Beantown Find. the story...

[Ladder7]

T206, T209, T210, T211
E90-1, E95, E96, E97, E98, E254 and some others

Within the past two weeks, I've brokered app twenty sizeable raw lots locally and through our BST from this grouping. I am selling these for a once affluent family that is using the funds to provide 24* nursing/compaionship service, so the family matriarch, Mrs M can remain in her home overlooking Cape Cod Bay and not be placed into a Nana Manor.

The Grouping belonged to Mrs M's uncle, a college chemistry professor, since his death in the 70s. Ironically, he never smoked cigarettes. At that time, another niece was about to donate the cards to a church thrift shop along with other rare antiques. Luckily, Mrs M stepped in and convinced All to hang onto these.

Since that time, these had been stored untouched at the family estate in Boston. A few of these have been deliberately hand cut, written upon and show other marks and stampings. Certainly, none maliciously, in my opinion.

Full Disclosure, Although I get a great feeling when forwarding the payments -thanks to you guys... I'm not doing this because I'm a warm and fuzzy person. I DO get compensation; 15% of net sales. In addition, the family has allowed me to purchase a small amount of "discounted" items.

My sincere thanks to those I've dealt with so far. Some of the email exchanges have been a blast. This has been an enjoyable ride.

Thankyou for reading the drivvle. Any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to contact me asap.

Thankyou,
Steve Falletti
fdnyladder7@comcast.net



Incidentally, Ive had a few inquiries about lesser-grade, affordable T206 lots and HOFs. I'll be getting to that this week, I hope.

Still ample stock to unload. Stay tuned

[Gradedcardman]

The lots I have purchased have been as described. Great fun as well with the communication with Steve.

[Ease]

Good luck Steve in working this out. I dont collect 206 but those looked like very nice lots and u seem to be a top shelf guy.

[peterb69]

Hi Steve, Thanks for the background story about these lots that I have enjoyed looking at. Pretty neat find and glad Mrs. M hung onto to them until now.

[ethicsprof]

great work, steve.
i'm hoping that the funds do help the woman live the rest of her life where she wants to, if at all possible.
you're always a compassionate fellow in my book--my way of saying 'warm and fuzzy'-- and are of perennially great help whether there's minor compensation or not.
all the best, ole friend

barry

[Anthony S.]

The lots Steve sold me have been moving my furniture when I sleep.

That being said I couldn't be happier with the look of the cards (dimensions, crease-freeness, etc). Quality stuff.

[caramelcard]

Varying sizes? Those cards are all fine.

[Danny Smith]

Thanks for the scoop Steve. Glad to help the family out with my purchase.

Looking forward to the upcoming lots.

Danny

[Rob D.]

Steve,

I know you're busy grouping and selling these, but when you have a second can you post how many cards you think were in this find? Given the importance many people place in population reports and how often we assume most collectors/card owners are connected to the Internet (and message boards), I think the number of "previously unknown" cards in this group would be eye-opening to many.


Thanks.

[Mikehealer]

Originally Posted by Rob D.

Steve,

I know you're busy grouping and selling these, but when you have a second can you post how many cards you think were in this find? Given the importance many people place in population reports and how often we assume most collectors/card owners are connected to the Internet (and message boards), I think the number of "previously unknown" cards in this group would be eye-opening to many.


Thanks.

I was wondering the same thing.

[Jason]

A great cause and a great collection.

[barrysloate]

Steve- that's a great project, and good luck with it. Interesting that there are scarce cards like T209 and T211, but not even one T205?

[kcohen]

Barry,

You must have missed this one.

Ken

http://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=134799

[joeadcock]

I echo Barry Arnold. Hopefully, she will be able to stay in her home.

Frank

[barrysloate]

Hi Ken- I sure did miss it. I was going by Steve's list at the top of this thread.

[jbsports33]

Steve,

Hope you are having fun with all this trading and selling, nice to see some local finds. I had some similar finds myself in RI last year

Good Luck

Jimmy

[pgellis]

I guess I am the only one who thought that the way that these cards were sold was strange. One of the first lots was for a large group of Southern League cards that were offered on a Friday afternoon at 12:00noon and sold that same afternoon at 4:30.......put out there for 4.5 hours......then sold. I put in an offer just for 4 of the cards and never heard back.....not 1 word. Sold.....entire lot 4.5 hours later. I guarantee that my offer for just those 4 cards was probably a large percentage of what the entire lot sold for. Why only wait 4.5 hours before declaring a lot sold? Why not let others come home from work and "bid" on them? I don't get it.

Why not take bids? Why not take individual offers for each card to maximize the revenue for the owner? I know there are a lot of cards, but come on..........

I don't get it!

[ullmandds]

To me...based on the sheer # of cards seemingly coming from this sale...you'd expect to see some rarities...and while I haven't scrutinized all of the lots...I didn't really notice any? OTher than the unusual hand cut/blank back caramels?

[Gradedcardman]

My response to that is based on the volume on cards in the Beantown Find and the speed in which I am sure these folks may need these sold this is the best way to sell them. Selling off 2000 + cards individually would be nerve racking at best.

I commend Steve for agreeing to do this for the family as it is a tremendous task. All of the lots I read stated "lot only". I have not seen any group that said make individual cards offers. Is he missing out on some $$, maybe but the time value of money says turn and burn.

He can sell these anyway he pleases. His cards his rules.

[Gradedcardman]

The 205's had some but not the ultra rare. The 206's have had a couple of Brown Washingtons, I got one !! He's got more coming as well and I think some better ones may be coming.

[birdman42]

I'm waiting for the W555s I saw peeking out of the top of one of the early pics.

Bill

[sox1903wschamp]

Thanks for sharing the story Steve. Nice looking uncirculated cards that make me want to start a nice raw T-206 set. The Pro sure had a ton of T-206's. No Ramly's....darn it

[wonkaticket]

Originally Posted by pgellis

I guess I am the only one who thought that the way that these cards were sold was strange. One of the first lots was for a large group of Southern League cards that were offered on a Friday afternoon at 12:00noon and sold that same afternoon at 4:30.......put out there for 4.5 hours......then sold. I put in an offer just for 4 of the cards and never heard back.....not 1 word. Sold.....entire lot 4.5 hours later. I guarantee that my offer for just those 4 cards was probably a large percentage of what the entire lot sold for. Why only wait 4.5 hours before declaring a lot sold? Why not let others come home from work and "bid" on them? I don't get it.

Why not take bids? Why not take individual offers for each card to maximize the revenue for the owner? I know there are a lot of cards, but come on..........

I don't get it!

Phil, you're not alone. While I have no issues with Steve not getting back to me on anything as it seems you do or did, he was more than nice to me on the one card I asked about thanks Steve.

I can't help but think that if this was to maximize the cash on these for the elderly lady's assisted living expenses that these could have been sold for more than what most likely is being achieved IMO.

While I like to think that this little community of ours is the end all be all of collecting world it is so far from that. There are plenty of folks who just never got a chance to toss money on the table on these as they just don’t pick our beloved BST at all. Actually mentioned this to a pretty significant collector who’s quote was really no “blank” never saw the stuff, never really check the BST not much on there in the past worth checking…

With Steve’s 15% juice it’s certain and safe to say that no real money has been saved either by avoiding auction houses??? If it was my collection for my granny and I was tossing 15% of the total away and letting someone buy or pick through the collection at his or her discretion at a discount.

I would want as many eyes and wallets seeing these cards as I could arrange…and I would also want to make sure that what was being purchased at a discount before hitting the block was not stuff that others should be bidding on or that could bring big bucks.

Just my armchair quarterback view…nothing more…

Cheers,

John

P.S. As for time consuming yes, but another good reason to let a professional auction house sell a collection of this caliber and size.

[Ladder7]

Update,

Reckon I should have been more responsive. I wrongly assumed if replies werent written, it was clear the request was unreasonable or offer had been topped.

The owners are extremely pleased with the results of their amateur seller. I was asked to move the product fast, and did/am. Certainly, could have done better. Then again, Im not Mr Mint, Mastro nor Tobey Cat.

Email requests; This sell-off is fast tracked and I have no time to search or cherry pick through the pile. It is a daunting and overwhelming task for a fat guy at a table with marginal vision and a weak bladder. On top of that, I work app 60+hrs/wk and have the typical life of a grampa. Incidentally, My Everything wants her kitchen back. For you single guys, the hollaring can be quite a motivator... She cares little, that I pulled a rare T or E card. Im sure many can relate.

Some of the items have been purchased in person (cash) and those we're likely some of the tough and higher quality examples.

To those I may have seemingly snubbed, i apologize for not replying to every note. Some questions were too involved and inquisitive. I tried to update those with fair offers. Incidentally, there are a couple that have shown disrespect in the past. Please, now is not the time to let bygones go. Especially the nut case that implied "something fishy is going on". Be aware, i will live quite comfortably to the end on my life savings and need not rip off an old lady.

Okay, enough drama... There is reportedly another trunk back in the house, containing cards. I will try to be a bit more communicative when that gets split up. No idea what it contains, til I get to it. - When this parcel is done and gone.

Again, I want to thank those who have purchased thusfar. The money was much needed and time critical.

Those awaiting shipments. All the packages are sealed and addressed, in case I suffer cardiac arrest. My Reason to Live, is instructed to get these to the PO asap and the checks to Mrs M.

*If you see a Lot you want, make a serious offer. Some of the competition has deep pockets and Im obligated to that fellow. Also, assume none have rare backs or will grade anything better that VG, as there isn't time to sort. Im at the lower quality stuff now, so part 1 of the find will be more affordable now.




Thanks for the support and valuable advice guys
Steve
fdnyladder7@comcast.net

[asphaltman]

I don't know that Steve could be doing anything much different than what he is doing. I think for the most part he has received pretty good money for the lots he has posted.

While we would all probably like to see nice front and back scans of everything this is just a massive collection and I don't even know if Steve is halfway through it yet.

And compared to the 43 card T206 lot in H&S that sold last night, I'd say Steve has done better on most his lots (at least based on knowing what I've bid on a few and didn't get).

Would the family have done better sending everything to an auction house? Probably. But, not knowing their situation....they may have not had months to wait on money. They were obviously comfortable with Steve, and felt good enough with the situation to give him discounts on a few things....good for both parties if they are happy.

I just hope when all is done the family is open to letting the former collector of these cards be known. I'd love to hear more about him...how he went about aquiring all the cards he has, especially how he acquired so many southern cards with the T209's, T210's and T211's if he was in the northeast.

[bigfish]

[QUOTE=asphaltman;882691]
I don't know that Steve could be doing anything much different than what he is doing. I think for the most part he has received pretty good money for the lots he has posted.

While we would all probably like to see nice front and back scans of everything this is just a massive collection and I don't even know if Steve is halfway through it yet.

And compared to the 43 card T206 lot in H&S that sold last night, I'd say Steve has done better on most his lots (at least based on knowing what I've bid on a few and didn't get).


Dave, I agree with you 100%. I have been outbid on several lots and they are selling for a fair/strong price based upon what I had bid and looking at an average price per card. It is a massive collection and there arent any psa 9's or ty cobb backs. Appears to be mid grade hofers and commons. I guess we should put ourselves in his shoes. 2500-3000 cards and the owner needs money pretty quick. Steve did a nice job getting the owner the money she needs and in a hurry. I am happy with the lot I bought and won't post a negative thing about Steve because he was alittle slow in getting back to me. I am sure he was blasted with e-mails and did the best he could. He is doing a good deed for someone in need and folks should remember that. I encourage folks who are happy with the lots to post. Steve doesn't deserve negative comments. I guess everyone is entitled to their opinion.

[Mikehealer]

I don't know Steve, never met or talked to him, just offered up on some of his lots, but from his posts in the past my perception is he is a stand up guy. I can't imagine the amount of emails he has been getting and I'm sure he doesn't reply to all. Some of my lowball offers have not gotten a reply nor should they have. But on some lots that I was more reasonable on he politely replied I was not high enough, bid more. He seems to be getting pretty good money on the lots I've bid on, and there is no buyers premium that I'm aware of which would definitely hurt the family's realized price on lots like this.

I think the family made a good choice, they got an honest person to help them sell of an old family collection in a very quick time frame and they seem to be happy with the results. I would say he has done what they asked him to do.

[3-2-count]

I to was winner of one of the lots and received them yesterday. I'm very happy with the cards and they're even in nicer shape than expected. I've also placed a few other strong bids on some of the other lots with no success which in my opinion have brought pretty aggressive prices thus far. Can't wait to see what's upcoming. Thank you Steve for a nice batch of raw cards.

[Leon]

I think Steve is doing a great job and a great service for this older lady. Anyone who doesn't think so can just move on.....see ya later!@!!

And Steve, the one deal we did.....perfect so far. You are my hero. And oh yeah, btw, from the several lots that I know of, and the prices ascertained, you are doing very well with them. You should sleep good at night.

[PEEK enterprises]

Steve - thank you. You have been more than professional and I could not be more pleased with the cards or the manner in which they are being sold.

[marcdelpercio]

Just wanted to add that I was lucky to win/buy one of the T205 lots. Cards were in my hands two days later and even nicer than described. I would echo the sentiment that these have apparently gone for some pretty strong prices. On several of the lots, I have put in what I thought was a competitive offer, only to be informed that it was already a thousand bucks higher. Steve has been very responsive to my e-mails despite I'm sure receiving tons of other messages.

My only suggestion would be to possibly update the high bid/offer on the listing and maybe list a final time cutoff that offers would be taken on the lot. That would be a quick and easy way to let people know exactly where the price was and avoid the time and hassle of replying to 20 e-mails with offers that have long since been surpassed. However Steve decides to do it though...great service and great cards so far. Best of luck to Steve and the family he's helping and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing more stuff as it's listed.

[wonkaticket]

To be clear Steve I'm not saying anything is fishy, I'm saying that I think Net54 alone is limited audience for a lot of these cards and money is being left on the table in some instances. IMO

If money needed quickly is an issue I'm sure many auction houses would have given cash advances, offered 0% vs. 15% and might have even spent some coin on grading on a collection of this size. Not that they need to be graded.

But I can't help but think using a auction house REA/Goodwin/HA does open up a lot bigger mailing list and bring more eyes to the table ....I guess I'm the only one who thinks this way.

I do find it a little funny for all who say the Net54 BST is the way to go 100% with these...I wonder how many of you would be selling your collection of 2000+ cards or high dollar items via only our BST.

In fact Leon why even bother with Brokelman Luckey just use the BST. All kidding aside so Leon as a direct question you see no real value in my POV of using an auction house for a collection of this size, you feel the BST was the way to go here?

Also I wonder why we aren't all on the edge of our seats waiting for the BST catalog to ship vs. REA.

Cheers,

John

[tonyo]

This whole "beantown find" thing has been very interesting (and fun) to watch from the cheap seats.

I finally sent in an offer on one of the recent lots.......no response from Steve, but in retrospect I was one of the bidders that wasn't even close enough merit a response. Understandable

I did ask him what the lot went for just to gage my potential ability to win future lots. He politely let me know that I was over 50% low.

That helped - now I know that I can just swim back over into the shallow water and wait for a "much" lower grade lot before I try again.

************

A request:
When (if) these lots are broken down by their purchasers and offered again on BST in smaller chunks, It would be nice to know that they are part of the "beantown find" it's always much cooler to know something about the original owners!

Hopefully I can end up with some then!

[GrayGhost]

This is a fascinating story, that makes lowww budget guys like me envious in some ways, but fascinated by a 'great find" story too. I can't honestly wait to see whats in the other trunk. Maybe a stack of Ramly's or Turkey Red cabinets?

Great stuff and continued best on the sales Steve!!

[botn]

John makes some valid points. The BST is certainly a quick way to sell cards. There are several (not all by any stretch) deep pockets on or lurking on this board but limiting the sales to just that venue and for such a short and undefined period of time seems like it would frustrate being able to maximize proceeds.

Not to criticize Steve but he did not put up prices. Only wrote that we should make offers. Obviously he had some idea of what he wanted for the lots but for some reason opted not to post that info. How else would he know to sell the lot once a certain buyer’s offer came in? What determined a lot no longer being available was not time expiring on the offer but a buyer’s offer which seemed acceptable to him.

Steve definitely met the timely part of liquidating this collection and based on what he has written, that seemed to be his priority even if it meant leaving some money on the table.

As for his taking 15%, if these cards had been consigned most houses might not have charged a seller’s fee but the buyer’s premium would have most likely exceeded 15%. So Steve’s 15% cut is not so bad when you consider that Mrs. M would not have participated in the buyer’s premium.

[Mikehealer]

One thing I'm wondering if so much money is being left on the table with these lots, why don't the people that believe this is the case just buy all the lots and then consign them to an auction house for some easy money... Of course this may be what's happening, who knows.

Anyway good luck with the rest of the sale Steve.

[bigfish]

Well said. The owner is happy. The prices have been strong and Steve has done a nice job raising money for an elderly woman needing financial support. Not sure that the rest of the posters here matter very much. If those two folks are happy it is a win. I think it is nice that Steve was able to offer the board these cards. I guess several posters above would rather bid on them in a major auction. The lot prices on the bst were stronger than lots sold recently in major auctions.

[ChiefBenderForever]

It's not fair I spent all my cheese and couldn't bid on the lots.

[Gradedcardman]

Mike I am with you on your statement.

I assume the actual statements from Steve were read stating that time was of concern. I do not know about all the sites but I have never been offered an advance of any consequence for any lots I have had in an auction. This includes a 520/524 T206 set and a PSA 3 Magie.

Steve, Love the lots...

[Michael Peich]

Well said, Toby and Mike. I admire the fact that Steve is helping someone in need, and he is doing a damn fine job of it.

I guess I don't fully understand the concerns of other posters, the comments about auction houses, etc. These are raw cards, and their sale is a step back in time that presumably all of us in this hobby can enjoy. Auction houses and grading companies aren't the only sources for validating our purchases. Sometimes we depend on honest people like Steve and the woman he is assisting.

So, thanks, Steve--it's fun to be part of this sale, if for no other reason than looking at raw cards.

Cheers, Mike

[wonkaticket]

Greg; exactly my point here nothing against Steve or what he’s trying to do.

Also not insinuating he’s a bad guy or up to no good, just looking at this from a different POV I guess, which I assume Steve is ok with he's a tough ol' bird with thick skin.

There were a few lots I know I would have offered really strong coin on but never even had the chance too. I literally went to lunch came back it was listed and gone in a matter of hours.

One can’t help but wonder what would be the harm to leave them up for a few days take as many offers as you can then take the highest one and post the sale price for future reference (optional).

As said before some of these lots were up and gone in a matter of hours, and many faces and wallets aren’t seeing them or missing them by hours not to even be able to offer coin that in itself leads me to think money is being left on the table. I'm sorry if that makes me a bad guy for thinking that...

I understand these folks need money but do they need the money in a few hours they can’t wait a few days or a week? And yes there are auction houses who offer nice cash advances.

I would assume if the consignors can wait while Steve pieces these out by the hour, over weeks and the few days it takes to get funds from folks once sold; that they could live off reasonable cash advance while the lots are given ample time to mature for more than a few hours in the BST.

I dont think there's anything wrong with warning or pointing out other view points or options that may offer more money in the long run to this lady and Steve as well.

Hey at the end of the day as long as the folks (Consignor) with the cards are happy I guess that’s all that matters.

I think that’s all any of us are saying in this thread….that’s all I’m saying.

Cheers,

John

[wonkaticket]

Michael,

Let’s not get to ahead of ourselves putting Steve up for sainthood nominations. There are lots of nice honest folks in this hobby.

Yes it’s nice what Steve is attempting to do, but if the ultimate goal is to get this lady the most cash for her final years of assisted living. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with saying why not these options and why only up for a few hours you’re missing potential cash not only for the elderly lady, but Steve as well.

“Full Disclosure, although I get a great feeling when forwarding the payments -thanks to you guys... I'm not doing this because I'm a warm and fuzzy person. I DO get compensation; 15% of net sales. In addition, the family has allowed me to purchase a small amount of "discounted" items.”

Also Steve has made it very clear he’s being more than fairly compensated as he should be, so no need to award medals and knighthoods just yet.

Cheers,

John

P.S. I hear my old T211 Bay may be sleeping over at your place, don’t let him keep you up. Hope to see you in Oaks.

[botn]

Hey John,

I am in the same boat as you. I do not have the liberty like many of the members apparently do--to check the board every 3.67 minutes. I missed out too and would have ponied up on some of the lots. Hope Steve did well for the woman. So I missed out...now I have more to spend in one of the four up coming auctions.

And to all you haters, chill out. I was not condemning Steve. Just making a point and hardly advocating the woman should have graded and consigned the material. Was merely suggesting there may have been a more systematic way for Steve to maximize and still close a sale in a timely manner.

Yeah a bit rushed. Made offer and got a response back later that evening around 7:30. Cards sold around 10 pm. Wanted to spend a few min. looking at the lot in more detail to give a better offer than what I was told on the table and of course they were sold. I was out with the boss last night for a dinner so I didn't have the liberty to camp out on the computer.

I dont think that the lots are reaching maximum $ at this rate. There were several SP's and variations in this lot and had it stayed for sale a bit longer or was broke down into a more refined lot would have maximized the profit on it. I'm just saying that they need more exposure time. They aren't my cards and I assure you at this rate will never be.

[pgellis]

How do so many people know/assume the selling price was strong? He never posted what he was looking for in a lot and never posted what they sold for. So how can I make a competitive bid when my first bid was ignored and then the lot sold 3 or 4 hours later with no update?

When you bid, or make an offer on any item, do you come out with your "best price" or highest offer right away? You start low and negotiate your way up. But you need input from the seller. Without any input from the seller how can you gauge your offer?

I guess that is my biggest complaint. No update, or even price range, posted as for an acceptable bid. The first lot offered was sold in 4.5 hours. The original post never said that this will sell in the same day. How is anyone supposed to guess that it would sell that quickly?

Why not put these on GrandSlam Bids and let people bid on them against a clock? These were posted on here (for free) and there was no policy established in the beginning, for example, "Opening Bid of $X" or "Get your best offer in by 4:30pm today".

[Leon]

Originally Posted by pgellis

How do so many people know/assume the selling price was strong? He never posted what he was looking for in a lot and never posted what they sold for. So how can I make a competitive bid when my first bid was ignored and then the lot sold 3 or 4 hours later with no update?

I bought one lot and made offers on others...and Steve told me where those lots were at. The lot I bought I know I paid very strong for because I bought it. The ones I didn't buy, but Steve told me where they were at when I inquired, were very strong prices. That is how I know. (I inquired on 3-4 lots, not all of them). I probably won't post in this thread again but figured I would answer this question.

[ullmandds]

This is unbelievable to me...noone is ever satisfied! Prices are too high...prices are too low....gimme' a break people. Steve can do whatever the hell he wants here...it's his show...deal with it...it's only cardboard!

[pitchernut]

Originally Posted by ullmandds

This is unbelievable to me...noone is ever satisfied! Prices are too high...prices are too low....gimme' a break people. Steve can do whatever the hell he wants here...it's his show...deal with it...it's only cardboard!

exactly

[t206hound]

I'll speak up as someone who has bid multiple times, and even won one of these lots.

Originally Posted by pgellis

How do so many people know/assume the selling price was strong?

Based on my on experience of being outbid and also winning, I KNOW that the bids have been strong.

Originally Posted by pgellis

When you bid, or make an offer on any item, do you come out with your "best price" or highest offer right away? You start low and negotiate your way up.

The first few lots I bid on, I didn't get responses back. Based on the prices that I know about, it is because I was WAY UNDER ($10/card or more) the top bid. I'd guess that Steve is fielding dozens of emails, and those that are well under don't get responses. There were three lots where I put in a stronger initial offer, and Steve let me know that there was a bid over mine and gave me the opportunity to counter.

[basesareempty]

Originally Posted by Leon

I bought one lot and made offers on others...and Steve told me where those lots were at. The lot I bought I know I paid very strong for because I bought it. The ones I didn't buy, but Steve told me where they were at when I inquired, were very strong prices. That is how I know. (I inquired on 3-4 lots, not all of them). I probably won't post in this thread again but figured I would answer this question.

I too bought several lots this past weekend and felt I paid strong, but fair prices for the lots I bought. I put in an offer and Steve responded with a counter offer price it would take to buy the lots on 2 lots and agreed on my price on the other. I agreed on his counter offers and bought the 3 lots. Simple as that. My offers were within 10-20% of what he countered with. So I believe that the people who are not being responded to are offering low ball #'s and frankly Steve probably doesn't have the time or patience to play the back and forth offer game with people.Steve knows what these are worth and your not going to get $2000 worth of cards for $200...just saying.

Bob