Estate Sale Credenza Purchase $130 - here are my hits (Been waiting months to tell this story)
mikmouse24
Posts: 17 ✭
May of this year my wife begged me for 3 days to purchase this Heywood Wakefield Credenza / China Hutch to replace one we already had. She called all her friends and family and told them to buy it, but no one wanted to make the drive and load it up and pay $260 for it (it's worth way more than that). So finally on day 3, everything is 1/2 price and it's like the last piece of furniture left. I concede, and we purchase it. It's huge- 2 pieces- Top and bottom and barely fits in our SUV.
Days later, finally upon unloading it, I accidentally tilt it forward on the dolly as I am setting it down, and a drawer that is only about 4" tall but runs the length of the credenza, falls halfway out...... a drawer that no one knew existed for decades....until now.
I now call it the treasure drawer (before you get all judgmental on me- the house has sold, the person that lived there is long gone, and I have no idea who the estate sale company is that went through all the stuff- I consider this a casualty of war on their end).
Gold rings, collectibles, a Game Used HOF Lance Alworth SIGNED jersey (still working on authentication from Heritage Auctions THANKS JASON!)
And these bad boys- 4 sets of the 1985 Interlake Bulls Michael Jordan and Orlando Woolridge card set. It appears they had been in the toploaders since day 1 as their condition was amazing and only slightly discolored (to the sharp eye) on the top.
I finally had my PSA grade pop on the one that I sent in on 6/29- I wanted to do this for authenticity sake before I sent the rest in. (I am kicking myself for selling one set so far- that person got a steal for the ungraded ones).
I was praying for a 4....
It came back 8.5
Heritage Auctions has one and they have sent to PSA for grading and will go to auction next month. I still have 1 set ungraded plus the 3 Orlandos which I probably won't get graded.
Every now and then the good lord lets you have an unexpected find like this. I will probably end up just keeping one set. Not sure what I am going to do with the 8.5 yet- I may wait until I get the other one graded and see what that comes back and then sell one.
Anyways- Thanks for reading my story- pics included.
Comments
Congrats on a most excellent find. I recently had the good fortune to have a massive baseball card collection fall on my lap.
Congrats on the find - wow! I don't know a whole lt about the Bulls cards, but Lance Alworth is a friend of mine and I have a pretty extensive collection of his stuff. At least from the one picture you posted, that does not look like a game used jersey to me. Could you please post other pics? Any tags on the jersey?
Lance's Chargers jersey was Mitchell & Ness's #1 seller for a time, and Lance has signed many of them over the years. I can't say for certain without further images, but that appears to be what you have, at least to me.
NICE!!! As a collector, these things are so fun! What was your best pulls from that?
WOAH!!!! For REAL!?? Yes I will post more pics here- It looks worn and I actually even have the letters from the guy he bought it from-
But it sounds like you would know more than me! IF you have any more insight, it would be greatly appreciated.
I will show you here:
Well, now you've got my interest piqued. I am not a jersey expert, but this obviously isn't the Mitchell & Ness jersey I mentioned in my first post. I can't really read the letters or see dates on the check/envelope, but you certainly have something that deserves a lot more study. Congrats!! And as a HUGE Alworth fan and collector, I'm jealous!!
One thing that I find to be in your favor is the signature. Lance signs almost everything with the HOF '78, #19, etc., and has for a very long time. He also typically signs the Mitchell & Ness jerseys in a manner different to your jersey. The lack of HOF designation in the signature makes me think this was signed before his 1978 induction, which would also give this jersey a better chance of being the real deal.
The purchase was from 1989 - that is what the letter is postmarked if you look closely-
The Jersey has some worn spots and even a hole on the shoulder where it appears to have been repaired.
Here is one that sold at auction in 2019 that appears to have the same brand of jersey- and looks similar:
https://sports.ha.com/itm/football/1968-69-lance-alworth-game-worn-san-diego-chargers-jersey-mears-a10/a/50013-56768.s?ic4=GalleryView-Thumbnail-071515
Yep. Yours is a different year/style - note the yellow border on the numbers on your jersey and lack of yellow borders on the one in the link.
Again, I am no jersey expert, but yours is starting to look like a real gem - congrats on such an incredible find!!!
I really appreciate it! So random and cool that you know him and collect his stuff! I will let you know what we find out from the Auction house as far as authentication.
Yes, I'd love to hear the results!
I've known Lance for about 25 years now and he's become a good friend. Very quiet and prefers to stay out of the spotlight, but he is a really great guy. I've got all kinds of his stuff, including some things he has given me, but not a game jersey!
HAHA! Maybe HE can authenticate it!
It's funny... He is amazed at the card/memorabilia market. He doesn't have any football stuff showing in his house. He's amazed that people go so crazy for it.
@AFLfan
Also, here is the correspondence of the buyer and the guy that sold it to him and how he got it.
Great, great stuff! More and more it looks like the real thing.
Congrats. You did well you old geezer. You will make about a few hundred thousand dollars when all said & done. Oh hell yeah !!!
HAHA...well... I am pretty sure that's not anywhere close to what I will come out with,but I will at least make a dent in my kid's school, Braces, and pay off some stupid tax... and Maybe buy a few Pujols rookies I have always wanted, ha!
I missed the part about the vacation/etc your wife has coming for nagging you to buy that credenza...
Cheers, that she listened to her intuition.
We need a lot more of that to happen to wakeup the world.
Time to upgrade the SUV. And since you owe the wife, perhaps a pair, his & hers.
PS: Secret drawers FTW!
HAHAH! Time will tell, and we all know, the wifey gets the nice car first
"The team's mascot is "Lou Seal", a large gray seal. The name, a play on "Lucille", honors the San Francisco Seals, the legendary Pacific Coast League (PCL) team which played at several venues in San Francisco until 1957, as well as Lou Brinson, a longtime Giants equipment manager who was killed in a Spring Training traffic accident in the 1970s. The Seals' last venue was Seals Stadium where the Giants played their first two seasons. Lou Seal appears at all home games."
What a story! LOVE IT!
Beautiful stuff, too - impressing @AFLfan aith anything Allworth ain’t easy!!!! 😂🤣😂
Congrats!
Curious about the rare, mysterious and beautiful 1951 Wheaties Premium Photos?
https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/987963/1951-wheaties-premium-photos-set-registry#latest
mindblown.
Woah- the history unfolds!
HAH! Yeah that guy knows his stuff and just reading his breakdown of the jersey was a learning experience in itself!
Haha. I'm glad I could help out @mikmouse24. I wrote a book on the AFL Chargers in 2004, have interviewed players, coaches, front office people (even owner Barron Hilton), did a bunch of history-based work for the Chargers when they were in San Diego, and have been friends with Lance Alworth for about 25 years. You just happened to hit my sweet spot. If you would have found a jersey of just about any other player, team or sport, I'd have likely been 100% worthless.
Congrats on the find. I have a Jordan, but I've never seen the Woolridge card. I have heard that there are fake Jordans out there so I am not sure about mine. The big question I have about mine is the card stock. How thick are these cards compared to a regular card or any other large card. Thanks for any help with this.
Sorry for my delayed response! From what I hear- the fake ones are slightly smaller than 5"x7".
The real ones measure EXACTLY 5x7.
The card stock on the REAL ones is like a post card- not quite as thick as a normal baseball/sports card.
Also- Apparently the fakes are a little more glossy- mine has a 'sheen' to it, but NOT glossy at all.
Send a pick of it!
I think the serendipity of it all is pretty amazing that you saw my post! I will keep you posted on what I hear back- MEARS is apparently investigating it and it's authenticity and has had it for a bit from what I understand, but that process is multi faceted I am sure and takes a while.
It really is a pretty wild circumstance. I am hoping that jersey is legit. It would be the perfect ending to one of the coolest hidden treasure stories I've ever heard!
Well, the latest so far is that the one company/people that Heritage uses couldn't authenticate the Jersey- No details were given so it is now at another authenticator to see if they have any better insight- I feel like @AFLfan has given me the best investigation so far!
They have one of the Jordan Interlake rookies- they sent it to PSA so that may take a bit before I hear about the grade of that one. I Got one of them back from PSA a few weeks back and I was praying for a 4 or better.
It came back PSA 8.5!!! When they called me to upcharge me I took that as a good indicator ha!
I am kicking myself for selling the first one RAW at the beginning.
I have now sent the last one to PSA and still waiting on that- I should have grade pop in a day or 2.
That's the story so far... But my real anxiety is waiting on this Jersey- To me, he obviously signed it-- and it appears that the jersey has been worn, so I am not sure of the hold up.
Thanks all for reading!
Wow! That's pretty interesting stuff. I wish I knew hard facts about uniforms and could help you further, but I don't. Lance views his old uniforms simply as work shirts, no different than someone might wear doing any job, so he wouldn't be much help either. I'll just continue to hope this works out in your favor. Regardless, it's still an incredibly cool story!
@AFLfan
And others following this thread:
Good news and mediocre news. The 8.5 PSA jordan sold for a good chunk, I still have one that Heritage has sent to BGS and the other 2 I sold outside of Heritage since they were still in hand.
The Jersey: The authenticator they sent to was on the fence about the legitimacy of GAME USED-
Auto seems legit. They have sent the Jersey back to me and I will try to sell or trade outright since I don't collect this stuff.
Reach out to me if you or anyone you know would be interested in the Jersey as I have already taken pics and boxed it up ready to ship.
Thanks all for reading!
PM sent