I would like to hear from collectors about cards that got away

electrode

during the boom years of card shows a dealer opened up wax packs of Parkhurst hockey cards that he purchased fro $100.00 i purchased some Montreal Canadiens cards and there was one card that caught my eye a 1957 Henri Richard rookie card he asked for $200.00 to much i thought ,while driving home i decided to go back and purchase the rookie card to late it was sold.

Arsenal83

Right after I got into college and my scholarship was finalized I asked my parents if I could use $5000 from my college fund, that I wouldn't be using thanks to my scholarship, to buy a PSA 8 52T Mantle. They said no, and to this day, I make sure to show them auction prices everytime one of them sells.

orioles93

Not really one that got away, but one that I let get away and I wish I didn't. I sold my 1948 leaf Larry doby RC psa 2 a few years ago. Had great centering and focus. I needed the money at the time so I sold it, but looking back, I wish I would have held onto it.

KendallCat

Back around 1999-2000 the stock and card market were both diving, and was told by a friend who was a dealer that $5k+ cards were not selling due to the uncertainty out there. I owned a 1953 Topps Mantle PSA 8, and I sold the card for a record price at the time - did not regret it. This was pre half point grades, and that card today would be an 8.5 for sure and possibly a 9 - making it a 6 figure card

Wrinkles are on the paper which is a photocopy - this is pre photobucket and pre iPhones.

mintonlypls

Wow...KC! That is a big fish that got away...

Stone193

Not exactly got away but I regret not buying a 52T Mantle low grade when I could've afforded it; now above my pay grade.

Also, when Mark Murphy was selling 52T packs from 8 pack cellos for around 1600? I should've jumped on it - they were amazing looking.

And this is not for anything to do with value but more just plain ole pride of ownership as a collector.

Stingray

Not got away, but gave away!! I was off to college in the fall of 1984 and wanted to clear some things out of my bedroom. So I knew a younger kid from the neighborhood and decided to trade him a box full of 1971 Topps baseball cards that nay older brother gave to me for a 77 Dale Murphy card. The 71s were probably wee in excellent condition on average!!

milbroco

In the mid 1980's, I had the opportunity to buy a T3 Cobb for $1,500.00. A card that would have graded an 8! It was absolutely beautiful! I was in my early 20's with a limited income so I was unable to buy it. Sure wish I would have asked my grandfather for a loan..............

Albertdidit

Well my story cant compare to the Mantle posts on here but this one is tough to take. I bought a Frank Thomas No Name PSA 8 for about $1,600 right before it exploded. It got lost in the mail. The person sent a $1,600 card 1st class. (Not that priority couldnt get lost but i think chances are much slimmer)

So I had a bought and paid for Thomas just a few days away from having it in hand.

Anyway I got my $ back but I decided to move on from it and bought some other things instead. Well here we are today. It def stings.

erikthredd

My card that got away was buying Tom Brady's 2000 Sp BGS 9 & 2000 Contenders PSA 9 rookies both together for $625 around 2003 then selling the Contenders PSA 9 for $400 with the intent of replacing it with a BGS 9 soon after. Between not being in a rush to find one and then paying for a divorce that took me out of collecting for a few years,when i finally got back into the hobby,a BGS 9 was out of my price range.

I also have a story about a friend who probably made the worst trade in trading card history. He got me into collecting cards in 1986 and he had a ton of baseball cards from the 50-60s. I remember watching him trade away a small lot of 1955 Topps baseball cards that included a Clemente rc & a Ted Williams for a binder with pages full of Red Sox & Mets cards from 1986-87. The best cards he got in return were an 87 Fleer Roger Clemens & Darryl Strawberry.

Nathaniel1960

Two years ago I passed on a 1965 Topps FB Set with a BVG 3 Namath (centered) for $700.