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Making a 3 day trip in a couple of weeks...hunting for cards. *UPDATE: DAY 2 & 3*

So I'm going on my first "hunting" for cards trip here in a couple of weeks. Have any of you done this before? Any guidelines or suggestions that you might want to share? I've mapped out some antique malls and flea markets. Any other suggestions? Thanks!

Comments

  • IronmanfanIronmanfan Posts: 5,498 ✭✭✭✭
    I'm not sure what your area is like, but antique malls aren't a very good place to find cards around here (usually way overpriced)

    IMF
    Successful dealings with Wcsportscards94558, EagleEyeKid, SamsGirl214, Volver, DwayneDrain, Oaksey25, Griffins, Cardfan07, Etc.
  • jmmiller777jmmiller777 Posts: 1,324 ✭✭✭
    Yes, I have done this a lot with very little success over the years. My experience is that most of the items you will find are cards in PR-VG condition priced at Beckett prices. Most of what you will find has been picked through throughout the 80's, 90's and into this century. Places to search would be flea markets, antique malls, yard sales, second hand shops, Salvation Army stores in small cities, and baseball card shops. Since I collect old toys and games, antique bottles and glass, old lunch boxes, records, entertainment stuff, and general sports memorabilia, I have had some luck, mostly in the non-card area. I have found several old gloves, one a real nice Al Kaline model. Also found some old unopened car models at a resale boutique and some Beatles reel to reel tapes at a yard sale while visiting another city. I have also found very tough runs of Indy 500 shot glasses and a sweet run of UCLA and USC 1950's football programs (Birmingham, AL). My last find was a real nice rookie Henderson. I just submitted it in a group sub here on the boards. Hoping to get a 8.5-9 grade. I only paid $25 for it. Found it at a card shop in Tulsa.

    Don't be disappointed if you can't find a lot on your first attempt. There have been more busts than finds over the years. Good luck...
    CURRENT PROJECTS IN WORK:
    To be honest, no direction, but...
    1966-69 Topps EX+
    1975 minis NrMt Kelloggs PSA 9
    All Topps Heritage-Master Sets
    image
  • grote15grote15 Posts: 29,743 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I'd recommend rendezvousing with unsavory characters in rough neighborhoods via Craig's List postings for the best deals..


    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.
  • StingrayStingray Posts: 8,843 ✭✭✭


    << <i>I'd recommend rendezvousing with unsavory characters in rough neighborhoods via Craig's List postings for the best deals.. >>



    LOL!!


  • << <i>I'd recommend rendezvousing with unsavory characters in rough neighborhoods via Craig's List postings for the best deals.. >>



    Wasn't there someone on here the other day that did that, found lots of stuff, bought it cheap, and was accosted by several people?
  • JuggsJuggs Posts: 495
    You should just knock on doors asking if people have cards they want to sell.


  • << <i>You should just knock on doors asking if people have cards they want to sell. >>



    Yeah!!!! That might work!!!
  • So in all seriousness, has there been anyone else who has done something like this before that would recommend does and don'ts?
  • good luck, this would be the bible for a road trip

    Text


  • << <i>good luck, this would be the bible for a road trip

    Text >>



    Thanks!
  • jackstrawjackstraw Posts: 3,785 ✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>You should just knock on doors asking if people have cards they want to sell. >>



    Yeah!!!! That might work!!! >>



    I have plenty of cards I would sell you if you knocked on my door.....
    Collector Focus

    ON ITS WAY TO NEWPORT BEACH, CA 92658
  • Oh man! I'm uber excited. Just got a call from someone that saw my ad in the paper I placed in his town. If he has what he says he has it will make this 3 day journey worthwhile...at least for me. I guess that's all that's important anyway.
  • On the road for a week, so today was the first day of hunting. Splitting my days up with family vacation stuff. So next day out hunting is next Tuesday and Wednesday.
    TODAY however, I found...

    1 wax box of 1990 Fleer Baseball
    1 vending box of 1987 Topps Baseball
    1 complete set of 1989 Topps Baseball
    1958 Topps All Star Warren Spahn
    1969 Topps Deckle Edge Tommy Davis (almost have a complete set)
    1954 Topps Andy Pafko
    1961 Fleer Cy Young and Mordecai Brown
    1964 Topps Pitching Leaders (Koufax, Marichal, Spahn, Maloney)
    1964 Topps Pitching Leaders (Davis, Clemente, Groat, H. Aaron)
    1965 Topps Rookie (Alomar, Braun)
    1969 Topps Decal H. Aaron
    1969 Topps Decal Fergosi
    and...
    214 more 1975 Topps Baseball (getting closer to completing the set)

    It was a fun day to say the least. Looking forward to finding more.
  • grote15grote15 Posts: 29,743 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Nice assortment there of vintage and modern! Now on to the 70s unopened baseball wax box stash!! 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.
  • Sounds like a good start. I used to do this in the 90's with collectable toys. I found the best way was to be meeting at least one person on the trip that was willing to sell their entire collection. Anything else was a bonus find and often the best buys came from dealers. Too often an uneducated seller thinks they have gold when they have beat up early 90's cards.


  • << <i>Sounds like a good start. I used to do this in the 90's with collectable toys. I found the best way was to be meeting at least one person on the trip that was willing to sell their entire collection. Anything else was a bonus find and often the best buys came from dealers. Too often an uneducated seller thinks they have gold when they have beat up early 90's cards. >>



    You're right about the uneducated seller. I put an ad in a paper for one of the towns that I'm going to (small town) and listed what I was interested in and still have gotten quite a few responses from people who have, well, really nothing. A couple of them have gotten a bit put off when I tell them I'm not interested. I don't even tell them why, just that I'm not interested, but I appreciate their response. I don't have time to sit and go through a collection of nothing but 90's stuff. So I'm learning to manage my time well.

    Today came from a guy who used to own a store. All his stuff was in his garage. He let me set up a card table and pick through everything. Admittedly, some stuff was out of my price range. I also am trying to stick to a daily budget so I don't go overboard on one person. The good news is that I made a connection today for the future. If I do this again, and he's still around, I'll go back.

    And Grote, if I find any unopened 70's wax and I buy, I'll let you know. image
  • tsalems1tsalems1 Posts: 3,455 ✭✭✭✭
    A trip looking for baseball cards...

    What a great idea! image
    opcbaseball.com
  • grote15grote15 Posts: 29,743 ✭✭✭✭✭
    [iAnd Grote, if I find any unopened 70's wax and I buy, I'll let you know. image ]

    Yes, please, and thank you! image

    Good luck on the quest, and have fun!


    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.
  • Ugh...nothing. Nothing on my last 2 days other than a lot of junk. That's all I saw, junk. I did learn some things though.

    1. Don't do this in combination with family vacation.
    2. If someone asks you why you don't want to buy their stuff, just say, "I don't collect those." Never say, "Because it's not worth anything." I've never pissed so many people off in my life in one sitting.
    3. Get as far away from large cities as possible. Small town = less access to sell.
    4. The "deals" that used to be out there...aren't out there anymore.
    5. You guys were right. Flea Markets were picked through and prices were seriously unrealistic.
    6. Never EVER go into a place where there is an autographed photo with the American Pickers and the owner on the door. I mean, there was nothing there.
    7. I saw a lot of other stuff that I never thought in a million years that people would collect. (Observation)

    It was fun, but I definitely won't do it in conjunction with a family vacation again. Also, even people wayyyyy out in the sticks were giving me the "I can sell it on ebay for more" line.
  • NickMNickM Posts: 4,895 ✭✭✭
    There is still lots of stuff in thrift stores, especially if you go for memorabilia as well as cards.

    Nick
    image
    Reap the whirlwind.

    Need to buy something for the wife or girlfriend? Check out Vintage Designer Clothing.
  • Hey Nick,

    Can you define thrift store? If you mean like Goodwill, I've never been able to find anything there. Doesn't mean it's not there or wasn't there, just I've never seen anything. Thanks.

  • NickMNickM Posts: 4,895 ✭✭✭
    Goodwill, Salvation Army, Deseret Industries, etc. Pretty much any nonprofit thrift store that takes donations to fill their shelves may have sports collectibles. Avoid the private for-profit thrift stores, which are really more of secondhand stores - they're run by pickers (like most of the Storage Wars buyers) and tend to aggressively price anything they think is a collectible.

    The types of stuff you'll regularly find at thrift stores include stadium giveaway items (bobbleheads, etc.), autograph model gloves, team logo glassware [I recenty found a glass commemorating Alabama's 1992 championship], vintage sports books, and replica/authentic (not game issue) jerseys.

    Nick
    image
    Reap the whirlwind.

    Need to buy something for the wife or girlfriend? Check out Vintage Designer Clothing.
  • Thanks Nick!
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