Does this seem incongruous to you guys...?

sando69 · August 13, 2006 3:53PM

ebay auction closed tonite for a 1933 Sport Kings Babe Ruth PSA 8 (pop 22, 2 higher)... selling price- $20,500.

memory lane auction that closed fri morn offered same card, PSA 7 (pop 24, 24 higher)... selling price- $ 7395...

that same auction also offered 1933 Goudey #53 Babe Ruth PSA 7 (pop 19, 17 higher)... selling price- $15,200.

memory lane auction also had 1933 Goudey #144 Babe Ruth PSA 7 (pop 39, 36 higher)... selling price- $9842.

does the Sport King PSA 7 seem comparatively undervalued... and if so, why?

ColleSystem · August 13, 2006 6:44PM

I am not that familiar with all of the details of that Sport Kings card (although I'd love to have one). The $13,000 price difference definately would be magnified if last nights 8 was weak and the Memory lane 7 was strong.

-Scott

storm888 · August 13, 2006 8:49PM

I suspect one could only speculate their way to a
true and worthwhile compare and contrast answer.

The question does not exactly ask us to compare apples and
oranges, but it almost does.

As we all know, there are, or can be, a thousand different reasons
why one card or another sells at a given price. The
unknown circumstances that surround the motivations
of buyers like you have cited make a definitive answer
almost impossible to reach except by chance/luck.

All that rattled off, my answer is "no;" the SK card may
be "undervalued," but the dollar difs between the
comparison cards does not prove that.

Also, SK card buyers tend to be pretty broad in sports
enthusiasm; much more so than the average Goudey
guy. Put another way, except for the name "Ruth"
appearing on all of the cards, the connection between
the two-pairs is rather remote in the minds of many
high-end collectors.

Many SK buyers appreciate the idea of building the set.
That can influence buying/pricing decisions a bunch. OTOH, many
bb purists are not keen on accepting that the SK-set cards are
really even "very close to being baseball cards."

SK prices can often get propped up when poor folks with extra
money get the fever. The SK cards have a much greater connection
to the working class than do the other Goudeys, and the
SK cards are just not looked at with ultra-lust like the comparison
Ruth cards are by rich folks. In other words, rarity absent the
desire of the rich-crowd to possess leads to lower demand
and lower prices.

Thus, the auction outcomes outlined, by themselves, DO NOT
mean that the SK 7 is "comparatively undervalued." It is more likely
"comparatively under demanded and lusted for." (Community
demand often/always over-rides "rarity factors" in almost all
collectibles.)

I am not saying the SKs are overpriced, I am just saying that price
is an element of how many folks who want them can afford them.
Big money guys, with plenty of exceptions, view the other Ruth
cards as more of a treasure not withstanding their comparative
abundance.

But, I ain't no expert on nothin', and I might be all wrong.

storm

lawnmowerman · August 13, 2006 11:24PM

<< <i>Does this seem incongruous to you guys...? >>

I might be able to answer you if I knew what that word meant.

Please speak slow and no big words, you have to remember ME cut grass

matt

sando69 · August 14, 2006 12:43AM

matt-
it means that the house & senate can rarely agree on anything...
as evidenced by storm's eloquent & insightful analysis!

storm-
thanks for the comments.
i guess that also explains why the same $20,000 that buys a 1933 ruth psa 8 can only command a psa
5 or sgc 70 1952 topps mantle!

it is truly all a factor of demand i suppose!

kingraider75 · August 14, 2006 2:00AM

more people have access to Ebay than Memory Lane auctions. I like Memory Lane, Mastro, and all the like, but I think Ebay still reaches more people. Does that mean $13k difference????? Maybe so, maybe not.

MajorDanby · August 14, 2006 3:24AM

hmmm, not sure if the difference between ebay and memory lane is the main culprit. I suspect prices in big name auctions like memory lane to rake in more dough.

the difference is likely caused by the fact that besides his rookie and second year cards, ruth's most known and collected cards are his 33 goudeys. it's really his only mainstream card. and we all know the lore of the goudey set and its place in the hobby. sports king cards are popular, but pale in comparison to the goudey set or other more reknowned sets (compare the prices for a sports king ty cobb to say a T206 or any caramel issue).

Stone193 · August 14, 2006 3:59AM

I like the SK Ruth card.

I'm with Storm - in that the SK set is a mixed sport set - this could wind up making it less desirable than the Goudeys - less demand equals lower price.

And if so, and one wants a sweet card that may cost less? I'ld hit it!

mike

sando69 · August 14, 2006 2:07PM

hey mike-
i'd like to borrow that card... would you mind sending it to me?

now have fairly decent comparative images of the difference between $7395 and $20,500...
is someone willing to post them for me.
thanks for your help!

themetalsign · August 15, 2006 12:02AM

Matt,
Me cut grass too !!!!!! Slowly getting out of it though. 14 years is long enough.....

Dave
Vintagecardshop

Does this seem incongruous to you guys...?

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