Advice needed on moving thousands of signed minor league cards

frankhardy

I recently bought a collection of nearly 50,000 signed baseball, football, basketball, and misc signed cards. Out of those, I have about 10,000 signed minor league cards. Most of these are commons. I have not finished going through them all, but I am only finding either guys I have never heard or guys that are just average to below average major leaguers (ie Doug Glanville, Jake Westbrook, Jon Leiber, Cory Lidle, Octavio Dotel, etc). These range from about 1990 to 2005 with the majority only going up to about 2003.

My question is - what advice would you give me as far as selling these? I don't think that they would sell individually. Should I move them as one huge lot? Should I bust them up into team lots (which might be tough to do since they are mixed up; some are in order though)? Should I sell them by year?

Are there collectors of minor league autographs - autographs of players who didn't make the majors?

Any advice would be appreciated.

123Slider

As sad as it may seem, 16 years after my last game, I still get a minor-league card once in a while in the mail to sign.

So yes, they are out there.

I would think MLB team affiliation would be the way to go. With my second choice being by year.

frankhardy

PM sent.

frankhardy

<< <i>As sad as it may seem, 16 years after my last game, I still get a minor-league card once in a while in the mail to sign.

So yes, they are out there.

I would think MLB team affiliation would be the way to go. With my second choice being by year. >>



Do you have any of your cards? Post a scan and I will see if I have any of yours.

Dboneesq

<< <i>I would think MLB team affiliation would be the way to go. With my second choice being by year. >>



Agree.

Slider ... show us one of your cards please.

123Slider

<< <i>

<< <i>I would think MLB team affiliation would be the way to go. With my second choice being by year. >>



Agree.

Slider ... show us one of your cards please. >>



Oh to be young again..... I look at this card and all I think about is getting back in the gym!

Sean1125

I do very very well with a $1 box at shows pulling out stars. People go through looking for their team and end up spending $10-$20 each

Edit also:

PM Sent

frankhardy

Nice, Chad! Not many people in the world can say that they made it on a baseball card. How close did you get to the big club? Did you go to spring training with Sox?

I know I have some from that set. I will look to see if I have some of you.

minnesotahusker

Dang, I just threw away 1,000s of minor league cards. Would have been fun to go through them to see if I had any cards of you. What years did you all appear?

The real question is, do you sign all your requests? I would be stoked if someone sent me mail and wanted my autograph on it...beside the government that is.

123Slider

Not close enough I guess. Drafted in 1992. Hung it up in 1995. Got experience the player's strike from a perspective that I wouldn't wish on anyone, but I wouldn't trade my time overall for anything.

husker - Yes, I signed them all. I used to sign as much as I could when I played, although I'm sure they really wanted someone else like Nomar or Trot to sign instead.

I was a big collector as a kid and remember what it was like to get autographs, so I tried to as much as I could.

It's a been a little while since I got a request in the mail. I'm still amazed everytime I get one. But yes, it's cool!

arex

<< <i>Not close enough I guess. Drafted in 1992. Hung it up in 1995. Got experience the player's strike from a perspective that I wouldn't wish on anyone, but I wouldn't trade my time overall for anything.

husker - Yes, I signed them all. I used to sign as much as I could when I played, although I'm sure they really wanted someone else like Nomar or Trot to sign instead.

I was a big collector as a kid and remember what it was like to get autographs, so I tried to as much as I could.

It's a been a little while since I got a request in the mail. I'm still amazed everytime I get one. But yes, it's cool! >>


Did you ever play any games with Jeff McNealy? He went to my High School and graduated I believe when I was in 8th grade. I think he might be a little older than you though.

123Slider

<< <i>

<< <i>Not close enough I guess. Drafted in 1992. Hung it up in 1995. Got experience the player's strike from a perspective that I wouldn't wish on anyone, but I wouldn't trade my time overall for anything.

husker - Yes, I signed them all. I used to sign as much as I could when I played, although I'm sure they really wanted someone else like Nomar or Trot to sign instead.

I was a big collector as a kid and remember what it was like to get autographs, so I tried to as much as I could.

It's a been a little while since I got a request in the mail. I'm still amazed everytime I get one. But yes, it's cool! >>


Did you ever play any games with Jeff McNealy? He went to my High School and graduated I believe when I was in 8th grade. I think he might be a little older than you though. >>



Sure did. Ahead of me by a year or two, so spring training and instructional league was where I knew him from. He was very fast!!!!!

AkbarClone

The only McNealys that have minor league stats at baseballreference or baseballcube are:

Robert "Rusty" Lee McNealy (Born 1958) drafted in 1980,
Darryel A. McNealy (Born 1960) drafted in 1979,
and Derwin Antonio McNealy--(Born 1960) started minor leagues in 1979.

Which one went by Jeff? (just curious)

Chad's records and stats are posted--pretty cool to have your own cards.

I collect quite a few minor league players (as an alumni collector of two universities)--but don't collect their autographs (unless they are certified issues).

123Slider

<< <i>The only McNealys that have minor league stats at baseballreference or baseballcube are:

Robert "Rusty" Lee McNealy (Born 1958) drafted in 1980,
Darryel A. McNealy (Born 1960) drafted in 1979,
and Derwin Antonio McNealy--(Born 1960) started minor leagues in 1979.

Which one went by Jeff? (just curious)

Chad's records and stats are posted--pretty cool to have your own cards.

I collect quite a few minor league players (as an alumni collector of two universities)--but don't collect their autographs (unless they are certified issues). >>



If memory serves, McNeely is the correct spelling.

gemint

<< <i>As sad as it may seem, 16 years after my last game, I still get a minor-league card once in a while in the mail to sign.

So yes, they are out there.

I would think MLB team affiliation would be the way to go. With my second choice being by year. >>



17-7 career record but a quick halt to your career. Did you get injured?

123Slider

<< <i>

<< <i>As sad as it may seem, 16 years after my last game, I still get a minor-league card once in a while in the mail to sign.

So yes, they are out there.

I would think MLB team affiliation would be the way to go. With my second choice being by year. >>



17-7 career record but a quick halt to your career. Did you get injured? >>





Not really. The article below will probably sum things up.


Red Sox Won't Push
They Have Replacements
March 01, 1995|By PAUL DOYLE; Courant Staff Writer


FORT MYERS, Fla. — Their questionnaires were handed in to management Tuesday, but confusion among Red Sox minor leaguers didn't cease. They still are being pulled in opposite directions by the players' union and the owners.

Should they play or should they go?

At least five players told the Red Sox they would prefer not to play in exhibition games, giving the team an option to treat them as striking players and kick them out of camp. Pitchers Greg Brummett, Calvain Culberson, Chad Amos, Dominic Johnson and Joe Ciccarella attended a union meeting in Tampa Monday night and informed the Red Sox they would not play.


Other players spent the night discussing their options.

``Every night [at the hotel] we've talked about it,'' pitcher Glenn Carter said. ``It's something that's weighing on us. And I don't think the big leaguers understand.''

Carter (colitis) and Brummett (sore elbow) will not be ready to pitch in exhibition games Friday against the Twins and Boston College. The team will hold a meeting this morning to select players for the exhibition games.

General manager Dan Duquette said there were other players who were noncommittal, so manager Kevin Kennedy and director of field operations Bobby Schaefer will meet with them today and try to convince them to play. Since the Boston College game is a charity event, the union has cleared players to participate. Duquette said the team has more than enough players for the Twins game.

Though the Red Sox retain the option to treat those who refuse to play as striking players, Duquette was sympathetic.

``We need to be sensitive to the pressures on these kids,'' Duquette said. ``We're not going to let a labor situation disrupt our camp entirely. There really isn't any point to force a crisis.''

So if a prospect such as Ciccarella refuses to play, he probably won't be told to leave camp. Other players, such as Carter, said they were willing to play in exhibition games, but were explicit in refusing to be replacement players in the regular season.

That is not a problem for the Red Sox, who have 32 players with a replacement addendum in their minor league contract. Problem is, the union was clear in its message Monday night. The 12 players who spoke said they would consider any player who plays an exhibition game a strikebreaker.

And strikebreakers won't be welcome in big league lockerrooms when the strike is settled.

``They were dead serious,'' Brummett said. ``Some of them said things like, `Scum of the earth scabs,' and things like that. . . . A lot of those guys just do not want to be associated with the strikebreakers.''

Brummett said one minor leaguer stood and asked why the major leaguers are pressuring them. Dodgers outfielder Brett Butler stood and said, ``We're not putting pressure on you, the owners are.''

Of the five who attended the meeting, Ciccarella is the best-known prospect. Brummett, 27, Johnson, 26, and Culberson, 28, have all joined the Red Sox in the past year and were replacement candidates. Amos, 23, has never pitched above Class A and will probably not be asked to play in exhibition games.

But Ciccarella, a lefthander, would have been a candidate to play exhibition games. He has spent most of the past two seasons in Double A and has been emerging as a prospect since becoming a starter last season. But he has been on the 40-man roster and says he has some loyalty to the union.

``It's my own decision and it's a tough decision, but hopefully nothing has to happen,'' Ciccarella said. ``I think I presented my rationale [in the questionnaire]. I just hope they understand.''

Brummett, who has appeared in 13 major league games with the Giants and Twins, said the union's presentation solidified his position. He has spoken to other minor leaguers and has offered advice.

``A lot of guys are scared,'' Brummett said. ``A lot of guys are panicking. A lot of guys are coming to me, asking me what I'm doing. . . . But really, everyone has to make their own decision.''





I was brought into the room, with all the above names and told.....

"Chad, you had a great year last year and we expect you to be our closer in AA this year. But if you don't play in these games, I can't promise that you will ever get that chance."

It sucked the desire to play out of me, and I knew my days with Boston were over. As were the other guys mentioned in the article. I had multiple chances and offers to join other organizations, but chose to do something else. Tough for me to type tha,t let alone do what I did. The stories I could tell you about that spring would blow your mind.

arex

Yes, I misspelled it. It is McNeely. He came out one day when I was in high school and hung out with us while we were having baseball practice.
Seemed like a really nice guy.

Tabe

<< <i>I was brought into the room, with all the above names and told.....

"Chad, you had a great year last year and we expect you to be our closer in AA this year. But if you don't play in these games, I can't promise that you will ever get that chance."

It sucked the desire to play out of me, and I knew my days with Boston were over. As were the other guys mentioned in the article. I had multiple chances and offers to join other organizations, but chose to do something else. Tough for me to type tha,t let alone do what I did. The stories I could tell you about that spring would blow your mind. >>


That sucks man.

I, for one, would like my mind blown. So start sharing

Thank you for what you've already shared, btw.

For those interested:

Chad Amos Minor League Stats at baseballreference.com

Tabe

Dboneesq

Chad ... thanks for the insight on that situation. Seems like you have no regrets over your decision. Hope all worked out/is working out well for you.

Cooptown

Wow, that's unbelieveable Chad. I had some of your cards. I grew up outside of Syracuse, NY and would graph Syracuse Chiefs games. I kept all my minor leaguers separate and would constantly be going through them. Lots of names in this thread that brought back memories. I have stacks of Jeff McNeely and Joe Ciccarella signed cards. I remember lots of former BoSox prospects, such as Tim Naehring, Bob Zupic, Aaron Sele and Frank Rodriquez just to name a few off the top of my head.

Hard to believe that 15 years later I would be on the same message board with someone whose card I had put aside to get an autograph one day. Or strange to think that 15 years ago I didnt know what a message board was.

Great stories...keep em coming.

gemint

That sucks. Yes there is a dark underbelly to sports. It's too bad you had to be drug through that mess but I'm glad to see that it didn't destroy your love of collecting.

RedHeart54

Greg Brummett was on the 1989 NCAA Champion Wichita State Shockers.

yankeeno7

Great experiences both good and bad, Chad.

My biggest question to you would be...and you dont have to go into specifics....were there every discussions of steroids? You started in that era. I imagine it was really at its peak for guys to do what it takes to get into the bigs.

123Slider

Ok, here goes.

I had a great year in 94, closing for a withba not so good record. Got protected AAA for the rule five which meant if someone picked me up, I would have to be on the 40 man roster. Good place to be after a crapy year in 93.

Obviously the strike happened late 1994, and we were mostly unaffected by it at that time.

Early February I get a letter from the Red Sox telling me to report mid-Feb, which was the usual time for big leaguers, not minor leaguers. A few calls later I find out that I was likely to be asked to play in replacement games if needed. I'm not sure how public it was, but the owners were serious about starting the season with replacement players, and however many games were played would count towards the standings. If the Sox went 9-1 and the Yankees went 5-5, they would start with a 4 game lead.

We practiced for the first week or so just as we normally would. Then the questionnaires came....will you play in these games? Do you want to play? Do you feel pressure to play? There were 4 questions I think. I answered zero of them, flipped the paper over and said "I do not wish to be asked to play in these games. Being forced to answer yes or no will ultimately have a negative effect on my childhood dream of playing in the major leagues. "

Apparently I confused the heck out of them because it bought me a week. About that time, they announced the players union meeting in Tampa, so we loaded up my jeep and drove to hear the otherwise of the story.

There were hundreds of minor leaguers there, several of whom played in the bigs before. There were also several current mlb'ers in attendance.

We had heard from red sox players like Clemens and Greenwell that playing in these games would be considered an act of treason, but wanted to hear from others. Spoke to Wally Joyner on the way in who said, sorry about your situation, don't worry about us and do whatever you need to do. You guys aren't taking our jobs, just try to survive this.

Others weren't so kind. Gene Orza lead the meeting, with Brett Butler, Cecil Fielder and Bobby Bonilla being up front as player reps. We were told that they needed us to sympathy strike to help their cause.

Two things stand out to me about this meeting. First was a minor leaguer saying to the players that he was sympathetic to their position, and that he didn't want to cross the line, but had no money to even fly home. Asking if the union could give us money to get home and live on until this was over. Orza indicated that they could not, since they did not officially represent us. At that time, the player lookedcat Cecil and said that since he was making 5 million, couldn't he just take it out of his own pocket? Big daddy stood up and got mad, and things got very interesting. Sometime later Todd Stottlemyre marched to the front of the room and preceded to use f-bombs with the word scabs for minutes, which felt like hours. IMO he was hammered.

We left that meeting with no idea what each of us should do. The next morning, we found out we were on the front page of the Boston herald as the 5 who refuse to play. We were very popular with the front office staff, with all of them asking us what happened and what we were going to do.

All of us knew that the very fact that we were asked to cross the line meant that our careers were likely over. Joe Ciccarella who is still my best friend and roomy at the time, was the highest profile player and was dismissedvfor not agreeing to play. He later came back to play as well.

Dominic (Deron Johnson's) son did not out of respect for what the union did when his dad got cancer. Brummett and Culberson I honestly can't remember. I got the call into the office with the threat of being buried, as I was 3 years into my career and was not a free agent until after 6 years.

So I finally crossed the line, but my spring was ruined. I threw two innings in 6 weeks before they sent me to AA. My desire was gone and just wanted it to end. I was miserable and was granted my release. I had several offers, but couldn't bring myself to do it anymore.

As I mentioned, we had lots of contact with coaches and players during it all. Frank White was my first manager and a good friend through all of this. Jim Rice was the biggest idiot and only madevthings worse everyday.

As I said, I would do it again, but would like to opt of the 1995 part if possible

I owned Jason Kendall and Johnny Damon. Adam Hyzdu and Mark Grudzelanek owned me. I topped out at 91 with a nasty slurve from 3/4. Graduated with 82 in my high school class, from a town with one stoplight and felt honored to live the life for a few years. Made some great friends and have some great stories.

So now someone please buy Shane's card since I hijacked his thread.

123Slider

<< <i>Great experiences both good and bad, Chad.

My biggest question to you would be...and you dont have to go into specifics....were there every discussions of steroids? You started in that era. I imagine it was really at its peak for guys to do what it takes to get into the bigs. >>



Yes there were steroids. There were some that were very obvious, others you wondered. I can remember talking about players, but it wasn't discussed by the users that I can remember.

Looking back, probably more then I ever expected were using.

One guy walked in first day of spring training, took his shirt off, and someone said "my god! What did you do!". He gained an unreal amount of muscle in 6 months.

gemint

Too bad you can't go back to that season and feign a serious arm injury so you could skip the season and all the BS. I remember Lenny Randle offered to play in the replacement games. I think he was 46 at the time. Not a good time for baseball and neither was the steroid era.

EAsports

I would gladly buy any ex-LSU players you have. GLADLY. I can send you a list, if you'd like.

Dboneesq

Chad ... thanks for sharing that first hand account of what happened.

Mdube16

Very cool stories about that time

Back to the OP....
It may seem long but if you can type the names on an Excel sheet it might be worth your while. Plenty of College collectors, team collectors and the like would gladly pay a few bucks a card. I dont think as a bulk sale it would be worth more than a few hundred dollars.

frankhardy

Chad,

I don't consider you hijacking this thread. I thought it was pretty neat how it turned out.



Thanks for all the suggestions. I will probably sell in team lots. I will go through them after I got the other stuff sold, which will be a while. I will definitely scan through them to see if I have any of Chad.

ROCKCITYCHRIS

Hi are there any 1992 upperdeck minor league signed cards? Im working on the set still. I would buy them all thanks.

hookem

Great stuff Chad. Thanks for sharing.

TNP777

This turned out to be a very cool thread - thanks for sharing your experiences, Chad.

Shane, PM sent.

mknez

Chad, Thanks for the stories. would love to have a beer with you at the next National!

Mike

frankhardy

I am looking for Chad. I just got done with my first 3200 ct box (out of 3). No Chad yet, but I did find Jeff McNeely that you guys were referring to.

CopperJJ

I'd be interested in Dodgers minor league or Jacksonville Suns/Expos signed cards. I prefer cards signed in blue sharpie.

Chad, thanks for sharing.

frankhardy

I looked through over 12,000 minor league cards today - NO CHAD AMOS! Argh!

Oh well.

Yankees001

I would break the lot up groups of 100. Then send to ebay.

That is the easiest way.

Dave

123Slider

<< <i>I looked through over 12,000 minor league cards today - NO CHAD AMOS! Argh!

Oh well. >>



They are rare! That makes the value of them go up!


From $0.00 to $0.01

ROCKDJRW

Very cool thread! Chad you really were in the middle (and part of) history. To answer the original question I would break them down by popular minor league teeam and sell the rest as one lot. For example I would like all the Kane County Cougar cards but couldn't care less about all the other Marlins/a's/Royals prospects.