Just some random thoughts...
YouTube
I enjoy watching YouTube videos on baseball card collecting. When I first started watching, it was to get caught up and hopefully, learn something about the hobby. I think I was really trying to get a grasp on grading cards. I still haven't grabbed hold of the whole grading cards thing. Not much has changed since I first wrote about it back in February. I did hear on a video the other day when two guys were discussing the grade of a card being a 9 versus a card being raw and one guy said a 9 was a raw card. I quit watching all of those videos where they reveal their grades because people either do one of two things; they freak out over a really good grade or complain about a bad one. I'll be honest, I'm not sure that I can tell the difference between a 9 or a 10, so why pay the extra money? I'm always open to comments and someone explaining it to me.
Garage sales and Flea markets
The YouTube show I enjoy the most is Chasing Cardboard. If you haven't seen it, check it out. The thing that gets me about that show is when they come across someone who picked up all of these amazing cards or collections from a storage unit, garage sale or found this box loaded with vintage cards at a flea market for next to nothing. Every time that I've ever found cards at a garage sale or flea market, people asking the world for the cards and 99% of the time, its from the late '80s and '90s. Now don't get me wrong, I still have an appreciation for the those cards. As a matter of fact, there are several of those years I still need to collect, but man, why can't I ever be so lucky to find that hidden Mickey Mantle, Hank Aaron, or Willie Mays in a box that's $20.00?
That of course brings up the moral dilemma, do you let the person know what's in the box or do you just buy the box? Maybe that's why I haven't found one yet, because God knows that I couldn't sort that out!
I did go to a Flea market the other day and picked up this nice 1972 Topps Brooks Robinson
Case/Box Breaks
I've been hearing/seeing a lot about case/box breaks on YouTube, from card shops and other collectors. I've never done one. I've looked into it and even put a couple of them on my watchlist on Ebay, but still haven't done it. I'm not sure that I ever will. Maybe if I can get into one really cheap, but even then if it's cheap would it be worth it? Would love to hear back from some of you that's done one or even if you haven't why so.
TCDB
Thought I'd give an update on the inventorying of the collection. I've actually uploaded onto TCDB my complete sets and 4 years of baseball cards. I've also uploaded most of my current player collection. I've inventoried 7 more years worth of cards, but haven't gotten them uploaded yet.
I'm listing all of my duplicates as for trade/sale and that has led to 4 complete trades and 4 that are in progress. Juggling 3 or 4 trades at once has been fun and a bit nerve-wracking because, I really don't want to mess it up. Everything has been low end cards, but its been fun and I've closed the gap on completing some sets.
There's been a lot of activity for just 4 sets being uploaded. It's going to be interesting to see what happens when I get the rest uploaded.
Here's just a small sampling of what I've received back in trade.
Mailing cards
I've struggled with how to mail cards when I'm trading with someone. 1 to 4 cards is not the problem. The cards are in penny sleeves, in top loaders, the top is blue taped, top loaders taped together, in the envelope with the sides of the envelope packing tape sealed and off it goes. My problem is the mailing of more of 9 or more cards.
I've received all kinds of packaging when it comes to getting cards in the mail. Every time (so far!), the cards are fine. Plastic sheets with the binder holes cut off, folded in to thirds, surrounded by cereal box cardboard in a plain white envelope. Me? I put all the cards in penny sleeves the better/most expensive cards in top loaders, no more than 6 cards in between two toploaders, blue taped together surrounded by cardboard cut up from an amazon box (See? even the wife contributes to my collection!) and put into a bubble mailer. Am I overdoing it? Once again, more input please!!!
I guess that's enough rambling for one post. I'll have another in a few days because, I've got a few more things to ramble about!
Peace,
Michael
Isaiah 40:31
YouTube/grading: Can't help you there. I think grading is a scam, unless you're trying to sell or are want to confirm that your card isn't fake.
ReplyDeleteYouTube/Garage sales: I don't watch trading card videos but I'll bet they don't show you the 47 other stops they made where they ended up with nothing.
Mailing cards: For anything more than 9-12 cards, I use the yellow padded envelopes you can find at Walmart or Target. It costs more to mail ($5 bucks or whatever it is now), but they keep cards safe. I just pop the cards into team bags, seal them up with blue tape and put them in the envelope.
I agree with Night Owl about shipping cards, if it's more than 9-12 cards you might as well go with the bubble mailer (or, if the cards are super low value, sometimes I'll mail off two separate PWEs with 9 cards in each).
ReplyDeleteMost of the cards I send out aren't worth much, so I'm perfectly fine taking 1/3 of a binder page and putting 3-4 cards in each pocket. I've received many cards this way as well and the only problem I've ever had was when they use scotch tape instead of painters tape.
ReplyDeleteI have good luck buying collections on Facebook Marketplace. I don't spend a lot or buy huge ones! And usually I can tell from the pictures if I think it's worth it. There was one I bought back in 2021 - spent a little more than usual but I liked what I saw in the photos - and it ended up being a goldmine. Within one of the monster boxes there were three sets of 1993 Upper Deck SP...all with Jeters. Plus Shaq Beam Team Rookie. Those combined are less than what I paid for the whole lot.
ReplyDeleteAnother I bought for $60 and had a few nice cards, but came upon a stack of soccer cards in a small plastic case. One of the cards was one of Cristiano Ronaldo's first cards and goes for several hundred.
I guess what's different is I basically only do this on FB...I don't go to flea markets, garage sales, estate sales, storage auctions, etc.
I've been going to my local flea markets for decades... and I've never come across a person selling vintage Mantles, Aarons, or Mays for pennies on the dollar. But I have found a few solid deals here and there... without feeling guilty like I got away with something. Like Night Owl pointed out... for every good deal there are a lot of trips without finding anything of note.
ReplyDeleteThat being said... if I came across someone who was selling their child's or father's collection... and they had absolutely no idea what they had... I'd help them out. In fact, I've done it a few times.