Need your input

[lharri3600]

Hello to all,
I'm refocusing my hobby habit, and I need your input.
I'm going after 1913 and 1914 Zeenuts. A hobby friend called me and told me they just got a bunch back from PSA. I just checked SGC and PSA pops along
with VCP and it looks like these cards aren't all over the place. Before I take the plunge, what would be a decent price for PSA 2's and 3's? Your expertise would be greatly appreciated.

[Jacklitsch]

I saw the offering and thought the prices were pretty fair.

I would have preferred they be SGC graded but that's just me.

[rhettyeakley]

Pricing is all relative with these cards and grading is actually almost irrelevant. Certain cards will be nearly impossible regardless of grade while some are somewhat common and you can be pickier about the condition on those cards. I am down to needing roughly 50-55 in both sets and the thing to remember is that you have to have a LOT of patience, there are people that have been working on these sets for decades and still have sizable want lists. Completely different animal than the T206 set where money is the only real limiting factor to a set, with most of the Zeenut sets availability in ANY condition is the limiting factor.

-Rhett

[RCMcKenzie]

Unless a Zeenut has the coupon intact, (excluding 1911-12), in my opinion, it should not receive a numerical grade. If the coupon has been removed, it pretty much reduces the card to "Aut".

I don't have a lot of Zeenuts because they are hard to find, but collect 1916 and 1917, and will pick up any I can for the right price from other years also. I won't pay more for a holder, but it would not stop me from buying the card.

Here's a 1917 Zeenut Roy Corhan (2 seasons in MLB, STL, Chisox). I think I was the only bidder at a start of $50 in a major auction. I thought I paid a little too much, but I liked the card. Although it is graded "poor", I'd say it's above average compared to other Zeenuts in my collection.
1917zeenutcorhan265.jpg

[smtjoy]

Love Zeenuts, agree with Rhett, its a different kind of monster and patience is the key.

Disagree with RC and think its right that they are graded with a number even when missing the tab as many of the other series that have tabs are too, ie Fleischmann, Redman, Peters Meats, etc.

Good luck!

[RCMcKenzie]

Scott,

Larry was asking what Zeenut w/o coupons in Psa 2 and 3 's go for and I was trying to answer that aspect. Had my 1917 been graded SGC 40, I still think I would have been the only bidder at 50 and the vig. There are not enough Zeenuts to go around, but there are not enough collectors to make any of the commons worth any money more than $30, no matter the grade, unless there is a coupon attached.

[rhettyeakley]

there are not enough collectors to make any of the commons worth any money more than $30, no matter the grade, unless there is a coupon attached.

I must have overpaid for A TON of the cards in my collection! I routinely pay well over that for pretty much ANY card that I need!

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by RCMcKenzie

Scott,

Larry was asking what Zeenut w/o coupons in Psa 2 and 3 's go for and I was trying to answer that aspect. Had my 1917 been graded SGC 40, I still think I would have been the only bidder at 50 and the vig. There are not enough Zeenuts to go around, but there are not enough collectors to make any of the commons worth any money more than $30, no matter the grade, unless there is a coupon attached.

Begs the question as to what is common in a set. The cards that are on so many watch lists are nobodies but cannot be considered commons. Same is true for many other sets. Johnny Rizzo is a common except to anyone trying to assemble a Salutations Exhibit set. To them it is a three-figure card.

[oaks1912]

The 1913 set can be completed but there are a half dozen cards that will be on your wantlist for a long time unless you are lucky. The 1914 set can be completed as it is defined today, but I think that there may be a few additions made to the checklist.... in time. As Rhett and Steve can both attest to, there is a different philosophy when collecting Zeenuts. You focus on how many different cards you can accumulate, rather than their condition or completing a set. While both of these series can be completed, there are a few specific years of Zeenuts that have never been completed by a single collector, even after 3 or 4 decades of trying. With regards to pricing , its up to each individual collector to decide what the cards are 'worth' to them. Some will be obtained for a few bucks, and for others you are going to have to compete against other serious collectors and it may cost 3 or 4 figures, or a significant comparable card to trade....

[Matthew H]

Since the real experts already chimed in, I'll add my opinion. You will not find many nice '13-'14 Zeenuts for less then $50 right now... Maybe none at all.

I've only been collecting LA Zeenuts for around a year and a half. I have a total of one '14 LA player and I happily paid $60 for it. It's a nice card and I thought it was a great deal.

Grading Zeenuts is important, if you are buying a card sight unseen you want to know if it's poor, good, Vg etc. The card not having the cupon attached is pretty much a given. With that being said, imo slabing Zeenuts is the biggest waste of money in the hobby, similar to flushing money down the toilet

If it were my deal, and he has more of the set not yet sent to PSA, I'd ask if we could work out a better price and just hold the PSA fees. Save each other money.

[RCMcKenzie]

Here are the only recent 1914 sales I saw on ebay (not including Heilmann for over $700)

www.ebay.com/itm/221237963192 JJ Clarke

www.ebay.com/itm/271217048587 common

I mostly only look for 1916, which I almost never see for sale,(no 1916 on ebay recently), but if I do, they look and sell for about what these 1920's sold for...

www.ebay.com/itm/251292632766

[Matthew H]

RC,

That seller didn't put Los Angeles, or LA in the title. That's a mistake. There is a lot of team collectors. I have saved searches for LA and Los Angeles Zeenut. I actually found this one by chance, put in my place holder bid, and forgot about it. That was one that got away. I wish I would have bid at least $75 for it.

[RCMcKenzie]

Matt,

You make a good point about the town name in ebay titles. I know from selling on ebay, that any baseball card listing gets a lot more views if it includes a town in the title.

I wonder if the cards that Larry/OP is being offered are the ones from the Nest Egg Auctions lot from a few months ago. I was bidding on that lot, but was held back and shell-shocked by the Carolina Brights lot that sold just before it.