Father Passed and Left me his collection. Please Help.
 

Hello everyone, I'm new to these wonderful forums. I'm a diehard Yankees and NY Giants fan living in NY. My father was a diehard fan and collector all his life. Sadly, the old man got sick and passed away leaving me with his collection. It's been some time and I'm now ready to move forward with it and try to find these cards good homes. I don't want to continue collecting and I'm too afraid of keeping them and either getting destroyed or sitting in a safe/closet forever.

All of his cards are ungraded.... I'm going to post an overview picture of some of the cards. My knowledge isn't that great beyond the online research I have done... These pictures are a very small glimpse of the entire collection. For instance he has over 25 mickey mantles of various years (no rookie) and hundreds of cards in the 40's 50's 60's.... mays, clemente, ted williams, koufax, yas, hank aaron, ect ect ect ect.....

I have no family and I'm a young adult who is lost on what to do with them. Thank you to any knowledge or advice on where I should go from here.... I do have bad individual photos of each card I can upload as well with the front and back more clear, I dont have a scanner but will get one soon....

Again thank you everybody so much....


https://i.postimg.cc/fVzBJ2rf/IMG-20...-171528288.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/zHYk50hW/IMG-20...-171534017.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/d7XBNqt5/IMG-20...-171536324.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/Mn9tR0k2/IMG-20...-174649351.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/VrCF33Jm/IMG-20...-174653451.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/2q3Gxqmq/IMG-20...-174739011.jpg

Step one: Get some larger photos/scans working, so people here can examine what you have and offer recommendations. Plus, very importantly, they'll be able to make sure everything is authentic.

You could probably (easily) sell a lot of stuff here to members through the Buy/Sell/Trade section. Good luck!

If you want to sell them all your best bet is to consign them to one of the auction houses. You will not have to pay a commission if anything you might be able to negotiate a little off of their buyers premium and they will take care of the grading and all necessary arrangements

I am very sorry to hear about your father, my condolences. Maybe keep 1-2 of your favorites for the memories instead of selling the whole collection?

I wouldn't rush to accept the first offer, it looks like you have a pretty nice collection there so you ought to find significant interest. I see a few ways to go for selling them, all depending on the amount of work you want to do.

1) Get them graded and then list them on eBay (or on the Net54 BST) at the prices you want and wait for them to sell (I wouldn't auction them by yourself).

2) Send them to an auction house - there are many that will do a good job for you. They will also take care of getting them graded for you and may even pay you a visit in person if you will consign the whole collection.

3) Sell them to a dealer. There are a few who may travel to you for a collection of this quality and size. Don't just walk into the nearest card shop and accept that offer though.

#1 will be the most work but has price certainty and perhaps the highest net to you. #2 and #3 will be about the same amount of work. The dealer will give you a guaranteed return while the auction house has a chance to hit a few home runs (and conversely, have a few strike outs). The auction route will likely give you a higher net than selling to a dealer.

I am sure the thread will have ample suggestions for dealers and auction houses, and some will certainly send you messages through Net54.

No matter what you pick, good luck! And again, sorry for your loss.

+1

By far the best route in my opinion, this way you don’t have to deal with selling one at a time, or issues on trying to get them graded yourself. You will get much, much more money for them graded vs raw too.

I see Cobbs and other HOF's in there. High end T206 cards like these are in a bubble right now so you don't need to do much to get top dollar for them. The grading fees will pay for themselves in the added price premium. You may get a few surprises if a couple of cards come back in high grade. Worth it.

Avoid eBay fees (10% sales fee + 3% for PayPal payment) and go straight to the B/S/T section and ask for friends/family payment by PayPal (especially if slabbed/graded). If you don't get friends/family payment (no fee) you'll at least avoid the 10% ebay fee.

If you want to sell these yourself get a scanner (a $60 Epson from Amazon will do just fine), and a free subscription to CardTarget. That way you'll feel better about the prices you're getting and won't get that odd feeling that you got ripped off. This is important since the cards have some sentimental value and seller's remorse can ruin the experience.

I apologize for the garbage photos I will be getting a scanner to have even if I don't sell them myself.

I don't know much about auction houses. Does the forum have any suggested ones? What is the procedure?


Thank you for the condolences, as with most passings it was horrible. He was a good man and taught me a lot. I strive to be like him one day and hope to have a son or daughter and raise them like he wouldve wanted me to. I kept a few of mine and my fathers favorite players that I won't be selling.

- I don't know much about the PSA system, but it seems like from what I've read around here, it takes a very long time? Their website is a little confusing and I don't know what the true costs are. Can I ship them as a package or individual? Im just very confused on where to even start...

- Interested in the auction house idea, again I have no clue what the procedures are or anything....

- Does the forum have recommendation on reputable dealers?


Thank you to everyone replying. I appreciate any help. Youre all amazing... The process is a little bit overwhelming, but I will put in the work to do it correctly.

So sorry about your dad. Nice collection he had.

First thing I would do is get them out of those old screw-down holders and into Card Savers. Good luck with the sales.

Don't take them out yet! they could be stuck and there are a few tricks to unstick them. No need to damage them.

As has already been said, definitely get some better pictures. This will allow people to recommend the best route and also show any auction house/buyers that what you have is actually real. Using an auction house is going be the least hassle, but you are paying for someone else to handle all the work for you. For an auction house, I highly recommend LOTG (loveofthegameauctions.com). Shoot him an email or give him a call and he'll walk you through everything.

Also do you know how long the cards have been in those screwdowns? From an outside prospect, they probably seem like the best protection, but many cards have been ruined by being in screwdowns too long and too tightly resulting in corners being pressed (damaged) and the cards literally being stuck to the plastic.

If you have any other questions, just keep asking, the guys on this forum are great and are always willing to help.

DJ

PM sent.

For this type of material I would highly recommend an auction house in your area——Love of the Game Auctions (LOTG). Regardless of the auction house you choose(I would not use the BST as you are unfamiliar with the values of the cards and you would have no idea where to price them) I would insist that they submit and pay for the grading of your cards and that they charge you no sellers fees and possibly share a small portion of the buyers commission with you. Good luck!

Sending them to an auction house is no fun.

Why not have fun selling them?

Couldn’t agree more! This is 100% the way to go. I also like the idea of keeping one or two as a memorial. Great advice here!

If he goes to an auction house he will get what his cards are worth. I he tries to sell them himself, not knowing their value, he will get screwed. That’s why.

The high dollar cards like the Speaker, Cobbs, Cy Young, etc. should be graded with either SGC or PSA. While wait times with PSA are long, higher dollar cards would need to be submitted at a higher express level which will speed up the grading process. PSA charges different rates based on the declared value of the card. While it is not cheap to get some of those graded, the return on investment is worth it.

Some auction houses will likely be contacting you after they see this thread. I would consider REA or Love of the Game, but you should definitely weigh all of your options before deciding. Good luck and sorry about your Dad.

If you take the cards out of the screwdown holders you are likely going to want to pick up some Card Saver 1 semi rigid sleeves to put the cards into. It's a good idea to practice with some cheaper cards to get the hang of putting cards into Card Savers. Lay a clean towel on the table to help protect any cards you might drop while taking them out of the screwdowns. SB1 also has great advice to be careful because some cards could be stuck in the screwdowns. Go slow and easy and maybe try opening the lesser valued cards first.

right nobody ever gets a bargain at AH's and the 20% BP the buyer pays goes into the consignor pocket not the Auction House.

20% is a pretty big margin....just saying

Sorry about you Dad.

It really depends on how much effort you want to put in.

The easiest would be to find one of the big guys and sell it all at one time. Like said there are guys that will fly to you.

Your most return by far. Take some time before you ever sell a card and do a lot of reading on this forum. Also ask a lot of questions about what you have so you can get a inventory. This is a great forum with a lot of info about the type of cards you have. There is also a lot of people that will give you great advise for free.

Then after a month or three you will have enough knowledge to get top dollar for what you have. The Buy Sell Trade section here is great and it is also free.

Best of luck with your decision.

Plus, the auction houses are going to sell these in 50-100 card lots most likely.

Guess who's going to be bidding on those lots? Dealers looking to profit by re-selling each individually.

Consigning to an auction house in basically selling at the wholesale price unless it's a super high end auction.

Thank you so much for the advice. I really appreciate it. I will practice with some lower quality cards not in the picture if I decide to go this route.

Manny—the HOF cards pictured would most likely be sold in LOTG as single card lots. Commons, depending on condition, might be aggregated; I would trust Al to figure out how to maximize the consignor’s realization. This is the reason I suggested LOTG, rather than a big auction house like Heritage. If I had a Baltimore News Ruth or a Cobb with a Cobb back I would choose the boys in Dallas. For this type of material I would go with Al. To advise otherwise I believe is unwise.

Generally speaking, you can pick which 2 of these matter the most to you to decide how to sell: money, your effort to sell, or how quickly you receive the money.

Self Selling (BST) - high $, high effort, quick payment
Auction House - middle/high $, little effort, slowest payment
Dealer - least $, little effort, quick payment

Based on what we can see, most of these cards aren't going to sell in individual lots in REA or Heritage, but a smaller auction house such as LOTG, brockelmanauctions.com, Birmingham Auctions, etc will list cards that will sell for $50-100 individually. Plus giving a card like the green Cobb to one of these auction houses will make it more of a featured item rather than mixed in with 50 other identical cards. Anything $25 and under he's going to spend a ton of time and effort trying to move individually by himself.

You have some cards where the back will make a huge difference as to the card's value. If there are any with rare backs, you have more value than can be seen from the scan of the front. If you have cards that have writing on the back, glue stains, etc., then that is detrimental to value.

you will receive many offers from people here to buy your cards. proceed with caution. there are people here who would knock their mom over in a race to make a buck. if you don't know what your cards are worth, do not rely on an interested buyer to learn. as others have suggested consult a full time auction house -- not one who does it as a sideline or a hobby.

You could search completed Ebay auctions to get an idea on what they go for on some of them.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

Your dad had an eye for condition. These are really nice looking cards. I think keeping it simple and taking your time (unless you need a quick turnaround) will serve you best. Most important to find out what you have first. If you can get good scans of the front and backs to share then you'll find out quickly if there are any rare combos or series. There are some very trustworthy and genuine members here that you should listen to, but be cautious and do some of your own research before selling or consigning. Good luck.

(cue the Net54 vultures filling your inbox with PM's)

"You could search completed Ebay auctions to get an idea on what they go for on some of them."

There's also an option lower down on the left of an eBay page to see "sold items," which should help too. I agree to be wary of offers before you know exactly what you have.

Thank you everybody for all the replies advice and insight. Im thinking no matter what direction I go I will be picking up a good scanner and learning how to unscrew these cards carefully. I might build an album on some of the collection so I have good quality photos no matter what route I go. Psa grading seems like a good thing vs. ungraded from the replies I'm seeing. I'm a really young man so I guess the biggest thing is patience to do what's right for the old man and myself.

As most have suggested I have already picked some nice yankees for my own keeping. One side question I have. Are the 50s 60s 70s worth grading too ? Thank you everyone I appreciate the time you guys put in to learn and be involved in collecting.

It is really going to depend on the condition. A 60's Mays that is only going to get a 3 likely isn't worth it, but if it is going to get a 7 or 8, it almost certainly is worth it. However, be prepared, most people who are not familiar with grading will think they have an 8 or 9 and be shocked when it comes back a 5. Again, a good scan will really help us give you better feedback.

Was your dad a member of this card forum?

If you decide to go the route of selling through an auction house, probably best not to spend money on grading first, I'd think.

Another option is to consign with one of the major Ebay sellers. Like Greg Morris Cards or PWCC.

Little effort and cards will most likely sell individually and at market price.

That would be my choice.

No questions Greg Morris selling 1 by 1 is the way to go. Auctions will do you no justice and will fee you to death.

Gree
 

Sean's right. Avoid Auctions, especially Love Of The Game.

Hi Skatehabitat24
 

My condolences on the loss of your Father--a very sad time to be sure!

My below thoughts are just mine & I could be very wrong, BUT-----

Am I the only one who has a question as to authenticity? Those tobacco cards look too perfectly centered, bright & untouched, all of them.

I certainly hope they are ALL real, but something looks too good to me!

If you were an old guy with bad eyesight and arthritis that didn't know how to work a scanner, then I would suggest you consign to an auction house.

But since you're a young guy, I would research and sell these cards slowly, once you learn about the cards and what they're worth. It's not hard to identify and price them. I'd say it's one of the easiest hobbies in terms of learning curve. It'll be really fun as a side hobby, especially on those lazy weekends when you're bored. If you like baseball, this is the way to go. The money will trickle in slowly but you'll be getting more out of it.

You're not the only one. There's at least a few on which I'm skeptical.

I will 2nd the LOTG route

The owner Al is a super honest guy and is also a board member here.

I suspect he will probably reach out to you from this thread at some point.

Yes that’s the problem with posting new finds here. The third rate Auction houses will come knocking on your door to “help” you. Beware.
If you really want to go the Auction route pick a more reliable firm like REA.

REA is great, I have a TON of respect for Brian and crew, but they aren't always the answer. They have, in fact, referred collections to me because of some of the factors discussed in this thread. I don't know what bad experience you had Frank, but the small guys aren't necessarily bad guys.

Dude, what’s your issue with LOTG? Al and Jeff have been as good as they come from all of my experiences as a consignor and a buyer.

This is all going to be about properly reading those cards from their screw down tombs. I don’t know the best way to do it, but Scott makes a great point. I am sure someone who knows more than me could give you some guidance. Good luck. Very cool collection!

An independent third party consultant, who knows vintage cards, with no vested interest in selling your your collection is where I would start.

A knowledgeable collector, who lives close to you, probably exists on this board.

You are an unknown to the hobby and to many of this board your collection would be considered low hanging fruit. The diversity of opinion in this thread suggests to me that this could end well for someone other than you.

People who want your business can be very nice.

I've heard people have had success with both freezers and hairdryers where cards seem stuck in screwdowns. No personal experience though.

Not a terrible idea, but in essence an honest auction house is trying to make you the most money possible as that is how THEY make money. Also is the bolded portion supposed to be a bad thing?

When Jerry Mason was looking at what to do with the Miner's Extra collection he found in a house he was cleaning out, I met with him and gave him a lot of free advice on how to deal with auction houses. He originally had only committed to giving me the non-sports, but I didn't want to see him get taken. I spent quite some time with him going over things without any thought to getting the baseball and boxing cards.

A while later, to my surprise, he called me and asked me to take on the whole collection.

Maybe I'm naive or a Pollyanna, but I believe in helping people regardless of whether or not they consign to me. It's just who I am.

If Net54 is the Times Square on New Years Eve for the hobby, then a cry for help will be heard by both the angels and the wolves. As a novice, it could be difficult to distinguish between them. Just sayin’;)

Can't argue with that, and I did like the overall point of your previous post, just that in a perfect world an auction house can provide that service as they should be on the seller's side wholeheartedly. I mean that's who our fiduciary duty is due to. In PA you can file a complaint against an auctioneer who you feel doesn't keep your best interest first.

That's also an interesting difference. In PA you have to have a license to hold an auction, live or online. that's 360 hours of class time and 60 hours of practical experience OR a two year apprenticeship. Most sports auction houses are in states with no auction regulation. Does that mean those auction houses automatically disreputable? Of course not. But it is something to consider.

An experienced and knowledgeable collector is better equipped to deal with an auction house than a novice.

Satisfying suppliers (consignors) and payers (bidders) simultaneously is the art of the auctioneer, but can certainly lead to conflicts of interest.

REA is an excellent auction house for higher end vintage material and they'll waive the seller's fee on top notch cards. On top of that, some of these cards are tailor-made for individual listings, not group listings. So, it may be worth consigning the top-end cards, like the Cobbs, to an auction house like REA or LOTG and, for the cards that might get grouped into lots, go a different route to sell those.

I'm also one of those who's curious to see better scans, because some of the tobacco and Goudey cards look almost too good to be true...

This