Anatomy of a BBCE deal

dmurphy3mvp

Often when we buy large collections, everything goes smoothly and as planned. Sometimes though, sh*t happens. The deal we bought last month in Arizona was one of those times. Read all about it here:

BBCE blog

RookieWax

I read that a few days ago. That is the kind of stuff that needs to be videotaped...along with your card finds as you are going through the houses or warehouses. Even if it doesn't make a TV show, it would make great internet TV. Pictures just aren't enough.

MisterBungle

A&E's new series, "Sport Card Wars", new this fall.

~

1980scollector

I loved that when I read it on Facebook. I really enjoy reading about the deal itself and what you go through to buy your product.

Fabfrank

Reed- Great story. I wish I had your job.

TNP777

That was a fun read. You might want to consider changing the background color on your page, though - sorta hard on the eyes.

bking

<< <i>That was a fun read. You might want to consider changing the background color on your page, though - sorta hard on the eyes. >>



Awww, c'mon. That color scheme was all the rage on the web in the 80's.....

dmurphy3mvp

<< <i>I read that a few days ago. That is the kind of stuff that needs to be videotaped...along with your card finds as you are going through the houses or warehouses. Even if it doesn't make a TV show, it would make great internet TV. Pictures just aren't enough. >>



I like this idea. However, most private collectors, when looking to sell, usually are interested in maintaining their privacy. Unless I get specific permission to do so, I never use the seller's name in our Facebook posts or in our magazine ads. Even back to my DACW days, I sometimes use a neighboring city to describe where I bought the deal, so the seller can remain anonymous. I've even been asked by the seller not to tell their family members (who are right there inside the house!) or their neighbors (who see my truck in the driveway) what I'm doing there.

This makes me wonder, on a show like American Pickers, do these sellers who open up their homes to Mike and Frank, get some sort of compensation for appearing on the show? I have heard stories that while the show will document the pickers spending only a grand, they will often spend many more times that figure on purchases done off camera.

The reason why I don't take more pictures is honestly, I forget to do so. I'm so caught up in all the cool stuff I'm seeing, figuring out the deal in my head, discussing terms with the seller, and thinking, "how the hell am I going to get all of this out of here?", that I don't remember I should be documenting this for posterity. I'll do a better job of this in the future.



<< <i>Reed- Great story. I wish I had your job. >>



I try to remind myself all the time that I have the best job. I make my own hours (of course, based on all the deals we get offered), work from home, and get to talk about sports and cards every day, and go treasure hunting year-round all over the country. I never could go back to Hawaii and work in my card shop again. That would be like sending me down to AAA because I couldn't hit major league pitching anymore.

dmurphy3mvp

By the way, thanks to PowderedH2O, scmavl, Grote15, kingbeeswax, Toro, fiveniner, Josephcb09, MBMiller25, and cincyredlegs for letting me use their quotes from here on the message boards for our next SMR ad. It should be in the mail by mid-June.

Dboneesq

<< <i>I never could go back to Hawaii and work in my card shop again. That would be like sending me down to AAA because I couldn't hit major league pitching anymore. >>


Hey Reed ... I bet there are THOUSANDS of people who would like to be sent down to AAA in HAWAII! LOL. Thanks again for sharing your trips/buys with us!

gemint

Thanks for posting this Reed. I'm sure it's a fun job but the loading and unloading cards reminds me of my days playing in a band. It was sure fun playing the gigs but setting up and tearing down the equipment was always the part we lamented. We used to offer to give the gig money to kids who would load up our equipment.

It looks like there's very little pre 1980 unopened coming in lately. Is it a case of new finds drying up or the asking price being too high?

TheCARDKid

Reed,

Do you ever see or hear about pre 1948 material? Like a 34 Goudey pack or something. Besides a few '33 sport kings penny packs, I can't think of much that's come up for auction in the last 5 or 10 years.

dmurphy3mvp

We're sometimes tempted to pay someone to help us load the truck. I did a deal last summer in NYC in front of a bodega, barbershop, and a BBQ joint, and over the course of six hours, about 20 dudes offered to help me load the 26 foot truck with about 200 cases of 80s wax. I declined every time, even though it was over 90 degrees and I was dying. Wasn't worried so much about stuff being stolen (this was the Bronx) as I was with someone with no vested interest in my deal dropping a 60 pound case of cards. I just don't trust anyone else but myself. Besides, I could use the exercise anyways.

When it comes to pre-1980 unopened, those deals usually go straight to Steve; he has all the contacts and also all the experience. I will say, with grading and the set registry as catalysts, a lot of vintage unopened has been cracked over the past ten years. A lot. I know of at least a dozen five figure boxes that have been ripped over the past several years. I absolutely believe the impact can be felt on the existing supply. Good news for those who are sitting on a nice inventory! Yes, sometimes the asking price is too high, but we're pretty strong buyers so it's not so much a missed opportunity as it is just not being offered it as much as in the past. This is probably why Steve decided we should diversify into other, more easily attainable, product lines. It also probably seems like supply is non-existent because items seem to last only a few hours on our website before they are snapped up. Haven't you found it's rare for something "good" to sit on our website for months? Recent proof of this - the 1992 Stadium High Number Football Case on our site just sold this morning.

Pre-1948 material - that's all Steve. The oldest packs I've ever bought in my career (aside from 51T Red Backs and 54B FB) have been some 50s and 60s Topps and Parkhurst hockey packs that came out of Canada several years ago. Steve and I did see a ridiculous pack and display box run of baseball from 1948 to present (all variations included) a few months ago, but we got the feeling it wasn't for sale at a reasonable price.

EAsports

<< <i>I like this idea. However, most private collectors, when looking to sell, usually are interested in maintaining their privacy. Unless I get specific permission to do so, I never use the seller's name in our Facebook posts or in our magazine ads. Even back to my DACW days, I sometimes use a neighboring city to describe where I bought the deal, so the seller can remain anonymous. I've even been asked by the seller not to tell their family members (who are right there inside the house!) or their neighbors (who see my truck in the driveway) what I'm doing there. >>



You can certainly understand the desire to keep your sellers anonymous.

But, I think you underestimate the power of collectors SEEING a massive amount of product all at once. Most of us have only imagined purchasing pallet upon pallet of cards.

My recommendation on your next truckload buy, is to videotape when you get it back to the warehouse. I assume everything is shrink wrapped and palletized. If you don't care about the public knowing that you have 12 cases of Product X, I think it would be wonderful to see you guys cut the shrink wrap, stack up 4 1978 Topps rack cases and roll them out of frame, move on to the next frame.

You can tell the story that you tell on the blog, while you work.

And everyone that is watching can think "Oooh.... 1987/88 Fleer Basketball, I need to get some of that." For us, the end user, we get to imagine going through all of that product.

And get the impulse to buy a box or two (or eight) of said product.

MrKnowthanx

I think you have one of my dream jobs. I say one of because I consider myself lucky enough to work in the Space Industry which has always been a young boys dream.... along with sports When I am doing that "if I win the lotto" game in my head, the first thing I think of is buying 86-87 Fleer basketball boxes and ripping em open, along with cases of whatever else I can get my hands on!

Fabfrank

I never could go back to Hawaii and work in my card shop again

Reed- I remember when I used to buy from you when you had your shop in Hawaii. You've accumulated lots of miles since then
I guess doing multi city road trips, loading tons of cardboard and sleeping in motels is the secret to staying young
Keep up the good work and LMK if you are ever in the NYC area.

gemint

Thanks for the detailed response Reed. That's kinda what I expected regarding the pre-80 material. Eventually pre-1970 unopened will be almost extinct. I hope there are enough collectors out there like me who preserve it. 1970s material should still be fairly available but it won't be as common as it was the past ten years.

dmurphy3mvp

<< <i>But, I think you underestimate the power of collectors SEEING a massive amount of product all at once. Most of us have only imagined purchasing pallet upon pallet of cards. >>



You're absolutely right. I'm used to seeing large quantities of product, but a collector rarely gets to have that opportunity. Showing the product coming off the truck back at the BBCE offices is a good idea.



<< <i>Reed- I remember when I used to buy from you when you had your shop in Hawaii. You've accumulated lots of miles since then >>



Fabfrank, good to hear from a Best of the Best customer! The store is still going strong, as my business partner Calvin has been running things for the past several years. We're not as busy as we used to be before the economic downturn in 2008, but we're one of the few stores still around in Hawaii.