REA Boxing Card Results

[Exhibitman]

I was very pleased with the results of my consignments. Some items went low, some went very high, some broke records (Turquinos Tunney). Overall it was strong enough to merit another round or two of my collection going to market.

Knowing what an item would sell for privately is an inherently suspect analysis, especially with a card that is rarely sold. We all have our pet issues and favorite cards. If I'd been asked to sell the Turquinos Tunney and the Robertson Candy Choynski privately, I'd have been at 20% of the hammer on the Tunney and 200% of the Choynski. For something like that you just cannot know what it will sell for until you test the market. I put up a few postcards that I would have guessed would go $100-$200 at most; they were both over twice that. Needless to say, I am reconsidering my planned private sales.

[G1911]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

Knowing what an item would sell for privately is an inherently suspect analysis, especially with a card that is rarely sold.

One certainly cannot know what it would go for, as one cannot know other offers that would arise in an informal type of bid taking; but one does know a minimum from what they've been offering for such items and many of us are certainly aware of the general range and the market. I've yet to find anyone willing to take $132 for Red Crosses or anyone who offers that low (if they exist, PM me and take my money right now, no questions asked). Auctions usually have some high, some low. It's interesting to me that it was the more difficult stuff that the dice rolls went low on and the more common material went high in the 1887-1912 period. Tough N/T/E boxing still seems to get little respect and the more common sets often go higher now.




If anyone wants to sell a Red Cross common for 150% of what the Ketchel went for, call me. 200% for a Ketchel Red Cross. Offering 150% of the Choyinski for a Robertson Candy in worse condition, paid without any fees.

[Exhibitman]

Now you offer…

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

Now you offer…

I hope you bought all of them in REA.

[Jewish-collector]

Adam - Just curious why did you decide to go with REA rather than the 20 or other auction houses including the one you assisted with a Boxing only catalog auction some years ago ?

[rjackson44]

a steal

[jbsports33]

I really think things went well, and I did not get a chance to bid - boxing has been king at some of my local shows. The last two years has been hard keeping it - and glad I am keeping some for myself!

Jimmy

[G1911]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

I hope you bought all of them in REA.

Ha, I did not though. I won't do business with REA; which coincidentally makes REA a really good double check of the market for me - because it allows me to remove the factor of myself.

A lot of the old boxing market is really dependent on just a couple of us. When I and a couple others were trying to build T218 Tolstoi at the same time, prices ~tripled on eBay and I had to match that in private offers. Now that I'm at 47/50, it seems the price is ~half of what it was again. There are other examples and I'm sure we all have them, but it's very helpful sometimes to monitor a 'reset' by removing oneself.

[RCMcKenzie]

Originally Posted by G1911

Ha, I did not though. I won't do business with REA; which coincidentally makes REA a really good double check of the market for me - because it allows me to remove the factor of myself.

A lot of the old boxing market is really dependent on just a couple of us. When I and a couple others were trying to build T218 Tolstoi at the same time, prices ~tripled on eBay and I had to match that in private offers. Now that I'm at 47/50, it seems the price is ~half of what it was again. There are other examples and I'm sure we all have them, but it's very helpful sometimes to monitor a 'reset' by removing oneself.

I was one of the T218 Tolstoi bidders. I have not added one in a while. 2 people can make a market, and 3 or 4 bidders can make a market explode like a small float pink sheet stock. 47/50 is great. I don't think anyone has publicly completed this set. You are the first to know it contains 50 that I know of. I'm in the high 20's still. Grinding away on a lot of sets.

[Exhibitman]

Why no REA, Greg? I've found REA to be among the least offensive and most professional AHs.

[G1911]

Originally Posted by RCMcKenzie

I was one of the T218 Tolstoi bidders. I have not added one in a while. 2 people can make a market, and 3 or 4 bidders can make a market explode like a small float pink sheet stock. 47/50 is great. I don't think anyone has publicly completed this set. You are the first to know it contains 50 that I know of. I'm in the high 20's still. Grinding away on a lot of sets.

We really drove up the price for a minute. I know a couple of the other active guys gave this set up. On the positive side, it flushed out more Tolstoi's into the active trading/selling market than I've been able to find before the spike we drove, which is more important. It's probably a bit easier to complete now than it was 10 years ago or 2 years ago. I don't know of anyone doing multiples or hoarding (except the Jack Johnson investors, but Johnson's Tolstoi is a superprint and not a hard card. I suspect Jeffries is too.) Did you pick up any of the cards Todd M. put on eBay? I grabbed the Abe Goodman I needed and someone else got the rest shortly after.

Shameless plug that I am happily overpaying for the 3 commons I still have left: Jack Goodman, J.L. Hartranft, and Unk Russell