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1983 Topps vending box break- Final results.....

CDsNutsCDsNuts Posts: 10,092 ✭
in Trading Cards & Memorabilia Forum
A while back I bought 10 boxes of 1983 Topps vending from BBCexchange through ebay for $490 shipped (They're $70 on his website). The boxes yielded 3 Gwynns (1 for me, a PSA 9 and a PSA 8), 3 Boggs (1 for me, two PSA 8s), and 6 Sandbergs (1 for me, 5 PSA 8s). Most of the stars I sent off graded 9 with no tens. I just sold off the PSA graded cards, and this is how I ended up overall:

Boxes: -490
Grading: -130
Sales: +250

Overall I spent $370 for PSA 9 worthy Gwynn, Boggs, Sandberg, and Ripken........... Ouch. I should have averaged 6 of each card and I only got 3 Gwynns and 3 Boggs which hurt me. Also, all of the stars I thought had a shot at a 10 came back 9s which hurt. All in all I spent $370 for about $125 worth of cards. Not my finest hour. Ah well, live and learn.

Lee

Comments

  • brianwintersfanbrianwintersfan Posts: 3,626 ✭✭
    Well I said this in the past and I will say it again.You most likely will never make money doing what you are doing.If you enjoy it and money is no option then go for it.
  • jrdolanjrdolan Posts: 2,549 ✭✭
    I take it you're building a raw set. How far did this costly endeavor push your set toward completion? Obviously you would been better off just buying Boggs, Gwynn, Ryno and the top stars already graded 9 (then cracking them out if you don't like graded). But you didn't say how many mint commons and minor stars you got from those 10 boxes.

    I don't like that you only got 3 each of Boggs & Gwynn out of 10 vending boxes. But BBCE has a rep as a trusted source for unopened material, so I guess you were just unlucky.
  • tennesseebankertennesseebanker Posts: 5,433 ✭✭✭
    cd's, I, like you, open a lot of unopened material. I usually do not try to make a business out of it but do like to sell some of my dupes. I usually dont buy the year of unopened unless I am trying to build sets for the registy for that year. You probably need to go back through your commons and pick out your best ones to have graded send them in on the five dollar special. Usually 83 commons wont go for much graded or not unless they are tens. So you may want to start a set in the registry 83 is my next set to start probably. I look at it this way I was gonna spend it on cards anyway so why not have a little fun bustin packs.
    image

  • CDsNutsCDsNuts Posts: 10,092 ✭
    Actually, all I'm really trying to do is get some of my favorite cards (1 copy each) and selling the rest. Hopefully the numbers will even out over the long run, but even if they don't, I'm happy with the cards I've got even if I had to spend a little more on them. Plus, who can put a price on the thrill of opening vintage material.

    I don't go after complete sets and I don't grade the cards in my collection because it seems pointless if I have no intention of selling them. My feeling about this particluar purchase is that I got a pretty crappy bust, and if it had been closer to the average, I would have been close to paying what I should have for the four cards I kept. But I'm a gambler at heart (aren't we all) and buying them graded just doesn't do it for me, unless unopened product is unavailable or ridiculously priced. I certainly don't blame BBCExchange- these boxes were definitely unsearched, and pretty clean overall. And I got a good price on them. Just a crappy break, that's all. If I got 3 Gwynn's and Boggs', that means I got 9 or 10 of somebody else. It could have easily been the other way around and I would've made out on the deal. I do think I'm going to avoid vending for the most part from now on though.

    Lee
  • tennesseebankertennesseebanker Posts: 5,433 ✭✭✭
    whats
    wrong with vending??
    image

  • CDsNutsCDsNuts Posts: 10,092 ✭
    I've come to the conclusion that the only way I'm going to be able to accomplish what I'm trying to do is by giving myself the best chance to pull PSA 10s. From my experience, untouched racks are the best, followed by wax, then vending and cello. I hadn't opened a ton of vending until recently (including an unopened case of 85 Topps), and it seems that the thin blue cardboard boxes don't offer enough protection for the cards to come out perfect. I could be wrong.

    Lee
  • brianwintersfanbrianwintersfan Posts: 3,626 ✭✭


    << <i>Plus, who can put a price on the thrill of opening vintage material >>



    May want to watch using the word vintage to describe opening 83 Topps baseball vending boxes! image
  • softparadesoftparade Posts: 9,276 ✭✭✭✭✭
    PSA as a company, 50's and 60's collectors for some reason have decided where vintage ends and "modern" begins. A total crock of &*%#. They tell us that opening 20-30 year old packs are not vintage because of there own snooooty thoughts on card populations. These cards will be 400 years old one day and not vintage to the upper class of collectors.

    CDSNuts, those packs are freaking vintage man image

    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

  • boggs301012boggs301012 Posts: 1,135 ✭✭
    Sorry to here they were not very good for you. I am sitting on three boxes. I decided not to open it. Especialy after breaks like that. I figured I will break it when I have the money to submitt a 100 cards to start my set. If I change my mind and dont start a set I still have the unopened value.
    x
  • BuccaneerBuccaneer Posts: 1,794 ✭✭
    softy, I would think the fact of high supply would have something to do with it. image If you or cdnuts rip a 1965T wax box, please share with us here. Like I said, I love 83T but knowing you can pay the same for a 22 yr old wax box as you would a 2005 Heritage box, is not about being snooooty, it's about supply and demand which directly affects prices - which seems to be a goal (i.e., to get high enough grades to make it pay for itself).
  • softparadesoftparade Posts: 9,276 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Buc, I here ya, But come on. Cards that were around when Marcia Brady was HOT are def. vintage image

    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

  • CDsNutsCDsNuts Posts: 10,092 ✭
    Wow, I didn't mean to spark a debate. I'm 28 years old, and I was 7 when 83 Topps was out. I still remember my grandfather taking me to the candy warehouse and buying my brother and I a box each for like $10 total. All of the players in the set have retired, my grandfather has passed, and there are three Rookie cards of Hall of Famers in the set. To me, this is vintage. Even if it's not, who gives a crap. If opening a box of Heritage gives you more of a thrill than an 83 Topps box I'm not going to knock you for it. Besides, my 65 Topps box is in the mail right now. I hope I get a nice Carlton RC. OK, that was a lie.

    Lee
  • brianwintersfanbrianwintersfan Posts: 3,626 ✭✭


    << <i>And no, 86 and 88 in baseball are not good years. >>



    LOL!!!
    A lot of good trees died to make that garbage! image
  • BuccaneerBuccaneer Posts: 1,794 ✭✭
    cdnut, there are some that feel the exact same way and had the same experience with 1986 (or 1988, etc.).

    Personally, I believe the years 1973-1989 fall in between vintage and modern because the cards of the 1980s (which were just an extension of those that came in the 1970s) are nothing like what came out since the 1990s.
  • tennesseebankertennesseebanker Posts: 5,433 ✭✭✭
    CD'S DID YOUR VENDING BOXES COME FROM BBC eXCHANGE WITH PLASTIC WRAPPED AROUND THE BOX? tHE REASON i ASK IS THAT THERE IS A DEALER ON E-BAY SAYING HE BOUGHT SOME 83 VENDING FROM bbc eXCHANGE. hE OPENED THREE AND IS SELLING THREE. HE HAS A BUY IT NOW OF 45.00 BUCKS, BUT i DONT SEE ANY PLASTIC WRAP ON HIS BOXES. THATS A PRETTY GOOD PRICE FOR AN 83 VENDING BOX, ALMOST GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME TO TAKE A CHANCE. 83 VENDING ON E-BAY
    image

  • brianwintersfanbrianwintersfan Posts: 3,626 ✭✭
    Might be better to ask BBCexchange if they do that with all their old wax.The seller said they came from a sealed case so I doubt they would wrap those.The seller is from Milwaukee.Maybe I can pay him a visit. image
  • softparadesoftparade Posts: 9,276 ✭✭✭✭✭
    guys, Steve wrapped my 78 wax box in plastic ....... and a 85 Cello box

    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

  • CDsNutsCDsNuts Posts: 10,092 ✭
    Here's where he bought them. I bought the same 10 box lot and they were wrapped in plastic. I can't imagine why he would remove the plastic if he intended to sell them and use BBCexchange as his reference. Although, I have bought from and sold to this person with no problems.

    Lee
  • tennesseebankertennesseebanker Posts: 5,433 ✭✭✭
    i dont doubt that this guy bought his boxes from steve, it's what he did with them afterwards that concerns me. this is the second week I have seen this guy selling these boxes for this price. does anyone have any dealings with him?
    image

  • brianwintersfanbrianwintersfan Posts: 3,626 ✭✭
    Buy with caution!
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