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Just got home from a Craigslist buy...

Wow...glad I took a friend because it was kinda scary. Anyway, walked away with two 2001 Topps baseball complete sets, 12 Jeter rookies, cello box of 1990 fleer baseball, 12 boxes of 1993 Topps baseball Series 1 wax packs, 1986 Topps Football complete set, and some other junk I'll sort through later. $50 cash. Not bad...not bad at all.

*Forgot to mention a whole trunk full of worthless 80's/90's junk that I just dumped in a dumpster at work. A guy walked over to ask what I was doing. When I explained he asked if he could have the rest of the junk stuff for his wood burning stove. I said sure.
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Comments

  • swartz1swartz1 Posts: 4,911 ✭✭✭
    Nice...

    What kinda Jeter Rookies?


    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...
  • The green 1992 topps draft picks. Going to submit them all. Been jonesin for a 10 for awhile now.
  • dennis07dennis07 Posts: 1,842 ✭✭✭
    The 93 Topps Series 1 has the Jeter card. I'm pretty sure you got your money's worth out of those 12 boxes alone.

    Edited to add: I didn't know it at the time but my best junk wax score ever came in 1994 when I found 20 boxes of
    1993 Topps series 1 on the shelves of a local Big Lots. I bought them all at $5/ box. I wish I would have left them
    unopened but I did wind up with 20 of the Jeter cards, 2 of them gold.
    Collecting 1970 Topps baseball


  • << <i>Wow...glad I took a friend because it was kinda scary. Anyway, walked away with two 2001 Topps baseball complete sets, 12 Jeter rookies, cello box of 1990 fleer baseball, 12 boxes of 1993 Topps baseball Series 1 wax packs, 1986 Topps Football complete set, and some other junk I'll sort through later. $50 cash. Not bad...not bad at all.

    *Forgot to mention a whole trunk full of worthless 80's/90's junk that I just dumped in a dumpster at work. A guy walked over to ask what I was doing. When I explained he asked if he could have the rest of the junk stuff for his wood burning stove. I said sure. >>



    12 boxes of 93 Topps for $50??
  • The guy didn't know what he had. I asked what he wanted and he said 50, so I took the offer.


  • << <i>The guy didn't know what he had. I asked what he wanted and he said 50, so I took the offer. >>



    So it's ok to take advantage of people who don't know what they have?
  • ICE9ICE9 Posts: 552 ✭✭✭
    Oh boy, here we go...
    "Must these Englishmen Live That I Might Die? Must They Live That I Might Die?" - The Blue Oyster Cult


  • << <i>So it's ok to take advantage of people who don't know what they have? >>



    I think you might be making an assumption there. I never said I took advantage of him. I asked him one question...What would you like for all of this? He answered, $50. I said okay.

    Just because someone doesn't have knowledge of the value of something and sells it for less than that value doesn't mean they were taken advantage of. It's not my responsibility to inform everyone what something is worth. If he would have asked me what I thought it was worth, I would have given him an answer....but he didn't.
  • Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>The guy didn't know what he had. I asked what he wanted and he said 50, so I took the offer. >>



    So it's ok to take advantage of people who don't know what they have? >>





    Next time you see a Buy It Now on EBAY with a price that you think is too low make sure you email the seller and tell him to raise it to fair market value.


    The OP did nothing wrong.



  • << <i>

    << <i>So it's ok to take advantage of people who don't know what they have? >>



    I think you might be making an assumption there. I never said I took advantage of him. I asked him one question...What would you like for all of this? He answered, $50. I said okay.

    Just because someone doesn't have knowledge of the value of something and sells it for less than that value doesn't mean they were taken advantage of. It's not my responsibility to inform everyone what something is worth. If he would have asked me what I thought it was worth, I would have given him an answer....but he didn't. >>



    You can conduct business in whatever way you wish. That is just not how I would choose to handle that situation.


  • << <i>You can conduct business in whatever way you wish. That is just not how I would choose to handle that situation. >>



    Who is this? image Gary?


  • << <i>

    << <i>

    << <i>The guy didn't know what he had. I asked what he wanted and he said 50, so I took the offer. >>



    So it's ok to take advantage of people who don't know what they have? >>





    Next time you see a Buy It Now on EBAY with a price that you think is too low make sure you email the seller and tell him to raise it to fair market value.


    The OP did nothing wrong. >>



    I do feel that buying on Ebay is a little different than actually dealing with someone face to face. But it is a fair example. I don't have a problem with making money on a deal. Everyone does it. There just comes a point where the right thing to do (in my mind) is at least offer him a little more than he was asking, knowing that you easily have around $350-$400 in 1993 wax, plus an 86 set, 2 01 sets, 12 rcs, etc.

    I've worked at a shop where we offered people more than they were asking on a collection. We discussed hypothetical situations all the time of what we would do if someone walked in with an authentic 1952 Mantle and said they were asking $200 for it. Of course you want to make money on it, but you also have a reputation. The last thing you want is to be known as the shop that takes advantage of people.

    I'm sure there are plenty of people who don't have an issue with it. Based on personal experience I'd feel better offering him a little more, knowing I can easily turn a profit on the deal.
  • jeffcbayjeffcbay Posts: 8,948 ✭✭✭✭
    The stuff was probably stolen anyway, so he just made a cool $50 for meth!


  • << <i>

    << <i>You can conduct business in whatever way you wish. That is just not how I would choose to handle that situation. >>



    Who is this? image Gary? >>



    No clue who Gary is. I guess it was mostly the wording that got to me. But hey, enjoy the collection.
  • I never said I was turning a profit.


  • << <i>Wow...glad I took a friend because it was kinda scary. >>


    What was scary?
  • It was in a dodgy part of town. The guy was really nice, just in a part of town that's not safe to go in at night.


  • << <i>The stuff was probably stolen anyway, so he just made a cool $50 for meth! >>


    I thought the same thing about the merchandise being stolen, especially considering Guru said it was scary.
  • I'm not so sure that it was stolen. Based on the conversation I had with the guy, I didn't get the feeling it was. He actually asked me if I had any hunting or fishing stuff I wanted to trade for. It was obvious that it had been in his closet for a long time.
  • jeffcbayjeffcbay Posts: 8,948 ✭✭✭✭
    Usually when people have collections from the late 80s to early 90s, they want $50,000 for it. You got lucky. image
  • grote15grote15 Posts: 29,477 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>It was in a dodgy part of town. The guy was really nice, just in a part of town that's not safe to go in at night. >>



    Ironically, though, it was the other guy who got robbed, LOL..


    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.
  • bigdcardsbigdcards Posts: 1,190 ✭✭✭


    << <i>I'm not so sure that it was stolen. Based on the conversation I had with the guy, I didn't get the feeling it was. He actually asked me if I had any hunting or fishing stuff I wanted to trade for. It was obvious that it had been in his closet for a long time. >>



    Is a riffle hunting stuff? He wanted to make a deal in the scary part of town using cards he didn't know the value of, for a weapon? Definitely his cards.
    To bigdcards: "you are right" - cpamike "That is correct" -grote15
  • 1980scollector1980scollector Posts: 2,036 ✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>It was in a dodgy part of town. The guy was really nice, just in a part of town that's not safe to go in at night. >>



    Ironically, though, it was the other guy who got robbed, LOL.. >>




    This made me literally LOL.



    For the record, in my opinion, the OP did nothing wrong but this was funny.
    ** Working on the following sets-2013 Spectra Football Hall of Fame 50th Anniversary Autograph set, 2015 Spectra Football Illustrious Legends Autograph set, 2014-15 Hall of Fame Heroes autograph set. **
  • IronmanfanIronmanfan Posts: 5,424 ✭✭✭✭
    Knowing what the asking price of what's on Craigslist normally, I'm not sure I would have made the trip without knowing approx. what he was looking for up front.

    IMF
    Successful dealings with Wcsportscards94558, EagleEyeKid, SamsGirl214, Volver, DwayneDrain, Oaksey25, Griffins, Cardfan07, Etc.
  • Guru, you did absolutely nothing wrong. The same dealers that a lot of these same ones who feel the need to criticize you maybe are completely ignorant or in denial that the same dealers that they THEMSELVES buy cards from do the same thing when they buy from their dealers. Haters will be haters. The fact is that you just cant tell any good stories here without someone being a jerk and ruining a good story.

    Glad you got a nice deal. Good for you buddy.
  • bobbyw8469bobbyw8469 Posts: 7,139 ✭✭✭


    << <i>The fact is that you just cant tell any good stories here without someone being a jerk and ruining a good story. >>



    +1
  • orioles93orioles93 Posts: 3,463 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>The fact is that you just cant tell any good stories here without someone being a jerk and ruining a good story. >>



    +1 >>



    +2
    What I Collect:

    PSA HOF Baseball Postwar Rookies Set Registry- (Currently 77.97% Complete)


    PSA Pro Football HOF Rookie Players Set Registry- (Currently 19.26% Complete)


    PSA Basketball HOF Players Rookies Set Registry- (Currently 6.02% Complete)


  • << <i>

    << <i>

    << <i>The fact is that you just cant tell any good stories here without someone being a jerk and ruining a good story. >>



    +1 >>



    +2 >>



    So the consensus here is that it doesn't matter what the collection is worth or that the seller does not know what they have. As long as you pay the seller what they are asking you are not taking advantage of them.

  • thunderdanthunderdan Posts: 3,036 ✭✭✭
    Did you guys meet at Ihop and give out your neighbor's address?
    image


  • wrestlingcardkingwrestlingcardking Posts: 4,555 ✭✭✭✭
    +3
    BUYING Frank Gotch T229 Kopec
    Looking to BUY n332 1889 SF Hess cards and high grade cards from 19th century especially. "Once you have wrestled everything else in life is easy" Dan Gable
  • Thundergarbage, why all the hate.
  • So say the package was worth considerably more. How do you broach that without screwing yourself?

    Seller - "I'll take $50"

    Buyer - "No. It's worth more than that. I'll give you more money."

    Seller - "How much is it worth? What am I missing?"

    Buyer - "Err... ummm... err... Don't worry about it. I'll just feel better, and my conscious will be clean, plus I can now post this CU, if I give you more money."

    Seller - "Okay, you might be screwing me. But sounds good!"

  • FrozencaribouFrozencaribou Posts: 1,084 ✭✭✭✭✭
    And if any of your cards grade out at 10's don't forget to circle back and give the guy his share. What does the ethics panel say? 50% of VCP average?


  • << <i>Did you guys meet at Ihop and give out your neighbor's address? >>



    Waffle House...the pictures on the menu at IHOP weren't big enough.


  • << <i>

    << <i>So it's ok to take advantage of people who don't know what they have? >>



    I think you might be making an assumption there. I never said I took advantage of him. I asked him one question...What would you like for all of this? He answered, $50. I said okay.

    Just because someone doesn't have knowledge of the value of something and sells it for less than that value doesn't mean they were taken advantage of. It's not my responsibility to inform everyone what something is worth. If he would have asked me what I thought it was worth, I would have given him an answer....but he didn't. >>



    Hey, I would have done the same thing! He got what he wanted, everyone is happy. Some people dont care about market value and just want to get rid of it.
  • bigdcardsbigdcards Posts: 1,190 ✭✭✭


    << <i>Hey, I would have done the same thing! He got what he wanted, everyone is happy. Some people dont care about market value and just want to get rid of it. >>



    When this is truly the case, it's the best way to get a great deal. It happens all the time where people need space, don't have lots of time and need to be rid of things. I know I let some records go really cheap that way and the little bit of cash and the amount of garage space I got in return was just right for that moment.

    For me the litmus test is simply whether or not you would be comfortable talking to the guy about the deal after the fact. Would feel any concern letting him know your opinion of the value right now? If so, something is off in my opinion.
    To bigdcards: "you are right" - cpamike "That is correct" -grote15
  • Yeah, if I decided to sell the stuff I would have no problem telling the guy. In fact, on the way out, he helped me load the stuff up and said, "Hope you find a million dollar card in there!" He didn't care what it was worth, he just wanted it gone. His wife wanted the space to put towels in. She was excited that she was getting that space.
  • dennis07dennis07 Posts: 1,842 ✭✭✭
    "Hey, I would have done the same thing! He got what he wanted, everyone is happy. Some people dont care about market value and just want to get rid of it. "

    +1
    Collecting 1970 Topps baseball
  • mygotta, you couldn't of said it any better. I really don't see why people are even complaining about this. If anyone here were to get a great deal at the National on a card, I would be happy for them. Why is this situation any different? Its not like he picked up a 52 Mantle for $50. Were talking about some Score Derek Jeter cards practically and a truck full of commons here. Lighten up everyone.
  • handymanhandyman Posts: 5,237 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Ok.
    What if..
    The seller said I want 50.00
    Buyer said no it's worth way more than that. Ill give you 100,000.00 for this group!!!
    Seller says yes.
    Buyer goes home and does 100 hours of reasearch to find out he was wrong and the group is worth only a few 100.

    Should he call the guy who only wanted 50.00 and say give me my 100,000.00 back?
    I dont think its the buyers problem to do the work for this seller. He obviously wanted a quick sell. And unless his IQ is negative 4 i think he just wanted to get ride of this product and make room for who knows what in closet space. Maybe womens clothing? Who knows its not the buyers problem as long as everyone is happy.
    Nice pick up that sounds like you did work to find this nice deal that paid off.

    What if the Home Shoping network had a box of 1989 donruss and they were asking 100.00 a box and someone called in and said this isnt right, these are worth 1000.00 easy!!
    There you go folks. You heard it. We are basically giving these away for 100.00 each.


  • << <i>mygotta, you couldn't of said it any better. I really don't see why people are even complaining about this. If anyone here were to get a great deal at the National on a card, I would be happy for them. Why is this situation any different? Its not like he picked up a 52 Mantle for $50. Were talking about some Score Derek Jeter cards practically and a truck full of commons here. Lighten up everyone. >>



    Foo, I think you bring up a great discussion point, are you saying that if it was a 1952 Mantle he got for 50 bucks you would have a different opinion on the ethics of this deal? I am not arguing with you or trying to put words in your mouth. I am just trying to understand your statement regarding the Mantle comparison. How would you feel about this deal if it was a 1952 Mantle? Serious ethics question.
  • swartz1swartz1 Posts: 4,911 ✭✭✭
    the bottom line is...the guy gave him a price and he accepted...

    whenever you sell something, it is up to you to do your homework...

    dont do homework for others because they are either lazy or not informed...

    nice pick-ups and and tell the others here to go pound sand...


    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...
  • No worries Snuffle. I believe a lot on here would have had a point if it were a stack of cards from say... early 1900's cracker jack era. Integrity would of been a bigger issue for something like that or a 52 Mantle. I mean we would be talking about paying only $50 for a card that would be worth a minimum of 4 grand but this was really just a lot of 90's stuff that mostly that didn't have much value to begin with probably but some goodies here and there but for $50, it happened to be a great deal for that amount. Again, stuff like this happens all the time. As someone even mentioned, if I bought a card for $20 and I scored a PSA 10 on it and now it was an $1,100 card, would I go back to the seller as give them some? Do I tell the seller, "hey this Henderson rookie looks like a PSA 10." Of course not. We all do what Guru did when WE purchase cards. We make an assessment on what we believe it would grade BEFORE we buy it and some of us even still try and get it as cheap as we can, then we submit it and hope for the best. The bottom line is that if your going to sell something, do some research and see what it sells for.
  • bigdcardsbigdcards Posts: 1,190 ✭✭✭


    << <i>Ok.
    What if..
    The seller said I want 50.00
    Buyer said no it's worth way more than that. Ill give you 100,000.00 for this group!!!
    Seller says yes.
    Buyer goes home and does 100 hours of reasearch to find out he was wrong and the group is worth only a few 100.

    Should he call the guy who only wanted 50.00 and say give me my 100,000.00 back? >>



    I couldn't keep that money if I were the seller. I would feel awful taking 100k from someone based on them thinking I had something I didn't. I am fully aware I wouldn't get my money back from most if I were the buyer, but I don't choose my actions based on what people would probably do to me. I just go with what feels like the right thing to do.

    But everyone was a winner in this transaction, even the guy's wife. Hopefully the thread getting derailed hasn't actually spoiled the mood for the OP. Ideally, there would be some ripping, scanning and posting.

    To bigdcards: "you are right" - cpamike "That is correct" -grote15
  • handymanhandyman Posts: 5,237 ✭✭✭✭✭
    "

    I couldn't keep that money if I were the seller. I would feel awful taking 100k from someone based on them thinking I had something I didn't. I am fully aware I wouldn't get my money back from most if I were the buyer, but I don't choose my actions based on what people would probably do to me. I just go with what feels like the right thing to do.""

    Ok so for every deal made do we need a third party or even a 4th to make sure we can make a deal between the 2 parties? How many people does it take to make a card deal? Also what are these peoples time worth? SHould we have a lawyer and a doctor. Maybe a full time judge?
    Also what is the proper age for your mom to let go of your hand?


  • << <i>"

    I couldn't keep that money if I were the seller. I would feel awful taking 100k from someone based on them thinking I had something I didn't. I am fully aware I wouldn't get my money back from most if I were the buyer, but I don't choose my actions based on what people would probably do to me. I just go with what feels like the right thing to do.""

    Ok so for every deal made do we need a third party or even a 4th to make sure we can make a deal between the 2 parties? How many people does it take to make a card deal? >>



    I think buying a card raw and getting it graded is very different. I don't have a problem with someone getting a good deal. It was more the comment of "he didn't know what he had. I asked what he wanted and he said $50, so I took the offer". It seemed like he was bragging about the guy not knowing what the value was and taking advantage of that fact.

    Now what if it was a 1952 Mantle? Still no issue there? What if it was the wife and her husband just died and she was trying to move his collection? Then should you say it's worth more than she is asking for?
  • handymanhandyman Posts: 5,237 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I guess you could start off by saying my time is worth 1000.00 and hour. Do you want my advice on what to do with your items or do you know what you want for them?
    Extreme example. But there are other variables to make this right. Yes you could have a shop and you have a rep. Or the guy contacted you asking for money.
    But its not our place to judge this example without being there in the first place I feel.



    Best example I have for 50.00 for a 1952 mantle.
    MR. Mint find paid 100,000 for what we all know.
  • Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭✭
    This situation is really funny. If the OP had said he paid $500 then he would be getting ripped for paying to much.

    If someone comes to you asking to help them sell their collection and is asking for your advice it is entirely different then responding to a Craigslist add.

    All parties left happy. End of story.

  • brendanb438brendanb438 Posts: 1,595 ✭✭✭
    I was buying Magic The Gathering collections off Craigslist and flipping them to online stores or on eBay for about a 3 year time frame. Roughly $65K worth (damn PP 1099) and out of buying probably close to 60 or so collections during this time twice I paid someone more than there asking price. I usually aimed to make 2 to 3 times my investment back since I was doing all the work with sorting, figuring out who to sell them to directly or to list on eBay and then have to do all the shipping. Those 2 times I was going to make more along the lines of 4 to 5 times what was being asked for. I gave one person roughly 25% more than his asking price and the other about 50% above his asking price. The person I gave the extra 50% to ended up taking the time to send about 4 other friends with collections my way and I ended up buying 3 of the 4 collections making a few grand extra all because of offering more than what was asked for.

    Still a case by case basis and if it is the type of collection that the person may have other friends with stuff in a closet or basement to sell you just never know.
  • perkdogperkdog Posts: 29,340 ✭✭✭✭✭
    The reality of the situation is in todays day and age people more often or not assume that cards they have are worth more than they are so believe me the seller knew he didnt have a college fund in these cards and probably just wanted to get rid of them and didnt care that he might be leaving a few bucks on the table by not scanning and ebaying them. Craigslist is for getting rid of stuff you dont want or need and dont really care about maximizing your profits.

    The op got a deal and didnt do anything wrong, good for him!

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