A $5500 Jeter that got lost in the shuffle, and passed through my store

KallMaloneSay

This was an unexpected Friday happening in my dinky little store. I got a call for someone trying to sell what was at first described as a 93 Upper Deck Jeter, to which I replied I usually pay $3 or $4 each for raw ones (sell 'em at half book). Then he came back with the fact that it was a Gold Hologram Jeter.

"Oh!" I thought, certainly not my dream card, but I thought it would be cool to own one since you never see it around and collectors were once drooling over this card at $300-$400 a few years back. It's down to $80 now, so I told the guy on the phone I'd be willing to pay in the $30 to $40 range for it depending on condition.

He then came back with the line "It's in perfect condition!" Which I hear about every ingle card on the phone, whether it's an 89 Upper Deck Griffey or a 53 Bowman Color Mantle, which usually have anywhere from 1 to 20 flaws associated.

I then told him I'd have to see it first, and that I wouldn't pay a huge premium for a raw card stated as "perfect condition." He then came back with the reply that it was a "Beckett 9.5"

Hmmm, I thought. I told him to bring it in and maybe we could work something out. I remember the only BGS 9.5 I'd ever seen of this card fetch a ridiculous amount back in the BGS 9.5 craze of 1999-2000, but I figured there had to be quite a few of them around now, and obviously the card is no where as popular.

I still didn't beleive that a BGS 9.5 of the card would actually find it's way into my store, but within 20 minutes it arrived on the counter. The holder looked like it had been through hell, with tons of scratches and chips of plastic of the edges. He even came with some kind of wire transfer document showing that the card had been purchased for $5500, which I faintly browsed while he told some story about a guy owing his brother money and the card ending up in his possession. I tried to explain how the graded card industry isn't even a fraction of what it was at that time, as well as the card being about a fourth of what it was at the time and I laid down my offer for it (I'll keep it anonymous at this time). He hustled and bustled around for a little while, and I thought he was going to take it, but he passed, still claiming it to be a $5500 card. I was just curious to see how many BGS 9.5's there are now, and sure enough this is still the only BGS 9.5 in existance, which I found quite shocking.

There are a few shady aspects of it all, I can't figure out why this once $5500 card was in a beat up holder and in the hands of someone who has absolutely no interest or clue about the card market. I figure it might be stolen, and if I were to buy it I would've made a call to BGS just to see if they've heard of it reported stolen, but the story that I heard seemed possible if nothing else. Anyways, I still might see the guy with the card in the next few days, so maybe I will end up with it. If anyone is interested in the card if I do get it, email me an offer at bbcardheaven@hotmail.com, so maybe I'll up my offer to him if he brings it back and wants more for it if I feel I have a sale in the wings.

Anyone have any knowledge on this card that I don't?

murcerfan

I'll give you $30 for it.

WinPitcher

<in my dinky little store. >



stores like yours are the backbone of this hobby, regardless of ebay and other internet sources.

with that said I'll pass on the Jeter, but I hope you wind up with it

Lothar52

im waiting for a nice 8 regular 93 SP to pop up sometime......life is too short to spend THAT kind of money on a card (thats not mantle). Good luck

loth

DeutscherGeist

In a BGS holder.....after what we have been discussing on this board regarding BGS, the 1/32 rule, trimmed cards, etc. I find it so bizarre that you would think about buying this card.

The story itself is bizarre, like something out of the Twighlight Zone movie. I have always known the 1993 SP to be the Jeter card to get, never knew there was something else rivaling it. A messed up holder? This is strange....wonder where its been. I don't even want to know.

Cool Story though!!!!

Boopotts

DG-

What's wrong with Jason buying a BGS holder? He's running a business, not a church. If the guy can buy it and flip it for a profit, I say more power to him. Yes, BGS is rapidly earning a reputation amongst informed collectors as a chop shop, but buying a card in a BGS holder and selling it isn't at all the same as trimming a card and trying to get it slabbed.

Boopotts

I'm setting the over/under on the price Jason offered this guy at $750, under -120

KallMaloneSay

Despite my issues with their grading these days, I still use BGS from time to time. Some cards grade higher with them if there is one tiny flaw that might keep a card from getting a PSA 10, but still good enough to get a BGS 9.5. The BGS 9.5 Pujols Bowman's Best I had graded a few months ago was a perfect example, as it had a touch of white on a corner or two on back and still got a 9 on corners subgrade, and was given a BGS 9.5. Seeing that many of the top modern trimmers are beginning to come back to PSA now, I'm just worried about what the graded card market will be like in two or three years. I'll still choose to use BGS if I feel it will make me money, as long as I keep my integrity and don't succumb to trimming cards myself then I feel I have done nothing wrong.
Jason

Futureman

KallMalone, Being in Vegas do you think you have more people coming in with cards looking for whatever they can get to try to recoup loses at the casinos? Is the possibility of stolen cards something every owner has to deal with?

A friend of mine "owned" a card shop in high school (it was in his uncle's name, but he ran the place), and I would spend Saturday mornings at his shop. I know about the people that would come in with beat up cards from who knows where and ask how much they could get. I don't remember stolen cards ever being an issue (I don't know if it's different in Vegas though). I remember one guy that came in with one of those long cardboard boxes full of late-80's, to early-90's junk looking for any kind of money. The guy was saying how he "had to have something" for them because his electricity was going to shut off. My friend wasn't going to go for it, but the guy ended up guilting my friend's grandpa into giving him $20 for the box. It shows what a good guy my friend's grandpa is for helping the guy out, but that is one of the things I would hate about owning a shop: people coming in thinking they've got a box of gold that's going to get them a small fortune when it's nothing but junk.

KallMaloneSay

Vegas definately has more people trying to sell off cards due not only to gambling problems, but drug and alcohol problems are probably more common here than any other place in the US. Obviously this benefits me, as here and there I get decent scores from people with these issues. That was part of my selling point when asking my mom for some start up money (that and the LeBronmania being the perfect time to open up a shop, my lifelong dream). Hope that doesn't make me sound like a jerk, in essence they're helping me out and I'm helping them out. I would never try to take advantage of anyone with a ton of high dollar vintage and totally lowball them (although I know of two other card store owners in this town who do exactly that).

As for stolen cards, I only worry about it with big scores of high dollar cards. A few years ago during the Vince Carter craze one of my colleagues across town bought $7000 worth of high dollar stuff that he knew he could flip on ebay for $20,000+. He took all the proper precautions by photocopying the sellers driver's license and info. He posted the stuff on ebay that night and the next morning at opening time the police were at shop's door explaining that they were stolen a few days before as the seller severly beat the owner of the cards and ran off with $50,000 or so in cards. As a "reward" the card store owner got $700 back, so he lost $6300 like nothing. Thank God I heard this story before ever jumping into anything right away, now I'm always a little more cautious in big buys that arrive on the counter.
Jason