<< <i>The seller of an opened and searched 1960 Topps vending box offered it to me for $400: Link
Is this a good deal? I figure there are 15+ Robin Roberts and some possible PSA 9s. What kind of resale value would something like this have? I've seen unopened 1960 Topps vending boxes go for around $7k, but this is obviously a different situation. Any advice would be great appreciated. >>
<<< I know "0" about baseball. This appears to be a 500 card pack meant for single sale in a store. There are several duplicates of each card and all seem to be in order. Sold as is. Please ask me any questions. I had to re-list this because after Bidding it up to 709$ Buyer decided not to pay for it. Please be considerate. I am starting much lower than that, Thank-you for Looking & Good Luck. >>>
I'm not accusing the seller of anything here in this post, because I do not know...but this I do know...an old trick on ebay and in other shady business venues as well, is for a seller to pretend something similar or exact sold at a higher price recently, and then offer it to a potential buyer at a lower price when in reality the higher priced sale never occurred. There is a term for this but I can't think of it off the cuff.
So...a seller on ebay with an alt-ID or a family/friend's ID could "buy" this lot for $709, and of course it doesn't get paid for and the seller just puts in a non-payment claim and gets his seller fees back, and so it doean't cost him anything. However a potential buyer seeing this thinks he's getting a great deal because heck, the item just sold for $709 and the "buyer" just didn't pay, when actually it didn't sell at all. Again...this is just an illustration...I'm not accusing the seller of doing this.
Also the seller states, "Sold as is" which in my opinion almost definitely, if not definitely, means there's no hidden treasure going on in this sale. Sorry no 8's or even quite laughably out loud to believe there could be 9's in here, and I doubt if there are even any straight 7's, but hopefully for the buyer there could be a few.
Well, I'll end my thread comments here, I don't want to give any Optimistic Oprahs on here a heart attack.
Boy, this is quite a bit of analysis and discussion over a bunch of EX-MT 1960 baseball cards!
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
Glad that someone really enjoyed the hobby today and didn't lose money. I really hope the next great find that someone puts on here that passes your guidelines, you can put as much detail and positive impact into it. Looking forward to it. Lots of great posts, information, detail, etc. So the next big purchase, pop, or raw buy someone posts I'll be looking for a good 10 to 15 healthy posts with your hobby time that you so thoroughly enjoy.
Thank you...
Edit: Just reminds me of a reoccurring patch of eczema. >>
alright...one more post for the road. LOL
miconelegacy - Come on now...my posts were in response to the OP wanting to flip the lot, not in a hobby sense. When have I ever knocked anyone pointing out cards they bought for their collection, unless they were being scammed. How about never!
I enjoy the hobby and also enjoy seeing others enjoy it whether it is an expensive PSA 10 card or a collection of low grade inexpensive cards. Everyone enjoys the hobby in their own way according to their interests and available spending money, and I think that is great.
The OP clearly stated that he wanted to flip the lot for a sale. His comment was "If I buy it I will most likely resell it....." and my comments were intended towards that. My comments were geared towards business, it wasn't personal.
Any time you can buy something to flip where you're virtually guaranteed to at least break even and could potentially make a few hundred dollars, obviously you gotta turn that down. The acute business sense on this board never ceases to amaze me.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
<< <i>Any time you can buy something to flip where you're virtually guaranteed to at least break even and could potentially make a few hundred dollars, obviously you gotta turn that down. The acute business sense on this board never ceases to amaze me. >>
flip? sure. make a few bucks if you can, that's good business sense. someone else can make the money.
so, say the box is loaded with 8's and 9's....i can tell you from experience, there's money there as well......i've been chipping away at the same small group of '66 Topps bb cards since 2004, darn nice cards, 8's and 9's all day, even a few 10's, but it's getting tougher and tougher to achieve the same financial gains now as opposed to then....there's marginal amounts of joy in having to deal the same thing over and over again.
the market is loaded, so it's a long term commitment and it needs to be cheap.
if the cards aren't so nice as to be consistently gradable, then expenses and fees will wind up chewing into whatever small profit could be made.
flip? sure. make a few bucks if you can, that's good business sense. someone else can make the money.
so, say the box is loaded with 8's and 9's....i can tell you from experience, there's money there as well......i've been chipping away at the same small group of '66 Topps bb cards since 2004, darn nice cards, 8's and 9's all day, even a few 10's, but it's getting tougher and tougher to achieve the same financial gains now as opposed to then....there's marginal amounts of joy in having to deal the same thing over and over again.
the market is loaded, so it's a long term commitment and it needs to be cheap.
if the cards aren't so nice as to be consistently gradable, then expenses and fees will wind up chewing into whatever small profit could be made.
just sayin'.
1960 Topps commons in EXMT sell for $1.50-$2.00 on ebay all day. Take out .50 in fees and that's $1.00-1.50 on each card. And if you choose to use shipping as a profit center you can tack on another $.75-1.00 per card. If you can't profit off a lot like this then you need to work on your sales strategy. Say 20% of the lot is in less than EXMT shape, that leaves 400 that are sellable as singles. That means your return is $400-$600 for the cards, and another $300-$400 if you choose to profit off shipping like just about every top ebay seller does. This is all assuming there is nothing gradable in the lot. And it's also assuming Robin Roberts is a common which he is not. Also, it is worth noting that Nuxhall, Turley and Flood carry a small premium as well.
I have two tens, but you'll have to throw in a 75 rack to be named later.
I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a 75 rack pack today..
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
<< <i>if the OP goes that route, then i'm laying 3 to 1 odds he quits after about a dozen auctions.
That I can agree with. I just did some mid grade 50s set breaks and it definitely sucks, but I'd do it again because I like money too much. >>
I agree, it is a pain in the butt to list set/lot breaks for a few bucks per card, but it's well worth the effort and the time spent, which I would otherwise be wasting if I wasn't in this hobby. You get a different perspective if you picture those tall stacks of cards on your desk as tall stacks of dollar bills. The OP just basically bought a box of 500 $2 bills for $400. Can't beat that with a bat.
nobody on the board likes to see a good deal or see people make money. How dare the op take a little gamble and possibly make a great deal when the risk is little to nil.
Bottom line is this purchase was only worthwhile if the cards come back as 8's or higher. Anything lower and you'll barely be able to recover grading/PayPal/ebay fees. The problem with selling the cards raw and piecemeal is they're all the same card. It's only the set collectors who would want them and they only need one of each. If it came to that, you'd be much better off having an assortment of commons. 1960 Topps is not on condition sensitive card stock so based on the pictures I'd say there should be many 7's, but it's just a matter of whether any will get 8 or higher. I don't think anyone here is trying to rain on the OP's parade, but it's just reality. This purchase is by no means a slam dunk money maker given the cards are being purchased sight unseen.
This is all moot if the OP is planning on reselling the box as a whole. I would love to see the results if he were to piece it out, but not sure that will even happen.
<< <i>This is all moot if the OP is planning on reselling the box as a whole. I would love to see the results if he were to piece it out, but not sure that will even happen. >>
Considering what I believe the box to be based on the evidence...a bunch of EX-EXMT or NM OC cards, I think it actually may have more value as a whole rather than broken up...and I believe the seller thought that as well or he would have broken it up considering he sells hundreds of low priced stuff now. The buyer here bought it for the "hidden treasure" aspect, and perhaps another buyer might buy it for the same reason.
One thing I just checked out because I'm not that familiar with many non-sports cards. The box has "Robin Hood" printed on it, and the Topps Robin Hood series cards were from 1957. So although the box is old, it likely predates 1960 and therefore is likely, if not definitely not the original box for these cards. I doubt very much if Topps would have had printed a three year supply of boxes or had unused boxes laying around considering card collecting was growing at that time.
So in my opinion, this furthers the viewpoint that this was not any "This appears to be a 500 card pack meant for single sale in a store" as the seller states...and so this new info from detective stevek, I think certainly diminishes the "hidden treasure" possibilities of this lot...and sorry to say, it's getting close to checkmate. Seems to me it's looking more like a flip attempt in which only ebay is gonna make a profit...again...I hope I'm wrong.
<< <i>If the OP does resell the box as a whole, the value will be greatly diminished because he will certainly cherry pick the good cards out. >>
That is an excellent point, and now I guess ya gotta wonder if that hadn't already been done? I've had that trick played on me...I've bought sets on ebay, particularly the 1985 Topps Baseball sets when they were hot, and like all the cards were in nice PSA 7 to 8 type condition, except for the Clemens and McGwire in which they just happened to be in lesser condition, obviously cherry picked out and replaced.
This purchase is by no means a slam dunk money maker given the cards are being purchased sight unseen.
You're wrong, any seller who knows what he's doing makes money on this lot 100% of the time as long as most of it is EX-MT or better. You clearly are ignorant regarding how to sell mid-grade vintage singles on ebay, and are going based on the assumption that nobody buys mid-grade singles on ebay. I just did a completed auctions search and over 200 EX/MT non hi-number commons have sold for $1-$7 before shipping.
I would have this lot flipped within 3 months and probably double my money if 80% of it is EX-MT.
Considering what I believe the box to be based on the evidence...a bunch of EX-EXMT or NM OC cards, I think it actually may have more value as a whole rather than broken up.
Have you ever sold mid-grade vintage singles on ebay in bulk as singles? What qualifies you to make such a statement (that anybody who sells a lot on ebay knows is clearly back asswards)? There are very few cases where selling any lot whole on ebay will show better results than breaking it up, and this isn't one of them. Regardless of whether there is anything gradable or not, if the lot is mostly EX-MT as you have suggested it will be, it's a money maker which my math in an earlier post corroborates.
<< <i>This purchase is by no means a slam dunk money maker given the cards are being purchased sight unseen.
Considering what I believe the box to be based on the evidence...a bunch of EX-EXMT or NM OC cards, I think it actually may have more value as a whole rather than broken up.
Have you ever sold mid-grade vintage singles on ebay in bulk as singles? What qualifies you to make such a statement (that anybody who sells a lot on ebay knows is clearly back asswards)? There are very few cases where selling any lot whole on ebay will show better results than breaking it up, and this isn't one of them. Regardless of whether there is anything gradable or not, if the lot is mostly EX-MT as you have suggested it will be, it's a money maker which my math in an earlier post corroborates. >>
The answer to your first sentence question is "Yes"..and you're a smart guy Lee...you should know in this thread that I was referring to this particular lot simply because that is the topic of this thread. Your implication that I meant "all" when I stated..."I think it actually may have more value as a whole rather than broken up" is quite silly, because you're of course right that it usually is better to break up a lot similar as this. However in this case, considering the old box and everything, we disagree because as I've stated, this particular lot has that "hidden treasure" element to it which in my opinion has more value as a lure to suck in a buyer, than the value of someone such as yourself breaking it up and selling the cards like you do on ebay.
I forget your ebay name, but I've seen your sales on ebay before and they are professionally done, as well as honest and forthright...it's a shame all ebay sellers can't be that way.
Spoken in Sonny Corleonese....someone is taking this thing very personally.
It bugs me when people try and give real world advice on situations they know nothing about to people asking for advice. There was a thread a while back where a guy bought some Jordan refractors and a bunch of people with no history of selling modern Jordan's told him he'd be lucky to get his money back. Since I have dealt in that stuff for years I knew right away one card would pay for the lot and he would at least triple his money. It's like people are compelled to share opinions on here that are based on little more than their gut feeling with no basis of real world experience.
Here's a quick synopsis of how just about every "Should I take a gamble on this" thread plays out on these boards: OP: Should I buy this raw vintage lot? CU: No, raw is for suckers.
OP: Should I buy this modern card? CU: No, modern is overpriced shiny junk.
OP: Should I buy unopened from someone other than Steve Hart? CU: No, it's likely resealed.
So basically, according to this board there are no good raw, modern, or unopened buys anywhere in the world that someone can flip for a profit. I have an idea: instead of people responding to these threads with the same canned response based on nothing more than their preconceived notions, how about we put a little thought and research into it before grabbing the megaphone and shouting our unfounded advice to someone looking for help? When auto threads show up, you won't see me giving advice. You know why? Because I know nothing about autos. So when several people who have never sold mid-grade raw vintage on ebay jump in a thread and advise somebody not to buy mid-grade raw vintage for the purpose of reselling, it bewilders me. I've been buying raw, modern and unopened online for years for the purpose of flipping and have somehow managed to avoid being homeless, and I'm not even that smart of a guy.
Lee great post as usual, however one thing bothers me regarding this specific lot your theory is based upon 'As long as they are EX/MNT or better' Suppose they ain't?
Suppose they are vg/ex at best? Suppose the best cards are placed on the top?
IMO I agree with you, as long as they all look as good or better than the cards shown money can be made on this lot. Some people gave opinions that their time was worth more than what they could make and others possibly have been burned more than they'd like to admit on raw so they instinctively are cautious.
Remember, there have been times when people were saved from so called great looking deals because of so called negative advice.
For this forum to work regarding threads like these both sides need to be heard.
<< <i>Spoken in Sonny Corleonese....someone is taking this thing very personally.
It bugs me when people try and give real world advice on situations they know nothing about to people asking for advice. There was a thread a while back where a guy bought some Jordan refractors and a bunch of people with no history of selling modern Jordan's told him he'd be lucky to get his money back. Since I have dealt in that stuff for years I knew right away one card would pay for the lot and he would at least triple his money. It's like people are compelled to share opinions on here that are based on little more than their gut feeling with no basis of real world experience.
Here's a quick synopsis of how just about every "Should I take a gamble on this" thread plays out on these boards: OP: Should I buy this raw vintage lot? CU: No, raw is for suckers.
OP: Should I buy this modern card? CU: No, modern is overpriced shiny junk.
OP: Should I buy unopened from someone other than Steve Hart? CU: No, it's likely resealed.
So basically, according to this board there are no good raw, modern, or unopened buys anywhere in the world that someone can flip for a profit. I have an idea: instead of people responding to these threads with the same canned response based on nothing more than their preconceived notions, how about we put a little thought and research into it before grabbing the megaphone and shouting our unfounded advice to someone looking for help? When auto threads show up, you won't see me giving advice. You know why? Because I know nothing about autos. So when several people who have never sold mid-grade raw vintage on ebay jump in a thread and advise somebody not to buy mid-grade raw vintage for the purpose of reselling, it bewilders me. I've been buying raw, modern and unopened online for years for the purpose of flipping and have somehow managed to avoid being homeless, and I'm not even that smart of a guy. >>
I generally don't disagree with most of that, although of course some of your comments were obviously generalizing to make a point. Speaking for myself, I gave what I thought was an in-depth analysis of the situation and my viewpoints, based on a lot of experience, and some others did as well...so now we'll wait and see from the OP what kind of cards he got and what kind of deal he got.
Frankly Lee, where you are wrong in all this, is it seems as though you are making assumptions about these cards based on some distant pics and pics of a few corners from a few cards, that this may be a tremendous deal. I mean there isn't even a large full pic shown of a single card....that to me is quite suspicious and telling as to any hope of high grade cards. I mean this seller has clear up close pics of many cheap $5 type items that he's selling in his other auctions, and here he's got a lot worth say $400 and he's doesn't show one single large picture pic of one of those potential 9's that you stated "From the scan it looks like there are at least some sharp corners there, so any 8s ($20-$35 ea) and 9s ($100+ ea) are all gravy."
I mean come on now Lee, the chances of any 9's in this lot are zero and it's a very easy call...the chances of any 8's is virtually nil, if not nil...and if there are any straight 7's in there I'll be very surprised. Sorry to inform you, but I think you're getting sucked into the "hidden treasure" element of this sale as much as the OP did. Remember that blind greed can make for bad decisions no matter how smart you are.
+1 for Lees' input. He has been able to make money on what most here would consider worthless. He has graciously split some of the so called junk lots off to me and allowed me to profit from those deals also. So even though he has been known to push old ladies down flights of steps I still trust his opinion on these subjects.
Well, I'm gonna summarize my opinion here...I think the OP is going to windup spending $400 on a lot worth around $400 or perhaps a little more or less. In any event, he's going to now have $400 tied up in basically a no profit situation, and depending on how he intends to dispense with the cards, is going to have to put in some or lots of additional time and effort to get rid of it.
I have no problem taking a shot, a calculated good risk, at a potentially nice profit situation, but in my viewpoint this is not one of them.
Oh well..in any event cheers, and may all the cards be 9's and ya can have a good laugh on stevek...I hope it happens.
I just picked up the package from the post office, and the cards look incredible! I definitely see some 9's. There are 24 Robin Roberts cards, 7 or so of which are VG-EX and the rest are EX-MT and up. A couple might be be PSA 8 or 9s. I'm going to take a bunch of pictures and will post within an hour. I've really enjoyed reading all of your posts. I will most likely sell as a big lot without cherry picking since this is such a unique little collection. The eBay seller is a lady who I believe really does not know anything about baseball cards. I am guessing that the original owner bought a case of these vending boxes and sorted them in 20-card or so blocks. I'd say that 80% of the cards are still in vending box quality. I'm extremely happy with the purchase.
This is just a sample. Please let me know if you want to see pictures of other cards. The side of the box has Baseball stamped on it. Do you think this was a Topps stamp or the dealer's stamp?
For the love of all that is sacred and cardboard... DO NOT SELL IT AS A WHOLE!!! PART IT OUT, GRADE THE WORTHY CARDS, AND MAKE SOME SERIOUS PROFIT!! That is all.
Looks like you got a fantastic deal on this one...there are still some very nice scores out there. Congrats!
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
Comments
If not more.
Only an idiot would have a message board signature.
<< <i>The seller of an opened and searched 1960 Topps vending box offered it to me for $400: Link
Is this a good deal? I figure there are 15+ Robin Roberts and some possible PSA 9s. What kind of resale value would something like this have? I've seen unopened 1960 Topps vending boxes go for around $7k, but this is obviously a different situation. Any advice would be great appreciated. >>
<<< I know "0" about baseball. This appears to be a 500 card pack meant for single sale in a store. There are several duplicates of each card and all seem to be in order. Sold as is. Please ask me any questions. I had to re-list this because after Bidding it up to 709$ Buyer decided not to pay for it. Please be considerate. I am starting much lower than that, Thank-you for Looking & Good Luck. >>>
I'm not accusing the seller of anything here in this post, because I do not know...but this I do know...an old trick on ebay and in other shady business venues as well, is for a seller to pretend something similar or exact sold at a higher price recently, and then offer it to a potential buyer at a lower price when in reality the higher priced sale never occurred. There is a term for this but I can't think of it off the cuff.
So...a seller on ebay with an alt-ID or a family/friend's ID could "buy" this lot for $709, and of course it doesn't get paid for and the seller just puts in a non-payment claim and gets his seller fees back, and so it doean't cost him anything. However a potential buyer seeing this thinks he's getting a great deal because heck, the item just sold for $709 and the "buyer" just didn't pay, when actually it didn't sell at all. Again...this is just an illustration...I'm not accusing the seller of doing this.
Also the seller states, "Sold as is" which in my opinion almost definitely, if not definitely, means there's no hidden treasure going on in this sale. Sorry no 8's or even quite laughably out loud to believe there could be 9's in here, and I doubt if there are even any straight 7's, but hopefully for the buyer there could be a few.
Well, I'll end my thread comments here, I don't want to give any Optimistic Oprahs on here a heart attack.
<< <i>There is a term for this but I can't think of it off the cuff. >>
allow me.
LIE.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
"Live everyday, don't throw it away"
<< <i>"pathetic waste of time"
Glad that someone really enjoyed the hobby today and didn't lose money. I really hope the next great find that someone puts on here that passes your guidelines, you can put as much detail and positive impact into it. Looking forward to it. Lots of great posts, information, detail, etc. So the next big purchase, pop, or raw buy someone posts I'll be looking for a good 10 to 15 healthy posts with your hobby time that you so thoroughly enjoy.
Thank you...
Edit: Just reminds me of a reoccurring patch of eczema. >>
alright...one more post for the road. LOL
miconelegacy - Come on now...my posts were in response to the OP wanting to flip the lot, not in a hobby sense. When have I ever knocked anyone pointing out cards they bought for their collection, unless they were being scammed. How about never!
I enjoy the hobby and also enjoy seeing others enjoy it whether it is an expensive PSA 10 card or a collection of low grade inexpensive cards. Everyone enjoys the hobby in their own way according to their interests and available spending money, and I think that is great.
The OP clearly stated that he wanted to flip the lot for a sale. His comment was "If I buy it I will most likely resell it....." and my comments were intended towards that. My comments were geared towards business, it wasn't personal.
<< <i>Boy, this is quite a bit of analysis and discussion over a bunch of EX-MT 1960 baseball cards! >>
You can say that again.
<< <i>My comments were geared towards business, it wasn't personal.
How about those unsolicited comments about the Mets? Now that is personal!!!
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep."
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."
Collecting:
Any unopened Baseball cello and rack packs and boxes from the 1970's and early 1980s.
how dare you start this thread...
Looking for 1970 MLB Photostamps
- uncut
Positive Transactions - tennesseebanker, Ahmanfan, Donruss, Colebear, CDsNuts, rbdjr1, Downtown1974, yankeeno7, drewsef, mnolan, mrbud60, msassin, RipublicaninMass, AkbarClone, rustywilly, lsutigers1973, julen23 and nam812, plus many others...
"Live everyday, don't throw it away"
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
<< <i>Any time you can buy something to flip where you're virtually guaranteed to at least break even and could potentially make a few hundred dollars, obviously you gotta turn that down. The acute business sense on this board never ceases to amaze me. >>
flip? sure. make a few bucks if you can, that's good business sense. someone else can make the money.
so, say the box is loaded with 8's and 9's....i can tell you from experience, there's money there as well......i've been chipping away at the same small group of '66 Topps bb cards since 2004, darn nice cards, 8's and 9's all day, even a few 10's, but it's getting tougher and tougher to achieve the same financial gains now as opposed to then....there's marginal amounts of joy in having to deal the same thing over and over again.
the market is loaded, so it's a long term commitment and it needs to be cheap.
if the cards aren't so nice as to be consistently gradable, then expenses and fees will wind up chewing into whatever small profit could be made.
just sayin'.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep."
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."
Collecting:
Any unopened Baseball cello and rack packs and boxes from the 1970's and early 1980s.
Looking for 1970 MLB Photostamps
- uncut
Positive Transactions - tennesseebanker, Ahmanfan, Donruss, Colebear, CDsNuts, rbdjr1, Downtown1974, yankeeno7, drewsef, mnolan, mrbud60, msassin, RipublicaninMass, AkbarClone, rustywilly, lsutigers1973, julen23 and nam812, plus many others...
so, say the box is loaded with 8's and 9's....i can tell you from experience, there's money there as well......i've been chipping away at the same small group of '66 Topps bb cards since 2004, darn nice cards, 8's and 9's all day, even a few 10's, but it's getting tougher and tougher to achieve the same financial gains now as opposed to then....there's marginal amounts of joy in having to deal the same thing over and over again.
the market is loaded, so it's a long term commitment and it needs to be cheap.
if the cards aren't so nice as to be consistently gradable, then expenses and fees will wind up chewing into whatever small profit could be made.
just sayin'.
1960 Topps commons in EXMT sell for $1.50-$2.00 on ebay all day. Take out .50 in fees and that's $1.00-1.50 on each card. And if you choose to use shipping as a profit center you can tack on another $.75-1.00 per card. If you can't profit off a lot like this then you need to work on your sales strategy. Say 20% of the lot is in less than EXMT shape, that leaves 400 that are sellable as singles. That means your return is $400-$600 for the cards, and another $300-$400 if you choose to profit off shipping like just about every top ebay seller does. This is all assuming there is nothing gradable in the lot. And it's also assuming Robin Roberts is a common which he is not. Also, it is worth noting that Nuxhall, Turley and Flood carry a small premium as well.
it's a pain in the a$$.
if the OP goes that route, then i'm laying 3 to 1 odds he quits after about a dozen auctions.
I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a 75 rack pack today..
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
That I can agree with. I just did some mid grade 50s set breaks and it definitely sucks, but I'd do it again because I like money too much.
<< <i>if the OP goes that route, then i'm laying 3 to 1 odds he quits after about a dozen auctions.
That I can agree with. I just did some mid grade 50s set breaks and it definitely sucks, but I'd do it again because I like money too much. >>
I agree, it is a pain in the butt to list set/lot breaks for a few bucks per card, but it's well worth the effort and the time spent, which I would otherwise be wasting if I wasn't in this hobby. You get a different perspective if you picture those tall stacks of cards on your desk as tall stacks of dollar bills. The OP just basically bought a box of 500 $2 bills for $400. Can't beat that with a bat.
<< <i>This is all moot if the OP is planning on reselling the box as a whole. I would love to see the results if he were to piece it out, but not sure that will even happen. >>
Considering what I believe the box to be based on the evidence...a bunch of EX-EXMT or NM OC cards, I think it actually may have more value as a whole rather than broken up...and I believe the seller thought that as well or he would have broken it up considering he sells hundreds of low priced stuff now. The buyer here bought it for the "hidden treasure" aspect, and perhaps another buyer might buy it for the same reason.
One thing I just checked out because I'm not that familiar with many non-sports cards. The box has "Robin Hood" printed on it, and the Topps Robin Hood series cards were from 1957. So although the box is old, it likely predates 1960 and therefore is likely, if not definitely not the original box for these cards. I doubt very much if Topps would have had printed a three year supply of boxes or had unused boxes laying around considering card collecting was growing at that time.
So in my opinion, this furthers the viewpoint that this was not any "This appears to be a 500 card pack meant for single sale in a store" as the seller states...and so this new info from detective stevek, I think certainly diminishes the "hidden treasure" possibilities of this lot...and sorry to say, it's getting close to checkmate. Seems to me it's looking more like a flip attempt in which only ebay is gonna make a profit...again...I hope I'm wrong.
<< <i>If the OP does resell the box as a whole, the value will be greatly diminished because he will certainly cherry pick the good cards out. >>
That is an excellent point, and now I guess ya gotta wonder if that hadn't already been done? I've had that trick played on me...I've bought sets on ebay, particularly the 1985 Topps Baseball sets when they were hot, and like all the cards were in nice PSA 7 to 8 type condition, except for the Clemens and McGwire in which they just happened to be in lesser condition, obviously cherry picked out and replaced.
You're wrong, any seller who knows what he's doing makes money on this lot 100% of the time as long as most of it is EX-MT or better. You clearly are ignorant regarding how to sell mid-grade vintage singles on ebay, and are going based on the assumption that nobody buys mid-grade singles on ebay. I just did a completed auctions search and over 200 EX/MT non hi-number commons have sold for $1-$7 before shipping.
I would have this lot flipped within 3 months and probably double my money if 80% of it is EX-MT.
Considering what I believe the box to be based on the evidence...a bunch of EX-EXMT or NM OC cards, I think it actually may have more value as a whole rather than broken up.
Have you ever sold mid-grade vintage singles on ebay in bulk as singles? What qualifies you to make such a statement (that anybody who sells a lot on ebay knows is clearly back asswards)? There are very few cases where selling any lot whole on ebay will show better results than breaking it up, and this isn't one of them. Regardless of whether there is anything gradable or not, if the lot is mostly EX-MT as you have suggested it will be, it's a money maker which my math in an earlier post corroborates.
<< <i>This purchase is by no means a slam dunk money maker given the cards are being purchased sight unseen.
Considering what I believe the box to be based on the evidence...a bunch of EX-EXMT or NM OC cards, I think it actually may have more value as a whole rather than broken up.
Have you ever sold mid-grade vintage singles on ebay in bulk as singles? What qualifies you to make such a statement (that anybody who sells a lot on ebay knows is clearly back asswards)? There are very few cases where selling any lot whole on ebay will show better results than breaking it up, and this isn't one of them. Regardless of whether there is anything gradable or not, if the lot is mostly EX-MT as you have suggested it will be, it's a money maker which my math in an earlier post corroborates. >>
The answer to your first sentence question is "Yes"..and you're a smart guy Lee...you should know in this thread that I was referring to this particular lot simply because that is the topic of this thread. Your implication that I meant "all" when I stated..."I think it actually may have more value as a whole rather than broken up" is quite silly, because you're of course right that it usually is better to break up a lot similar as this. However in this case, considering the old box and everything, we disagree because as I've stated, this particular lot has that "hidden treasure" element to it which in my opinion has more value as a lure to suck in a buyer, than the value of someone such as yourself breaking it up and selling the cards like you do on ebay.
I forget your ebay name, but I've seen your sales on ebay before and they are professionally done, as well as honest and forthright...it's a shame all ebay sellers can't be that way.
<< <i>Spoken in Sonny Corleonese....someone is taking this thing very personally. >>
So we should stay away from toll booths? LOL
It bugs me when people try and give real world advice on situations they know nothing about to people asking for advice. There was a thread a while back where a guy bought some Jordan refractors and a bunch of people with no history of selling modern Jordan's told him he'd be lucky to get his money back. Since I have dealt in that stuff for years I knew right away one card would pay for the lot and he would at least triple his money. It's like people are compelled to share opinions on here that are based on little more than their gut feeling with no basis of real world experience.
Here's a quick synopsis of how just about every "Should I take a gamble on this" thread plays out on these boards:
OP: Should I buy this raw vintage lot?
CU: No, raw is for suckers.
OP: Should I buy this modern card?
CU: No, modern is overpriced shiny junk.
OP: Should I buy unopened from someone other than Steve Hart?
CU: No, it's likely resealed.
So basically, according to this board there are no good raw, modern, or unopened buys anywhere in the world that someone can flip for a profit. I have an idea: instead of people responding to these threads with the same canned response based on nothing more than their preconceived notions, how about we put a little thought and research into it before grabbing the megaphone and shouting our unfounded advice to someone looking for help? When auto threads show up, you won't see me giving advice. You know why? Because I know nothing about autos. So when several people who have never sold mid-grade raw vintage on ebay jump in a thread and advise somebody not to buy mid-grade raw vintage for the purpose of reselling, it bewilders me. I've been buying raw, modern and unopened online for years for the purpose of flipping and have somehow managed to avoid being homeless, and I'm not even that smart of a guy.
"Live everyday, don't throw it away"
<< <i>I'm not even that smart of a guy. >>
don't sell yourself short.....you're a smartguy.
some of the comments or suggestions you've made over the years, be they genuine or flip (heh heh), have not gone unnoticed.
your theory is based upon 'As long as they are EX/MNT or better' Suppose they ain't?
Suppose they are vg/ex at best? Suppose the best cards are placed on the top?
IMO I agree with you, as long as they all look as good or better than the cards shown
money can be made on this lot. Some people gave opinions that their time was worth
more than what they could make and others possibly have been burned more than they'd like
to admit on raw so they instinctively are cautious.
Remember, there have been times when people were saved
from so called great looking deals because of so called negative advice.
For this forum to work regarding threads like these both sides need to be heard.
Ok back to the sidelines for me.
<< <i>Spoken in Sonny Corleonese....someone is taking this thing very personally.
It bugs me when people try and give real world advice on situations they know nothing about to people asking for advice. There was a thread a while back where a guy bought some Jordan refractors and a bunch of people with no history of selling modern Jordan's told him he'd be lucky to get his money back. Since I have dealt in that stuff for years I knew right away one card would pay for the lot and he would at least triple his money. It's like people are compelled to share opinions on here that are based on little more than their gut feeling with no basis of real world experience.
Here's a quick synopsis of how just about every "Should I take a gamble on this" thread plays out on these boards:
OP: Should I buy this raw vintage lot?
CU: No, raw is for suckers.
OP: Should I buy this modern card?
CU: No, modern is overpriced shiny junk.
OP: Should I buy unopened from someone other than Steve Hart?
CU: No, it's likely resealed.
So basically, according to this board there are no good raw, modern, or unopened buys anywhere in the world that someone can flip for a profit. I have an idea: instead of people responding to these threads with the same canned response based on nothing more than their preconceived notions, how about we put a little thought and research into it before grabbing the megaphone and shouting our unfounded advice to someone looking for help? When auto threads show up, you won't see me giving advice. You know why? Because I know nothing about autos. So when several people who have never sold mid-grade raw vintage on ebay jump in a thread and advise somebody not to buy mid-grade raw vintage for the purpose of reselling, it bewilders me. I've been buying raw, modern and unopened online for years for the purpose of flipping and have somehow managed to avoid being homeless, and I'm not even that smart of a guy. >>
I generally don't disagree with most of that, although of course some of your comments were obviously generalizing to make a point. Speaking for myself, I gave what I thought was an in-depth analysis of the situation and my viewpoints, based on a lot of experience, and some others did as well...so now we'll wait and see from the OP what kind of cards he got and what kind of deal he got.
Frankly Lee, where you are wrong in all this, is it seems as though you are making assumptions about these cards based on some distant pics and pics of a few corners from a few cards, that this may be a tremendous deal. I mean there isn't even a large full pic shown of a single card....that to me is quite suspicious and telling as to any hope of high grade cards. I mean this seller has clear up close pics of many cheap $5 type items that he's selling in his other auctions, and here he's got a lot worth say $400 and he's doesn't show one single large picture pic of one of those potential 9's that you stated "From the scan it looks like there are at least some sharp corners there, so any 8s ($20-$35 ea) and 9s ($100+ ea) are all gravy."
I mean come on now Lee, the chances of any 9's in this lot are zero and it's a very easy call...the chances of any 8's is virtually nil, if not nil...and if there are any straight 7's in there I'll be very surprised. Sorry to inform you, but I think you're getting sucked into the "hidden treasure" element of this sale as much as the OP did. Remember that blind greed can make for bad decisions no matter how smart you are.
<< <i>..........and I'm not even that smart of a guy. >>
Agree wholeheartedly.
"Live everyday, don't throw it away"
I have no problem taking a shot, a calculated good risk, at a potentially nice profit situation, but in my viewpoint this is not one of them.
Oh well..in any event cheers, and may all the cards be 9's and ya can have a good laugh on stevek...I hope it happens.
"Live everyday, don't throw it away"
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These Roberts all have the same smeared ink pattern near the left border.
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Yogi Berra
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
wonder where the rest of vending boxes ended up