garage sale gold

jswieton

You always here story's about people finding vintage cards at garage or estate sales. I was wondering if anyone here has struck gold at a garage sale and if so what cards did they find?

cohocorp

i have never cherry picked a card at a garage sale. in the rare instance that there are cards, i usually end up telling the owner the value of what they have. i especially look out for the elderly, i guess b/c they always remind me of my parents and i wouldnt want them to ever get cherry picked. now, cherry picking other dealers is another story entirely. us dealers should know what we have.

AragornTheBold

I never find cards there but I have found autographed baseballs such as Mickey Mantle and Rick Ferrell. Also have found some hockey memorabillia such as pucks and sticks signed by Mike Modano. Of course these were rare incidents and have never come close to anything like that in a while.

hotmush

Once found 9 boxes of 1991 OPC (not Premier) at a yard sale for a buck a box. Ripped all the boxes. Didn't even come up with a full set of 792! (There were less cards per pack in OPC than in Topps).

fkw

Antique Stores and Flea Markets in the 1975-85 era were an absolute gold mine. I bought over 300 vintage gloves and never paid over $5 ea., also found hundreds of Zeenut and Obak cards (I lived in the Bay Area at the time). Once bought a lot of 100+ 1911 Zeenuts for $25 including a Weaver.

My father collected old bikes (balloon tire w/horn tank), and tootsie toys and he made out good too.

lawnmowerman

Never found any cards but I did pick up a great space heater that helped me survive the winter of '95. I lived in a 1930's garage apt that had no heat.

Yes it does get cold even in Florida

thedutymon

Oh the fantasies,
Besides fantasizing of Nekked women...The ultimate Garage sale find......A 1961/62 1 Cent free standing 2 product holder vending card machine filled with product. The product, 0ver 500 just loaded 1962 Topps Mars Attacks cards filled on each side for a total of over 1000 vending box fresh cards. This machine and the contents would be worth Millions. I mean millions!! There are several still out there waiting to be found. I know they exist because when I was 6 years old my Dad walked me every Sund. Morning to the first 7-11 in Sac, Ca., about a mile from our house and there was one of these in front and he would let me buy 2 cents worth, one cent from each side to get 10 each pack fresh 1962 Topps Mars Attacks cards.!!!!!
The memories!!!!
Neil

Ironmanfan

I've yet to see a garage sale WITHOUT a George Foreman grill

easydoesit

I have found several good scores are yard sales.

Once paid $3 per set of 89 score traded baseball and bought over 90 sets from an opened case. At the time SMCCI was paying $33. That was a quick score.

mtcards

Estate auctions (No not the ones you see advertised on ebay) have yielded good stuff, but nothing to retire on.

I have found a 1986 Topps Traded for $4, a bag of 1977 football with stars (no mint cards though) for $7, and some odds and ends you can make a few bux on, but nothing big. My biggest find was an old Budweiser keg crate filled with racing cards. I dont collect racing much and was less impressed when I was offered a box of 1991 Upper Deck that had been opened for $20. But my wife wanted the crate and I figured I would check out the cards later on....I paid $10.

The crate included a set of 1989 Maxx Racing with the Earnhart RC, Jeff Gordon Rc's and folder full of early 1990 stars. I figured the stuff had to be worth $10, until I found the rest of the "gold mine". Underneath the folders of cards were a stack of "Pit Pass" 8x10 cards. He had two pit pass ticket stubs, which I am assuming where he got the 8x10 cards. He had several of all the stars, but was then amazed when I saw that many and I mean MANY are autographed. Mark Martin, Sterling Marlin, Wallace, Gordon..just about everyone except DE himself. I am pretty sure these are authentic as they match just about all the sigs I have seen. Not sure of their value, but I am pretty confident the case paid for itself.

jrinck

In '84, I had my dad buy me a box of old cards (mostly '69 to '78). This was at a flea market called Renningers in southeast PA. That box was mostly beat-up commons, but there were hundreds of them. I still have them.

I DO remember my mom dragging me to this place on weekends in the 70's, and recall a lot of baseball cards and stuff, but that was when I was really young and before I started collecting. I'd love to zip back through time and get even just one weekend there in 1975 to do all over again.

bdunndchi

Never found anything good but I'm still waiting...

Arsenal83

I was about 12 or 13 and was able to get UDA signed baseballs of Ernie Banks and Reggie Jackson as well as a 16 x 20 signed framed photo of Reggie hitting one out in the 77 World Series for $20 worth of $2 bills I stole from my parents room.

VitoCo1972

<< <i>Antique Stores and Flea Markets in the 1975-85 era were an absolute gold mine. I bought over 300 vintage gloves and never paid over $5 ea., also found hundreds of Zeenut and Obak cards (I lived in the Bay Area at the time). Once bought a lot of 100+ 1911 Zeenuts for $25 including a Weaver.

My father collected old bikes (balloon tire w/horn tank), and tootsie toys and he made out good too. >>



FKW, what do you know about ZeeNut cards? A friend of mine actually has a ZeeNut Jimmy Claxton card raw. I would say it is conservatively in EXMT shape. He would never sell it - he and his dad found it at a flea market in the 70's. But I'm curious what the real value is and who you would recommend grade it, PSA or SGC.

CDsNuts

+1 for Renningers.

RipublicaninMass

my mom picked up a display of 40 1887 A&G N29's for 30 bucks

Allen

I have found a few decent things. I am always waiting for the big find. The random posts here of differeny member finding stuff keeps me going haha.

TheHun

We like to stop at garage sales.

Last week I spent the following:


* Chipper Jones - Post Cereal bobble-head = 5 cents
* Albany River Rats - official AHL game used puck = 10 cents
* 1989 Score Football - Michael Irving rookie card = 10 cents


no gold yet ...

thedutymon

Good day Ripublicanan Mass,
Nice pick up by Mom, they are glued aren't they?

Neil

Blackborder

I found a Babe Ruth rookie in a dumpster once.

bsidegrve

<< <i>I found a Babe Ruth rookie in a dumpster once. >>


Now if only that was a pawnshop dumpster then you'de be rollin in the dough

Karb

I don't know if it's gold or not but I picked up a factory sealed 89 UD set for $5 last summer. Suited me just fine.

Tedw9

A few years ago I saw a yard sale listed in the bulletin at work that listed baseball cards. I went and bought the guys whole collection for $125. I got it cheap because he was moving the next week with his wife and just wanted it gone. Among the things I got were...

1981 Topps football set
1982 Topps football set
Walter Payton rc
Steve Largent rc
Ray Bourque rc
Wayne Gretzky 2nd year cards
1967 Red Sox yearbook
300+ 1988 Topps baseball packs
A bunch of 70's baseball schedules/pictures and stickers. He wrote to teams asking for stuff as a kid
A Patriots photo signed by one player. Can't remember who signed it
Over 1000 various cards from 70's football and hockey and a few basketball

I'm sure there was more, I just can't remember it all. I filled the back seat of my car with all this stuff. I sold most of it and made a nice profit, gave some of it away and kept just a handful of items including the 1981 Topps football set.

The only other sports find I have had at a yard sale is a 70's Minnesota North Stars game used puck for 25 cents.

Leiascards

i have rarely found any sports cards at sales, but I have bought 150.00 Hot Wheels for less than 1.00. A 500 dollar GI Joe Cobra Terror Drome for 3.00. An Iron Man #1 for 3.00. The list of these items goes on and on

PoppaJ

Not sure if this fits into the "garage sale" category, but it's close!

In 1975, my wife, 2 sons and I, drove to Florida to see her relatives.

On the way, we stopped for gas in North Carolina. While I was pumping gas, my oldest son said "hey dad, look at that sign". There was a sign across the highway that said "bazeball cardz 4 sale".

With enough help from my 2 sons, we convinced my wife to let us at least check 'em out.

So, we drove down what seemed to be an endless country gravel driveway, and saw a little old lady wearing a sweater (it had to be at least 90 degrees that day!) rocking in a chair on her porch.

I asked her about the baseball cards and she laughed and said they're in the shed around back.

We followed her and she led us to a 2' x 2' old chest-like wooden box. She said she was 85 years old and had no use for the things. Her husband and his friends used to open their packs of tobacco and pick their teeth with the corners of the cards and then throw the cards in the box.

She said "you can have them all for $5.00 plus the chest."

I opened the box and it was filled 3/4 of the way with T206s.

Of course I had no idea what T206s were worth then, so I agreed and paid the lady.

Those T206s were converted to 5 1952 Topps Mantles back in 1992.

I've never been to a "garage sale" or should I say "shed sale" since.

PoppaJ

MeteoriteGuy

Never struck good on trading cards, but once I was at a garage sale where the old guy had died and he was a big comic collector. I was a pretty big collector with 35-40 long boxes myself and tried to work out a deal for all, but the lady would not do it. She wanted cover and that was that. Well, looking through the comics I found a couple hundred Gold Key Star Trek and an equal amount of Classic Illustrates. I didn't know the values at all, but I figured they were worth more then cover. Anyway, most of those comics cost me a $0.25 and were sold for $20-80 each.

lawnmowerman

I just now found some nice nose gold if anyone cares to know

djspann

<< <i>Never found any cards but I did pick up a great space heater that helped me survive the winter of '95. I lived in a 1930's garage apt that had no heat.

Yes it does get cold even in Florida >>



HA! I was in Fort Lauderdale in January once. We rented a convertible, and I was driving around one morning with the top down, a T-shirt and shorts on. (It was in the low 60's that morning.) I pulled into a parking garage, and a woman is in the booth with a jacket on, shivering. She said, "You must be from up north". I honestly couldn't believe it. Of course, I'd probably die there when it is 95 in the shade with a dewpoint of 85.

Doug

lawnmowerman

<< <i>

<< <i>Never found any cards but I did pick up a great space heater that helped me survive the winter of '95. I lived in a 1930's garage apt that had no heat.

Yes it does get cold even in Florida >>



HA! I was in Fort Lauderdale in January once. We rented a convertible, and I was driving around one morning with the top down, a T-shirt and shorts on. (It was in the low 60's that morning.) I pulled into a parking garage, and a woman is in the booth with a jacket on, shivering. She said, "You must be from up north". I honestly couldn't believe it. Of course, I'd probably die there when it is 95 in the shade with a dewpoint of 85.

Doug >>



The heat is a killer coupled with that humidity. It has been especially bad this summer for some reason.

The winter of '95, we had many nights in the low 30's and some into the 20's. With no central heat and no real insulation in my shack, that was almost enough to kill this Floridarized New Yorker

TNTonPMS

My Last garage sale pick up was over 900 autographed Football/Baseball and mostly hockey cards for 80 bucks .

The wife wanted 2 bucks a piece for the cards in the binder , then I asked her how much if I buy them all she started counting the cards , Like I said there were over 900, then the husband came over and said take em all for 80 bucks .

I said sold , American style !

The wife freaked out and I just bounced before anyone changed their mind .

jswieton

<< <i>My Last garage sale pick up was over 900 autographed Football/Baseball and mostly hockey cards for 80 bucks .

The wife wanted 2 bucks a piece for the cards in the binder , then I asked her how much if I buy them all she started counting the cards , Like I said there were over 900, then the husband came over and said take em all for 80 bucks .

I said sold , American style !

The wife freaked out and I just bounced before anyone changed their mind . >>


====

nice score

Barfvader

I've shown this before. Bought 10 or so years ago along with some other games, cards and magazines. Seller when asked what the price was said he wasn't sure what he wanted. Went on about how he was thinking of taking this (along with all the other items I had gathered up) to a card dealer in Bangor to see what he could get for it. The whole time I'm standing there trying to figure out why someone is having a yard sale with all these items out and not knowing what they want or even if they really want to sell them at all. So I ask once again what he wants for this and he says how about $1 (which was what he finally wanted for most of the other items as well).










This was also at the same sale and was $1.




Not sport related but these were more of a recent find (couple years ago). Headed out late in the day and found a sale. Guy had a lot of older/antique type stuff and nothing had prices so really wasn't sure if I was even going to ask (you know the saying if you have to ask you can't afford it) but did and he said $1 for the whole bag.






Haven't found much lately but always looking.

parkerj

I used to hit the garage sale circuit on the weekends the last couple of years. Mostly just the 86-92 junk available, so it wasn't particularly worthwhile. But I did pickup a joe montana rc for a quarter. Its sitting on my desk at work right now. It was just loose in a shoe box, so it has beat up corners and has a slight crease across one corner, but i keep it as a reminder that there are garage sales worth checking out.

Ironmanfan

It's Gold, Jerry!, GOLD!

AragornTheBold

<< <i>It's Gold, Jerry!, GOLD! >>



I love when fellow Seinfeld fans comment. "Why do they call it ovaltene, the jar is round the cup is round, they should call it roundtene".