Home Trading Cards & Memorabilia Forum

BBCE National Review

(For some reason when I post from my phone it's under dmurphy3mvp, but when I post from my laptop it's under ReedBBCE. I guess I have my own alt.)

This review of The National is from my point of view as a dealer and as an employee of BBCE. They are my opinions only, though I have gathered information and opinions from Steve and my co-workers and considered them when writing this review. It’s going to be a long post, and I’m going to jump around a bit…

First of all, let’s get the biggest problem out of the way – the inability to connect to the internet at the I-X Center. I don’t lose my cool when my flight is delayed, because I can’t afford my own plane. I try to not get too mad if my cell phone drops a call, because I remember what it’s like to work with a 10 foot cord in my house or having to carry around dimes and quarters to use pay phones. However, I’d say we easily lost thousands of dollars in potential profit because we could not use the internet in the building to check pricing, do research, review our inventory, etc. I only take comfort in the fact that everyone else couldn’t use the internet as well, so it was still a level playing field. Sure, the structure has something to do with it (metal walls, concrete floors, very few windows), but you would think they could boost the signal, put a tower inside/near the convention center, or something, right? Before the show floor opens, I could surf the internet at a decent speed. As soon as people started to file in, it slowed to a crawl. I pretty much gave up even trying by Thursday. And this doesn’t even include the WiFi that the convention center sells to us! We paid for one line only, and I know it was expensive as hell because some of the extremely wealthy dealers I talked to said there was no way they would pay that much for WiFi. We probably should have done the same, because even though we only used it for our credit card machine, that was slow as well, considering there were probably a few hundred users on it at the same time. The National should never go back to Cleveland because of this issue, regardless of whatever promises the I-X Center makes about making capital improvements to upgrade the system. I know we aren’t going to see a refund check for the WiFi, with an apology for selling us poor service. Right after air conditioning and indoor plumbing, access to the internet is one of the most important things we need at any future National location.

You have to believe this is a great time in the life cycle of this hobby, whether you are a buyer or a seller. Baby boomers are facing their mortality, and many are looking to sell so they can use the money for more important things in life. Ask me the average age of the collector I buy from, and I’m pretty sure it’s around 70. While this is going on, the more successful members of the next generation (mid-30s through the late-40s) are in or entering the hobby with lots of money, trying to buy everything they couldn’t as a kid and more. Sure, the prospering economy helps as well, but I truly believe it will be like this for the next 5-10 years at the very least. I’m betting my career that my services as a buyer will always be in demand, and that I won’t be forced to go and find a “real” job.

Unopened vintage appears to be as strong as ever, and you didn’t need to see our booth to get that impression. I don’t follow auction results, but the prices that have been realized over the last couple of years for unopened is getting many collectors to loosen up their stranglehold on the existing inventory out there and take some profits. I thought we would sell more high-end items than we did, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t many out there with the wheels in motion in their head, trying to figure out how to make a deal work. Steve doesn’t post his cell number out there the way mine is in all the ads, so many were contacting me constantly, either by call, text, or messaging on FB, trying to get better pics and prices on the vintage. It sucks to miss out on The National, but it’s probably worse trying to get my attention, hoping I can get back to you in a timely manner! There were a couple instances when in between getting a better pic/description of an item and saying “I’ll take it”, the item sold – sometimes in a 10-15 minute span. Decisions have to be made quickly when it comes to things like these. (This also happened on the back side of the booth too – PSA graded commons, NFL Shield 1/1s, Daily Specials, Goal Line Art cards, game used Super Bowl Footballs – we heard quite a bit of “where did they all go?” Never assume you’re the only one looking at an item, right?) I’m also starting to see some of the premium items being acquired through cash and trade these days rather than straight purchases. We’ve been offered some creative deals over the years that benefitted both sides, and that trend should continue. Once Steve gets settled this week, I’m sure he’ll be sifting through all the different proposals.

I talked to Steve about the story behind the 1975 Topps Baseball Wax Box. He sold the box a few years ago to a collector, and I’m sure that collector has watched the price rise since then. Well that collector follows us on Facebook (as everyone should!) and saw a post that intrigued him enough to get Steve on the phone and offer a trade. He was interested in the run of PSA 7 Mickey Mantles I bought in Oklahoma in early July – 1953-69 Topps regular issue and 1954-55 Bowman. We came up with a price, he offered us some product and some cash, and a deal was done. What was a bit shocking to both me and Steve was how long it took that box to sell; I believe a deal was made on Saturday. I always hear how collectors need that box to complete their run and how difficult it is to find. Any ideas? I’ll never try to predict what an item will be worth in the future, but I will say they are truly tough to find. Steve usually gets the vintage unopened calls himself, but from the times I’ve received the call, I can tell you that I’ve bought at least 8-10 boxes each of 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, and 1977 since I started at BBCE in 2010; I can’t remember when the last time I bought a 1975 Topps Baseball Wax Box – likely during my DACW days.

The MVP of our booth was undoubtedly Christine, who managed to shrinkwrap several hundreds of boxes at a record pace. What more needs to be said? BBCE Authentication is legit. Dealers and collectors were constantly approaching the booth, asking about our authentication services. Need proof on why you should get your unopened authenticated by us? How many higher end vintage unopened boxes did you see in the room that weren’t BBCE Authenticated? How many boxes are auctioned off through Heritage, REA, Mile High, Collect Auctions, Huggins & Scott, PWCC, Probstein, etc. that are not BBCE Authenticated? Even though we get dozens of boxes – sometimes a few hundred boxes – at our offices each week for authentication, BBCE owner Steve Hart still inspects and authenticates each box himself, and that standard will never change.

That graded pack deal was truly impressive, wasn’t it? I know Steve flew out to the west coast to pick up the deal and hand deliver them to PSA, then brought the majority of them back with him on the plane to the office. I saw them in stacks as we were preparing for the show, but I never really paid attention to them much. (Was I too busy, or am I just jaded because I see stuff like that around the office all the time?) The real shocker was playing the game of “I wonder what this is priced at?” as I took packs out of the showcase to show collectors. I was wrong by quite a bit time and time again, which means I need to study up on my vintage unopened, or the market is truly red hot. By the time the weekend came around, there were a lot of holes in the pack display cases.

Here’s what I know about future National Conventions – 2019 is back in Chicago, 2020 is in Atlantic City, and 2021-23 are being voted on over the next few weeks by the dealers. John Broggi, the co-director of The National and a friend of mine, said they would prefer option A – Chicago, Cleveland, Chicago. Cleveland has promised to fix the internet issue and will be making even more improvements to the I-X Center in the coming years. Every dealer that I discussed this with prefers option B – Chicago, Chicago, Chicago – and there’s even talk about making it permanently in Chicago. ComiCon is always in San Diego, GenCon is always in Indianapolis, and the AVN is always in Vegas; why can’t we do the same for The National? I’ve been to the last 21 of them, and nothing compares to Rosemont. O’Hare is a five minute shuttle ride away. There are excellent hotels within walking distance – Hyatt, Hilton, Crowne Plaza, Embassy Suites, DoubleTree, etc. The food is also so close and so good – Gibsons, Mortons, Fogo de Chao, Giordano’s, Bob Chinn’s, etc. The Stephens Convention Center hosts the Fanatics shows in March and November, so they are familiar with our industry. The union workers who help set up, break down, and run the show are excellent to work with. At least 50% of the US population is within a day’s drive. Chicago is a total no-brainer. Yes, the west coast (Seattle, SF, LA, Vegas, Phoenix) should get some love once in a while, but most of the dealers and the population are east of the Mississippi and may not make the effort to set up, plus the heat in some of these cities is unbearable in July/August. That heat also knocks out St. Louis, Dallas, and Houston. Florida has no problem selling convention space so they don’t need us, and the last time it was in Atlanta was a disaster. Dealers were pleasantly surprised with Baltimore, but they don’t want us back because we didn’t sell enough hotel rooms. Boston, Philly, DC, and NYC all sound cool, but we’ve been told the price to set up could be double or more. We spent $40K on the space, showcases, hotels, trucks, gas, food, etc. Not really interested in spending double that.

What did we buy? I know we bought a bunch of cases that never made it past the parking lot – straight from the seller’s vehicle onto our truck. Because I spent very little time at the front of the booth, I didn’t get to see all the vintage unopened transactions. I was quite successful buying modern unopened – 90s/00s/10s – in all four sports. Probably spent about $50K at the show, and have close to that much lined up over the next couple of weeks. LeBron product, Kobe product, Jeter product, Trout product, tough insert driven 90s basketball product, Crosby product, Brady product, and more! I spent another $70-80K on graded cards, a sampling of which we posted pics on Facebook. Everything we bought will start hitting the eBay store (bbcexchange) and the website over the next few weeks.

If you thought the girls from Pristine Auctions were something to look at as they paraded around the show, you should have seen what was going on during setup and breakdown at the Fanatics booth. At times it was like being inside a yoga studio – some women lots of bending and stretching in workout gear. Probably would have been set up by 11am if we weren’t so distracted.

We always gather a bunch of leads on deals for the coming months at The National. I was approached by some collectors with some very interesting proposals! I’ve barely gotten settled at home, and before I review all these potential deals coming up, it feels like the calendar for the rest of the year will be full! I’ve been to California three times this year already, so it’s unlikely I’ll be back out west soon, but the rest of the country will be in play. I’ve got about 25-30 leads already, so as soon as football season starts, it looks like it could be a busy fall. Vintage wax, modern wax, vintage singles, autographed memorabilia – everything is being offered to us. Mid/late September will be to the Midwest, Mid/late October all the way through Thanksgiving will be the entire East Coast from Florida up to New England, and there may even be a couple sightings in Michigan, Texas, and Toronto?

Graded singles sold well throughout the show. We had a lot of holes in the high grade showcases, even though our pre-1970 selection was only like four full showcases, definitely our lowest amount ever. (Of course, that just means we sell them well all year round!) Autographed cards were a bit slower this year, but I’ll admit we didn’t have that good of a selection this time around. Mid to low grade vintage did extremely well, and though we restocked on Saturday, cards continued to sell. Also, as in previous years, the high grade commons we brought were bought out by another dealer on Friday afternoon/Saturday morning, the fourth year in a row this has happened. We like clearing things out and starting over, and he likes buying fresh new inventory with little effort involved in the acquisition process. We sold all of our Goal Line Art cards to a dealer, another dealer bought all of the NFL Shield 1/1s, and yet another dealer bought five of the six Super Bowl game used footballs we had.

Right after checking out all the incredible vintage unopened that almost nobody else has at the show, our Daily Specials are becoming a must-see attraction. This year, we even divided up some of the days, so there were technically ten groups of specials spread out through the entire show. We had Larry Doby autographed 8x10s for $10, 1983 Fleer Tony Gwynn rookies for $1, 1985/86 Topps Mario Lemieux PSA 7 rookies for $69, and over 70 more Daily Specials. I believe 75% of them sold out this year! Now this part of our booth only generates about $20K in revenue and requires a ton of work both in preparation and at the show, but it offers everyone a chance to get some cool items at an unbeatable price. Collectors spend money on admission, parking, food, gas, and maybe hotel rooms and plane tickets; the least we can do is make the BBCE booth the go to place to see some cool stuff and find some great deals.

I think the 1986/87 Fleer Basketball Box Break went great, except I didn’t anticipate one thing – none of the participants actually being there! I naively figured at $2,000/pack, we’d have collectors who were attending the show wanting to see the drawing of the packs in person, then decide if they wanted to open their packs right there on the spot. Sadly, I think the days of in-person breaks like there used to be at The National to be a thing of the past. The prices for unopened severely outweigh the expected value (of course it’s always been like that, but 1986/87 Fleer Basketball is on a whole different level now) that a break will be a rare occurrence rather than the norm. The only way around this would be to severely discount the price of the box/pack and require every pack be opened on the spot, but is that PR worth the lost revenue?

I’m sure you will all agree that what was going on at the Topps booth was just obnoxious and simply unacceptable. Go ahead, use a microphone and a speaker so that everyone around the booth can hear what’s going on, but don’t turn the volume up to 11. People fifteen rows away don’t need to hear what you have to say. Hell, the booth right next to you (that being us) don’t need to hear it either. Topps’ marketing extraordinaire – the RipMaster, Alan Narz – is (was) an acquaintance of ours, as in Steve has bought stuff from him before and even has done him a couple of favors. When Steve went over to Alan and asked that he keep it down a bit just one time – the same time we were going to do the box break – Alan pretty much told him no. He made up some lame excuse about how Topps wants him to do it this way (so not true) and how the crowd loves it (only the 100 in front of him, not the thousands in attendance…and the millions watching at home), so he wouldn’t change his approach just this one time. If you want to yell, fine. If you want to use a microphone, also fine. But yelling into a microphone – unacceptable.

I thought the crowds were great at this show. Four years ago, LeBron had just announced he was coming back to Cleveland, and I think the general public added to the attendance. This time around, LeBron leaves, but there were more collectors there to make up the difference and more. Wednesday was crazy. I looked up at about 3:40pm and there were people everywhere, and they wanted to shop. There wasn’t much of soaking in the atmosphere; many had an agenda and were buyers for anything they liked. Thursday usually backs off because people who live nearby have to work, but it was still strong. Normally we slowly work into Thursday morning because the show ends late the day before, but we had to be up to speed fast because the room had some energy to it even early on. Friday was definitely an excellent crowd and we were moving product. Saturday was a bit slow for sales, but the aisles were always full. Maybe I didn’t interact with many, but I didn’t get the sense that there was a strong international crowd this year. Was it because we were in Cleveland as opposed to in Chicago? We usually see more collectors from Japan, China, and Korea, as well as those from England, Spain, and France.

So what goes into preparing for the National? Rick has to go to our other warehouse to get all our supplies – tabletop showcases, chairs, plastic shelves, overhead signs, and tables. He then has to assemble the little things we need – top loaders, screwdrivers, tape, bags, extension cords, glass cleaner, etc. Then he along with Christine start packing the unopened, which usually takes up to two weeks considering they still have day to day tasks to do, because if it’s all packed correctly and stacked on the pallets in order, set up can be a breeze. He has to do boxes, graded packs, loose packs, display boxes, modern wax – that’s a lot of different stuff. We had the booth completely set up and ready to start selling by noon on Tuesday; five years ago we’d still be doing stuff when the public walked in at 3:30pm. Steve has the task of what to bring (for the good unopened) but more importantly, he has to do the pricing then make the signs for the items. Sounds easy, but when you have to stop and think about each item, making sure the price is competitive, and considering the mountain of product that’s been put away for this show, it takes him several days to do it all. On top of that, he’s being bombarded with requests – people want to sell, people want to buy, authentication requests, interview requests, asking for favors – you get the idea. Rick and Steve work hard to get ready for the show, but it’s nothing like what I have to do. I start picking through our graded inventory and decide what to bring, then I go through it all card by card and make sure it’s priced or re-priced properly; this year we had close to 2,500 cards! I put together all the Daily Specials, and that usually takes at least three days to find them all, make the schedule, do all the signs, then photograph them all for the Facebook posts. I then try to find all the unusual stuff that fills out the back side of the booth – this year it was soccer boxes, NFL Shield 1/1 cards, Goal Line Art cards, game used Super Bowl footballs, etc. I also assumed the task of creating and marketing the 1986/87 Fleer Basketball Box Break, which was time consuming and nerve-wracking. Finally, I create all the promotional materials for the booth – the written testimonial ads, the marketing flyers, signs advertising that we buy, coordinate advertising with PSA, Beckett, and SCD, etc. I usually need 2 ½ to 3 weeks to get it all done, and didn’t have that luxury since the July buying trip went long. I spent some long days at the office this year followed by even more hours back at the hotel room. I’d estimate from June 29th through the last day of the National, I was averaging 90-100 hours a week.

Helpful hints

If you plan on bringing something to sell, contact us ahead of time. This allows us to do the research and figure out pricing at our leisure, rather than have to make decisions right on the spot. Plus, if we agree to a deal ahead of time, maybe we can meet at our truck or at your hotel room, rather than have to bring in a bunch of stuff through the show floor.

Asking for a discount when buying at a show is like breathing – everybody does it, and if you don’t, you probably should. However, recognize a good or fair price when you see one, and if it sounds good to you, pull the trigger. As you read earlier in this post, we double check our prices on everything before we bring it to The National. What good does it do us if we bring stuff that won’t sell because the price is incorrect? That being said, we’ve been known to give small discounts on items we have room on or on multiple item purchases, but if you’re expecting like a 25%/30%/40%/50% discount, it’s never going to happen. We clearly don’t have problems selling product throughout the year, so please don’t think your offer is doing us any favors. Again, recognize a good or fair price when you see one.

Wash your hands when you’re done using the bathroom. We’re all shaking hands all day at the show; let’s not make things worse by us all getting sick. I’ve got a pretty strong immune system, but many people don’t, and spreading germs because you’re too lazy to use some soap and water is just rude. Don’t think the rest of us didn’t see you in the mirror as you walk right by us from the stalls to the door!

If we can’t agree on a deal, don’t be rude. Steve and the rest of us at BBCE are as honest as it gets. We’re not trying to get one over on people. I think we have enough reviews and recommendations to back that up. Stone mentioned the incident he witnessed between Rick and some other dealer, who was pissed off about the price we were offering. Get this – he sold us a box a few years ago, and now wanted to sell another box of the same issue, and was mad that we now are paying more! I know that sounds weird, but it gets worse – he was mad that because we are now paying more, he felt like we didn’t pay him enough the first time! You can’t make this stuff up. Rick is a pretty level-headed guy and did keep his cool, but I don’t know if I’d want to mess with a retired and highly decorated Army Sergeant.

While Steve and my co-workers headed back to the office to unload and try to put the business back together, I drove home to Buffalo. I was so exhausted, that I napped for about an hour and a half through PA and NY while Bridget drove, then took another nap yesterday afternoon for almost two hours, because I am just beat down. It’s been a long five weeks, hitting both coasts while driving, prepping for the show, then actually doing the show. Steve just told me he slept almost 18 hours straight Monday night/Tuesday morning, and he said Rick took a three hour nap yesterday, which is probably the longest he’s ever had.
Thanks to everyone for stopping by to introduce yourselves and for the words of support. It truly does mean a lot to hear that we are doing a great job. One gentleman made it a point to stop by and thank me for finding something for his daughter when she writes to us for our Stocking Stuffer promotion, as her collecting tastes aren’t quite mainstream. It was very classy of him to introduce himself to me, I immediately knew who his daughter was as he shared his story, and it makes me want to do an even better job this year. I also want to thank everyone for making my fiancé Bridget feel welcome, even though you guys keep telling her that “she could do better” and that “Reed is marrying up.” Also, I think it’s great that our customers are also very respectful to the women in our crew – Christine (who assists Rick in the warehouse pulling orders, stocking shelves with our recent acquisitions, and shrinkwrapping boxes), Amanda (who co-manages our retail store in Schererville, IN, helps pull eBay orders, and runs eBay store bbcexchange2), and Emily (Rick’s daughter, who helped us out this week because every high school kid could use some extra money.)

Looking forward to everyone’s feedback (well, almost everyone) and hope to see everyone next year in Chicago!

Reed Kasaoka
Buyer, Baseball Card Exchange

cell: (808) 372-1974 email: ReedBBCE@gmail.com

Facebook: bbcexchange
website: www.BBCE.com
eBay stores: bbcexchange, bbcexchange2, bbcexchange3, bbcexchange4
«1

Comments

  • SdubSdub Posts: 736 ✭✭✭

    Reed, superb right up. Very well articulated. Thanks again to you and your crews for shipping my product out west. Will be great to see you guys again in Chicago.

    Collecting PSA 9's from 1970-1977. Raw 9's from 72-77. Raw 10's from '78-'83.
    Collecting Unopened from '72-'83; mostly BBCE certified boxes/cases/racks.
    Prefer to buy in bulk.
  • CVHJOS9CVHJOS9 Posts: 30 ✭✭

    Always great reading your thoughts Reed. Don't ever stop chronicling your endeavors.

    Looking for LA Rams Rookie cards PSA 10's, 1990 and prior please.

    Ebay seller: cvhjos9
  • UFFDAHUFFDAH Posts: 1,650 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Thanks Reed!! I need to get to a National sometime to experience the awe!!

  • fleet47fleet47 Posts: 78 ✭✭

    Great write-up. Good to hear from the dealer viewpoint. Missed Cleveland but will see you guys in Chicago.

  • ahopkinsahopkins Posts: 1,094 ✭✭✭✭✭

    That was a great read, Reed. Many, many thanks!

    Andy

    Andy

  • 81 Topps Guy81 Topps Guy Posts: 228 ✭✭✭

    Nobody says “marrying up”, I think the correct phrase is that you out kicked the coverage. All kidding aside, interesting read

  • MantleFan23MantleFan23 Posts: 686 ✭✭✭✭

    Thanks for taking the time to provide a great insight into the National. I was really looking forward to reading your thoughts on the show. BBCE is top notch and is a great asset to the collecting community.

  • VintagemanEdVintagemanEd Posts: 919 ✭✭✭

    Man that was awesome! Reed was there many bad boxes that didn’t pass authentication?

  • PaulMaulPaulMaul Posts: 4,680 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I didn’t see any 1971 Topps packs of any kind in the BBCE display pix. Were there any sightings of these at the show?

  • davidlisadavidlisa Posts: 62 ✭✭

    Thanks Reed, good to see you and Steve at the show. I totally agree about the WiFi, I mean seriously Cleveland, it's 2018 !

  • coinspackscoinspacks Posts: 952 ✭✭✭✭

    @PaulMaul said:
    I didn’t see any 1971 Topps packs of any kind in the BBCE display pix. Were there any sightings of these at the show?

  • DarinDarin Posts: 6,247 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Thanks for taking the time to write up that report! Like Mantlefan said, BBCE is top notch.

    DISCLAIMER FOR BASEBAL21
    In the course of every human endeavor since the dawn of time the risk of human error has always been a factor. Including but not limited to field goals, 4th down attempts, or multiple paragraph ramblings on a sports forum authored by someone who shall remain anonymous.
  • Great write up Reed. Totally agree, especially about internet. Hope to see you guys at an east coast show again

  • TheDudeAbidesTheDudeAbides Posts: 398 ✭✭✭

    Thanks for the detailed experiences. Looking forward to Chicago next year.

    Collecting 64, 66, 67, 70 & 71 Baseball. Cubs, wax, cello & rack baseball.
  • hdunkhdunk Posts: 76 ✭✭

    Out of curiosity does anyone who had issues with internet connection have Verizon? I have Verizon and had no problems. Everyone who had problems looking prices up at my booth had Sprint, AT&T, etc.

    The same in the lower level at Valley Forge, PA show. I hear most people complain about connectivity but with Verizon I have no problems.

  • kgibsonkgibson Posts: 264 ✭✭✭

    Great information Reed. I appreciated the huge BBCE sign hanging from the ceiling to help me keep my bearings.

    "You know we just don't recognize the most significant moments of our lives while they're happening. Back then I thought, well, there'll be other days. I didn't realize that that was the only day."
  • curchcurch Posts: 590 ✭✭✭

    Great write up Reed!

    Always looking for vintage wax boxes!
  • dan89dan89 Posts: 484 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I have Verizon and new phone. Faced the same challenges as everyone. Only time my signal was better walking near east and west exit areas.

    @hdunk said:
    Out of curiosity does anyone who had issues with internet connection have Verizon? I have Verizon and had no problems. Everyone who had problems looking prices up at my booth had Sprint, AT&T, etc.

    The same in the lower level at Valley Forge, PA show. I hear most people complain about connectivity but with Verizon I have no problems.

  • lahmejoonlahmejoon Posts: 1,666 ✭✭✭

    Thanks for the write-up, Reed. I hope to make it to one of these someday!

  • bouncebounce Posts: 1,094 ✭✭✭
    edited August 7, 2018 7:52PM

    @hdunk said:
    Out of curiosity does anyone who had issues with internet connection have Verizon? I have Verizon and had no problems. Everyone who had problems looking prices up at my booth had Sprint, AT&T, etc.

    The same in the lower level at Valley Forge, PA show. I hear most people complain about connectivity but with Verizon I have no problems.

    I had Verizon, and it was slow a few times but overall was good. Only time I can remember that big fat cell phone bill actually working to my advantage.

  • MintacularMintacular Posts: 1,138 ✭✭✭

    Very cool that Reed was just flat honest /open kinda like a collector would elaborate on their national expereince about and not corporate p.c. gooba-lagoob crap

  • AlbertdiditAlbertdidit Posts: 560 ✭✭✭

    After reading a post with about a million words..the only words that matter and all i can think about is:

    Tony gwynn 1983 fleer $1

    I would empty out my savings sell all my possessions and buy every one :)

  • OzcelticsOzceltics Posts: 27 ✭✭

    Agreed on that Topps guy that was completely ridiculous, you don’t need to yell into a microphone the whole point is it projects your voice already!

    I picked up the 87 Fleer Sticker Larry Bird PSA 10 you guys had and I took too long pondering on the 86 Fleer as it was gone when I came back around, fair prices and things will definitely move!

  • mtcardsmtcards Posts: 3,342 ✭✭✭

    I know it doesnt have anything to do directly about the national, but is there any possibility in the future that BBCE would be able to simplay authenticate packs as opposed to the current process of sending them cross country 4 times, getting them slabbed and taking months to process? I think a simple bbce wrap, authenticating a pack is something the industry needs now as opposed to the current PSA grading process, especially at the price they are charging.

    IT IS ALWAYS CHEAPER TO NOT SELL ON EBAY
  • ReedBBCEReedBBCE Posts: 25 ✭✭✭

    @VintagemanEd said:
    Man that was awesome! Reed was there many bad boxes that didn’t pass authentication?

    Boxes don't pass authentication all the time. If you check our Facebook page, you'll see that on Tuesday night, I took a 1986/87 Fleer Basketball Wax Box back to the hotel to authenticate. The packs were good, there were three Jordan stickers and the sticker runs all lined up, and I even identified three Jordan RC runs as well, but we couldn't authenticate the box because it was clear the box was "put together", as the 36 packs were not original to the box. The telltale sign was the different shades of color in the wrappers.

    I can't give you specific percentages, but we see bad boxes all the time, and unlike other authentication companies - we don't charge for that service! Now, I don't agree with this, as it still takes us time to inspect the packs and boxes and our expertise should be worth something, but that just goes to show you how nice of a person Steve Hart really is.

    There were boxes in the room that were sold to a customer, the customer walked over to our booth for authentication, told they were no good, and returned to the dealer for a refund - then the dealer put the box out for sale again, sold to another customer, that customer also walked over to our booth for authentication, and upon receiving the box Steve would say, "I just looked at this box, and it's still no good!" (...and this is why card dealers get such a bad reputation.) This happened on more than one occasion, and it happens every year.

    Reed Kasaoka
    Buyer, Baseball Card Exchange

    cell: (808) 372-1974 email: ReedBBCE@gmail.com

    Facebook: bbcexchange
    website: www.BBCE.com
    eBay stores: bbcexchange, bbcexchange2, bbcexchange3, bbcexchange4
  • ReedBBCEReedBBCE Posts: 25 ✭✭✭

    @Mintacular said:
    Very cool that Reed was just flat honest /open kinda like a collector would elaborate on their national expereince about and not corporate p.c. gooba-lagoob crap

    LOL that's also what seems to get me in trouble at times.

    Reed Kasaoka
    Buyer, Baseball Card Exchange

    cell: (808) 372-1974 email: ReedBBCE@gmail.com

    Facebook: bbcexchange
    website: www.BBCE.com
    eBay stores: bbcexchange, bbcexchange2, bbcexchange3, bbcexchange4
  • ReedBBCEReedBBCE Posts: 25 ✭✭✭

    @Albertdidit said:
    After reading a post with about a million words..the only words that matter and all i can think about is:

    Tony gwynn 1983 fleer $1

    I would empty out my savings sell all my possessions and buy every one :)

    Well it was limit one per person, but we did have 25 available each day on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

    Reed Kasaoka
    Buyer, Baseball Card Exchange

    cell: (808) 372-1974 email: ReedBBCE@gmail.com

    Facebook: bbcexchange
    website: www.BBCE.com
    eBay stores: bbcexchange, bbcexchange2, bbcexchange3, bbcexchange4
  • ReedBBCEReedBBCE Posts: 25 ✭✭✭

    @mtcards said:
    I know it doesnt have anything to do directly about the national, but is there any possibility in the future that BBCE would be able to simplay authenticate packs as opposed to the current process of sending them cross country 4 times, getting them slabbed and taking months to process? I think a simple bbce wrap, authenticating a pack is something the industry needs now as opposed to the current PSA grading process, especially at the price they are charging.

    Nope. PSA is in the business of authenticating and grading packs, and since they started doing so in 2005/06, Steve has authenticated every single pack that comes through the doors at PSA. Therefore, as you can imagine, we have a non-compete when it comes to doing packs. We will only be doing products that don't compete with PSA, like boxes, rack packs, etc.

    Everyone may have a different opinion of what a company charges for a service, but I believe PSA doesn't charge enough to do packs, especially when it has to get shipped back and forth across the country and they have to pay Steve for his time and expertise. It may have been mentioned here before, especially whenever conflict of interest is brought up, but if we assume the volume of packs PSA receives for authentication and grading per year was tripled, and you were paid the same rate Steve receives for his services, I'm extremely confident you would not quit your job to become the PSA pack authenticator. It is not a lucrative position.

    Reed Kasaoka
    Buyer, Baseball Card Exchange

    cell: (808) 372-1974 email: ReedBBCE@gmail.com

    Facebook: bbcexchange
    website: www.BBCE.com
    eBay stores: bbcexchange, bbcexchange2, bbcexchange3, bbcexchange4
  • Reed,
    That was a good read, thanks for taking the time to post.


    My new website www.lowgradegems.com


    Tim
  • CakesCakes Posts: 3,450 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @ReedBBCE said:

    @Mintacular said:
    Very cool that Reed was just flat honest /open kinda like a collector would elaborate on their national expereince about and not corporate p.c. gooba-lagoob crap

    LOL that's also what seems to get me in trouble at times.

    Hey we all live and learn, either way the honest non corporate write up is what we needed. Thank you.

    What a shame they didn't plan the cell coverage out any better, but I guess they only had a year to figure it out.

    Successful coin BST transactions with Gerard and segoja.

    Successful card BST transactions with cbcnow, brogurt, gstarling, Bravesfan 007, and rajah 424.
  • gemintgemint Posts: 6,066 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited August 8, 2018 11:03AM

    Reed, thanks for the write-up. The concern with shipping the packs around is with the wrapper tearing due to the gum. I understand they improved the holder but I don't think the problem has been eliminated. I have a 1963 nickel baseball pack that is PSA 9 but tore on the trip home from PSA. I have a photo of the pack pre-graded in its pristine condition. Very painful.

    On another note, do you believe there are a significant number of collectors still hoarding lots of pre-1970 unopened? With the lack of supply of this era of unopened at BBCE, it must be they are either not ready to sell, it sells immediately without ever going on the website or it no longer exists.

  • detroitfan2detroitfan2 Posts: 3,311 ✭✭✭✭

    @ReedBBCE said:

    @VintagemanEd said:
    Man that was awesome! Reed was there many bad boxes that didn’t pass authentication?

    Boxes don't pass authentication all the time. If you check our Facebook page, you'll see that on Tuesday night, I took a 1986/87 Fleer Basketball Wax Box back to the hotel to authenticate. The packs were good, there were three Jordan stickers and the sticker runs all lined up, and I even identified three Jordan RC runs as well, but we couldn't authenticate the box because it was clear the box was "put together", as the 36 packs were not original to the box. The telltale sign was the different shades of color in the wrappers.

    Ugh, I am so confused! I was under the impression that a BBCE authenticated box simply meant that the box contained 36 (or whatever the original count was) authenticated packs, not that the packs were necessarily original to the box. I thought that was the whole beauty of the FASC designation. What am I missing?

  • ReedBBCEReedBBCE Posts: 25 ✭✭✭

    @gemint said:
    Reed, thanks for the write-up. The concern with shipping the packs around is with the wrapper tearing due to the gum. I understand they improved the holder but I don't think the problem has been eliminated. I have a 1963 nickel baseball pack that is PSA 9 but tore on the trip home from PSA. I have a photo of the pack pre-graded in its pristine condition. Very painful.

    On another note, do you believe there are a significant number of collectors still hoarding lots of pre-1970 unopened? With the lack of supply of this era of unopened at BBCE, it must be they are either not ready to sell, it sells immediately without ever going on the website or it no longer exists.

    I don't know what to say about the pack holder with regards to shipping other than I don't think the problem will ever be fixed to the majority's satisfaction.

    Do I think there's still a lot of pre-1970 unopened, to the point that individuals are hoarding them? No, and my reasoning is somewhat solid. While I was born in 1974 and started buying/selling in the late 1980s, I still think I can safely say that nobody was consciously putting away unopened product until the 1970s rolled around, and even then, how much could anyone possibly come across? If they found ten boxes of something, could they really afford to do so without selling most if not all of it? When prices started to jump in the 1980s and 1990s, why wouldn't you have sold then? And, given that most of these collectors who started well before the 1980s explosion, would most if not all of them be quite old or have passed away already? Why isn't that stuff or hasn't that stuff come to market?

    This has nothing to do with the lack of supply that we have at BBCE. Your point about product never going on the website or it selling immediately is more spot on. I don't work out of the office, so sadly, I don't get to see all the cool stuff that comes in. Hell, I didn't even know about that 1958 Topps Football Wax Box we had at the National until I saw it in the showcase! Yes, a lot of the big stuff either ends up at auction or gets privately sold. I wish I could give you more info on those transactions, but I am never part of it unless a seller contacts me instead of Steve.

    Reed Kasaoka
    Buyer, Baseball Card Exchange

    cell: (808) 372-1974 email: ReedBBCE@gmail.com

    Facebook: bbcexchange
    website: www.BBCE.com
    eBay stores: bbcexchange, bbcexchange2, bbcexchange3, bbcexchange4
  • ReedBBCEReedBBCE Posts: 25 ✭✭✭

    @detroitfan2 said:

    @ReedBBCE said:

    @VintagemanEd said:
    Man that was awesome! Reed was there many bad boxes that didn’t pass authentication?

    Boxes don't pass authentication all the time. If you check our Facebook page, you'll see that on Tuesday night, I took a 1986/87 Fleer Basketball Wax Box back to the hotel to authenticate. The packs were good, there were three Jordan stickers and the sticker runs all lined up, and I even identified three Jordan RC runs as well, but we couldn't authenticate the box because it was clear the box was "put together", as the 36 packs were not original to the box. The telltale sign was the different shades of color in the wrappers.

    Ugh, I am so confused! I was under the impression that a BBCE authenticated box simply meant that the box contained 36 (or whatever the original count was) authenticated packs, not that the packs were necessarily original to the box. I thought that was the whole beauty of the FASC designation. What am I missing?

    Each product has to be considered on case by case basis (no pun intended.) With cards commanding big money these days, everything counts - condition, authentication, provenance, the backstory behind the deal, etc. 1986/87 Fleer Basketball is an exception to the "any 36 packs in a box makes it a box" rule for many reasons:

    1. Clean boxes have sold for $70K+; if you are spending that kind of money, you want to know you're item checks off all the boxes - comes from a quality source, looks factory fresh, passes all authentication tests, etc.
    2. The wrapper is transulcent - and that's good and bad. Good, because we can identify what cards may be in the packs, therefore ensuring the box is legit, and bad, because someone can identify what cards may be in the packs, and maybe remove all the Jordan rookies from a box.
    3. The set is extremely small compared to the number of cards in a box; a perfect, legit box yields three sets. It cannot make any more sets, and because the collation of 1986/87 Fleer is so precise, a legit box should not yield less than three sets. Collectors who broke this product back in 1986 report that this fact is indeed true.

    If we authenticated one of these boxes the way it was done back in the 1990s/2000s (sticker counts are correct and nothing more) someone like me - who has a lot of knowledge about this product and could over time, accumulate a bunch of loose packs - could build a 36 pack box with the correct sticker count (three of every player, and a fourth sticker of three random players) but make sure that every pack in the box would have crap (the "S" and "G" pack - they would be cards in the row from #34-44 and #100-110 - I think Isiah is the only star) or have like 12 Olajuwon rookies. Can you then imagine a breaker opening this box (with a BBCE wrap) and the PR nightmare that would follow for that breaker, BBCE, and Steve?

    Reed Kasaoka
    Buyer, Baseball Card Exchange

    cell: (808) 372-1974 email: ReedBBCE@gmail.com

    Facebook: bbcexchange
    website: www.BBCE.com
    eBay stores: bbcexchange, bbcexchange2, bbcexchange3, bbcexchange4
  • detroitfan2detroitfan2 Posts: 3,311 ✭✭✭✭

    @ReedBBCE said:

    @detroitfan2 said:

    @ReedBBCE said:

    @VintagemanEd said:
    Man that was awesome! Reed was there many bad boxes that didn’t pass authentication?

    Boxes don't pass authentication all the time. If you check our Facebook page, you'll see that on Tuesday night, I took a 1986/87 Fleer Basketball Wax Box back to the hotel to authenticate. The packs were good, there were three Jordan stickers and the sticker runs all lined up, and I even identified three Jordan RC runs as well, but we couldn't authenticate the box because it was clear the box was "put together", as the 36 packs were not original to the box. The telltale sign was the different shades of color in the wrappers.

    Ugh, I am so confused! I was under the impression that a BBCE authenticated box simply meant that the box contained 36 (or whatever the original count was) authenticated packs, not that the packs were necessarily original to the box. I thought that was the whole beauty of the FASC designation. What am I missing?

    Each product has to be considered on case by case basis (no pun intended.) With cards commanding big money these days, everything counts - condition, authentication, provenance, the backstory behind the deal, etc. 1986/87 Fleer Basketball is an exception to the "any 36 packs in a box makes it a box" rule for many reasons:

    1. Clean boxes have sold for $70K+; if you are spending that kind of money, you want to know you're item checks off all the boxes - comes from a quality source, looks factory fresh, passes all authentication tests, etc.
    2. The wrapper is transulcent - and that's good and bad. Good, because we can identify what cards may be in the packs, therefore ensuring the box is legit, and bad, because someone can identify what cards may be in the packs, and maybe remove all the Jordan rookies from a box.
    3. The set is extremely small compared to the number of cards in a box; a perfect, legit box yields three sets. It cannot make any more sets, and because the collation of 1986/87 Fleer is so precise, a legit box should not yield less than three sets. Collectors who broke this product back in 1986 report that this fact is indeed true.

    If we authenticated one of these boxes the way it was done back in the 1990s/2000s (sticker counts are correct and nothing more) someone like me - who has a lot of knowledge about this product and could over time, accumulate a bunch of loose packs - could build a 36 pack box with the correct sticker count (three of every player, and a fourth sticker of three random players) but make sure that every pack in the box would have crap (the "S" and "G" pack - they would be cards in the row from #34-44 and #100-110 - I think Isiah is the only star) or have like 12 Olajuwon rookies. Can you then imagine a breaker opening this box (with a BBCE wrap) and the PR nightmare that would follow for that breaker, BBCE, and Steve?

    That makes complete sense, and I'm glad to hear it. The problem, of course, is where to draw the line, or even how to draw the line when considering the "case by case basis". I know I'd be much more likely to spend $1650 on BBCE's unopened 1978 Topps Baseball Wax Box if I knew I was guaranteed to get the distribution that was typical in 1978 instead of potentially getting a Bombo Rivera in every pack. I also know that it's virtually impossible to know with a 1978 Topps Baseball box if the packs were original to the box or not.

    All that being said, as a buyer, that "line" is vitally important to me. I was stunned to learn a few years back that "unopened box" did not mean "unopened box" but instead meant "box of 36 unopened packs". It is also why to this day I am a bit surprised at how little information regarding the "condition, authentication, provenance, the backstory" is included in the description of unopened material on BBCE's web-site, whether the box is $100, $1000, or $70K+.

  • demondeacsdemondeacs Posts: 113 ✭✭✭

    Curious how the quality of ungraded vintage cards available during setup compared to past nationals. I guess that's not your primary focus, but maybe you heard others talk about it.

  • tonylagstonylags Posts: 568 ✭✭✭

    @demondeacs said:
    Curious how the quality of ungraded vintage cards available during setup compared to past nationals. I guess that's not your primary focus, but maybe you heard others talk about it.

    I'd be curious about this too? Reed; Do you think large quantities of high grade ungraded vintage {pre 70} still exist?

    I have to much S**t; so if you working on sets or are a player/team collector, send me your want list, with conditions desired. Keep in mind I have a another job so please allow me a few days to respond.

  • ReedBBCEReedBBCE Posts: 25 ✭✭✭

    @tonylags said:

    @demondeacs said:
    Curious how the quality of ungraded vintage cards available during setup compared to past nationals. I guess that's not your primary focus, but maybe you heard others talk about it.

    I'd be curious about this too? Reed; Do you think large quantities of high grade ungraded vintage {pre 70} still exist?

    I'd say absolutely yes. We've been grading between 15,000-25,000 cards with PSA the past several years. Of course, quite a bit of these are vintage commons, and you know we're not submitting cards hoping to sell them for a couple bucks over grading fees. Whenever we land these type of deals, they often don't get publicized too much, because we'd rather show off the end result (the graded cards) plus you can imagine what it's like for Steve whenever people find out we've just landed a killer ungraded deal.

    Also, while everyone loves a good story of finding a brick of nice vintage singles, grading them, and making a nice profit, it's not considered good form when a dealer tells the story. None of us pretend to believe that we're not in it to make a profit, but some don't like it when we talk about the money we're making.

    Some of the greatest deals I've ever bought were great because of the incredible return on the investment due to grading. Those stories will be told one day when I'm retired and the book comes out. LOL

    Reed Kasaoka
    Buyer, Baseball Card Exchange

    cell: (808) 372-1974 email: ReedBBCE@gmail.com

    Facebook: bbcexchange
    website: www.BBCE.com
    eBay stores: bbcexchange, bbcexchange2, bbcexchange3, bbcexchange4
  • tonylagstonylags Posts: 568 ✭✭✭

    @ReedBBCE said:

    @tonylags said:

    @demondeacs said:

    Also, while everyone loves a good story of finding a brick of nice vintage singles, grading them, and making a nice profit, it's not considered good form when a dealer tells the story. None of us pretend to believe that we're not in it to make a profit, but some don't like it when we talk about the money we're making.

    Thanks for the reply. This, personally I never understood. Generally the person who sold them got a good deal or they wouldn't of sold them and dealer's have expenses. How come nobody complains of the profit Apple makes on an Iphone 10?

    I have to much S**t; so if you working on sets or are a player/team collector, send me your want list, with conditions desired. Keep in mind I have a another job so please allow me a few days to respond.

  • ReedBBCEReedBBCE Posts: 25 ✭✭✭

    @detroitfan2 said:

    @ReedBBCE said:

    @detroitfan2 said:

    @ReedBBCE said:

    @VintagemanEd said:
    Man that was awesome! Reed was there many bad boxes that didn’t pass authentication?

    Boxes don't pass authentication all the time. If you check our Facebook page, you'll see that on Tuesday night, I took a 1986/87 Fleer Basketball Wax Box back to the hotel to authenticate. The packs were good, there were three Jordan stickers and the sticker runs all lined up, and I even identified three Jordan RC runs as well, but we couldn't authenticate the box because it was clear the box was "put together", as the 36 packs were not original to the box. The telltale sign was the different shades of color in the wrappers.

    Ugh, I am so confused! I was under the impression that a BBCE authenticated box simply meant that the box contained 36 (or whatever the original count was) authenticated packs, not that the packs were necessarily original to the box. I thought that was the whole beauty of the FASC designation. What am I missing?

    Each product has to be considered on case by case basis (no pun intended.) With cards commanding big money these days, everything counts - condition, authentication, provenance, the backstory behind the deal, etc. 1986/87 Fleer Basketball is an exception to the "any 36 packs in a box makes it a box" rule for many reasons:

    1. Clean boxes have sold for $70K+; if you are spending that kind of money, you want to know you're item checks off all the boxes - comes from a quality source, looks factory fresh, passes all authentication tests, etc.
    2. The wrapper is transulcent - and that's good and bad. Good, because we can identify what cards may be in the packs, therefore ensuring the box is legit, and bad, because someone can identify what cards may be in the packs, and maybe remove all the Jordan rookies from a box.
    3. The set is extremely small compared to the number of cards in a box; a perfect, legit box yields three sets. It cannot make any more sets, and because the collation of 1986/87 Fleer is so precise, a legit box should not yield less than three sets. Collectors who broke this product back in 1986 report that this fact is indeed true.

    If we authenticated one of these boxes the way it was done back in the 1990s/2000s (sticker counts are correct and nothing more) someone like me - who has a lot of knowledge about this product and could over time, accumulate a bunch of loose packs - could build a 36 pack box with the correct sticker count (three of every player, and a fourth sticker of three random players) but make sure that every pack in the box would have crap (the "S" and "G" pack - they would be cards in the row from #34-44 and #100-110 - I think Isiah is the only star) or have like 12 Olajuwon rookies. Can you then imagine a breaker opening this box (with a BBCE wrap) and the PR nightmare that would follow for that breaker, BBCE, and Steve?

    That makes complete sense, and I'm glad to hear it. The problem, of course, is where to draw the line, or even how to draw the line when considering the "case by case basis". I know I'd be much more likely to spend $1650 on BBCE's unopened 1978 Topps Baseball Wax Box if I knew I was guaranteed to get the distribution that was typical in 1978 instead of potentially getting a Bombo Rivera in every pack. I also know that it's virtually impossible to know with a 1978 Topps Baseball box if the packs were original to the box or not.

    All that being said, as a buyer, that "line" is vitally important to me. I was stunned to learn a few years back that "unopened box" did not mean "unopened box" but instead meant "box of 36 unopened packs". It is also why to this day I am a bit surprised at how little information regarding the "condition, authentication, provenance, the backstory" is included in the description of unopened material on BBCE's web-site, whether the box is $100, $1000, or $70K+.

    Well standards change over time, and as we become better at authenticating, the way we do things evolve. Remember, "From A Sealed Case" was not a thing when Steve started wrapping boxes well before the BBCE logo wrap; that term came around much later. PSA graded cards for years before they started adding the backs to T206 flips, and let's not forget how they fought doing half grades before finally giving in years later.

    Yes, case by case basis is not the best way to address how and when we do things, but Steve, Rick, and I do talk about what we should do, carefully keeping in mind that once we do something, it sets a precedent. Sure, we have made a couple of mistakes that we wish we could take back, but we're trying our best. Maybe we should hire a legal department to review these issues for us? LOL (sarcasm)

    Provenance and backstory to the items we buy can easily be had by calling or emailing Steve or myself.
    Most companies our size, you can't get the owner on the phone. You never have that problem with Steve. He also answers all the emails addressed to him. My phone number is in all our ads and at the bottom of this post; I answer my phone like my livelihood depends on it, because it does. We're more than happy to share the stories of how we acquire products. Putting it in print on the website? I'll be honest in saying that it's more about laziness than anything else. Steve is not the kind of person who will go on and on telling a story; you see it in our product descriptions, and you see it (or don't see it) in his very infrequent blog posts. Clearly, I can talk about cards (it took me a few hours to write the initial post), try to share stories of what it's like to work at BBCE on our Facebook page, and if you've ever met me, then you know I can also tell those stories in person as well. Frankly, we don't need all that hyperbole to advertise and promote the good stuff - because that stuff pretty much sells itself.

    I know that's not the answer some want to hear, but it's the truth.

    Reed Kasaoka
    Buyer, Baseball Card Exchange

    cell: (808) 372-1974 email: ReedBBCE@gmail.com

    Facebook: bbcexchange
    website: www.BBCE.com
    eBay stores: bbcexchange, bbcexchange2, bbcexchange3, bbcexchange4
  • ReedBBCEReedBBCE Posts: 25 ✭✭✭

    @tonylags said:

    @ReedBBCE said:

    @tonylags said:

    @demondeacs said:

    Also, while everyone loves a good story of finding a brick of nice vintage singles, grading them, and making a nice profit, it's not considered good form when a dealer tells the story. None of us pretend to believe that we're not in it to make a profit, but some don't like it when we talk about the money we're making.

    Thanks for the reply. This, personally I never understood. Generally the person who sold them got a good deal or they wouldn't of sold them and dealer's have expenses. How come nobody complains of the profit Apple makes on an Iphone 10?

    Because you don't know who to complain to at Apple; Tim Cook isn't taking any of our calls. Because Apple is making so much money they don't care what any of us think. Because some of us are shareholders in Apple and want the company to make a profit.

    (Can you imagine if Steve offered shares in BBCE?)

    What or how much we profit shouldn't matter to anyone else. If anything, we should be making enough that we keep wanting to do this for a living, and in turn all the collectors that we serve benefit from our efforts. I know it's weird, but some collectors love dealers who find stuff they want and will sell to them at reasonable prices, until they don't love them anymore for whatever reason. You can't let the few get under our skin, but sooner or later, we find out what people have to say about us negatively, and we're dumbfounded sometimes where this hate or anger is coming from. If the other 99% didn't have nice things to say or weren't being our best form of advertising through word of mouth recommendations, we'd have quit a long time ago.

    Reed Kasaoka
    Buyer, Baseball Card Exchange

    cell: (808) 372-1974 email: ReedBBCE@gmail.com

    Facebook: bbcexchange
    website: www.BBCE.com
    eBay stores: bbcexchange, bbcexchange2, bbcexchange3, bbcexchange4
  • Stone193Stone193 Posts: 24,351 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Thanx for the review Reed.

    Enjoyed reading - Rick like me - retired Army - so - instant connection.

    On the rips - I like when a bunch of CU guys get together - we did an 83 and 85T box. Next year I'm gonna act early on the what to rip and what time.

    It's just a chance to get together.

    How about coming to Texas this next year? I've got a bunch of stuff to get wrapped.

    Mike
  • demondeacsdemondeacs Posts: 113 ✭✭✭

    Regarding the raw vintage, I was mostly just interested in how much more buying opportunities are available during setup vs what's left over when the doors officially open.

    My own experience has been that there's still high grade stuff out there, but I tend to find it more from random people who aren't really into cards that much and not as much from "dealers." I know there are dealers who don't grade, but even some of them have buyers they sell their best stuff to.

  • ReedBBCEReedBBCE Posts: 25 ✭✭✭

    @demondeacs said:
    Regarding the raw vintage, I was mostly just interested in how much more buying opportunities are available during setup vs what's left over when the doors officially open.

    My own experience has been that there's still high grade stuff out there, but I tend to find it more from random people who aren't really into cards that much and not as much from "dealers." I know there are dealers who don't grade, but even some of them have buyers they sell their best stuff to.

    I can't lend much insight on this one, because ever since we moved into the corporate area and the massive booth, Steve and I rarely get to leave the booth to walk around; not during set up, not in the mornings, not during the day, not ever. This year I walked to the bathroom, and that was it. However, there are probably a few dozen dealers that don't have tables but find a way to make thousands of dollars each National, buying from dealer A and selling to dealer B. We get dealers coming to us offering product throughout the show, and we spend quite a bit each year. I know I spent about $70-80K from dealers myself; not sure how much Steve and Rick spent.

    Reed Kasaoka
    Buyer, Baseball Card Exchange

    cell: (808) 372-1974 email: ReedBBCE@gmail.com

    Facebook: bbcexchange
    website: www.BBCE.com
    eBay stores: bbcexchange, bbcexchange2, bbcexchange3, bbcexchange4
  • tonylagstonylags Posts: 568 ✭✭✭

    Reed; I think I met you once at a show, your a stand up guy and BBCE is a quality dealer in my mind. From what I've seen you guys "give back" plenty. I know the breaks on these boards are often sold a discount. I bet those daily deals at the national were a big hit too. Those haters are just jealous, and I was using apple as an example. I can't wait to reed {no pun intended} the book. Excellent recap for a non-attendee and I enjoyed it from a dealers perspective.
    PS. If you guys offer shares I want in on the ipo.

    I have to much S**t; so if you working on sets or are a player/team collector, send me your want list, with conditions desired. Keep in mind I have a another job so please allow me a few days to respond.

  • ReedBBCEReedBBCE Posts: 25 ✭✭✭

    @1970s said:
    There have been plenty of conversations on this forum concerning what to do in a situation where you could make a killing on a big find compared to giving an unknowing old lady the proper price for what she is selling for her deceased husband. There are two schools of thought. The one school is that if you offer 40% and the woman is tickled pink, then you did your job. The other school of thought is that if you offer anything lower then 60% for her beautiful old cards that will sell easily, then you are scum. When it comes to money, well, you know.

    My thought is that you guys should be making as much money as Exxon Mobil. That will give you more days off to rest, more purchasing power to buy, and less stress in your business. I'm not kidding either. There's enough stress in this world. The more you can make, the easier life will get for everyone. And the more you make, the more you can reward your more loyal customers.

    I've been grinding in cards for 30 years, and it's relaxing to know I don't have to chase down every single lead. I'm still away from home for work 200-220 days a year, and of course would like that number to decrease. Still, I'm not afraid of hard work, and neither is Steve, and that's why we keep landing bigger and better deals. Sellers love to deal with and appreciate hard working dealers!

    I know some will call BS, but I have paid more than the seller was expecting many times, and will continue to do so, because that's the right thing to do. I bought an autograph deal on the Big Island of Hawaii a couple years ago, and when it was time to negotiate a price, the seller came out with a price so low, I gave him 30% more! My number was a bit higher than that, but there's nothing wrong with good karma. Another time about six years ago, I offered so much more than what the seller was expecting, I almost scared him into changing his mind and not selling! It took me a while to talk him down from the ledge, but I did, and yes, the raw vintage cards were that nice.

    I do get lots of time to rest, but I like the way you think! Maybe I should have you negotiate my compensation package? LOL Seriously, Steve lets me take all the time off I need - I got ten weeks off to move into a new house in Apr/May/Jun, I always go to Vegas for NFL opening weekend, and I disappear to Hawaii a couple times a year, including two weeks during the holidays. By the time vacation is over, I can't wait to get back out there and see what else we can find!

    Reed Kasaoka
    Buyer, Baseball Card Exchange

    cell: (808) 372-1974 email: ReedBBCE@gmail.com

    Facebook: bbcexchange
    website: www.BBCE.com
    eBay stores: bbcexchange, bbcexchange2, bbcexchange3, bbcexchange4
Sign In or Register to comment.