Best raw card you ever picked up?

rcmb3220 · September 27, 2014 2:26PM

Meaning you bought it as a single, not from a pack, and had it graded. I have nothing to contribute to this thread but I thought others might want to share their fish stories.

Stooge · September 27, 2014 2:41PM

I bought a 2010 Topps Allen and Ginter Regis Philbin tie relic with 4 colors I bought from a collector in Hawaii. Came back in a PSA 10.

Now think that the card was printed and distributed from Pennsylvania, sent all the way to Hawaii, mailed to me in Illinois, mailed to PSA in California, and received a PSA 10. That is a lot of miles, maybe not as much as the 1991 Topps Desert Shield issues, but I think it is kinda different if you think about it.

heritage · September 27, 2014 2:42PM

At a National back in 06 I stopped by a dealers table when I was putting my 67 topps baseball set together and asked if he had any Rod Carew rookies and he pulled 4 from his case and told me to take my pick. The first one had bad corners and 2 o/c a little bit, but one looked really clean so I started looking for something wrong with it but cold not fine anything so I asked how much for this one he said give me $75. After I picked it up I sent it into PSA and it graded a 8. I think that was one of the best raw I picked up.

Dpeck100 · September 27, 2014 2:56PM

I have had quite a few raw buys that have turned into great scores.

The one that sticks out the most is the 1982 Wrestling All Stars Series B #7 Kerry Von Erich.

This card is insanely tough and he just happens to be one of the biggest stars from the 80's and a personal favorite.

I was bidding on a number of auctions and they were close to ending. In just a few minutes I was set to be going to lunch with a mutual fund wholesaler and we were going to Houston's which is a great restaurant in Winter Park, FL.

He whipped out his Ipad and I said if I can check the auctions I will go. We sat at the bar and I put in a few final bids and won some nice cards.

One of them was in my view the best Von Erich I had ever seen raw. I submitted it and it became the second to grade mint. I had purchased the first one for $122 a few months earlier.

I paid $57 which was a strong price for a raw copy and I am glad I did.

This was a few years ago and it is exciting to revisit.

Stone193 · September 27, 2014 3:04PM

Gave a guy 1/2 my table on a Sunday show - so equivalent of 30 buck buy.

Also got a 1961-2 Fleer #46 BaylorIA for 30 bucks from Rotman Auctions and it came back a 9. Can't find the scan right now.

schapko · September 27, 2014 3:05PM

About in 2001 I bought a "Mint" Molitor RC site unseen on half.com for $30. It ended up grading a PSA 9. Not Bad.

MrVintage · September 27, 2014 3:44PM

Picked up a raw 84 fleer update Roger Clemens last year for $90.00 and it came back a PSA 10.

Mintacular · September 27, 2014 4:05PM

64 Larussa RC $5 = PSA 9
75 Brett RC $80-ish (bought with whole set) = PSA 8
63 Fleer Spahn raw $10 = SGC 88 NM-MT
75 Morgan $5-ish (bought with whole set) = PSA 9

MULLINS5 · September 27, 2014 4:25PM

When I was about 15 I picked up a 1984 OPC Steve Yzerman RC which I held onto and graded about 10 years later at PSA 9. Picked it up for $5 at the Gibralter Sports Card Show in Michigan. Had to sell it a few years ago, unfortunately.

BTW = the cert number on that card is: 30939111 and if you find it I will pay you twice the VCP average for it!

If you find Topps Wayne Gretzky 1979 rookie, cert number: 30939110 I will pay you VERY handsomely for it as it was a card my father purchased for me raw at the same show and I'm kicking myself now for selling it

Fingers crossed they both haven't been cracked and resubbed!

lightningboy · September 27, 2014 4:26PM

picked up a George Gervin rookie about a year and a half ago on Ebay for $4. Came back solid PSA 8 and sold for $220
picked up a 1935 Joe Louis for $63 several years back, came back an 8 and sold for just under $600

ssollars · September 27, 2014 4:29PM

Back when I was near finishing my basic Jim Brown set I was just looking to complete them all in PSA 5 or better. One of the last ones I needed was a 1962 with those dreaded black borders and centering issues. I ended up picking one up off eBay for about $200 that looked really sharp and it ended up grading PSA 8!

It was the only 8 I had in the set at the time and that one card started me down the path on wanting all my Jimmy cards to be PSA 8...

Many years later I achieved that goal and that card remains one of my favorites.

Scott

NickM · September 27, 2014 5:04PM

My first ebay purchase was a 1951 Connie Mack All Stars Mickey Cochrane for $75. Got it graded PSA 5 several years later.
One of my earliest NAXCOM purchases, shortly after they started, was a 1940 Play Ball Charlie Gehringer, listed as VG or better with a stock photo, for about $23. Got it graded PSA 6.

Nick

Hallco · September 27, 2014 6:33PM

72 Clemente. I paid $12.00 for it and it graded 8.5

slum22 · September 27, 2014 6:40PM

This is a fun thread. Lots of cool stories. The biggest card in my collection to date is a raw pick up. When I was in high school I bought a 1986 Fleer Jordan RC from the LCS. I went in with my brother on it and we paid $350 for this card (this was right before Jordan won his first title). I have actually been really lucky at picking out raw 1986 Fleer cards. The cards in the scan below were all raw pick ups that were self submitted. I also picked up raw Karl Malone, Charles Barkley and Dominique Wilkins RC's from eBay last year that I submitted to PSA and got 9's and 8's (I expected the 8's). The Jordan RC is my favorite card because of the history behind it.

Zixx · September 27, 2014 7:39PM

Bought a 1967 Mantle from a Kit Young mail order catalog for $12 many years ago(prolly around 1982-84ish). I included it with the initial submission to PSA a ways back and came back PSA 8.

Kinda thinking it's worthy of a review, but no idea if I'll ever get around to it.

fiveniner · September 27, 2014 9:16PM

Not earth shattering but I purchased a 1959 raw Billy Martin from Mike Wheat years back it ended up PSA 8.I trust his grading.

Southsider · September 27, 2014 9:24PM

I won a raw 1983 Topps Ryne Sandberg RC on ebay and it graded a PSA 10. Sold it a couple of years later after he was inducted into the HOF.

I also bought a 1948 Leaf Football #1 Sid Luckman RC through the mail for $100 that graded a PSA 6. At the time it was around a pop five, with only a few graded higher. Up to that point, I had graded close to 10 Sid Luckman RCs, with around 3 or 4 PSA 5s, so I was pretty happy to get the PSA 6. I still have it in my collection, it's one of the best centered Luckmans I've come across.

addicted2ebay · September 27, 2014 11:17PM

Two 1990 Topps George Bush cards. I bought them for 2k and threw it in my safe thinking nothing if it until the two version story came out so I had them graded and they came back as the White Version. Back then they were selling for almost 10k each.

WalterSobchak · September 27, 2014 11:25PM

My only real standout example is a '78 Topps Lou Brock card purchased on EBay for $1. Graded PSA 10 on the first try, I consigned it with PWCC, and I think the hammer price was $150. Even after the grading fee and PWCC's fee..... pretty good.

BunchOBull · September 27, 2014 11:30PM

$5 turned into $5000

lbcoach20 · September 28, 2014 12:01AM

Have 2.
#1 I bought a 1974 Garvey at a mall show for a buck. Graded it and it got a 9. Pop 6 at the time. Sold on eBay for $166.

#2. I bought and traded for a 1962 Mantle. Paid $400 and a game used Albert Belle batting helmet. The Mantle graded an 8 and still resides in my collection!

Great thread.

DM23HOF · September 28, 2014 12:29AM

My cousin bought this Yount for $10 at Renata Galasso in Brooklyn in 1986 or thereabouts. He dug it out of his shoebox in Staten Island and had me grade it for him...

I have high hopes for these two guys...

itzagoner · September 28, 2014 12:45AM

picked up a bunch i guess......they all seemed like the best when i found them.

this surfaced a little over 2 weeks ago, on my birthday, and it hadn't even been listed for a full hour when i discovered it. BIN-GO!

especially gratifying to find such a nice example of this card in the electronic blender. thought it would never happen.

eta: not graded yet, but will be soon....

WalterSobchak · September 28, 2014 12:52AM

That is as nice a '78 Ryan as I have ever seen.

DM23HOF · September 28, 2014 1:20AM

Thx, Walter. I have often felt it's easier to obtain a toe-- with nail polish-- than to find a PSA 9 '78 Ryan.

I've seen two PSA 9s that look outstanding; the others have been technically accurate yet too OC or tilted to justify buying.

WalterSobchak · September 28, 2014 1:29AM

FORGET ABOUT THE F**KING TOE!!!

Dpeck100 · September 28, 2014 1:30AM

It always amazes me to see so many nice cards change hands that are raw.

bobsbbcards · September 28, 2014 1:35AM

Purchased in a pack in 1974, salted away in a shoebox forever, and finally had graded with a batch of other '74s a few years back:

clarke442 · September 28, 2014 1:37AM

I remember after getting my drivers license back in 1983 or 84, and borrowing my parents car to go a card show the next town over. I found a 1967 Topps Red Sox Team Card, my birth year and my hometown team. It looked awesome, and back then I was not overly aware of condition, centering and corners, but it looked mint. It was priced at $35, a lot of money for a 16 or 17 year old, and I only had $30. I haggled with the dealer for a price drop, after explaining to me that the card was a Hi-Number Short Print and rare, he agreed to go to $30, and clean me out.

Flash forward to the early days of PSA and my introduction to "Grading" of cards. My first submission was the 67 Red Sox Team Card, and yes it was "Mint" PSA 9.

Whew, I am getting little teary eyed. LOL

CDsNuts · September 28, 2014 1:37AM

That is as nice a '78 Ryan as I have ever seen.

I agree, I've never seen one that nice. If that's not a 9 I don't know what is. The '77 isn't too shabby either, looks like 10 potential.

Lee

natetrook · September 28, 2014 1:54AM

Bought a 1972 Topps Basketball set,,Minty fresh…

Erving RC came back a PSA-9.

Now, what to do with the rest of the set??

jbox · September 28, 2014 3:21AM

I have a few, but here's a pretty good one. Bought four of these for $3 a piece about a year ago. Sent the best one, got a 10 which was a pop 1 at the time. Sold it last December for $1000. Now it's a pop 4 going for $4-500. I was really tempted to keep it, but knew it was the right time to sell.

royalbrett · September 28, 2014 4:34AM

wrighty · September 28, 2014 4:50AM

Bought a raw 1964 Roger Maris from a card shop as I needed one more card to round out a sub. Paid $50 or $60 for it, it came back a psa 9 which I sold for around $525 net.

Stone193 · September 28, 2014 5:12AM

Here's one of the luckiest picks.

In 1992, I asked Greg Bussineau for a nice "type" card of a T206 and 33G.

He sent me 1 of each and a bill for 95 bucks with shipping.

Now for the good fortune - a few years later Davis got inducted into the HOF!

And here's the 61F I got from Rotman auctions for 30 bucks - the Ryno out of a vending box for 60 bucks from BBCEx.

edit: the scratches are on my 13 yr old scanner.

Stone193 · September 28, 2014 5:22AM

I'm surprised I still remember how much I paid for some items vs some things I'm clueless.

I have saved the receipts for all the stuff I picked up - a packet full is buried somewhere - can't wait to find it - just a chance to go back. Lucky that on ebay - all the paypal buys are archived; a big plus.

The Zimmer - I remember since I had just got to San Antonio in 1997 and went to a shop near my house on NW Military Hwy - paid 16 bucks - he went right to the 'big' Beckett.

The Morgan - came in a lot of 60s from Greg Manning in the early 90s - came to 50 cents per card.

The next 2 were from Rotman Auctions in the early 90s - the Morgan was 10 bucks and the CJ was 60 bucks.

RingKing · September 28, 2014 5:24AM

Picked up a Panini Mike Tyson raw rookie. Paid about $200 for it. Came back a 9. Picked up a raw Muhammad Ali 1967 Panini Sticker (Cassius Clay at the time). Paid like $75 for it. Came back a 9. Picked up a Holyfield Panini rookie sticker. Paid $10, if that. Came back a 10. How am I doing? lol

Stone193 · September 28, 2014 5:32AM

<< <i>Picked up a Panini Mike Tyson raw rookie. Paid about $200 for it. Came back a 9. Picked up a raw Muhammad Ali 1967 Panini Sticker (Cassius Clay at the time). Paid like $75 for it. Came back a 9. Picked up a Holyfield Panini rookie sticker. Paid $10, if that. Came back a 10. How am I doing? lol >>

Super!

Got scans?

bbcemporium · September 28, 2014 6:30AM

Picked up a raw E93 set a few years ago in a private deal. These were the three highlights

markj111 · September 28, 2014 7:26AM

72 Stargell IA. Pulled a 10; sold it for around $1600. Also bought a Palmer rookie that came back a 9. I sold it to buy a 59 Mantle in 8.

Stooge · September 28, 2014 10:17AM

Mullins5, All You have to do now is find them...

<< <i>When I was about 15 I picked up a 1984 OPC Steve Yzerman RC which I held onto and graded about 10 years later at PSA 9. Picked it up for $5 at the Gibralter Sports Card Show in Michigan. Had to sell it a few years ago, unfortunately.

BTW = the cert number on that card is: 30939111 and if you find it I will pay you twice the VCP average for it!

If you find Topps Wayne Gretzky 1979 rookie, cert number: 30939110 I will pay you VERY handsomely for it as it was a card my father purchased for me raw at the same show and I'm kicking myself now for selling it

Fingers crossed they both haven't been cracked and resubbed! >>

I did a certification search and these cards still come up as this:

ITEM INFORMATION
Cert Verification #: 30939110
Year: 1979
Brand: TOPPS
Card Number: 18
Player: WAYNE GRETZKY
Variety:
Grade: EXCELLENT-MINT 6
Population: 738
Population w/Qual: 21
Sport: HOCKEY CARDS
Population Higher: 3117

ITEM INFORMATION
Cert Verification #: 30939111
Year: 1984
Brand: O-PEE-CHEE
Card Number: 67
Player: STEVE YZERMAN
Variety:
Grade: MINT 9
Population: 401
Population w/Qual: 365
Sport: HOCKEY CARDS
Population Higher: 35

gemint · September 28, 2014 11:35AM

Bobsbbcards - That's a monster card. I didn't even know a 9 existed.

As for my best raw purchases, most came from sets I bought. Here are a few off the top of my head:

1971 Claude Raymond - graded PSA 9 - Traded for $5k worth of cards
1973 Topps set - pulled 9s on most of the key cards and commons
1974 Topps set - PSA 8 of the small print Freisleben small letters and 9s on many keys
1969 Satriano for $1 - Graded 8 and sold it for $225
1969 Clemente for $100 - Graded PSA 9
1964 Larussa RC for $5 - Graded PSA 9
1972 Concepcion from a high grade set I bought. Graded 10, sold it for $1000 and used the cash to buy a 1975 mini wax box when they were cheap after the Conlon dump.

RingKing · September 28, 2014 12:11PM

I don't. I gotta figure that scanning thing out!

<< <i>

<< <i>Picked up a Panini Mike Tyson raw rookie. Paid about $200 for it. Came back a 9. Picked up a raw Muhammad Ali 1967 Panini Sticker (Cassius Clay at the time). Paid like $75 for it. Came back a 9. Picked up a Holyfield Panini rookie sticker. Paid $10, if that. Came back a 10. How am I doing? lol >>

Super!

Got scans? >>

ashabby · September 28, 2014 2:00PM

1967 mantle psa 7

MiniDuff · September 29, 2014 12:32AM

Two years ago, I saw a raw 75 mini set on ebay that was being offered by a local coin shop and was terribly presented. It was very hard to see what you were bidding on, the cards shown were photos and not in any kind of order. That said, I saw a few cards that normally come factory short that were both full sized and very well centered and my gut was this was a find. I bid $1,300 and wound up winning it for roughly $600. In hand, it was like nothing I had ever seen. I wound up with a dozen or so 10s and another dozen or so very low pop 9s (plus well over 100 other 9s, including Brett, Rice, Carter, Hernandez). Graded and broken, the set realized well over $20k.

Nathaniel1960 · September 29, 2014 3:37AM

1965-66 Topps Hockey Bruins team for $10 - now a PSA 8.

wrestlingcardking · September 29, 2014 4:09AM

I have self submitted all 22 Gem Mint wrestling cards from the 1973 annual set that I am putting together. I also just got back an Andre the Giant in PSA 9. I'm obviously pretty happy to have picked all those up raw and to get the grades that I have received.

initialD · September 29, 2014 5:54AM

There are a few that I can remember, but the two that mostly stand out that I still have

1972 Julius Erving RC raw off ebay very low feedback seller around $100- submitted PSA 9, possibly the first 10 if it wasn't for the Notorious fisheye

1980 Bird/Magic incredible raw from local card shop $200 - submitted PSA 9 ( I still believe this is a 10, sold my other 9 that was inferior lol)

athleticsfan · September 29, 2014 8:59PM

Won an auction within the past year for a Rickey Henderson Rookie. Seller's description and picture were both poor but I got it for $5 delivered. When I got it I thought it was worthy on an 8. Sent to PSA and came back a 9.

Largentcollector · October 3, 2014 5:40AM

I'm a little late to the party.

A few months back I had a twenty dollar Ebay Coupon burning a hole in my pocket, and I saw this Largent raw on a .99 cent auction. I think my final bid price was like around $40 thinking it would cost $22.75 with shipping. well when the auction was over I won the card for $22.75. I only spent about $2.75 for the card total! I sent it off to PSA and and BAM!

I'ts only 1 1/2 touched corners form Gem Mint IMO.

In the same order I also hit the first 1987 Ace Fact Pack Largent in PSA 10.

mattinglymint23 · October 3, 2014 10:11AM

I bought a raw Horace Clark rookie for a good price - it graded a 9 - it's still a low pop 9 I believe
I have a dead centered Rickey rookie I bought raw - it has a 9 shot if I ever send it in.

Best raw card you ever picked up?

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