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Bad Ebay Situation Turned OUt Really Really Good!

I will try to make this as short as possible. Started collecting again after being away for 25+ years. I was never into card condition etc.. just loved to collect my favorite baseball players etc.. Fast forward to mid January of this year. I jumped back in to collecting and realized how much the hobby had changed with the TPG companies. I purchased a small collection from someone and I was officially back to collecting. I decided to list a few cards on Ebay from the collection I purchased just to see how easy or hard it would be to sell cards. the collection was mostly mid-low grade cards with a lot of HOF's. I did discover a very nice looking 1970 Roberto Clemente. I knew that Clemente was very popular with collectors so I figured I would list this card on Ebay. In my very limited knowledge of graded cards I figured that this card would probably grade 8 (yes I did my homework on grading standards) so I started the auction at $99.00. I did get one bid so I was happy to make what I considered at the time to be a big sell. I send the card to buyer figuring that this was the end of it. About a week later I get the following message from Ebay:
image

Needless to say I was not happy to have a return so early on. It had bothered me because this buyer (name covered up) decided to return because item was not a described. I went back and looked at how I described it and figured that the buyer was probably correct. I covered the return shipping costs and chalked it up to a learning experience. When I received that card back I compared it to other 1970's and could not for the life of me figure out how he determined it was trimmed. Being new at I figured I just had been burned by purchasing some trimmed cards.

After a couple of months I decided to send the Clemente in to get graded. I fully expected it to come back authentic (trimmed). Much to my surprise it came back with a numerical grade.

image

Needless to say I was very happy that I did not take the buyers word on the card being trimmed. This card alone pays for the entire collection and then some. Anyone else out there have a similar experience?



Comments

  • Loyalty32Loyalty32 Posts: 501 ✭✭✭
    COOL story! GREAT eye! BEAUTIFUL card!

    Thanks
    Craig
  • vintagefunvintagefun Posts: 1,974 ✭✭✭
    And he's very sorry that he sent it back to you. LOL

    Sharp Card. Nice Score!!!
    52-90 All Sports, Mostly Topps, Mostly HOF, and some assorted wax.
  • WhiteTornadoWhiteTornado Posts: 2,102 ✭✭✭
    No story to compare, just wanted to say congrats. That is a very nice-looking card!
  • mlbfan2mlbfan2 Posts: 3,115 ✭✭✭
    Send the buyer a pic of the card in it's new holder. image

    BTW, it's not a good idea to put "PSA 8+ READY?" in the auction title.
  • mtcardsmtcards Posts: 3,340 ✭✭✭
    Yeah, if you put PSA 8 ready in the title/description, you are setting yourself up for a return. This is another reason I do not like ebay having the SNAD policy as it is...there should be a little more to it than just the buyers word on something
    IT IS ALWAYS CHEAPER TO NOT SELL ON EBAY
  • MULLINS5MULLINS5 Posts: 4,517 ✭✭✭
    What a beauty! Congrats!

    Does anybody know the VCP on this card?!
  • JBrulesJBrules Posts: 2,126 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Thanks everyone for the congrats and tips. I realized later on that it is not a good idea to put PSA 8? in the title. Rookie mistake that I will not repeat.
  • JBrulesJBrules Posts: 2,126 ✭✭✭✭✭
    VCP = $1025.00
  • dennis07dennis07 Posts: 1,842 ✭✭✭
    The amazing part of the story to me is that you bought a small lot off Ebay that was described as mid-low grade and it included this Clemente.
    Talk about hitting one out of the park. It has been my experience that sellers of the 1970 cards don't make that mistake often. Or in the case of the cards I purchase never...
    I'm thinking you might want to buy a lottery ticket or two with the way your luck is running.

    Edited to add: Whoever returned that card needs to find another hobby.
    Collecting 1970 Topps baseball
  • bishopbishop Posts: 2,917 ✭✭✭
    Great story all around-- the original purchase, the return, and the grade result . Also decent of you to cover buyers name and save him some public embarrassment
    Topps Baseball-1948, 1951 to 2017
    Bowman Baseball -1948-1955
    Fleer Baseball-1923, 1959-2007

    Al
  • LarkinCollectorLarkinCollector Posts: 8,975 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>The amazing part of the story to me is that you bought a small lot off Ebay that was described as mid-low grade and it included this Clemente.
    Talk about hitting one out of the park. It has been my experience that sellers of the 1970 cards don't make that mistake often. Or in the case of the cards I purchase never...
    I'm thinking you might want to buy a lottery ticket or two with the way your luck is running.

    Edited to add: Whoever returned that card needs to find another hobby. >>


    The way I read it, the original purchase was not off eBay.
  • gregmo32gregmo32 Posts: 2,648 ✭✭✭
    That is fantastic.
    I am buying and trading for RC's of Wilt Chamberlain, George Mikan, Bill Russell, Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, and Bob Cousy!
    Don't waste your time and fees listing on ebay before getting in touch me by PM or at gregmo32@aol.com !
  • bouncebounce Posts: 1,094 ✭✭✭


    << <i>Send the buyer a pic of the card in it's new holder. image
    >>



    And offer it him for $9-99! image

    Nice job, welcome back to the hobby

    And, by the way, it's not always that easy just in case you were wondering
  • hyperchipper09hyperchipper09 Posts: 1,455 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Extreme case of a eBay buyer outsmarting himself. Not legit, trimmed. Derp... image
  • TNP777TNP777 Posts: 5,710 ✭✭✭


    << <i>Great story all around-- the original purchase, the return, and the grade result . Also decent of you to cover buyers name and save him some public embarrassment >>

    +1

    most people would have outed the buyer - kudos to you for not going that route.
  • JBrulesJBrules Posts: 2,126 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I purchased the lot of cards locally from a Craig's list add.
  • dennis07dennis07 Posts: 1,842 ✭✭✭
    My bad. When I read "small lot from someone" I just assumed ebay. Nice pick up from Craigslist. Just for the record I've seen a lot of
    examples the 70 Clemente card and that one ranks with the best I've seen. Do you mind showing the back?
    Collecting 1970 Topps baseball
  • Nice Win!
  • Huge win and great to see a potentially bad transaction turn out peachy!
  • begsu1013begsu1013 Posts: 1,943 ✭✭


    << <i>I purchased the lot of cards locally from a Craig's list add. >>




    was it john kreese as well or the guy selling magwais? either way, they are all trimmed!

    (all a side joke, congrats!)

    super nice card!
  • DboneesqDboneesq Posts: 18,219 ✭✭
    Welcome FRIGGIN BACK to the hobby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    STAY HEALTHY!

    Doug

    Liquidating my collection for the 3rd and final time. Time for others to enjoy what I have enjoyed over the last several decades. Money could be put to better use.
  • lahmejoonlahmejoon Posts: 1,758 ✭✭✭✭
    YAHTZEE!

    Congratulations! Nice card!
  • FINESTKINDFINESTKIND Posts: 374 ✭✭✭
    Great story. Good to see that it worked out better for you.
  • vladguerrerovladguerrero Posts: 4,077 ✭✭✭
    That's great but you listed a card you thought was trimmed as a PSA 8+? Maybe I missed something?
  • Awesome card. Nice story. I have had a few come graded that way. Still trying to figure out the process


  • << <i>That's great but you listed a card you thought was trimmed as a PSA 8+? Maybe I missed something? >>



    OP thought it would grade 8+, sold it on ebay, and the buyer returned it saying it was trimmed. OP sent in in to PSA and it graded a 9.
  • vladguerrerovladguerrero Posts: 4,077 ✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>That's great but you listed a card you thought was trimmed as a PSA 8+? Maybe I missed something? >>



    OP thought it would grade 8+, sold it on ebay, and the buyer returned it saying it was trimmed. OP sent in in to PSA and it graded a 9. >>



    Well it that case you have to show it to the buyer now!
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