Poll: Would You Make This Trade For a Ruth RC?
 

Facing a tough decision. Opinions from fellow collectors appreciated.

You give up:

1. 1932 US Caramel Ruth PSA 4
2. 1933 Goudey Gehrig PSA 3.5
3. 1941 PlayBall DiMaggio PSA 6
4. 1955 Topps Koufax PSA 8
5. 1959 Topps B.Gibson PSA 8
6. 1966 Topps Palmer PSA 8
7. 1968 Topps Bench PSA 9
8. 1968 Topps Seaver PSA 9
9. 1969 Topps R.Jackson PSA 8
10. 1974 Topps Winfield PSA 9
11. 1974 Topps Schmidt PSA 9
12. 1975 Topps Mini Ryan PSA 9
13. 1975 Topps Mini Schmidt PSA 9
14. 1975 Topps Winfield PSA 9
15. 1975 Topps Aaron PSA 9
16. 1976 Topps Brett PSA 8
17. 1977 Topps Brett PSA 9
18. 1978 Topps Brett PSA 9
19. 1979 Topps Molitor PSA 9
20. 1981 Topps Henderson PSA 10
21. 1982 Topps Henderson PSA 10
22. 1984 Star Michael Jordan BGS 8.5
23. 1986 Fleer Michael Jordan BGS 9.5 all 9.5 subs with Pristine 10 centering/PSA 10 (have taken it down before; it will cross)
24. 1981 Topps Joe Montana PSA 9
25. 1986 Topps Steve Young PSA 9
26. 1990 Topps Frank Thomas NNOF PSA 8
27. 1975 Topps Mini Yount PSA 10


You get:
1916 M101-5 Babe Ruth - 1 Poor

*I know on the surface it seems lopsided, but part of me feels like I can come across all those others again, whereas not so much the Ruth.

*On the other hand, perhaps such a variety of cards will appreciate better over time than one expensive card that has already seen a massive surge in price; thus fewer could be traded at a later date for the same Ruth.

What is the total value of your cards?

The Ruth in a 1 is 6500$....is it a graded card and if so is it a nice card for the grade?

In my opinion I would NOT/NEVER do it....sell a few of your cards like the Jordan cards and you will be able to buy one and keep most of your collection. The Ruth is not that hard to find if you have the money a dealer can find one for you I know I have asked only 1 dealer and he said yes I can get you 1 just let me know when you are ready to buy 1....so they are available for sure!!!

Post #3

No way in hell would I make that trade. Just the Koufax, Gibson and Jordan rookies alone should net you around $15,000 (Assuming the Jordan rookie is a PSA 10). Another one will come along. If you REALLY have to have one, sell all your cards outright, pocket the money, and wait for the next one to come along, through REA, Goodwin or wherever it will show up.

Hi Zone,

The Ruth in a 1 is around $30,000.

MattyC

No way in hell it is 30 000$ I have been offered a 2 for about 10 000$.....the guy is LYING to you!!! He KNOWS you are been pulled in to a bad deal....geez get yourself a super nice 52 Topps Mantle buy selling your cards.

You could get a much nicer one than one graded a 1 if you sell all your cards probably a 52 Topps Mantle as well in a lower grade.

Post # 4

Zone,

There's an SGC 10 on REA right now at about 30K with the vig.

I'd make that trade in a heartbeat if it's a very presentable 1-you can always get those other cards-maybe not graded as high but who cares? You'd have a Babe Ruth rookie!

VCP on the Babe Ruth in a '1' shows that it sold in REA in 2011 for $15,000. Just the Jordan alone in a PSA 10 is around $10,000. Throw in the Koufax and you are at $13,000. There is no way in hell I would make that trade!

MattyC

Believe me I have been offered one in a 2 for around 10 000$ I can give you the dealers name in a private message. DO NOT DO IT trust me you are been a sucker for this guy!!! BIG TIME!!! I know the words Ruth rookie make everyone want to dance...but do not be a fool!!!

You have some great cards in very high grades....you will find buyers for them.

Post # 5

True, Bobby. But perhaps the 2011 sale is dated? What are your thoughts regarding the more recent sales of the SGC 10 example; it sold twice last year for 44k and I believe the subsequent sale was 39k.

No way. Values aside, that's too much awesome stuff to give up.

Call the guy I sent you his # in a private message he is very trust worthy!!! He will find you one at a much better price. I bet you he can also get you top dollar for your cards as well .

Post # 6

Matt, make the trade-you'll kick yourself if you don't. That Ruth card just keeps gaining value, whereas you may not do as well selling off your cards individually.

M1014/5 Ruths come around a little more often than you might think. But that being said, highly desirable cards like the Ruth can be very unpredictable when they do come to market. Just because one sold last year in REA for $15k has little to no reflection on what the next PSA 1 Ruth will fetch when it comes to auction IMO, except that previous result show this card has been exploding in value.

A PSA 5 sold in 2010 for 41k. Another one sold in 2012 for 89k
A PSA 4 sold in 2010 for 22k. Then sold in 20111 for 44k and the another one sold in 2012 for 60k.

Here's the VCP on the cards you are giving up:

1. 1932 US Caramel Ruth PSA 4 $2,500
2. 1933 Goudey Gehrig PSA 3.5 $1,200
3. 1941 PlayBall DiMaggio PSA 6 $2,500
4. 1955 Topps Koufax PSA 8 $2,750
5. 1959 Topps B.Gibson PSA 8 $900
6. 1966 Topps Palmer PSA 8 $200
7. 1968 Topps Bench PSA 9 $1,000
8. 1968 Topps Seaver PSA 9 $500
9. 1969 Topps R.Jackson PSA 8 $700
10. 1974 Topps Winfield PSA 9 $300
11. 1974 Topps Schmidt PSA 9 $250
12. 1975 Topps Mini Ryan PSA 9 $1,250
13. 1975 Topps Mini Schmidt PSA 9 $400
14. 1975 Topps Winfield PSA 9 $150
15. 1975 Topps Aaron PSA 9 $700
16. 1976 Topps Brett PSA 8 $200
17. 1977 Topps Brett PSA 9 $100
18. 1978 Topps Brett PSA 9 $100
19. 1979 Topps Molitor PSA 9 $100
20. 1981 Topps Henderson PSA 10 $350
21. 1982 Topps Henderson PSA 10 $100
22. 1984 Star Michael Jordan BGS 8.5 ??
23. 1986 Fleer Michael Jordan BGS 9.5/PSA 10 $4,000
24. 1981 Topps Joe Montana PSA 9 $400
25. 1986 Topps Steve Young PSA 9 $250
26. 1990 Topps Frank Thomas NNOF PSA 8 $1,500
27. 1975 Topps Mini Yount PSA 10 $4,000

Roughly $25,000-$28,000

You get:
1916 M101-5 Babe Ruth - 1 Poor

The last one to sell went for $15,000..

It's up to you, but personally, I would pass.

Are you going to resell or keep?

Not just that owning 1 single card is BORING you will see (unless it is a T206 Wagner or a 1914 Baltimore news Ruth or a super nice 52 Topps Mantle that is).

All I can say wish I had a Ruth graded a 1 right now to trade you....this is how the guy feels he knows he is getting a better deal that is THE ONLY reason he is ready to do a deal.

Post # 7

Do not make that trade! Consign the prewar cards to B&L/Goodwin/Sterling/LOTG/etc., and the postwar and modern to Probstein/JustCollect/etc. Then after you dive in and swim around in cash Scrooge McDuck style, find a nice Ruth rookie at auction.

Cash talks big time sell your cards and you will see when you show a guy 15k in 100$ bills he will give you a graded 1 with a smile....but at least you will be smiling to!!!!

Post # 8

Oh, I would keep it, until it disintegrated while held in grip of my skeletal, long-dead hands.

But seriously, yes, keeping for the long haul. I am first and foremost a passionate private collector, and very rarely a seller. I've been slowly moving away from condition rarities into more genuine rarities across all grades, while still focusing on my favorite HOFers.

I've got the Jordan rookie in a PSA 10 at $9,000-$10,000.

I hear you loud and clear on that, and that is actually how I acquired much of my collection. May very well explore those waters now with this card I am seeking, as opposed to letting the recent sales of the SGC example at Legendary and Memory Lane (at least I believe it was there off-hand without consulting VCP) set the bar.

Sell
 

Sell a good group of them and just buy one out. If you were trading for your collection and felt good about the trade then sure. However you mentioned appreciation in value. This leads me to believe this is part personal and financial. For that reason I would tell you to not trade and sell enough to buy one.

Matt, can you post a picture of the Ruth that's up for grabs?

Hi Moonlight,

Would rather not throw another's card up there and instead just get the very valuable feedback from you guys on the give up/get balance. Suffice it to say here it has very nice eye appeal (at least to these eyes) but is definitely a 1 POOR card. Accurately graded in other words, no chance of a bump.

By the way how amazing is this board, where instead of just ringing up the handful of friends one has (if any, lol) that collect, one can post here and get so many educated opinions from fellow collectors? The internet can suck in so many ways, but this is definitely a pebble on the good side of the scale.

I believe I saw a GAI 1 or authentic in one of Goodwin's recent auctions and it sold for nearly 10000 with the juice and that card was one of the worst I've seen. That said, I'd make the trade.

While I would make the trade if its a very strong Ruth 1. Otherwise I would sell as has been stated and then wait for the right one, they do pop up a few times a year. I would put the value depending on how it looks from $25,000 to $40,000.

Very true, but I was assuming it was in a BGS 9.5 holder..

That's where I was on it as well, price-wise, factoring in the most recent sales of an SGC 10 example. Hence why 28k-ish didn't strike me immediately as a bad valuation, and from there determining what cards would be worth that amount.

How much cash do you have in the cards you are thinking about trading?

How long have you owned them?

How much have those cards appreciated since you have owned them?

How much do you think they might appreciate in the future? (Define your own terms as far as "future" is concerned).

How much do you think the Ruth will appreciate in the future (if you think it will appreciate at all and again, define your own terms as far as "future" goes).

If you HAD to sell and raise cash fast, which would be easier to get rid of and get the most back in the fastest amount of time, the cards you are thinking about trading or the Ruth?

Right now, you might think you are never going to sell but sometime in the future you (or your heirs) might/are and answering these questions now might help then.

David

If you have been offered a Ruth Rookie in a '2' for $10,000 you should be sealing the deal RIGHT NOW. A '1" w/decent eye appeal is worth a solid $25K to $32K! Last year, SCP sold a '1" w/significant creasing for over $30K.

Ruth
 

Joe T,

I pm'd Adrian before for the so called dealer's name and contact info. I'll buy the Ruth rookie right now in a 2 for $10K. Still haven't received a response.

Tony

I could not pay fast enough at 10K for a 2. Doesn't seem at all possible.

MattyC

Give the guy a call that is what he said to me we will see if that is true or not. I have not given anyone else the info as I keep my word and if in fact the seller has one for that price and you are not willing to buy it please feel free to share the info with others here at your on discretion.

The dealer in question is a very well known one and we spoke about me buying a Ruth rookie and that is the price I was given.

I may be wrong maybe he meant a graded 1 at 10k.

Post # 8

Exactly Matt! There is no way you could buy that card for 10000. And if the Ruth you're going for has nice eye appeal then make that trade right now! You may sell your cards individually and possibly get less than what you hope for. Let the new owner of those cards worry about the sale. MAKE THAT TRADE!

Just spoke to the guy he said he made a mistake that it would cost from 20k to 30k to buy one (one that grades 1). So you guys are right....my mistake!!!:rolleyes: Did not mean to get every bodies hopes up!!!

So if it a nice GRADED 1 then you just may want to make the trade. Is it a raw card then I would not for sure...to many unknown variables!!!

Post # 9

My vote is Yes.

I was going to say give him my number if he's selling a 2 for $10k. You can't even get a full card for $10k anymore.

Blank back or Sporting News backs are not worth 30k. It's the rare backs that reach that level. I would pass.

glchen

That is probably why the guy had said 10k and not 30k for say a PSA 1.

Post # 10

I disagree. The PSA 1 in SCP last year was a severely creased blank back & it went for approx. $31k.

being a collector grade collector...as well as more of a vintage guy...I'd take the ruth...although ruth rc's are at historic highs these days. tough call...but as said...all those cards are pretty easily replaceable.

Absolutely. Also, if a collector is considering the investment angle as well, you can make the assumption that the Ruth rookie has significantly more uptick potential than the those other cards.

X 2
Ruth rookie is a iconic card and will continue to go up in value.

I completely agree. Make the trade. Most of the modern cards you have listed are good but easily replaceable. Only the Ruth rookie has the potential to increase exponentially. I have always thought all of Ruth's cards are severely undervalued. He played in that critical (unfortunate) window when significantly fewer cards were manufactured rendering him grossly under-represented in the industry. It is almost an oddity of the collecting trade that the widely-recognized "greatest player of all time" takes a significant backseat to lesser heralded players with regard to value. Ruth's early cards may (and should) eventually catch up to the other iconic cards in the hobby such as T206 Wagner and Plank.

Pull the trigger.

im actually changing my vote to "make the trade"

If I was actively looking for a Ruth rookie, I'd make that trade pretty easily. The other cards you're giving up can be replaced easily and aren't going to appreciate like the Ruth will.

Some good points made here. I am retracting my vote and going back up on the fence. I suppose it depends on how largely you want to let money affect your decision. The greater long term investment is the Ruth, though you have to decide if you are willing to give up 27 HOFers to get one.

Count me in the negative. Some of the cards he is giving up will increase as well. Jordan is an iconic card that should go up as well, that if he has in a PSA 10, then he is holding onto something special there. I just think he should stand pat.