Sports card collecting

[Cusedad2X]

Just did a quick search through Ebay sold listings and looks like the best graded 1969 jackson rookie was graded an 8.5 and sold for $8300 in June.

Too many stories to tell and fill this entire thread ...lol I was the high end guy from Syracuse - Albany from 79-93. If you bought high end vintage at local shows in that time frame, u probably know who I am. Specialized in Yankees, 50s, 60 and pre 1975 high end cards.

Would love to hear from past customers. I preached buying quality vintage not the modern flavor of the week cards. If u bought from me, you invested well...No very well!!!

Ps...back in it... private message me if you'd like to discuss.

 

[Cusedad2X]

An entire industry (that used to be) grounded in the Greater Fool theory.

I have a lot of nice cards from the mid-late 80's to early 90's, but just assume they are (relatively ) worthless considering how many cards were put into production at the time.

My kids dig Pokemon cards and are always assuming something they picked up in a pack at Target is rare. I have a hard time believing - those things all look the same to me.

Here some pics I was using for "buy" ads in the 80s

 

[supp]

Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel on HBO last night had a very interesting story about sportscard collecting. I was absolutely obsessed with it as a kid in the early 90s. My favorite places in Syracuse were Hot Corner in Liverpool and George's on the Northside.

I just assumed that the hobby was extinct because kids were more interested in social media and illuminated screens, but apparently, the market for sports cards is absolutely insane right now. Over the past generation, sports cards have actually out-performed the S&P 500. They interviewed a high school kid who has made a few million dollars by age 17. There are Giannis and Luka cards, for instance, worth literally 5 or 6 figures. And then the holy grail Honus Wagner card is worth millions.

My most valuable card as a kid was a John Stockton rookie card worth $25 and I cared for it like it was the Hope Diamond. Unfortunately, because cards from my childhood era were so overproduced, none of them have much value.

Does anyone here have any particularly valuable sports cards?

I was a collector at the same time as you and I wished I had sold them way back when instead of holding on to them. I've asked some shops around me and they all said that they only collect cards from the 1970s and earlier. I have some Jordan cards from the mid- to late-1980s that are worth something the last time I checked. But it's hard to tell. On Ebay, I've seen those cards in the same condition priced as high as $1000 and as low as $15. No rhyme or reason that I can figure out.

 

[obliterata]

Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel on HBO last night had a very interesting story about sportscard collecting. I was absolutely obsessed with it as a kid in the early 90s. My favorite places in Syracuse were Hot Corner in Liverpool and George's on the Northside.

I just assumed that the hobby was extinct because kids were more interested in social media and illuminated screens, but apparently, the market for sports cards is absolutely insane right now. Over the past generation, sports cards have actually out-performed the S&P 500. They interviewed a high school kid who has made a few million dollars by age 17. There are Giannis and Luka cards, for instance, worth literally 5 or 6 figures. And then the holy grail Honus Wagner card is worth millions.

My most valuable card as a kid was a John Stockton rookie card worth $25 and I cared for it like it was the Hope Diamond. Unfortunately, because cards from my childhood era were so overproduced, none of them have much value.

Does anyone here have any particularly valuable sports cards?

I have 1959 Topps: Mantle 10, Mantle 564, Killebrew 515, and four Clemente 478. Never had them graded but they look good.

 

[HoustonCuse]

Umm...maybe a few bucks

View attachment 205184

That’s kinda why I was asking. I don’t know the collecting business. I know that card is in the set I have but when I look at auctions for the whole set they are way less $$ than the single card. Is that because it is graded? I had assumed the one in a brand new unopened complete set would be a 10 rating but maybe that isn’t automatically the case??

 

[Cusedad2X]

That’s kinda why I was asking. I don’t know the collecting business. I know that card is in the set I have but when I look at auctions for the whole set they are way less $$ than the single card. Is that because it is graded? I had assumed the one in a brand new unopened complete set would be a 10 rating but maybe that isn’t automatically the case??

10s are not guaranteed for cards directly out of the packs. Centering, focus, print flaws, surfaces (gum stains), etc. all can affect a card's grade. Look at yours in the light , under magnification and be critical. The (3) graders looking at your card when certifying it will not give u the benefit of the doubt. And.....certification will cost u as well.
As an aside, the sum of card prices when sold individually far exceed the set price. Sounds weird for the effort that might go into putting a set together but it's true.

 

[Cusedad2X]

I have 1959 Topps: Mantle 10, Mantle 564, Killebrew 515, and four Clemente 478. Never had them graded but they look good.

When people would ask me about their card values of items they had at home, one of my favorite lines to use at card shows was "How much is my car worth?" The person would usually respond: "I don't know...never seen your car:" Likewise for sports memorabilia. Anyone giving u a value of your items would need to see them 1st. Cards have to be conservatively judged and assessed to put a value on them. I'd be happy to look at scans and give my opinion via PM.

 

[SUFaninNJ]

Do they not a have team now or just that they always suck (I don't remember them being good recently at all).

I haven't lived in Syracuse since the 90s, so I don't know if they suck or not. We were always pretty good when I lived in DeWitt. When I asked the parent of a couple of players she told me that the reason they don't have a varsity team this year is due to apathy, coaching and kids specializing in other sports.

 

[kirbivore]

I was told by a buddy recently that some of the garbage pal kids are worth a ton now. If unopened, you may actually have more than you realize.

One of my brothers had a ton of those. Next time I'm home I'll have to root around my parents' attic and see if an unopened pack got left there.

 

[HoustonCuse]

10s are not guaranteed for cards directly out of the packs. Centering, focus, print flaws, surfaces (gum stains), etc. all can affect a card's grade. Look at yours in the light , under magnification and be critical. The (3) graders looking at your card when certifying it will not give u the benefit of the doubt. And...certification will cost u as well.
As an aside, the sum of card prices when sold individually far exceed the set price. Sounds weird for the effort that might go into putting a set together but it's true.

Thanks. This is a factory sealed set still in the shrink wrap so I have never seen the card. Are you saying it would be better to break that seal?

 

[Cusedad2X]

I was a collector at the same time as you and I wished I had sold them way back when instead of holding on to them. I've asked some shops around me and they all said that they only collect cards from the 1970s and earlier. I have some Jordan cards from the mid- to late-1980s that are worth something the last time I checked. But it's hard to tell. On Ebay, I've seen those cards in the same condition priced as high as $1000 and as low as $15. No rhyme or reason that I can figure out.

Thanks. This is a factory sealed set still in the shrink wrap so I have never seen the card. Are you saying it would be better to break that seal?

I'd say the allure of a potential 10 would outweigh opening it . Thus, sell as is unopened/sealed.

Disclaimer...I dealt (and deal) in high end vintage material. This whole game of modern cards (mass produced 80s an d 90s ) being worth mega bucks is fool's gold to me. There is no true scarcity. Thus, sell while there is high interest.

 

[Cusedad2X]

Thanks. This is a factory sealed set still in the shrink wrap so I have never seen the card. Are you saying it would be better to break that seal?

Do NOT break. Sell sealed. In my `1st reply, I didn't know ur set was "sealed".

 

[MeloMan]

I just saw this thread and it reminded me that somewhere in my house I have the complete Topps baseball sets from 1976 - 1981, which I had collected as a kid. I didn't collect as an investment back then, but I do wonder if I have anything of value. I understand it's difficult to know the true value of a card without a proper analysis, is there a good website that provides ballpark values based on condition?

 

[shandeezy7]

Found my most prized card today:

 

[mgurtz79]

I’m surprised more people don’t personally collect SU stuff these cards hang in my man cave. Here are my SU Basketball autos &...

 

[mgurtz79]

Here are my football autos

 

[Eric15]

Does everyone remember these Burger King SU cards from back in the day?

 

[MSOrange]

Does everyone remember these Burger King SU cards from back in the day?

View attachment 205620

Yep I still have 2 sets

 

[the villager]

I actually still have a bunch but sold some. I sold a bunch of my Jordan cards as they always have a market as well as one Kobe which I should have held onto much longer. Probably have 30k in storage from mid 80s through late 90s.

Sadly my dad and grandfather had a whole trunk of baseball cards from the 40s through 70s in an attic and they got sold by accident at a yard sale in the 80s. Probably half a million in value or more that no one realized and let go.

 

[Eric15]

Yep I still have 2 sets

I will trade you one pack of Gushers and a Duck Hunt NES cartridge for them. And 10 pogs.

 

[Rocco]

Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel on HBO last night had a very interesting story about sportscard collecting. I was absolutely obsessed with it as a kid in the early 90s. My favorite places in Syracuse were Hot Corner in Liverpool and George's on the Northside.

I just assumed that the hobby was extinct because kids were more interested in social media and illuminated screens, but apparently, the market for sports cards is absolutely insane right now. Over the past generation, sports cards have actually out-performed the S&P 500. They interviewed a high school kid who has made a few million dollars by age 17. There are Giannis and Luka cards, for instance, worth literally 5 or 6 figures. And then the holy grail Honus Wagner card is worth millions.

My most valuable card as a kid was a John Stockton rookie card worth $25 and I cared for it like it was the Hope Diamond. Unfortunately, because cards from my childhood era were so overproduced, none of them have much value.

Does anyone here have any particularly valuable sports cards?

Just seeing this.

I have a monster Kobe and Jordan collection. Many of which are already graded. I also own several Luka, Trae and Lebron rookie cards. I just got back into it earlier this year and I'm full blown addicted now.

Modern day cards are cool, but there are so many parallels, inserts and numbered sets that they're truly hard to keep track of. I loved collecting in the early-mid 90's. There were usually only 4-5 insert sets for each card company and everyone tried getting them. Ripping packs is a ton of fun.

 

[Rocco]

I have a Lebron rookie card that - depending on how it grades - is valued somewhere in the $5,000-$15,000 range. I have a Melo rookie, a Lebron/Melo/Wade trio rookie, an Iverson rookie and a Kobe rookie that all carry four figure values if they grade out well.

In near-misses, I have a Darko rookie, that if it were a Lebron, would be worth six figures. Hell, even a Carmelo or Wade or Bosh would probably be worth five figures. Alas, this card is barely worth the stock it's printed on.

Which Lebron and Kobe rookie cards do you have? I have literally every single Kobe rc with the exception of a few of them that are high 5 figures.

 

[Rocco]

I was a collector at the same time as you and I wished I had sold them way back when instead of holding on to them. I've asked some shops around me and they all said that they only collect cards from the 1970s and earlier. I have some Jordan cards from the mid- to late-1980s that are worth something the last time I checked. But it's hard to tell. On Ebay, I've seen those cards in the same condition priced as high as $1000 and as low as $15. No rhyme or reason that I can figure out.

Which Jordan cards do you have from the late 80's? Assuming the Fleer sets...

 

[Frozen]

Tomorrow my son and I are going to open my box of 1989 Topps cards. I don’t think there’s anything valuable in there so why not?

 

[MSOrange]

Tomorrow my son and I are going to open my box of 1989 Topps cards. I don’t think there’s anything valuable in there so why not?

It is supposed to be fun so seems like a good plan to me.