderson was as much a threat on the base paths. I don't have the precise stat in my brain yet, but how many stolen bases does he have to his credit?
As you can see, I am into vintage collecting. I am 51, and I watched a lot of baseball in the eighties with my Dad, so I got to know certain players, and although in recent years some of that knowledge has been forgotten, since I started collecting, it is all coming back to me slowly as I refamiliarize myself with the sport.
I must admit, though, I know nothing about more recent players, although three names I have seen quite a bit of is Ronald Acuna Jr., Vladimir Guerrero, and Shohei Ohtani. I actually have a #'d card of Vladimir Guerrero, 006/149 Panini Contenders Draft. I don't know anything about that card, but it was in a "grab bag" that I bought recently. I know - someone in this post told me to stay away from the grab bags, but sometimes I see what appears to be a good grab bag, and I can't help myself. In that same grab bag, I also received two PSA graded cards, a Randy Johnson rookie ('89 Score Traded, mint 9), and Carlton Fisk ('81 Donruss, VG-3); in fact, it was the graded cards that made me want to buy the grab bag. Admittedly, that Fisk is probably worthless, but hey, I wanted to add some graded cards to my collection and didn't want to wait 11 weeks (PSA's current stated turnaround time) to get my first ones. The rest of the grab bag was pretty much shit; way more Topps Heritage, and Gallery cards than I care to think about, and there was supposed to be some '70's cards, which there weren't and I complained to the seller about that, and they are making good on it, sending me what was missing. I believe it was an honest mistake, rather than them trying to pull a fast one, because they'd told me they were in the middle of moving and had much to unpack in the new house.
Sorry, I am rambling. I get like that. I guess my point is that over time I will figure out what aspects of collecting are fun for me, and then concentrate that. In an earlier comment, I'd said I was trying to build the '92 Stadium Club set, and have probably 600+ cards of that so far out of 900. So we will see what the future of collecting brings to me.
Thanks for your comments, and helpful suggestions.
Dave
Sounds like you are collecting some very good players! Henderson, Ryan and Griffey are arguably the top collected players 1968-1998 so they will cost you in high grade.
The Randy Johnson you got sells for $5-10.00 in a PSA 9.
Sounds to me like you know what you are doing, but maybe you need to develop some patience?
Welcome to the boards and have fun collecting!
2013,14 and 15 Certificate Award Winner Harmon Killebrew Master Set and Master Topps Set
May I humbly suggest that if you want some graded cards, you go and pick you the graded cards you want? Please, you, and everyone, collect however you want. I'm not trying to tell you what to buy and what not to buy, but I hate to see someone buying something that can' possibly be worth what he paid for it. At least when you buy an unopened pack from the manufacturer, you know that everything valuable hasn't already been removed. This is similar to the "Christmas Racks".
Spend some time finding the lane or lanes you are comfortable with both financially and what peaks your interest most. Once you do that STAY FOCUSED and in stay in THAT LANE. Build real results that you can display and talk about. Because it's real easy for this hobby to swallow your ass up when your head is on a perpetual swivel.
@daltex said:
May I humbly suggest that if you want some graded cards, you go and pick you the graded cards you want? Please, you, and everyone, collect however you want. I'm not trying to tell you what to buy and what not to buy, but I hate to see someone buying something that can' possibly be worth what he paid for it. At least when you buy an unopened pack from the manufacturer, you know that everything valuable hasn't already been removed. This is similar to the "Christmas Racks".
Well, that is a good suggestion, and I am definitely eyeing some graded cards on Ebay; however, it would make me feel better as a collector if I could say to myself that I'd been able to submit my own to PSA, and received some decent grades from the submission. Buying them already graded is easy; I want to get my own graded cards, even if the turnaround time is lengthy.
You are absolutely, 100% correct about unopened packs. I had found recently some Nolan Ryan cards in unopened packs, which I was pleasantly surprised to find. Also, some of the Griffey Jr cards I have were from unopened packs, but two other Griffey Jr cards I have were actually given as a bonus with an Ebay purchase. Sometimes it DOES happen, albeit not too often, that a seller will give you some decent bonuses with your purchase.
Ok, so now I have a really confusing situation, and I feel really stupid and ignorant. I need someone who knows about the 1992 Topps Stadium Club Members Choice subset. I understand that there are 20 cards that make up that subset; 10 cards at the end of series 2, and the other 10 at the beginning of series 3. So, that would mean the cards would be numbered 591-600 for the first 10, and 601-610 for the last 10.......right? Then why is the Jose Canseco Members Choice card numbered 370? This makes no sense to me, but then again I am ignorant about a great many things that have to do with collecting. I had someone on Ebay ask me if I have ever bought baseball cards before. Do I really sound that ignorant??
@DWEarle said:
Ok, so now I have a really confusing situation, and I feel really stupid and ignorant. I need someone who knows about the 1992 Topps Stadium Club Members Choice subset. I understand that there are 20 cards that make up that subset; 10 cards at the end of series 2, and the other 10 at the beginning of series 3. So, that would mean the cards would be numbered 591-600 for the first 10, and 601-610 for the last 10.......right? Then why is the Jose Canseco Members Choice card numbered 370? This makes no sense to me, but then again I am ignorant about a great many things that have to do with collecting. I had someone on Ebay ask me if I have ever bought baseball cards before. Do I really sound that ignorant??
You don't sound stupid, but I would say you might need to pick one or two areas to focus on and do some research. A LOT of research.
Members ONLY not the same as Members CHOICE. Just another reason collecting modern is so confusing.
I stuck with my era for the most part and don't get too involved with modern and all the insanely idiotic stuff that goes on with so many different sets and variations, cards that are identical being numbered to make them more collectible.
My main focus was on Killebrew, so I became pretty knowledgeable about cards issued 1955-1975. At first, I thought there would be about 20 cards and the Killebrew project would be complete. There's over 200 items in the Killebrew master set, and after 25+ years, I still don't have them all.
Since I have been unable to upgrade very often because of a lack of higher graded cards on the market coupled with financial inability, I decided to venture into modern a little. WOW what a shat show! I have a buddy that knows about the modern stuff and it boggles the mind at some of the strange things he knows. One year of modern cards even has some kind of weird ink on the back and if you shine a black light on it, you can tell.
I bought a bunch of 1987 Topps unopened from a local guy; Wax (horrible) Vending (nearly as bad) and a Rack case (a little better) I figured with 5-8000 cards I would have a few Barry Bonds rookies that would grade a 10. I ended up with 12-20 of each player. How many Bonds cards do you think I got that were "perfect"?
NONE!
I did get a couple of amazing McGwires. No Palmiero's (he's not worth much anyway), I did hit it pretty good on Bo Jackson, maybe 4-6 that have a shot at a 10, Did OK on Larkin, maybe 2-3. A couple of Ryan's NO Pucketts. NO Clemens, one Mattingly, one Sandberg. I ended up looking for low pop commons in the hope I could make some money there. I am pretty sure I will make a profit. Sent in about 150 cards (mostly commons and a few star cards) and unless PSA really slaughters me, I should be fine. Of course my cards have been at PSA for several months and prices on a lot of the cards have dropped. :-(
Picked up the vending for $10.00 a box and I am not sure it was a good investment. If I wanted a Barry Bonds, I would have been money ahead buying one already graded. I wouldn't give you more than $5.00 for a wax box, I had four. Paid 10.00 each (didn't have to pay shipping) and stopped opening after box 3 because the cards were GARBAGE!
I was simply stunned at how few cards were perfectly centered with sharp corners, good color (seems to be three different shades of colors on these, maybe four!) and no print dots.
How did you put together your 87 set? Is it raw or graded? I assume raw. I did end up with 2 "mint" sets excluding the big stars. I seriously doubt that there are very many 10's in the 2 sets I made up. Prolly some 9's and tons of 8's.
How about the 1975 set? How did you collect that one?
I really like that set. It even has a couple of Killebrew cards!
2013,14 and 15 Certificate Award Winner Harmon Killebrew Master Set and Master Topps Set
@DWEarle said:
Ok, so now I have a really confusing situation, and I feel really stupid and ignorant. I need someone who knows about the 1992 Topps Stadium Club Members Choice subset. I understand that there are 20 cards that make up that subset; 10 cards at the end of series 2, and the other 10 at the beginning of series 3. So, that would mean the cards would be numbered 591-600 for the first 10, and 601-610 for the last 10.......right? Then why is the Jose Canseco Members Choice card numbered 370? This makes no sense to me, but then again I am ignorant about a great many things that have to do with collecting. I had someone on Ebay ask me if I have ever bought baseball cards before. Do I really sound that ignorant??
You don't sound stupid, but I would say you might need to pick one or two areas to focus on and do some research. A LOT of research.
Members ONLY not the same as Members CHOICE. Just another reason collecting modern is so confusing.
I stuck with my era for the most part and don't get too involved with modern and all the insanely idiotic stuff that goes on with so many different sets and variations, cards that are identical being numbered to make them more collectible.
My main focus was on Killebrew, so I became pretty knowledgeable about cards issued 1955-1975. At first, I thought there would be about 20 cards and the Killebrew project would be complete. There's over 200 items in the Killebrew master set, and after 25+ years, I still don't have them all.
Since I have been unable to upgrade very often because of a lack of higher graded cards on the market coupled with financial inability, I decided to venture into modern a little. WOW what a shat show! I have a buddy that knows about the modern stuff and it boggles the mind at some of the strange things he knows. One year of modern cards even has some kind of weird ink on the back and if you shine a black light on it, you can tell.
I bought a bunch of 1987 Topps unopened from a local guy; Wax (horrible) Vending (nearly as bad) and a Rack case (a little better) I figured with 5-8000 cards I would have a few Barry Bonds rookies that would grade a 10. I ended up with 12-20 of each player. How many Bonds cards do you think I got that were "perfect"?
NONE!
I did get a couple of amazing McGwires. No Palmiero's (he's not worth much anyway), I did hit it pretty good on Bo Jackson, maybe 4-6 that have a shot at a 10, Did OK on Larkin, maybe 2-3. A couple of Ryan's NO Pucketts. NO Clemens, one Mattingly, one Sandberg. I ended up looking for low pop commons in the hope I could make some money there. I am pretty sure I will make a profit. Sent in about 150 cards (mostly commons and a few star cards) and unless PSA really slaughters me, I should be fine. Of course my cards have been at PSA for several months and prices on a lot of the cards have dropped. :-(
Picked up the vending for $10.00 a box and I am not sure it was a good investment. If I wanted a Barry Bonds, I would have been money ahead buying one already graded. I wouldn't give you more than $5.00 for a wax box, I had four. Paid 10.00 each (didn't have to pay shipping) and stopped opening after box 3 because the cards were GARBAGE!
I was simply stunned at how few cards were perfectly centered with sharp corners, good color (seems to be three different shades of colors on these, maybe four!) and no print dots.
How did you put together your 87 set? Is it raw or graded? I assume raw. I did end up with 2 "mint" sets excluding the big stars. I seriously doubt that there are very many 10's in the 2 sets I made up. Prolly some 9's and tons of 8's.
How about the 1975 set? How did you collect that one?
I really like that set. It even has a couple of Killebrew cards!
Actually, I bought both the '87 and '75 sets off Ebay. And they are both raw at the moment. As you said with regard to centering, I am appalled at how many cards are off-center in that '87 set. The '75 set has not aged very well, and I doubt I could get much more than a 5 on any one card, and maybe even only 4 on most. The '80 set is much better, and there are quite a few star cards in that set, including Ryan whom I like to collect, and have 9 of his cards I am putting together in a submission.
My problem with focus is I just don't know what to focus on, or how to focus; I am all over the place, and it really sums up my way of thinking. Like today, for instance. I was trying to find and acquire the three cards that are missing out of the '75 set. Somehow, I managed to put two of the same card in my shopping cart without realizing it, and checked out before I did notice. Great, now I had to go back and find the card I meant to get, so I looked by number to find the card. Found it, added to cart and checked out. It wasn't until I looked at the order confirmation email that I realized THE CARD NUMBER WAS NOT THE ONE I INTENDED TO BUY (I have NO CLUE how a different numbered card then the one I intended to buy wound up in my cart)! So, back to Ebay to find the RIGHT ONE. So, I am going to wind up with 5 cards; three graded, and two ungraded with one of those being a duplicate. I wound up spending WAY TOO MUCH, and that is because I have this focus problem. Or I am too impulsive, too quick to make a decision without fully thinking things through.
On the Stadium Club, the card I was talking about was NOT 'Members Only', it was Members Choice, card number 370 as I said. As I said, it was a 20-card subset to the main Stadium Club set of 900 cards. There has got to be something I am missing, something I am not understanding, although I don't see how I could misunderstand last 10 of series 2, first 10 of series 3. That's about as straight forward as it gets.
Anyway, thanks for chatting with me through this post, Joe. It's good to know I can talk with someone without feeling like I am being judged, or frowned upon due to my ignorance.
No judging here Dave. Just offering some advice from having made my share of mistakes.
I think you need a FIRM plan on what you are going to do before you sit down at the computer. You may even want to write down what you want to accomplish or a limit you want to spend, and stick to it!
Before ebay, when I was really poor, I would go to card shows with as little as $20.00 knowing that there were only a few Killebrew cards I would be able to buy. I studied the price guides so I knew what cards to look for.
Sometimes I came home with nothing to add to my collection, but garnered some knowledge from dealers and other collectors.
2013,14 and 15 Certificate Award Winner Harmon Killebrew Master Set and Master Topps Set
@JoeBanzai said:
No judging here Dave. Just offering some advice from having made my share of mistakes.
I think you need a FIRM plan on what you are going to do before you sit down at the computer. You may even want to write down what you want to accomplish or a limit you want to spend, and stick to it!
Before ebay, when I was really poor, I would go to card shows with as little as $20.00 knowing that there were only a few Killebrew cards I would be able to buy. I studied the price guides so I knew what cards to look for.
Sometimes I came home with nothing to add to my collection, but garnered some knowledge from dealers and other collectors.
Where do you get price guides from? Also, I've seen on PSA Auction Prices Realized, when checking average prices that cards have sold for, I see a column that says SMR (Sports Market Report) which shows what the value of the card is according to the SMR. This is apparently a yearly magazine I could subscribe to through PSA, and would provide some perks such as quarterly grading specials, and collectors club value pricing. Do you know anything about that, and would it be worth it for me to subscribe?
As far as card shows go, I'd said in another comment that I don't drive; no license or car, so it would be difficult at best to get to a show. I have a friend who might be willing to drive me if I could find a show nearby, and there were actually two shows this weekend an hour away, but it was too soon when I found out to get a ride over there.
Anyway, many aspects of this collecting arena I must learn, many shortcomings I must rise above. Maybe I'm making too much of it, over thinking it; call it a character flaw.
Many times the seller will offer free shipping.
$100 will get you a nice mixed raw (ungraded) set of stars & commons from many sellers.
Remember, it's not a sprint to the finish line. As you collect, the finish line will get moved further back.
Also, in terms of being impulsive... We've all been there, so don't think you're odd because of it. Most of us have purchased cards we already owned, or made similar mistakes. It's just part of the territory. But something to consider is that when you are collecting base issues, especially in mid-high grade )PSA 5-8 equivalent), there are literally hundreds, if not thousands of those cards out there. There is no need to rush to make those purchases because if you miss one, another will come up soon enough. That way you can also be comfortable in waiting for examples that best fit your desires in terms of corners, centering, print marks, etc.
Todd Tobias - Grateful Collector - I focus on autographed American Football League sets, Fleer & Topps, 1960-1969, and lacrosse cards.
@JoeBanzai said:
No judging here Dave. Just offering some advice from having made my share of mistakes.
I think you need a FIRM plan on what you are going to do before you sit down at the computer. You may even want to write down what you want to accomplish or a limit you want to spend, and stick to it!
Before ebay, when I was really poor, I would go to card shows with as little as $20.00 knowing that there were only a few Killebrew cards I would be able to buy. I studied the price guides so I knew what cards to look for.
Sometimes I came home with nothing to add to my collection, but garnered some knowledge from dealers and other collectors.
Where do you get price guides from? Also, I've seen on PSA Auction Prices Realized, when checking average prices that cards have sold for, I see a column that says SMR (Sports Market Report) which shows what the value of the card is according to the SMR. This is apparently a yearly magazine I could subscribe to through PSA, and would provide some perks such as quarterly grading specials, and collectors club value pricing. Do you know anything about that, and would it be worth it for me to subscribe?
As far as card shows go, I'd said in another comment that I don't drive; no license or car, so it would be difficult at best to get to a show. I have a friend who might be willing to drive me if I could find a show nearby, and there were actually two shows this weekend an hour away, but it was too soon when I found out to get a ride over there.
Anyway, many aspects of this collecting arena I must learn, many shortcomings I must rise above. Maybe I'm making too much of it, over thinking it; call it a character flaw.
I was afraid of mentioning price guides. That was a long time ago and now I know what all the Killebrew stuff is worth.
Anything else, I just look up under "sold listings" on ebay. Card prices have fluctuated quite a bit recently, and some have dropped quite a bit in the last 90 days!!!!
It's easy to become a little obsessed about the hobby. I had to stop bidding manually on items during the auctions, or I would be broke. Now I put in a snipe and don't bid at all. I wait until the end and if I get it great if not oh well.
2013,14 and 15 Certificate Award Winner Harmon Killebrew Master Set and Master Topps Set
@JoeBanzai said:
No judging here Dave. Just offering some advice from having made my share of mistakes.
I think you need a FIRM plan on what you are going to do before you sit down at the computer. You may even want to write down what you want to accomplish or a limit you want to spend, and stick to it!
Before ebay, when I was really poor, I would go to card shows with as little as $20.00 knowing that there were only a few Killebrew cards I would be able to buy. I studied the price guides so I knew what cards to look for.
Sometimes I came home with nothing to add to my collection, but garnered some knowledge from dealers and other collectors.
Where do you get price guides from? Also, I've seen on PSA Auction Prices Realized, when checking average prices that cards have sold for, I see a column that says SMR (Sports Market Report) which shows what the value of the card is according to the SMR. This is apparently a yearly magazine I could subscribe to through PSA, and would provide some perks such as quarterly grading specials, and collectors club value pricing. Do you know anything about that, and would it be worth it for me to subscribe?
As far as card shows go, I'd said in another comment that I don't drive; no license or car, so it would be difficult at best to get to a show. I have a friend who might be willing to drive me if I could find a show nearby, and there were actually two shows this weekend an hour away, but it was too soon when I found out to get a ride over there.
Anyway, many aspects of this collecting arena I must learn, many shortcomings I must rise above. Maybe I'm making too much of it, over thinking it; call it a character flaw.
I was afraid of mentioning price guides. That was a long time ago and now I know what all the Killebrew stuff is worth.
Anything else, I just look up under "sold listings" on ebay. Card prices have fluctuated quite a bit recently, and some have dropped quite a bit in the last 90 days!!!!
It's easy to become a little obsessed about the hobby. I had to stop bidding manually on items during the auctions, or I would be broke. Now I put in a snipe and don't bid at all. I wait until the end and if I get it great if not oh well.
Oh my God, I actually found someone who also uses snipe bids (Auction Sniper) lol. I have gotten some of the missing cards for my '75 set that way, as well as other stuff.
So many people are saying to use the "sold listings" on Ebay, but I want to ask what is the purpose of the SMR (EDIT: sorry, this question was meant for another comment, but feel free to answer); I mean, why do they even have it if it's not useful in some way? I mean, "sold listings" on Ebay just show me what people have sold their stuff for, but is that a true indicator of what the card is actually worth? I had assumed (perhaps incorrectly) that SMR would give an accurate value of a card, which is why I stayed using the Auction Prices Realized. I thought that was the way to go....I guess I was wrong. So much to learn....
So many people are saying to use the "sold listings" on Ebay, but I want to ask what is the purpose of the SMR; I mean, why do they even have it if it's not useful in some way? I mean, "sold listings" on Ebay just show me what people have sold their stuff for, but is that a true indicator of what the card is actually worth? I had assumed (perhaps incorrectly) that SMR would give an accurate value of a card, which is why I stayed using the Auction Prices Realized. I thought that was the way to go....I guess I was wrong. So much to learn....
Well, something is only worth what others are willing to pay for it. And to put it simply, e-Bay shows what others are paying for it! That's why e-Bay is a good REAL TIME gauge on market conditions over published price.
@emar said:
Don't waste your time with SMR or any other book prices. They are always outdated.
eBay completed auctions is your best source for a pricing guide.
Many times the seller will offer free shipping.
$100 will get you a nice mixed raw (ungraded) set of stars & commons from many sellers.
Remember, it's not a sprint to the finish line. As you collect, the finish line will get moved further back.
Don't forget to be critical of the card centering
As I said in another comment, "sold listings" tell me what a card sold for, but is that a true indicator of what the card is actually worth? Anyone can set a price for something, and if someone is desperate enough to buy it, they'll pay whatever is necessary, but does that mean the object, or whatever is, is truly worth what the person just paid? I had assumed, maybe wrongly, that the SMR was the best way to find out the actual value of a card. What's it there for, if it is not useful in some way? Then again, I tend to overthink things, call it a character flaw.
On the Tiffany sets, I was aiming HIGHER, like a full set. If I try to get individual cards, won't I pay much more in the end? And don't worry: I have become VERY critical of centering, and am really beginning to resent hearing myself say "well, that's not a 10, it off-center" lol. And then, when it IS centered on front, I find the back is not centered; OR, when both sides are centered, I find a chipped corner, or rough edges, or white crap along the edge. It's seriously frustrating to try and find a gem. I can just imagine what the folks at PSA, or Beckett must have to go through during the grading process.
Comments
I am not able to travel anywhere, I don't drive. I wouldn't have the slightest clue where a card show would be anywhere near me. This area used to have a couple of shops, but they've dried up over the years. I'd like to collect Tiffany sets, but they are way too expensive; I mean, I can save up to buy a set, I suppose, which is what I have been thinking about doing. I do have the 87 Topps Traded Tiffany set, so that's something, but I think I'd like to have the full 87 Topps Tiffany set. I've seen them on Ebay, but for like $500, and more. Like I said in an earlier post, I think I picked the wrong time, and too late in my life to start this hobby.
Oh no my man, you have picked a great time to start the hobby.
All you need to do is decide on a budget and stay within it! Collecting Tiffany sets is going to get expensive right off the bat.
Do you have a favorite player from the past? Hope it's not Mantle LOL. PSA 7's and even some 8's of HOF players from the 1960's-1980's can be beautiful and not that expensive!
Another fun and not too expensive thing is buy a box, or factory set of cards from 1989-1991 (not Upper Deck! ;-) ) and open looking for key cards.
Just like any hobby if you want the "Best of the Best" you are going to pay heavily.
We aren’t talking about taking up bull riding or skydiving. You just have to sit there and buy cards. 😎
HOF SIGNED FOOTBALL RCS
Here is a good resource: https://www.beckett.com/venue_manager
https://beckett.com/venue_manager
Kiss me twice.....let's party.
That is quite true. It's just that if I had started earlier in life, it's possible I could have collected more vintage cards at less expensive prices than they are now.
I do already have the '75 (minus 3 key cards), '80, and '87 sets. I've often heard that era you're talking about referred to as the "junk wax era", where the market was flooded with way too many cards, bringing their overall value down. Or is that with just specific makers of cards? You said "not Upper Deck", so were they one of the makers that flooded the market? I'd said I thought I was too old to start collecting because perhaps if I had started earlier in life, I could have collected vintage cards at lower prices than they are now. I don't really know a "budget" I should stick with, since I have more money to play with at certain times, than I do at other times - it fluctuates.
Thank you for that link. I actually found a show, or whatever it's called only an hour's drive away from me on Saturday, and Sunday! I don't quite understand what I'm looking at, though; what does "Magazine for...." mean at the top of the show listing? Also, is there an actual cost to browse? I see some listings say "free entry", while others have a fee, but is that fee for dealers?
No, 1989 Upper Deck definitely flooded the market. Still, prices are maybe twice what they were in 1989, which is way more than everything else.
I had a chance to buy a 1969 Mustang 428 Super Cobra Jet (California car=no rust) for $1,500.00 in 1978. Same thing with cards, I was born in 1957 and didn't start my collection until the late 1980's, so I could have done better there as well.
The reason I excluded Upper Deck was boxes from 1989 are very expensive. There are several players that sell for good money from the junk wax era, I thought it might be fun for you to buy some unopened from that time and rip them looking for rookie cards.
The point I was trying to make (and failed miserably) was you can have a lot of fun collecting cards by simply choosing a niche that is not overly expensive.
I collect Killebrew because he was my favorite player, I am not upset that I didn't choose Mantle, even though I would have a much more valuable collection.
From your post, I would start saving, and searching for those 3 cards you are missing from your 1975 set. It's a great set!
If collecting isn't fun for you, that's a shame.
Yeah that's nothing but a classic FISH EYE. I'd be Bill Gates if those made a card desirable!
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
It appears to me that you are getting hung up on the idea of collecting "correctly," or working with the thought that collecting needs to be done a certain way. The only hard and fast rules of this hobby (as far as I'm concerned) are pretty simple.
Every one of us could say that they wish they would have started earlier. I can certainly say that about the things I collect and I had already been in the hobby 20 years when my focus shifted to where it is now. If you like junk wax cards, collect them. If you prefer vintage, go with that. You mentioned Tiffany, so do some digging and see what you can find there. If you want to be less focused and buy random things that catch your eye and bring you joy, then that is the way to go. Try to remember that while money can be made in cards, we still call it a hobby. It is supposed to be fun.
Collecting from the standpoint of increasing value of that collection is fun. Even ripping open packs is fun. I've been finding out that one of my favorite players is Nolan Ryan. The man was a serious threat on that mound, and had one of the fastest, if not the fastest fast balls ever. I've already put together what I think I want for my first submission to PSA, and I have about 8 Nolan Ryan cards in it; Griffey Jr is another favorite, and I have about 7 of his cards in that submission as well. Yet another player whom I like is Ricky Henderson. As Nolan was a threat on the mound, Henderson was as much a threat on the base paths. I don't have the precise stat in my brain yet, but how many stolen bases does he have to his credit?
As you can see, I am into vintage collecting. I am 51, and I watched a lot of baseball in the eighties with my Dad, so I got to know certain players, and although in recent years some of that knowledge has been forgotten, since I started collecting, it is all coming back to me slowly as I refamiliarize myself with the sport.
I must admit, though, I know nothing about more recent players, although three names I have seen quite a bit of is Ronald Acuna Jr., Vladimir Guerrero, and Shohei Ohtani. I actually have a #'d card of Vladimir Guerrero, 006/149 Panini Contenders Draft. I don't know anything about that card, but it was in a "grab bag" that I bought recently. I know - someone in this post told me to stay away from the grab bags, but sometimes I see what appears to be a good grab bag, and I can't help myself. In that same grab bag, I also received two PSA graded cards, a Randy Johnson rookie ('89 Score Traded, mint 9), and Carlton Fisk ('81 Donruss, VG-3); in fact, it was the graded cards that made me want to buy the grab bag. Admittedly, that Fisk is probably worthless, but hey, I wanted to add some graded cards to my collection and didn't want to wait 11 weeks (PSA's current stated turnaround time) to get my first ones. The rest of the grab bag was pretty much shit; way more Topps Heritage, and Gallery cards than I care to think about, and there was supposed to be some '70's cards, which there weren't and I complained to the seller about that, and they are making good on it, sending me what was missing. I believe it was an honest mistake, rather than them trying to pull a fast one, because they'd told me they were in the middle of moving and had much to unpack in the new house.
Sorry, I am rambling. I get like that. I guess my point is that over time I will figure out what aspects of collecting are fun for me, and then concentrate that. In an earlier comment, I'd said I was trying to build the '92 Stadium Club set, and have probably 600+ cards of that so far out of 900. So we will see what the future of collecting brings to me.
Thanks for your comments, and helpful suggestions.
Dave
No Dave, it is amazing what you can find. There is always the next Mike Trout lurking on those roosters. I am a 65 yo collector who focused on 60's and 70's cards and sets. I bought hundreds of HOFer's back in the 90's at low prices. I refused to get involved with the grading of cards until around the late 90's. Once I did, I picked up hundreds of cards, mostly Topps 50-80's at low prices. There are still bargains out there, although expensive at even 2000 prices. Cards I used to pick up for $20 are now $200, yet I can still fund bargains. Don't get discouraged, collect what you want. And I think it is ok to get started on a project and then quit and start another. You'll go back to those earlier projects at som point. It took me 20 years to finish up my raw 60's sets. I would reccomend this: pick up the stars in those projects first, as they will continue to appreciate. Have fun, try and stay focused and don't be afraid to ask questions. Join some of those fFacebook Clubs that focus on certain things that focus on certain eras or cards. They are fun and you will find trusted trading partners. I was a part of the Heritage group here years ago that had a huge following of cool guys that were solid and informed. I always learned here first about the variations and errors, the color swaps, and the rareities. Best of luck to you...
John
Previous CU user: jmmiller777
Baseball HOFer's-PSA6+
Heritage Sets
Kellogg's Graded-PSA 8+
60's Topps Sets-Raw
Anything that Catches My Attention
Sounds like you are collecting some very good players! Henderson, Ryan and Griffey are arguably the top collected players 1968-1998 so they will cost you in high grade.
The Randy Johnson you got sells for $5-10.00 in a PSA 9.
Sounds to me like you know what you are doing, but maybe you need to develop some patience?
Welcome to the boards and have fun collecting!
May I humbly suggest that if you want some graded cards, you go and pick you the graded cards you want? Please, you, and everyone, collect however you want. I'm not trying to tell you what to buy and what not to buy, but I hate to see someone buying something that can' possibly be worth what he paid for it. At least when you buy an unopened pack from the manufacturer, you know that everything valuable hasn't already been removed. This is similar to the "Christmas Racks".
Spend some time finding the lane or lanes you are comfortable with both financially and what peaks your interest most. Once you do that STAY FOCUSED and in stay in THAT LANE. Build real results that you can display and talk about. Because it's real easy for this hobby to swallow your ass up when your head is on a perpetual swivel.
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
Well, that is a good suggestion, and I am definitely eyeing some graded cards on Ebay; however, it would make me feel better as a collector if I could say to myself that I'd been able to submit my own to PSA, and received some decent grades from the submission. Buying them already graded is easy; I want to get my own graded cards, even if the turnaround time is lengthy.
You are absolutely, 100% correct about unopened packs. I had found recently some Nolan Ryan cards in unopened packs, which I was pleasantly surprised to find. Also, some of the Griffey Jr cards I have were from unopened packs, but two other Griffey Jr cards I have were actually given as a bonus with an Ebay purchase. Sometimes it DOES happen, albeit not too often, that a seller will give you some decent bonuses with your purchase.
Ok, so now I have a really confusing situation, and I feel really stupid and ignorant. I need someone who knows about the 1992 Topps Stadium Club Members Choice subset. I understand that there are 20 cards that make up that subset; 10 cards at the end of series 2, and the other 10 at the beginning of series 3. So, that would mean the cards would be numbered 591-600 for the first 10, and 601-610 for the last 10.......right? Then why is the Jose Canseco Members Choice card numbered 370? This makes no sense to me, but then again I am ignorant about a great many things that have to do with collecting. I had someone on Ebay ask me if I have ever bought baseball cards before. Do I really sound that ignorant??
You don't sound stupid, but I would say you might need to pick one or two areas to focus on and do some research. A LOT of research.
I looked up 1992 Topps Stadium Club Members Choice in the PSA Population report and it looks like a 25 card un numbered set. It looks like this is it? https://www.ebay.com/itm/2-1992-Topps-Stadium-Club-Members-Only-Baseball-Set-NIB/193593914182?hash=item2d1318b346:g:yyAAAOSwOr9fGKUI
Members ONLY not the same as Members CHOICE. Just another reason collecting modern is so confusing.
I stuck with my era for the most part and don't get too involved with modern and all the insanely idiotic stuff that goes on with so many different sets and variations, cards that are identical being numbered to make them more collectible.
My main focus was on Killebrew, so I became pretty knowledgeable about cards issued 1955-1975. At first, I thought there would be about 20 cards and the Killebrew project would be complete. There's over 200 items in the Killebrew master set, and after 25+ years, I still don't have them all.
Since I have been unable to upgrade very often because of a lack of higher graded cards on the market coupled with financial inability, I decided to venture into modern a little. WOW what a shat show! I have a buddy that knows about the modern stuff and it boggles the mind at some of the strange things he knows. One year of modern cards even has some kind of weird ink on the back and if you shine a black light on it, you can tell.
I bought a bunch of 1987 Topps unopened from a local guy; Wax (horrible) Vending (nearly as bad) and a Rack case (a little better) I figured with 5-8000 cards I would have a few Barry Bonds rookies that would grade a 10. I ended up with 12-20 of each player. How many Bonds cards do you think I got that were "perfect"?
NONE!
I did get a couple of amazing McGwires. No Palmiero's (he's not worth much anyway), I did hit it pretty good on Bo Jackson, maybe 4-6 that have a shot at a 10, Did OK on Larkin, maybe 2-3. A couple of Ryan's NO Pucketts. NO Clemens, one Mattingly, one Sandberg. I ended up looking for low pop commons in the hope I could make some money there. I am pretty sure I will make a profit. Sent in about 150 cards (mostly commons and a few star cards) and unless PSA really slaughters me, I should be fine. Of course my cards have been at PSA for several months and prices on a lot of the cards have dropped. :-(
Picked up the vending for $10.00 a box and I am not sure it was a good investment. If I wanted a Barry Bonds, I would have been money ahead buying one already graded. I wouldn't give you more than $5.00 for a wax box, I had four. Paid 10.00 each (didn't have to pay shipping) and stopped opening after box 3 because the cards were GARBAGE!
I was simply stunned at how few cards were perfectly centered with sharp corners, good color (seems to be three different shades of colors on these, maybe four!) and no print dots.
How did you put together your 87 set? Is it raw or graded? I assume raw. I did end up with 2 "mint" sets excluding the big stars. I seriously doubt that there are very many 10's in the 2 sets I made up. Prolly some 9's and tons of 8's.
How about the 1975 set? How did you collect that one?
I really like that set. It even has a couple of Killebrew cards!
Actually, I bought both the '87 and '75 sets off Ebay. And they are both raw at the moment. As you said with regard to centering, I am appalled at how many cards are off-center in that '87 set. The '75 set has not aged very well, and I doubt I could get much more than a 5 on any one card, and maybe even only 4 on most. The '80 set is much better, and there are quite a few star cards in that set, including Ryan whom I like to collect, and have 9 of his cards I am putting together in a submission.
My problem with focus is I just don't know what to focus on, or how to focus; I am all over the place, and it really sums up my way of thinking. Like today, for instance. I was trying to find and acquire the three cards that are missing out of the '75 set. Somehow, I managed to put two of the same card in my shopping cart without realizing it, and checked out before I did notice. Great, now I had to go back and find the card I meant to get, so I looked by number to find the card. Found it, added to cart and checked out. It wasn't until I looked at the order confirmation email that I realized THE CARD NUMBER WAS NOT THE ONE I INTENDED TO BUY (I have NO CLUE how a different numbered card then the one I intended to buy wound up in my cart)! So, back to Ebay to find the RIGHT ONE. So, I am going to wind up with 5 cards; three graded, and two ungraded with one of those being a duplicate. I wound up spending WAY TOO MUCH, and that is because I have this focus problem. Or I am too impulsive, too quick to make a decision without fully thinking things through.
On the Stadium Club, the card I was talking about was NOT 'Members Only', it was Members Choice, card number 370 as I said. As I said, it was a 20-card subset to the main Stadium Club set of 900 cards. There has got to be something I am missing, something I am not understanding, although I don't see how I could misunderstand last 10 of series 2, first 10 of series 3. That's about as straight forward as it gets.
Anyway, thanks for chatting with me through this post, Joe. It's good to know I can talk with someone without feeling like I am being judged, or frowned upon due to my ignorance.
No judging here Dave. Just offering some advice from having made my share of mistakes.
I think you need a FIRM plan on what you are going to do before you sit down at the computer. You may even want to write down what you want to accomplish or a limit you want to spend, and stick to it!
Before ebay, when I was really poor, I would go to card shows with as little as $20.00 knowing that there were only a few Killebrew cards I would be able to buy. I studied the price guides so I knew what cards to look for.
Sometimes I came home with nothing to add to my collection, but garnered some knowledge from dealers and other collectors.
Where do you get price guides from? Also, I've seen on PSA Auction Prices Realized, when checking average prices that cards have sold for, I see a column that says SMR (Sports Market Report) which shows what the value of the card is according to the SMR. This is apparently a yearly magazine I could subscribe to through PSA, and would provide some perks such as quarterly grading specials, and collectors club value pricing. Do you know anything about that, and would it be worth it for me to subscribe?
As far as card shows go, I'd said in another comment that I don't drive; no license or car, so it would be difficult at best to get to a show. I have a friend who might be willing to drive me if I could find a show nearby, and there were actually two shows this weekend an hour away, but it was too soon when I found out to get a ride over there.
Anyway, many aspects of this collecting arena I must learn, many shortcomings I must rise above. Maybe I'm making too much of it, over thinking it; call it a character flaw.
Don't waste your time with SMR or any other book prices. They are always outdated.
eBay completed auctions is your best source for a pricing guide.
Start out with a $100 budget. Here is a link for your Topps Tiffany:
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=1987+topps+tiffany+-(psa)&_sacat=0&_sop=10
Many times the seller will offer free shipping.
$100 will get you a nice mixed raw (ungraded) set of stars & commons from many sellers.
Remember, it's not a sprint to the finish line. As you collect, the finish line will get moved further back.
Don't forget to be critical of the card centering
Also, in terms of being impulsive... We've all been there, so don't think you're odd because of it. Most of us have purchased cards we already owned, or made similar mistakes. It's just part of the territory. But something to consider is that when you are collecting base issues, especially in mid-high grade )PSA 5-8 equivalent), there are literally hundreds, if not thousands of those cards out there. There is no need to rush to make those purchases because if you miss one, another will come up soon enough. That way you can also be comfortable in waiting for examples that best fit your desires in terms of corners, centering, print marks, etc.
I was afraid of mentioning price guides. That was a long time ago and now I know what all the Killebrew stuff is worth.
Anything else, I just look up under "sold listings" on ebay. Card prices have fluctuated quite a bit recently, and some have dropped quite a bit in the last 90 days!!!!
It's easy to become a little obsessed about the hobby. I had to stop bidding manually on items during the auctions, or I would be broke. Now I put in a snipe and don't bid at all. I wait until the end and if I get it great if not oh well.
Oh my God, I actually found someone who also uses snipe bids (Auction Sniper) lol. I have gotten some of the missing cards for my '75 set that way, as well as other stuff.
So many people are saying to use the "sold listings" on Ebay, but I want to ask what is the purpose of the SMR (EDIT: sorry, this question was meant for another comment, but feel free to answer); I mean, why do they even have it if it's not useful in some way? I mean, "sold listings" on Ebay just show me what people have sold their stuff for, but is that a true indicator of what the card is actually worth? I had assumed (perhaps incorrectly) that SMR would give an accurate value of a card, which is why I stayed using the Auction Prices Realized. I thought that was the way to go....I guess I was wrong. So much to learn....
Well, something is only worth what others are willing to pay for it. And to put it simply, e-Bay shows what others are paying for it!
That's why e-Bay is a good REAL TIME gauge on market conditions over published price.
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
As I said in another comment, "sold listings" tell me what a card sold for, but is that a true indicator of what the card is actually worth? Anyone can set a price for something, and if someone is desperate enough to buy it, they'll pay whatever is necessary, but does that mean the object, or whatever is, is truly worth what the person just paid? I had assumed, maybe wrongly, that the SMR was the best way to find out the actual value of a card. What's it there for, if it is not useful in some way? Then again, I tend to overthink things, call it a character flaw.
On the Tiffany sets, I was aiming HIGHER, like a full set. If I try to get individual cards, won't I pay much more in the end? And don't worry: I have become VERY critical of centering, and am really beginning to resent hearing myself say "well, that's not a 10, it off-center" lol. And then, when it IS centered on front, I find the back is not centered; OR, when both sides are centered, I find a chipped corner, or rough edges, or white crap along the edge. It's seriously frustrating to try and find a gem. I can just imagine what the folks at PSA, or Beckett must have to go through during the grading process.