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I picked up the iconic Billy Ripken 1989 Fleer f— face card in a PSA 7 for $12.50. Here’s the story of the card, but this is really one of those cases where a picture is worth a thousand words. I got a tremendous steal because the item was listed under adults only, but I might just keep this one.
It was a good week, oddly, for graded cards from the late 1980s. I snagged this Michael Jordan 1989 Fleer PSA 9 for $25, less than half of its going rate, because the scans never attached to the listing. That’s the benefit of buying from the same consignment sellers every week. Their listing mistakes are part of their costs of doing business, but they are how I build up a lot of good inventory.
I love buying from listings where there’s a mistake, but a lot of times, I’ll win an auction where everything’s done right (more or less) and the auction still closes for a low price. This Mark McGwire autographed schedule for $6.51 with combined shipping is a perfect example of that. Mark McGwire’s autographed cards go for $50 minimum, and his autographs at trade shows costs around the same price. No way that an autograph certified by one of the big companies (BGS, PSA, SGC, JSA, CGC) should ever go for much less of that, right? It rarely does, and that’s even though McGwire autos have a high sell through rate. Yet I still won this auction for around $5.
Finally, doubling down on a previous bad buy with another Vitas Gerulaitis framed autograph. This one was “only” $20, while my previous Vitas was $40. I will find a market for these, I swear.
What did you find this week?
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LOL! I feel like that card wasn’t really that rare. As a kid well before the internet we all knew about it and plenty kids had it. That article was a great read! Really brought back some memories. Us poor kids from the junk wax era really got the short end of the stick. I’m sure glad I just thoroughly enjoyed my cards and comics instead of hoarding them in original packaging like everyone else.
Here’s another article that explains that what you REALLY want is the white out version.
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I just knew that Billy would bring back childhood memories for you! I’m so glad it did, because I don’t think I knew about the whiteout variation. You’re totally right about its value.
This card is so interesting to follow because it seems every eBay seller tries different keywords so buyers can find it. FF, F**k Face, F Face, No F Face, Not Whiteout, No Black Box, Scribbled Out in White, and the list goes on. :p
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You can buy 1980s baseball cards by the still-sealed cardboard box? If I was an environmentalist I’d be appalled. As a scavenger, it gives me a warm fuzzy feeling 🙂
Scavenge of this week (on commission) is a Mid-Century piece. Unfortunately it’s made by Mid-Century. Mid-Century Microwavegear Limited, in business circa 2000-2010, so they were well behind the times.
Rectangular machined aluminium casting, with (I’m told) a Gunn diode in the middle, and a small plate at one end moved by the thimble off a micrometer. Supposed to guide microwaves. Falls asleep at keyboard……..
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You can buy 1980s baseball cards by the still-sealed cardboard box? If I was an environmentalist I’d be appalled. As a scavenger, it gives me a warm fuzzy feeling
There’s a toy store in my New Jersey town which runs an annual outdoor collectibles fair (coming up in a few weeks, I believe) and every year, without fail, there are a few junk wax hoarders with sealed boxes of these worthless 1980s and early 1990s cards. Even at $5 a box, they wouldn’t get takers, but of course they’re priced well above. Early in the pandemic, when modern cards went through their bubble and demand far exceeded supply, even junk wax boxes were selling for good money. Mostly to the speculators thinking they were going to make a lot of money without any knowledge whatsoever…dare I say, just like the 80s!
Should I come across a stash of sealed 80s wax, I will bury it in a flipper’s time capsule with a Black Diamond Disney VHS and one of those Precious Moments figurines.
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Not listed yet but I found some pieces in this pattern. One of them has a chip but I only paid $12 for the set. https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380680.m570.l1311&_nkw=staffordshire+hunting+scene&_sacat=0
I liked the graphics. I’m generally moving a little bit away from the grandma-chic esthetic but this pattern is crisper somehow.
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@christiner Bayeux-tapestry style!
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