What's Dumbest Mistake You Have Ever Made In The Hobby?

frankhardy

Mine is easy. I am 30 years old now, but when I was around 13 or 14, I wanted a Michael Jordan rookie. So, I took a bunch of baseball cards to a local shop (knowing he had some Jordan rookies.) There wasn't even a book value on the Jordan yet (at least in Beckett). The shop had several complete sets of 1986 Fleer Basketball. I traded about $40 worth of baseball cards for the complete set. I was very pleased, and told myself that I would NEVER get rid of that set because I knew that if basketball cards caught on, that this Jordan would be worth a bunch.

Well, I kept the set for a while, maybe a year or two. One day my uncle, who was a collector called me up and asked me if I still had that set and if I would trade it. I said that I didn't really want to get rid of it. He said that he had about $100 to $200 worth of baseball cards that he would trade for it. He finally talked me into it . Of course, he didn't keep it too long. I never did find out how much he got out of it.

About 2 or 3 months after I made that trade, Beckett's price guide came out, and the rest is history.

I get sick everytime I think about it!!

Anybody else got any sad stories to tell?

KOBEcollector

My biggest mistake in the hobby was spending so much money and effort on 90's crap. If only i was wise enough at the time to realize most of that stuff would be worthless now

Wish i can go back in time and take that money and use it on vintage and 70's cards

Knuckles

I quit collecting in '96 or '97.. then in 2002 with no idea that card grading existed I sold a lot of my cards raw on eBay to pay for bills..

Topps Gretzky RC which was easily a 9 maybe even a 10.. for $300ish

My entire collection of Gretzky cards. I had all of his 80's cards which would have graded 8 or higher.. and some rare 80's-90's oddball Gretzky stuff.. autographs.. etc. Sold it all raw.. Sold my Bobby Orr RC as well raw for way less than it would have got if graded.

Solar77

Neither one is worth too much now, but being a die hard Philly sports fan, I traded a Griffey UD rookie (probably a 7) for a Randall Cunningham Topps rookie. I was 11 or 12 so cut me a break

mtcards

I traded a Mint Steve Largent Rookie for 25 Vinny Testaverde rookies

packman

Hindsight is 20/20. I started collecting cards in 1976. If only I had focused on pre-World War II cards rather then the 1960's. One of my biggest mistakes was one of nonaction. I passed on a complete 1933 Goudey set in ex to ex-mt condition because I thought the price was a little too much. The price was $3,000.

David

Stingray

I collected from 74 to about 81 buying a ton of packs. My older brother of 5 years bought cards too. When he left the house he gave me all of his cards, had a ton of 71 Topps. Well when I went of to college in 84 I ended up basically giving my cards away to some neighborhood kid for a rookie Dale Murhpy. Can not go back in time, but some of those 71s would really grade out nice today.

Stingray

gosteelers

I traded a 1982 Topps Traded Ripken for a 1986/1987 Karl Malone Fleer RC?!?!

tkd7

I started going to card shows in the late 70's. One dealer had about five Aaron rookies for sale. I wasn't able to talk my dad into buying one. I don't remember the condition of any of them, but hey, it would be a nice card to have.

kingraider75

probably buying a lot of early 90's football at Costco. lol Should have bought a little bit, and instead built up a run of vintage sets. It would have taken longer, I had less money being a kid then, but it would have been better. Quantity is a vicious thing.

brianc

<< <i>Mine is easy. I am 30 years old now, but when I was around 13 or 14, I wanted a Michael Jordan rookie. So, I took a bunch of baseball cards to a local shop (knowing he had some Jordan rookies.) There wasn't even a book value on the Jordan yet (at least in Beckett). The shop had several complete sets of 1986 Fleer Basketball. I traded about $40 worth of baseball cards for the complete set. I was very pleased, and told myself that I would NEVER get rid of that set because I knew that if basketball cards caught on, that this Jordan would be worth a bunch.

Well, I kept the set for a while, maybe a year or two. One day my uncle, who was a collector called me up and asked me if I still had that set and if I would trade it. I said that I didn't really want to get rid of it. He said that he had about $100 to $200 worth of baseball cards that he would trade for it. He finally talked me into it . Of course, he didn't keep it too long. I never did find out how much he got out of it.

About 2 or 3 months after I made that trade, Beckett's price guide came out, and the rest is history.

I get sick everytime I think about it!!

Anybody else got any sad stories to tell? >>




in 1990, there was Tuff Stuff, SCD, Sports Cards, Baseball Cards. Each one had a price guide... and i am sure your shop or localgrocery store had these. Cards were huge 15 years ago, every grocery store had price guides.

frankhardy

But this was around 1988. I never saw any prices on them.

RedHeart54

Getting aboard the error card and promo card train that eventually crashed like the train in Back to the Future 3.

CDsNuts

I had a thing for investing in Rookie cards in bulk, and I mean in bulk. Let's just say Charlie Batch, Eric Zeier, Vincent Brisby, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Gregg Olson, Latterial Green (who?), and Walt Williams didn't really pan out.

Lee

matrixbend247

throwing out a mid 1930's yankee scorecard auto graphed by babe ruth. my grandfather was a kid, ruth was sitting behind yankee dug out, signed it, and i threw it out on accident like an idiot. matrix

Downtown1974

I bought a 68' Nolan Ryan at a show when I first got serious about card collecting. Brought it home to put in a recessed holder only to find that it had been trimmed BIG time. Good news was that I brought it back the next day and played off like I didnt know it was cut and got my money back. Ever since then I watch what I buy if its not PSA.

Onlypsahockey

Pinning all my Bruins cards to my bedroom wall as a kid.

Carrying my Bobby Orr cards around in my pocket 24/7 as a kid.

Selling a binder full of 68 Topps baseball for a hundred bucks 'cuz I only liked hockey! No I wasn't a kid....yes there was a Mantle.

TheThrill22

Dumbest mistake? Putting my Walter Payton rookie card up on my bedroom wall with tape after pulling it from a pack, followed closely by making a poster board size collage for art class with 1975 Topps baseball cards...again, straight from the packs.

envoy98

In 1987, I was busting Topps wax like it was going out of style. (Hey, I was 10, I didn't know any better...you should see my 88T collection. Yikes) Anyway, McGwire was catching on and the local shop told me I could get $4 in trade for each one I found. I went back with about 12 or 15 of them. No, this isn't the sad part of the story....

So I got my $50 or $60 in trade credit, and I ended up getting the nicest "old" card I could find. I got a 1970 Nolan Ryan that was absolutely perfect. it made every other vintage card I owned look like a rag doll. All my buddies wanted it and I think it booked around $80 0r $100 at the time. The guy told me not to take it out of the case and blah blah blah... Well, my brother was very much interested in my valuable Nolan Ryan so I decided to hide it from him... Where did I hide it? Oh yeah, in my lite-brite down in the basement. I took the front off it and put the card inside where nobody would find it.... A couple weeks later I went to pull it out and show it off and low and behold the plastic card saver was melted to the card. Quite a bummer. I held on to it for a long time before finally trying to get it out...but it was fruitless... Here I am years later putting cards in plastic holders in the hopes they won't come out... strange turn of events I suppose.

julen23

traded my friend rickey henderson rc for tim raines rc. 1982 seemed like right thing to do?

Julen

Jackailius

My dumbest move would have to be trading away about 150 1964 Philadelphia cards for bunch of early 90s cards/sets. I wish I still had those Phillidelphia cards, most were in really nice shape. It hurts just thinking about it. I was about thirteen and made a really good trade to get the cards from a friend of mine and about three months later I took them to a show and traded them away for a bunch of early 90s football garbage.

baseballfanatic

One of the things I did when I was a kid was to decorate my room in Topps posters. One complete wall in 67 pinups and one complete wall in 68 posters. The other wall of my room was made up of "posters" I made by taping the Batman cards together so I could make the puzzles and pin them up. I also made a nice set of 1968 Topps autographed cards. The sad part was I probably used between 2 and 5 cards before I got the autographs "just right". I wouldnt call them "dumb" things to do because that was what cards were for back then....

gregm13

Great thread. My biggest regret is selling an autographed 1962 Topps Mantle for $20 (I obtained the auto in person). My other great regret is going to the shows in Chicago in the late 80's and not spending the $15 or $20 to get autographs of Koufax, DiMaggio, Williams, Payton, ect... I was only 13 or 14, and I wanted to buy boxes of late 80's Topps. Yikes!!!

Greg M.

shagrotn77

<< <i>My other great regret is going to the shows in Chicago in the late 80's and not spending the $15 or $20 to get autographs of Koufax, DiMaggio, Williams, Payton, ect... I was only 13 or 14, and I wanted to buy boxes of late 80's Topps. Yikes!!!
Greg M. >>



I hear ya on that. I went to a couple of shows where Mantle was signing back in the late 80's, but never bothered to get his autograph. I wish I had. I'm one of those people who doesn't want an autograph unless I get it in person and am 100% positive it's legit, so I'll never own a Mantle.

I did, however, get an 8x10 of Joe D. and Ted Williams signed at an Atlantic City show around '88. Total cost was approx. $50. Ah, those were the days.

Steelcity99

One word----ProSet....ugh.....I sold the 86 rice rc, esaison and kosar cards to a shop owner in 89 and "reinvested" (lol) the money in ProSet.

digicat

Hmm. My dumbest mistake would have to be spending tons of money on Mark McGwire rookie cards in 1998. All his cards were at major premiums back then. Sigh. I was a college student back then, so I was living a lot thinner than usual after dumping all that cash.

Fabfrank

Long story, but bottom line I passed on 2 sealed cases and about 2 loose cases of 86 Fleer basketball at $6 per box. My comment at the time "Basketball is dead. I'll take the 88 Topps baseball instead"
Excuse me while I vomit.

MajorDanby

fab..i still remember that story. didnt you buy 88 donruss or score boxes instead?

i really dont have any big mistakes. as a kid, you really cant help it....because, well, youre a kid. i spent a ton of late 80's and early 90's cards when i should have been collecting vintage stuff. but, i was a kid and i collected what i liked. no remorse in that. it's when you fully understand the hobby....that's when big mistakes matter. i came back to the hobby a year or so ago after a very long hiatus....so far, so good.....unless of course you count buying a 54 bowman mays card for NM+ price when it fact it was graded at an EX.

downgoesfrazier

1. Grading my 1977 topps set.
1. Grading my 1977 topps set.
2. Selling Al Rosen my 1952 & 1953 Topps sets in 1987.
3. Joining the "LTS" forums.
4. Did I mention grading my 1977 Topps set.
5. Not whacking the BIN on a 1977 OPC Munson PSA 10 at $100 because the seller was a wierdo (Waxme).
6. Getting into exchanges on card-chatboards with personalities that are volatile, uniformed and aggressive.

dgf

sagard

<< <i>
6. Getting into exchanges on card-chatboards with personalities that are volatile, uniformed and aggressive.

dgf >>



Come on. We are not all uniformed!

bishop

Getting into bidding wars with Bobsbbcards

Seraph

1. Buying packs and boxes in the 90s trying to 'cheat' out of paying that enormous amount for the insert card I wanted.
2. After busting boxes I find out that I ended up with cards I don't want and would have been cheaper to just get the insert card in the first place.
3. Actually giving in and getting the card I wanted at peak price after busting several boxes.
4. Buying insert cards while they were hot thinking the value would go higher.
5. Thinking vintage is crap - the older it was, the less people wanted it.
6. Believing the hype and buying RCs of players that have yet to play a major league game.
7. Shane Spencer
8. Harold Miner
9. Ryan Leaf

The BEST thing I did was quit cold turkey at the end of 1999. I did nothing that had anything to do with the hobby. I came back 5 years later, looked at the crap I collected, see where I made my mistakes, what held its value and what didn't. I'm happy to say that I am now a pure collector since I collect items that I don't mind being stuck with.

ngfred

1) Buying the Grand Slam Venture Masters golf cards set with binder for $450. The kicker - The Tiger card turned out to be trimmed.
2) Spent about $200 on UD Golf cards.
3) Started buying cards on ebay before I committed to that set, winds up selling off the cards at about 70% of its original cost, lost about $800 that way.

dalew

Prior to getting married in 1983, I sold the following:

1959 Topps Baseball Complete Set
1960 Topps Baseball Complete Set
1961 Thousands of Raw Cards including dozens of high numbered All Stars
1962 Topps Baseball Complete Set
1963 Topps Baseball Complete Set
1967 Topps Baseball Complete Set
1968 Topps Baseball Complete Set
1969 Topps Baseball Complete Set
1970 Topps Baseball Complete Set
1971 Topps Baseball Complete Set
1972 (2) Topps Baseball Complete Sets
Thousands of 1972 Cards (lots of high numbers)
1973 Topps Baseball Complete Set
1974 Topps Baseball Complete Set

How much did I sell this for?





$1,000 and didn't use the money till I got back from the honeymoon and bought a VCR for $700.00.

I could kick myself in the butt.

Dale

downgoesfrazier

<< <i>$1,000 and didn't use the money till I got back from the honeymoon and bought a VCR for $700.00.

>>



$700 VCR...

You poor b-stard. You win!

dgf

bowdowntome

Among other things:

Back in the early 70's, my dad and I were dumping a load of junk at the local dump (back when you could do it yourself). While unloading the stuff, my dad noticed a bunch of boxes of cards a few yards away that someone else dumped. They were actually VENDING CASES of 1969 Topps football cards that had suffered some water damage, not all the way though. One was busted open and the vending boxes were strewn about. My dad grabbed a couple for me and my brother. We didn't realize they were football until we got home. Neither of us were into football at the time so we didn't do anything with them. He traded his away a few years later. I held onto mine, and eventually started collecting FB. It was the start of my first 1969 set. Unfortunately, the boxes we grabbed were ones with one of the bottom edges having water damage, so all the cards had a stain in one corner.
But to think, even as a young pack rat I left all those CASES behind. I'll bet there were 10 cases all together.

Out of the couple of boxes I got, I wound up with like 10 of Piccolo's. I still have most of them, although they've seen better days, due to the years of neglect because I wasn't into football.

BigRedMachine

In 1987, a 14 year old with no cash and a desire to open wax, traded my Nolan Ryan rookie to a card shop owner for a box of 1987 topps and $20.

Wonder if he'd trade back now?

Shawn

Carew29

when i was about 10 or so, i found hundreds of packs of the (i think) topps Beattles cards. Someone had dumped several cases of these in the trash bin at my local school back in the early 70's. Me and my buddy only took a few packs. should have taken them all!!!

rman444

Back in 1988, one local card shop was buying 1986 Fleer basketball sets for $40. Another local shop was selling them for $25. I went to the shop to buy one for $25 and then on my way to the second shop to sell it for $40, it fell out of my backpack somewhere between bus stops. Felt pretty terrible.

Not mine, but my friends - back around 1995 when SP Holoview die-cut reds were the rage, he traded his Alex Rodriguez for a Manny Ramirez because the thought it was a better investment. Ouch. He still has his Manny.

jmb

Selling my 8 favorite cards in 98 to pay for school. Had the 4 33 Goudey Ruth's and the 4 Goudey Gehrig's 33/34.
The 34 Gehrig #61 is still my favorite baseball card.

Engineer

This feels therapuetic. As with several others some of my bigger mistakes (the ones I think about the most anyway) are related to 1986 Fleer Basketball.

1. I remember going to one of the local card shops (Chicago area) around 1986 and seeing Jordans in the display cases after they came out. I think they were a buck or two a piece but I passed as I was into baseball cards specifically at the time - I have no idea what I bought (probably 1986 Dykstra rookies or something similar). I wasn't really interested in collecting basketball at the time so this one doesn't bother me too much.

2. A year later I was at a show and wanted to buy a set of 1986 Fleer Basketball. Found a dealer selling sets for $10 each and went to borrow some cash from my Mom. On the way back I saw wax boxes of the new 1987 Fleer Basketball (I think for $15) and decided to get one of these instead and get the 1986 set later. Not too bad as I got two complete sets, got two extra Jordan's and was able to put together a bunch of sticker sets. I don't believe I was able to find 1986 Fleer Basketball for a long time after this.

3. The one I really regret however was a while after the show (1 year, 2???) basketball was getting hot. I was at a local antique show/flea market and saw a table with some 1986 Fleer Basketball including a wax box. I think they wanted around $80, so I walked around while I thought about it. I think I had to borrow some cash from my sister but when I went back to look for the table to buy the wax box they had left for the day. This was the one that hurt the most.

Adam B.

Gemmy10

<<Well, I kept the set for a while, maybe a year or two. One day my uncle, who was a collector called me up and asked me if I still had that set and if I would trade it. I said that I didn't really want to get rid of it. He said that he had about $100 to $200 worth of baseball cards that he would trade for it. He finally talked me into it>>

Some uncle to take advantage of his nephew. LOL

softparade

<< <i>
6. Getting into exchanges on card-chatboards with personalities that are volatile, uniformed and aggressive.

dgf >>

jskirwin

Buying my Kid Yugioh cards. I figure I've spent close to $800 over the past 5 years on the durn things. The Kid's not even interested in them anymore and wants to sell them - but they have 0 resale value.

NewJerseyMeatHook

Telling some ghetto, poverty-case kid down the block that my dad collected old baseball cards.

Following the home invasion, my dad has covered the cost of stolen cards through insurance.

But these were gorgeous. '52-60 complete sets in plastic sleeves. The aforementioned douche bag, had the balls to cherry pick these sets while we were on vacation.

Dad had 52's that still had that soft, gentle mint curve in the middle.

I do believe, if I ever see this guy again, he will be walking away from our visit with a limp minus several chiclets.

HoofHearted

<< <i>Buying my Kid Yugioh cards. I figure I've spent close to $800 over the past 5 years on the durn things. The Kid's not even interested in them anymore and wants to sell them - but they have 0 resale value. >>



Ah yes, the money we spent on the kids' Star Trek cards...like the "rare" Picard for $50, etc. Are they worth anything now? I'll have to check eBay.

My biggest regret was trading all my 1968 Topps football cards (not a "cool" item at the time) to a local wheeler-dealer in the mid-1980s. I was close to having a complete set that was in at least EX-NM or better. I remember having doubles of Starr (#1 in the set??) and Griese. (I still have the 2 complete sets of the posters that came in the packs along with 3-4 dupes of some of them.) I gave him my 1962 Topps baseball wantlist and he said he could fill in some holes with no problem. Along with a few G-VG cards, I got some cards that had been written on, etc. and this Mantle -- all scatched to Hades:



When I confronted him about not feeling I got enough in the trade, he left and I never saw him again. I was in my 30s, so I have no one to blame but myself.

Whenever I see the prices of the graded cards of that '68T FB set, my stomach turns...

hh

Fabfrank

fab..i still remember that story. didnt you buy 88 donruss or score boxes instead?

MajorDanby- You're right. It was Donruss. It still makes me sick though.

Buccaneer

What's Dumbest Mistake You Have Ever Made In The Hobby?

That's simple. Every single transaction I made from 1983-1990.

Runner-up would be every single eBay purchase I made when I got back into the hobby in the Fall of 2003. It took a couple of months, esp. learning stuff here, to get smarter.

Buccaneer

<< <i>In 1987, I was busting Topps wax like it was going out of style. (Hey, I was 10, I didn't know any better...you should see my 88T collection. Yikes) Anyway, McGwire was catching on and the local shop told me I could get $4 in trade for each one I found. I went back with about 12 or 15 of them. No, this isn't the sad part of the story.... >>



You too, huh? Only I was 27 yrs old and was buying vending boxes like kids were buying wax packs.

Onlypsahockey

<< Buying my Kid Yugioh cards. I figure I've spent close to $800 over the past 5 years on the durn things. The Kid's not even interested in them anymore and wants to sell them - but they have 0 resale value. >>

js wrap them up real good, put them in a cardboard box and put them away in the garage, cellar, attic or where ever.

who knows they may have some value when the kids are grown.
maybe like finding a hoard of wacky packages now???

Boopotts

<< <i>Telling some ghetto, poverty-case kid down the block that my dad collected old baseball cards.

Following the home invasion, my dad has covered the cost of stolen cards through insurance.

But these were gorgeous. '52-60 complete sets in plastic sleeves. The aforementioned douche bag, had the balls to cherry pick these sets while we were on vacation.

Dad had 52's that still had that soft, gentle mint curve in the middle.

I do believe, if I ever see this guy again, he will be walking away from our visit with a limp minus several chiclets. >>



I also hate the feeling of having stuff stolen from me. But trust me-- once you've been through it about half a dozen times or so the initial pangs of rage begin to lessen considerably. A couple more high dollar heists and you'll forget all about those cards.