| HOW TO Sports cards and memorabilia discussion

Is this a hobby for anyone else? I haven't collected cards since childhood but recently bought some retail blaster boxes, mainly UFC, and may get a hobby box or 2 for the 2023 season. I've also been listening to Cardboard Chat from Bet The Board and am fascinated in the investment angle to collecting.

I am here to catch up on all I missed over the years and learn all I can from others.
 
I collected a lot of baseball cards till I went to college (my last mass purchase included Ken Griffey's rookie card). I would love to know how much both my Don Mattingly and Tony Gwinn rookie cards are worth.
 
I’ve been helping a friend liquidate 80,000 square feet of mowers, snowblowers, compressors, etc., the inventory of a bike shop he closed in 1983, and now a couple thousand boxes and packs of 1980’s baseball cards. He thought the cards would be a good investment, and so did the rest of America. Lol I’ve sold about 4,000 bike parts, and less than 10 baseball card boxes. Thinking about donating them to Goodwill for a big tax write off. 🤣
 
As a kid, I was never into baseball cards.

The only cards I have, now, are Alabama Football cards. I don't have the entire set, but pretty close. I should probably see if I can find the ones I don't have. And I wouldn't do it for the money or hoping the value would go up. I'd do it just as part of my collection. And, honestly, not having the entire set messes with my OCD a bit. There are times when I'll randomly think about the set and get bothered that I don't have all of them. But the ones I do have are all in card sleeves in 3-ring binders. ALABAMA.....3-ring binders.
 
I’ve been helping a friend liquidate 80,000 square feet of mowers, snowblowers, compressors, etc., the inventory of a bike shop he closed in 1983, and now a couple thousand boxes and packs of 1980’s baseball cards. He thought the cards would be a good investment, and so did the rest of America. Lol I’ve sold about 4,000 bike parts, and less than 10 baseball card boxes. Thinking about donating them to Goodwill for a big tax write off. 🤣

I've read that the value of baseball cards issued in 1980 and later, with some very valuable exceptions, dropped off in value due to a flooding of the market. As many kids did, I ended up with a couple of thousand largely between 1971-77. I've priced just a few, some in fair condition are between $20-$50. It'd be nice to find one that would be worth something. There are some apps that let you take a photo of your card and it does a good job of identifying and pricing it. There very well might be a needle in that haystack.

A couple of recent articles about card prices and the investor money that's chasing it.



 
I've read that the value of baseball cards issued in 1980 and later, with some very valuable exceptions, dropped off in value due to a flooding of the market. As many kids did, I ended up with a couple of thousand largely between 1971-77. I've priced just a few, some in fair condition are between $20-$50. It'd be nice to find one that would be worth something. There are some apps that let you take a photo of your card and it does a good job of identifying and pricing it. There very well might be a needle in that haystack.

A couple of recent articles about card prices and the investor money that's chasing it.



I collected as kid...50s and 60s ...spent every penny on them....
It hurts to think that Mickey Mantle rookie 50s card making noise on my bicycle wheel...

Have my dads baseball stuff collection....has a few cards....carl HubbIe ....other such....he grew up in poor family and didnt get to buy a lot...but a few...
 
The challenge I face is, in 1989 boxes, there’s Ken Griffey Jr. cards, but to bring real money, $250, you have to have them officially graded. Requires you to send them off, pay a small fee, and they send back in a clear holder with the grade affixed. Only a small percentage get that top grade, even when submitting dozens of cards from just opened boxes. And the rest of the cards in that box are about worthless. So it’s a gamble if I open a box. I’d prefer to sell the entire lot but that’s been tough as well. Had an offer of $7 per box and might end up taking. Got at least 1,500 unopened boxes and another 1,000+ hanging packs. If you’re right, so do a lot of other folks.

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The challenge I face is, in 1989 boxes, there’s Ken Griffey Jr. cards, but to bring real money, $250, you have to have them officially graded. Requires you to send them off, pay a small fee, and they send back in a clear holder with the grade affixed. Only a small percentage get that top grade, even when submitting dozens of cards from just opened boxes. And the rest of the cards in that box are about worthless. So it’s a gamble if I open a box. I’d prefer to sell the entire lot but that’s been tough as well. Had an offer of $7 per box and might end up taking. Got at least 1,500 unopened boxes and another 1,000+ hanging packs. If you’re right, so do a lot of other folks.

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My friend....that is called "a shit load". Lol
Gonna take some work and time
 
Wow, what a project. I know nothing of Donruss cards, I was just a Topps guy.

You'd mentioned all of the dormant equipment before, that's just an incredible amount of stuff to store for so long. Did they own the building where it was stored?

Does that Hot Wheels box contain the original contents? There's a collectors market for those for sure.

 
Now, the old BMX parts have been easy to sell! I’ve sold nearly a half mill worth in the last 20 months and finally about done with those. But… if any of you guys still have your old 70’s or 80’s BMX bikes, of your kids’ (looking at you 50+!), send me a message. They are often worth a mint. Covid was a boon for the old school BMX parts market. Here’s a few I built for my kids…

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The challenge I face is, in 1989 boxes, there’s Ken Griffey Jr. cards, but to bring real money, $250, you have to have them officially graded. Requires you to send them off, pay a small fee, and they send back in a clear holder with the grade affixed. Only a small percentage get that top grade, even when submitting dozens of cards from just opened boxes. And the rest of the cards in that box are about worthless. So it’s a gamble if I open a box. I’d prefer to sell the entire lot but that’s been tough as well. Had an offer of $7 per box and might end up taking. Got at least 1,500 unopened boxes and another 1,000+ hanging packs. If you’re right, so do a lot of other folks.

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Holy cow, how did you stockpile this?
 
Now, the old BMX parts have been easy to sell! I’ve sold nearly a half mill worth in the last 20 months and finally about done with those. But… if any of you guys still have your old 70’s or 80’s BMX bikes, of your kids’ (looking at you 50+!), send me a message. They are often worth a mint. Covid was a boon for the old school BMX parts market. Here’s a few I built for my kids…

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Unfortunately. Move from east coast to west coast and back to Southern usa. Things were left.
Probably the valuable stuff

My 50-60s topps baseball card collection was razed while i was away in VN

Love stuff you are dealing with on all this. Its really incredible
 
I have a lot of baseball and football cards from the 60's and 70's. Every now and then, I will pull them out and look through them. I have offered to give my two adult sons the entire collection if they want them. So far, they are still in a closet at my house.
 
Wow, what a project. I know nothing of Donruss cards, I was just a Topps guy.

You'd mentioned all of the dormant equipment before, that's just an incredible amount of stuff to store for so long. Did they own the building where it was stored?

Does that Hot Wheels box contain the original contents? There's a collectors market for those for sure.

Good eye man, I’ve not even noticed that box. I’ll have to take a look when I get back in town. I suspect it’s got cards in it, but I’ll check.

And he didn’t own the warehouse, his dad had been paying $6,800 per month rent. We finally got all that stuff sold early this year. Huge relief for him, just to not have that rent.
 
Holy cow, how did you stockpile this?
A close friend’s dad opened a bike shop in 1979, then closed it because he was too busy with his job. Stuff sat in the shop from 1983 until last January. Was like finding the end of the rainbow.

Then his dad started buying up baseball cards through a connection he had with a K-Mart executive. He would buy at his price and sell to some mob type guys for a nice profit. He would sell those guys van loads at a time. Not a joke either. My buddy has some harrowing stories about meeting deadlines for deliveries. Finally stopped and started holding them for himself as an investment.

The equipment stuff he bought as plants would go out of business and stuff that got damaged during production, end of run stuff, etc. he was in with guys at Murray and Porter Cable and got most of it over the years through them.

But again, if anyone has their old BMX bikes, you know who to call! Lol I’ve helped some co-workers sell there’s recently for parts and made themselves some nice change.
 
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