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Old 09-29-2007, 03:49 PM
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Default Pin Display and Storage

Posted By: Aaron M.

Mike, since I've been collecting there are usually very few "interesting" pinbacks on E-Bay. I would describe "interesting" as meaning stand-alone pinbacks which are not part of a set (i.e., Sherlock's, Sweet Caporal, etc.), not PM-10's, and are valued at over $100.

But every once in awhile a truly rare, truly high-grade pin will show up on E-Bay (Dan just snagged an ultra-rare Honus Wagner "Sherriff" pin) so you have to stay vigilant. Of the pins that I have displayed above 13 have been purchased on E-Bay over the last few years, while 12 came from private sales or from the major sports auctions, so they really do show up if you are on the look-out.

What you are seeing is simply the extreme scarcity of high-end pinbacks on a level that actually makes the T206 Honus Wagner seem plentiful. Literally, for some of the pinbacks in my display and others I am still on the hunt for only a handful exist. The only difference is that there are very few high-end pinback collectors so the demand isn't in the vicinity of what it is for high-end baseball cards.

That Mickey Mantle pinback on my top shelf display for example is a special PM-10 that was printed up and sold at "Mickey Mantle Day" at Yankee Stadium in 1969. This isn't the common "fantasy" pin of that day that was actually produced recently, but the real one that was sold either with or without the Mickey Mantle Day pennant. It has only been offered twice since I've been collecting (6 years now): once by Rob Lifson in his 2004 auction, and again on E-Bay (the one I got) a couple years ago.

Cost-wise, because the demand isn't at a level for baseball cards, these pins are comparatively very affordable -- indeed they are bargains.



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