I have a question for the experts of the board regarding specific cards..

mcdee2

there is a local sports card auction monthly near where I am from... they are usually very accurate with grading cards in the pre-view flyer that they send out.. they recently had a "find" of very rare tobacco cards both sports related and non-sports related... they are advertising that they have a t-206 ty cobb (bat off the shoulder) in NRMT condition... and a E-91C Honus Wagner in EX+ condition... for one what kind of buying price would you deem profitable in that I would hope to purchase them... psa grade them and then turn around and sell outright or through an auction mediam.... I am not wealthy by any stretch and any assitance would be appreciated as the auction is this Sat. afternoon.. thanks in advance.

LEON

I would recommend going on EBAY and checking out the prices for non graded cards. Did you ever stop and think that there may be a reason that these are ungraded? What happens to the value if these come back trimmed? Maybe, there is a reason that you are not wealthy by any stretch?

mcdee2

thank you.. I did in fact check for prices for high grade raw cards of the pair.. and did not find much to help out.. hence asking for help. thanks for the input though

aro13

Do they send away cards to be professionally graded? If yes, I would wonder why these cards were ungraded. If no, than examine the cards the best you can and check what there return policy is. I would use the SMR and downgrade each card by 1. So if they say the Cobb is NM than estimate that if gradeable it would come back a PSA 6 and you could sell it for close to the SMR.

aro13

I did not realize you wanted an "experts" opinion, so my hopefully somewhat knowledgeable opinion will have to stand.

mcdee2

thanks aro... I have bought many things from them and they havent dealt in any graded cards at all in the 6 mos. or so I have been dealing with them.. I have found them to be honest and very reputable. I know for a fact they returned money to a friend of mine who bought vintage cards and found them to be trimmed/altered. They claim that this is one of those "once in a lifetime type of attic finds" and I tend to believe them based on their past track record. Many many t-206's in low to mid grade, a complete set of E95 cards with most stars in low grade but overall EX condition, and a real nice E79 boxing partial set w/2 cards of the set plus 11 extras are the highlights. Again thanks for the input aro.

waitilltheytrytosell

Little country auctions, garage sales, flea markets, and sales such as this are notorious for being the entry point of many bogus cards. Buyers think that because they are buying them cheap, or they are coming from somebody who they think doesn't know too much, that the cards are going to be real. What difference does it make to a seller of a bogus card if he sells it for $100 or $1000. It sounds however like your cards are in a higher quality type of auction. If these people aren't going anyplace, and you have the ability to return the stuff, then it should make you feel a whole lot more secure. Like you said with your friend, he had a problem and they corrected it. That certainly helps. In the meantime, you can help avoid a problem situation altogether by familiarizing yourself with the issues in question. Find some known good examples and look at them closely. Look at the paper, ink, cut, size, gloss, and how the card wears. The ones in the auction should look the same.

crazysc

Ah, Mr. B's auction! If that #$@hole wouldn't have sceduled it for the FIRST DAY OF ROSH HASHANNA, he might get a little better turnout. Have heard some people talk about the auction - he gets some decent stuff every now and then...