Thanks Guys! I put that one in my cart in hopes they shoot me a deal, if not I'll snag it later today

It may be true of all memorabilia, but I think pins are especially hard to “value”…

First, you’ll have the situation of multiple ebay bidders but with only two putting in big bids. Let’s say you had last minute snipes of $132, $475 and $500. The pin will sell for $480, but without either of the high bids, it would have gone for $133. Is it really “worth” $480? We’ve all experienced what I call “that one other guy” who either beats you or costs you a lot of money. And now, with the $500 bidder out of the way, the same pin might go for significantly less if it comes up again. There have definitely been times where, in hindsight, I was glad I lost out the first time around. Some of Paul’s inflated “values” may be due to the fact he regularly dueled with another big time pin collector.

Another factor, I think, affects pin value for a team collector like myself. I often joke with my fellow Giants collectors that “after you, me and he gets one,” these pins go for peanuts. That is, after we fight among ourselves, there’s no one for the next bidder to fight with. I know a newer Giants team collector who is frustrated some pins I have are now hard to find but if he does find them he usually gets them for less than what I paid (not always).

PM-10’s may be easier to value than “team” pins but, again, I almost think their value actually goes down as the collectors who want them, get them. To me, only the super rare, “seen once every 10 years” pins can really be assigned a value. Am I making any sense?

If you're interested, you can also ask him if he has a copy of the Munchisky book available. He thinks he may have a copy or 2 left.

I tend to follow a very simple rule about valuing collectibles. I don’t pay much attention to eBay sold prices or “comps”. What a buyer and seller sold a particular item for yesterday, last week, last month is irrelevant to me. That’s them. I’m me. There really can’t be a price guide for collectibles in my mind. I may ask a fellow collector what they might value something at, but the ultimate decision to buy or sell at a particular price is mine.

Example: You have a Mantle signed ball that want to buy. Would you sell it for $1? No. $100? Probably not. $1,000? Well, now I’ve probably got your attention. So $1,000 is the ceiling. I ask, would you take $200?
You: $900?
Me: $300?
You: $800?

And so, we dance.

Sometimes, I pay over “comps” because I see something that I must own. Sometimes, I offer less than comps because that’s what I value it at.

I agree with you, and have experienced the “one other guy” scenario. Like you, there are times I was a disappointed under bidder only to be glad later to get the same type of item for a lot less because the “other guy” wasn’t bidding this time. In such scenarios, applying the concept of current market value is complicated. But the point in my post is really directed to much more commonly available pins, of which there are often multiples selling on eBay for less, sometimes quite a bit, than the listed value. It’s not a big deal to me but I point this out for newer pin collectors.

+1

Just picked this up...

Just picked this up..

Maris x3
Photo was taken at an angle so it appears each pin is progressively smaller lol

Saw this at an antiques show and the vendor wanted $200 !!!!

Ever buy a group of pinback buttons just to get one?

Haven’t seen much activity on this thread lately other than what I’ve posted. Everyone still collecting pinback buttons?

Based on the prices of things I try to buy, it is clear that people are still collecting pinbacks. Although they have no interest in any I'm trying to sell.

1958 Tommy Davis
 

This one wasn't in the Muchinsky guide or any other reference that I had, so was shocked to find it on Etsy, of all places.

Just picked this up...

1954 Grape Nuts Mantle
 

Can anyone tell me how the hobby knows this is a 1954 Grape Nuts issue and is there a printed reference guide that lists this button?


Asking for a friend. Thanks.

I have never seen that pin or been aware of that set. I found this old reference that mentions the pin but doesn’t really answer your question. If there is a checklist, I would love to see it. Might there be a Mays pin?

https://sportscollectorsdigest.com/c...mantle-buttons

Just got this...

Love that one!

Never seen that one before. Neat!

I've been looking for that Billy Pierce pin for a long time!! Still no luck...

Thanks! It's the first time I've seen one too. I was hoping ooo-ribay might be able to provide some info about it. If he's willing to, that is. I would certainly appreciate it.

Thanks!

Aw, shucks. It’s definitely a rare pin. I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen one although the fellow Giants collectors I know all have one. They used the same picture on another McCovey pin. These kind of fit with the series of 12 orange border Giants player pins from the late 1960s but are obviously different. I saw what you paid for it and that’s about what I would expect. Had my Giants buddies not had it, it would have gone for more. You know how it goes…

Thank you for the information!! I knew you'd know about it.! I appreciate the help! Thanks again!!

Nothing to rare

Maybe not, but gorgeous!

Agree.... Gorgeous!

Seems like a highly underrated segment of the hobby, as Mantle collectors tend to pay a "King's Ransom" for everything else with his mug on it.

Thanks Hank and Mark!
Reasonably priced, Mantle, and colorful, I'm all in:D

Great stuff everyone! Here's a recent addition for me. If anyone has any scarcer Reds related pins avavilable FS or Trade I'm all ears:)

Anyone else get anything from the recent Hake's auction? With a good number of Muchinsky pins? I won this Gabrielson pin and now have all of the 1.75 SF Giants PM10 pins (other than a few of the blacked out hat variations). The slightly larger Ed Bailey pin was also in the auction but I let another Giants collector friend go for that one.

I really only collect the Giants, so it's hard for me to know what was really rare in that auction and what overperformed or underperformed, but there were a good number of Phillies player pins that seemed to command high prices (up to $1,000).

I also know from the main Net54 page that some people were having trouble getting onto the website for extended bidding. Maybe some of the prices were lower than they would have been? I did think I was going to have to pay a bit more than I did for this one.

Hi Marc Yep the web site crashing cost alot of people some extra money for sure.. Hakes antiquated web site is terrible.. As for your giants try a put a pic together showing all of them. I believe you are missing a few.. This might be one of them there is another cepeda has background, a little larger head and larger letters... I think your search will continue.....

Hi Marc Yep the web site crashing cost alot of people some extra money for sure.. Hakes antiquated web site is terrible.. As for your giants try a put a pic together showing all of them. I believe you are missing a few.. This might be one of them there is another cepeda has background, a little larger head and larger letters... I think your search will continue.....

Hey Al- thanks for posting that. I do have the Cepeda variations (one was a very recent purchase and did not make it into the picture). I would love to see pictures of any I am missing. I think I have seen that Davenport and McCormick both have black hat variations out there. Are there others?

Hi Marc yep there is a McCormick Black hat.. And the Davenport listed in Pauls book which I also need to finish my run! I have Mccormick.. Very expensive pin!:eek:

here is another one if your a crazy like myself.. I was able to do a trade not long ago for it.. Blue Willie Mays with a blacked out cap logo.. Extremely rare...

Do any other teams have the blacked out hats? I can sort of understand McCormick, given that he played on a few other teams, but Davenport and McCovey were Giants though the 1960s and there does not seem to be a need to block out the team logo. If it was a licensing issue because the pins were sold at the very end of the 1960s, why is there no blacked out Mays?

There is a blacked out Mays I just posted it... As for others yes there are some dodgers yankees Roger maris comes to mind. and some others. As for the mays I believe that pin was blacked out in 1957 the year they left N Y to move to San Fran. you can almost date it to that year...

Picked this up...

Crazy cool! Any info on this?

Thanks!

"Cleveland Basebelles , a booster club for the Cleveland Indians Major League Baseball franchise from 1966-1991. In addition to promoting attendance at games the Basebelles became a fundraising organization for charities like the Salvation Army and the Make-a-Wish Foundation"

I'm hoping an Indian fan might be able to give me some more information about it.

Just like Cincinnati's Rosie Reds. I have a few pins of theirs.... very similar idea to this Cleveland example, with a feminine "Mrs. Red" Baseball-headed Mascot.

I picked this up. I can't find it as a Yogi Berra pin, only as a Larry Berra pin.

I had a name for Mrs. Wahoo but Wiki told me it’s offensive.

Would it be offensive to say she looks HOT? :rolleyes:

Cuban baseball pinbacks. I’ve always thought these were very cool.

Nice collection. How many different ones are there?

My understanding is that the number of teams varied slightly throughout the history of the Cuban League, but I think these four (Almendares, Habana, Marianao, and Cienfuegos) were the main four and those that stayed in operation until the end in 1961.

Great group! I’ve only ever seen one Almendares pinback before.

Not a pin, but a tab I just picked up