REA Tonight (8/11)...Buys, Sales, Observations
I would consider the auction a mixed bag. Unopened of vintage packs did well (except 1964 2nd Series Cello Pack, see below ), but individual post war cards had its ups and downs. If someone would contribute prewar sales...go ahead since that is not my wheelhouse. Here goes with a few highlights getting my attention:
1953 Topps cello pack PSA-5 $36,000
1954 Topps cello pack PSA-6 $24,000
1958 Topps cello pack psa-7 $14,175
(Mantle Series)
1960 Topps cello pack psa-9 $9,600
(loaded w/HOFs Mantle, Aaron, Clemente, Koufax, McCovey RC Series)
1970 Topps cello pack psa-9 $8,700
(Munson - Top)
I would say these packs did well.
1964 Topps cello pack psa-8 $6,000
(Rose/Mays Series)
Note: a similar 2nd series (Rose/Mays Series) 1964 cello psa-8 sold in BBCE Auction earlier this Summer for $11,800+
Whereas unopened generally did well...there was general weakness among individual cards w/some exceptions.
1968 Nolan Ryan psa-9 $72,000 (soft)
1980 Rickey Henderson psa-10 $111,000 (soft)
1957 Don Drysdale psa-9 $38,400 (soft)
1960 Carl Yastrzemski psa-9 $26,400 (steady w/recent sales)
1970 Nolan Ryan psa-9. $6900 (steady w/recent sales)
1971 Ernie Banks psa-9 $26,400 (soft)
1955 Yogi Berra psa-9 $15,000 (soft but limited sales since POP=12)
Note: I purchased ($2450) the '55 Berra as a PSA-8.5...and had it bumped to a PSA-9. So...I am very happy w/result. The last sold for $19,800 in 2022...but w/POP=12, not many data points. It still sold way above pre-COVID sales of around $5,000
Here is my one purchase...an alternative 1954 Hank Aaron Johnston Cookies Rookie
Share your winnings or observation or sales???
Comments
Won a ‘58 Hires Root Beer Set with Tabs. 66 cards in the set with all HOF graded. I love this design as it would have been ‘56 Bowman had Topps not bought them out. Already had Doby and had been trying to get the other HOFers. The Aaron and Mays are just great shots of them. The cards with tabs are not the easiest to find - REA had a literal horde of them in this auction.
I was interested in the 1973 and 1974 high grade sets lot #1818, had most key cards graded as SGC 7. I got blown out of the water as the sets ended up going for $4920!
I did pick up the two 1993 Topps Series 1 Rack cases that are bbce wrapped.
eBay Store
Greg Maddux #1 Master SetGreg Maddux #2 Basic Set
The '33 Goudey Lajoie PSA 4.5 at $162k, wow!
Pre-war seemed to be very strong. Post-war was a mixed bag, imo.
I loved the full set of 1978 Topps baseball uncut sheets. Didn't bid though as I have three nice examples of the six already. Patience.
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
Brad…
Congrats on the ‘58 Hires Root Beer Set w/tabs! Very cool looking set…
The 1955 cello was cool too. $24k
I was tracking those too. Seemed like early 70s in high condition were very appealing.
I ended up snatching a 79 cello box. Rip or not?
BBBkrr…
Don’t rip. Was 70s material steady with recent sales or soft too?
It was interesting about the ‘55 cello in that when the auction opened the starting bid was $10k…but received no interest. So…REA lowered the starting bid to $7.5k…then it ended up doing very well.
It seemed to do very well. I was tracking just about every set and unopened lot and they were all higher than what I'd seen/paid a couple years ago. Not outrageously higher, but higher.
Seems like if you have a high grade set from the early-mid 70s then they're desirable.
75 cello box, over 20K! wow!
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
Speaking of, I just picked up an unbelievably fantastic 1977 baseball set for $130. It's the best set of almost any year I have ever purchased. You can smell the bubble gum when you open the box up. All cards have sharp corners, minty feels. Incredibly lucky buy. Bought sight unseen.
I recently bought a 76 like that. Not a better smell in the world.
The 77 set is sort of the underdog of the 70s. The photos aren't great or even weird like 73 and the design is sort of lazy. I like it a lot though. I'm in process of putting one together right now myself.
My ‘77 set is my weakest of the sets I own. Been slowly buying up the HOFers on nice grades. I think the paper stock is the worst of the 70s making it a really tough set as edges and corners ding easily.
Picked up a rare cobb and the ugly ugly 1963 fleer wax pack which I love. The extra cookie crumbs actually don’t bother me.
handyman...
I do not recall ever seeing a 1963 Fleer Baseball Wax Pack...Congrats!
Speaking of the 77 set. Does anyone know what the current market value is for the Guidry in PSA 9? I have not seen one fore sale in a long time and have been trying to purchase it since I got back into the hobby.
Those are hard to find for sure.
I wish I had one!
Me too re: Guidry. Pop is low. I'd not be surprised if it a 9 would fetch 750-1000
The OPCs seemed to sell well too. I was tracking 77 and 79 wax boxes and the 79's went for about what the Topps cello went for.
There was also a lot of 77/78 sets that went for almost $1,000 and none graded. That was a good price for the seller.
Those ‘63 Fleer Packs are tough. Searched for one about 10 years ago as a gift for my brother after he completed his set. I would love to see one opened to see what the cookie looks like! Wonder if you can just dust off the cards or if they are all badly stained. Great pick-up.
Agree on post-war being a mixed bag. Imo, SGC cards didn't fare as well as PSA. The Henderson PSA 10 was predictable and well under (30K) recent sale of the card. Jeter, SGC 10, 60K with the juice--- looked way over-graded ( if mine it would have been an 8). 68 Clemente, PSA 9 looked like the 68 Mays that crossed from PSA 9OC to SGC 6. 62 Managers Dream PSA 8, really? I did notice that a 64 Aaron PSA 8.5 beat out a 71 PSA 8.5, I would have thought the opposite. I liked the 52 Bowman Mays PSA 8, but way beyond my price point. Don't know what the sellers' fees are with REA, but with the buyer premiums being paid they did very well.
It really did come with a cookie? OMG I didn't know.
Successful card BST transactions with cbcnow, brogurt, gstarling, Bravesfan 007, and rajah 424.
I just can’t fathom paying $100K+ for a PSA 10 Henderson rookie, especially one that is anything less than perfect in every way.
The 1964 AAron is very difficult to find centered for some reason. I have a nice 7.5 but it's off centered.
I was a cosignor on the 1971 Aaron PSA-8.5 as well as the 1971 Clemente PSA-8 which is a very high end PSA-8 …and was disappointed in the results on those two (2) cards. Actually…those two (2) cards were sold at a loss…a tax write off.
That Sucks.
Maybe more than that. A true unicorn in this hobby, plagued by production flaws. It must be making collectors of high grade Yankees go nuts.
Enjoy the go.
Do you think the market is softening, any ideas? I ask because I had planned on selling some cards at their Fall Classic. Thanks, BC
Successful card BST transactions with cbcnow, brogurt, gstarling, Bravesfan 007, and rajah 424.
Obviously….there were soft sales on vintage cards, but it is only one auction coming in the wake of the National where collectors/investors spent a lot of money. So…that could have been a factor. Heritage Auction ends late this month…and it will be interesting to see if that trend continues. Also…Memory Lane begins the middle of August and ends in early September. So…that’s two auctions to provide additional data points.
It’s always soft in the summer. Just from my past years of observation.
There was some serious liquidation of equities the past few weeks, that should hit alternative investments as well. Money supply is tightening up.
Prices flat or falling on the vintage hockey I follow.
This, the market dipping last week and the National just finishing up are probably big reasons for some soft pricing. Folks just holding a bit more on hand.
I expect the next few months to be volatile for auctions which might also mean some good prices on things (hopefully).
Buy Low and Sell High, LOL!!
What about Buy and NEVER sell?
That is my strategy!!
You guys are making a bubble.
Timber!!!
i sell some. i buy more.
I sell some only to get money to buy more.
I went 0 for 22 on my bids which were all either topps sets, near sets, or "shoebox collections". Was runner up on about half and all went for more than I thought the break value might have been, once you add in tax and the juice. Nothing outlandish, except maybe $1,740 (all-in) for this 1977 topps set:
The rookie cards of Andre Dawson, Bruce Sutter, and Dale Murphy highlight the 1977 Topps issue, one of the most popular sets of the 1970s. Condition is 60% Nr/Mt to Nr/Mt-Mt (including a few Mint), 29% Ex to Ex-Mt (including some due solely to centering), and 11% Vg to Vg-Ex (mostly due to light factory wrinkles). Keys: #70 Bench (Nr/Mt+), 140 Schmidt (Nr/Mt), 144 Sutter RC (Vg-Ex), 265 Fidrych RC (Nr/Mt-Mt), 450 Rose (Nr/Mt-Mt), 473 Dawson RC (Nr/Mt), 476 Murphy RC (Nr/Mt), 580 Brett (Nr/Mt+ due to centering), and 650 Ryan (Nr/Mt). This is a very attractive high-grade set loaded with Hall of Famers and stars from the 1970s. Total: 660 cards. Opening Bid $100.
Bosox1976
The cookies were really pretty good ! If my memory taste buds serve me ........
they were a cherry flavored oatmeal cookie !
1963 Fleer
Lou Brock Master Set
I won a 1982 donruss golf box. Not a huge win but I've wanted one for a decade.