Need Major Advice
 

I’m hoping some senior folks on this forum can help point me in the right direction on a serious matter related to potentially selling a large vintage card collection.

Here is the situation. A friend’s family is in possession of a large vintage sports card collection, that has cards ranging from the 1960’s to the 1990’s, with the majority coming from the 60’s to the 70’s. There are more baseball cards than anything else, but there are also huge numbers of football and basketball cards.

The collector was the family’s father, who passed away two years ago. The family believes that the collection should never be touched – for many, many reasons. However, financial difficulties are necessitating reconsideration of this policy. As such, they want to look into selling a single high-value card – to see how it goes.

Since I have advised the family on a number of financial and real estate issues for many years, and because in my younger day - I used to deal in high-end vintage comics, and because the family has a high degree of trust in me, they have asked me to research this situation and help with the selling of this first card (and potentially the entire collection, at a later time).

The initial card to sell is what appears to be a 1954 Topps Henry Aaron Rookie Card, which appears (to me) to be in exceptionally good shape (no obvious flaws at all and looks to be well-centered, and borders appear to be the same width). The card has not been officially graded.

I realize that if the card is authentic, the potential sale value could be quite high – and could well eventually need to go to an auction house for disposition (as could parts or all of the collection).

I have been surprised to find almost no articles on the internet talking about how to proceed for someone in my situation. So of course, I am starting to make a plan.

I imagine that most people would say to get the card officially graded FIRST. However, if I understand how the grading process works at the top companies, getting THIS PARTICULAR CARD graded could itself be a very expensive endeavor, as the grading company apparently charges some portion of the expected full value of the card. So, in this case, we are potentially talking about thousands of dollars.

On the other hand, I found that SGC offers pricing “based on your declared value(s) and selected turnaround time”. I do not yet know what this means in terms of “your declared value(s)”.

In any case, before even considering getting the card graded, it seems to me the logical first step is to see whether or not the card is itself authentic, meaning – making sure it is not some kind of forgery or even an official reprint. In looking at high-grade images of both this actual card (the real one) and an official reprint of this Henry Aaron card, I myself can tell absolutely no difference. Unlike my previous experiences dealing with high-end vintage comics, this forgery and reprint business with the cards – takes me well out of my element. Needless to say, I am well out of my element on this entire subject.

So, I would greatly appreciate hearing from forum members on the following:

What reliable source can I go to to initially authenticate this card before going further down the standard process? [I do not mind paying for this service, or for anything related]

Any suggestions on a better total way to proceed?

Any important things you think I may not have considered?

Thanks in advance for your time and consideration.

You can sometimes skip the grading process altogether if your card is accepted by an auction house for its auction. The auction house will have your card graded for you. But even if you were to pay the new fees for SGC, you're looking at between $85 and $250 depending on the value of your particular card, which is not that much of an expense if you're anticipating a few thousand back in the sale.

Hi Steve,

Welcome to the board.

From your post, it sounds to me like you have a basic understanding of card condition, but maybe not a detailed understanding of what constitutes each grade. What you consider "good" is many times different than what a colletor considers "good". With that in mind, I would start by just posting scans of the card (front and back) here. Board members will be able to give you a rough idea of grade (and authenticity) and a ball park on what you could expect to get for the card. As you mentioned, a 54 Aaron could have a huge swing in price depending on the exact condition. That would also impact how I would proceed next including getting it graded, whether to sell yourself or send it to an auction house (and which ones I would recommend).

As you might expect, the stars from the 60-70's are still collected heavily, but depending on condition, even minor stars may not even be worth the cost of getting graded.

For a lot of the stuff from the 80-90's unless there is something unique, extremely rare, or near perfect condition, I would not have high expectations. Generally, this era is plagued by over production and, therefore, there is little demand.

If you have any questions, please ask. Someone on the board I'm sure will be able to answer them.

DJ

As someone has suggested, I will post what photos I have of the card - even though they are not high-quality and contain some glare. I will attempt to post some better photos this evening. Attachment 355703

Attachment 355704

Looks like a really nice 4, maybe a 5 with a generous grader

My first reaction was to get it graded. The downside of that is time as it will take a month or two to go through that process. Assuming the card does grade, the 4-5 range gives it a value of $1,300-$2,500 (range of VCP averages at 4 and 5).

Many other routes to take but the grading route (SGC or PSA) likely gives you the best result and should be worth the cost to do so.

As an aside, we are currently dealing with a large collection of model trains, cars and die cast stuff my father had when he passed away late last year. The best advice I received was to sell it as a lot or large groups if you're going to sell any of it. Once you start pulling the good stuff from the group, what's left may be more difficult to sell. Everyone will handle it a little differently but that advice has served us well so far! Good luck to you and the family!!

Email Greg Morris.

https://www.gregmorriscards.com/contact

He will do the best by you. Don't contact anyone else.

Get it out of that screw down holder ASAP.

Interested in discussing this collection.

Tom Salem
774-573-1731

Www.opcbaseball.com

I would recommend pausing on that. Any damage that has been done by being in that holder has already been done. The OP is not familiar with cards and just pulling that holder apart could ruin the card.

Just wanted to expand on my last post for the original poster on why I would not rush to take it out of the screw down until you decide what you are going to do. Screw downs have 2 major issues going against them regarding protecting cards. 1. When left in them for years, cards tend to stick to the plastic and when removing them, the plastic can literally pull the surface of the card right off. As a result, a beautiful card can be easily turned into shredded cardboard. There are some tricks you can try to get them unstuck (freezing and/or heating), but nothing is guaranteed. 2. Screw downs that do not have a recessed area (like the one the Aaron is in) can flatten the corners of the card over time. The more the screws were tightened, the more likely this is to happen. The grading companies sometimes consider this an alteration and won't give the card a numeric grade as a result.

With that in mind, are there any other cards in the collection worth a lot less in the same style screw down? If so, you may want to see how one of them comes out first before attempting with the Aaron. That should give you an idea of how stuck the cards are. Also, if you are already getting offers as is in the range of a 4-5 (which is where I think it would be if real), you may be better off selling it even at a slight discount rather than running the risk of ruining it taking it out of the case or it grading as just authentic due to the corners.

DJ

I'm going to say what everyone else is thinking - something is up with this post. User just registered this month and is already asking for senior advice.

There's something happening here...what it is ain't exactly clear.

So this was a typo? Should've read 1950s to the 1990s?

I live in a senior community in Florida. I have been asked numerous times by people who have collections and need to discuss whether they want to keep all or partial or liquidate. If they want to sell something because they need the money it means the collection will eventually be liquidated. Probably sooner then later.
If they need some money I give them the following advise:
Evaluate the complete collection. Determine how much money they hope to get out of it. Based on that information figure out a group of cards to sell to achieve the amount. NEVER sell the best cards first. If you do that you will never get the best money out of the collection.
Grading decisions don't come until you have a plan.

Agreed....PSA will more than likely only grade it authentic only....I hope the damage has not already been done.

I did perhaps word this badly, but the main statement is correct. I was told that there are only a very small number of cards from the 50s, and that the greatest number of cards in the collection come from the 60s and 70s.

This. Highly recommended.

In honorable consideration of those who have and will take the time to comment and provide legitimate information, I will address this one time only. I have zero interest in convincing anyone of anything, or of taking time to placate your or anyone else's paranoia. My name and phone number are on record with the administrators who run this website. I recommend you take your concerns to them.

I registered with this website yesterday and I made my first post the very same day. I did this because I am in a bad position and need accurate information on a subject I know virtually nothing about, because I know enough not to just walk into a card shop in Charlotte and expect to get anything positive from the experience, and because my actions will potentially have a financial impact on people that trust me. After the business of this one post is concluded, it is almost a certainty that I will never post or be active again in these forums - because I have zero personal interest in this subject matter.

To those who have or will comment and provide information, I am terribly grateful. To the small-minded simpletons who fear my post, I again suggest taking your concerns to the administration because I will not respond or address any other such comments.

You did well to come here and not go to a local card shop. Your best course, it seems to me, is to consult with a reputable dealer such as Greg Morris.

Was the goal here ever stated? Do they want money quickly or do they want as much money as possible? Selling to a dealer will be quick, but definitely won't maximize your take.

In the end, the family may well not go forward with the sale of the collection at all. It is an odd sort of situation that has nothing to do with sentimentality. For whatever reason, they have allowed me to go forward with this one card while they decide what to do about the balance of the collection. My purpose here is to learn what all I might need to know in order to maximize the proceeds from the sale of the one card, and then to develop a plan on how best to proceed should they decide to sell the entire collection.

Steve
Don't worry about naysayers. I have your number on file and it stays very private. Just keep doing what you are doing because it is the right thing to do. Good luck and good for you that you are trying to help a friend make informed decisions for his family. Kudos. Any of our advertisers are a good way to go for selling. Greg Morris is one of the best and has a stellar reputation.

Agree with Greg Morris, as a great resource for selling some or all of the collection.

Also... I've had dozens of cards that resided in non-recessed screw-down holders for nearly 2 decades. They were removed with no issues whatsoever, and were submitted for grading. All received grades varying from 5 - 7, with none deemed simply Authentic.

If your cards were subject to moisture or humidity, it could be an issue, but I am betting you'll be fine otherwise.

I was simply stating that it seemed a bit odd Steve. You stated that you have "zero personal interest" in this subject matter and that it's "almost a certainty" that you will never post or be active again on this board after this. So it's ok then for you to take personal jabs and call me paranoid and a "small minded simpleton" because oh hey you're only going to be here for a week? It just so happens I'm a lawyer and author (amongst other things) who actually has recommendations and information that might be helpful to you. But sure it's totally ok for you to slam me as a person because you won't be back here next week. Best of luck with the cards Steve.

Steve,
Since you are not a collector and don't have any expertise, you might do best to consign the collection to a reputable auction, of which there are many. The auction house will know which key cards need to be graded, and which cards will fit logically into group lots.

And it sounds like the family needs some immediate money upfront. That shouldn't be a problem, as virtually every auction house can provide you with a cash advance as soon as they have the cards. An advance could be in the area of 25-50% of the appraised value, but that of course needs to be negotiated.

I don't think you should try to sell it yourself, because without any knowledge of how to proceed you will make too many mistakes.

Good luck with the sale.

I would like to thank everyone for the informational posts and for all the private messages providing detailed info., resources, and offers of direct assistance. The response has been overwhelming and I am truly grateful. For all the item-specific information available on the internet, nowhere could I find a generalized how-to manual on this subject. For that reason, this site has been a godsend.

I believe I now have all the information I need to get the one card sold, and the information, resources, and references I need to construct an appropriate plan to process and sell the entire collection - should that come to pass.

It is quite a thing to see the generosity of spirit that produces the willingness to provide information and help to a person in my circumstances. I would very much like to buy everyone involved a cup of coffee and a danish, but of course - that's not how the world works. The only area I can offer expertise in is commercial real estate in the region of western North Carolina and upstate South Carolina. Should anyone need help on that subject, they would be welcome to send me a private message or email.

Should the sale of the overall collection become a reality, I will do a follow-up posting on this forum to let everyone know the details and the agency through which it will be occurring. In consideration of the large size of the collection and of the 14 or so extremely notable rookie cards I know of as being representative of the collection, I imagine the sale would be a big and interesting event to follow.

Thanks again.

Steve M.

Follow-up ?
 

..Hello Steve ; , could you let us all on here know how things are progressing with the old baseball card situation ? Thanks.....P.S. We spend our summers in Sapphire and Rosman and of course Pickens...

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