Collector's Nightmare - the trashcan

[midmo]

I think I accidentally threw away a box of pins when I did a major house cleaning a few weeks ago. Last week while continuing to inventory (I decided to downsize a bit) I noticed that some pins I had recently sorted through were missing. This past weekend I did a methodical house search with no luck. Now I keep picturing them 10 feet under mounds of trash at the dump, never to be seen again. It's a horrible feeling.

I'm still trying to figure out exactly what's missing (hopefully no cards), but it's tough. Here's what I know so far:

1898 Cameo Pepsin Brooklyn (purchased at the National this year)
1909-12 PX7 Domino Disc extreme miscut (Russ Ford/Tex Erwin)
1933 Cracker Jack Dazzy Vance
1947(48?) Jackie Robinson ROY
Some high grade PSA 1956 Topps & Yellow Basepath pins
several PX3's and PX7's
several 1950's Brooklyn Dodgers charms
1960's large Sandy Koufax b&w stadium pin



Has anyone else done anything this dumb or have other tragic loss stories?

[Leon]

Sorry to hear that. Most of us that have been doing this long enough have had at least one "woops" moment. I know I have ruined a few things opening them, over the years....

Originally Posted by midmo

I think I accidentally threw away a box of pins when I did a major house cleaning a few weeks ago. Last week while continuing to inventory (I decided to downsize a bit) I noticed that some pins I had recently sorted through were missing. This past weekend I did a methodical house search with no luck. Now I keep picturing them 10 feet under mounds of trash at the dump, never to be seen again. It's a horrible feeling.

I'm still trying to figure out exactly what's missing (hopefully no cards), but it's tough. Here's what I know so far:

1898 Cameo Pepsin Brooklyn (purchased at the National this year)
1909-12 PX7 Domino Disc extreme miscut (Russ Ford/Tex Erwin)
1933 Cracker Jack Dazzy Vance
1947(48?) Jackie Robinson ROY
Some high grade PSA 1956 Topps & Yellow Basepath pins
several PX3's and PX7's
several 1950's Brooklyn Dodgers charms
1960's large Sandy Koufax b&w stadium pin



Has anyone else done anything this dumb or have other tragic loss stories?

[bnorth]

Not prewar but I was sorting threw several piles of cards to get rid of some commons from the junk era. Later noticed I no longer had any Donruss Aqueous Test Issue cards.

[JustinD]

My mistakes have been many, but my favorite "always double check" story involves buying a traded set at the height of the ARod craze after he signed with the Yankees.

I opened the packing peanut filled box and removed the set and tossed the box in the dumpster. A few days later when I got around to looking for the ARod, I noticed it was missing from the set and emailed the seller.

I received this reply -
"I removed it from the set and it was in the box in a card saver as it is the best card"

Sigh...

At least that couple hundred dollar loss is now a faaaar smaller loss now, lol.

[philliesfan]

Dang. Sorry to hear that. I am extremely cautious, my grandfather taught me that. I never really had an accidental loss like that but I did throw away a load of 1984 Topps football commons way back. They were all commons but a few Marino's and Elway's may have been in there. But at the time I did not care because they were only about 50 cents when I trashed them.

[NiceDocter]

Dont give up hope yet! I have "lost" items that I couldnt locate after a reorganization of my collection only to have them turn up in the bottom of some box years later where I had obviously put them without thinking. Yes, you could have tossed them out but the bigger your collection the more likely they are stashed somewhere and you just cant find them right now. Are you certain you kept them in the same box or could you have transfered them to another container? KEEP HOPE ALIVE!!!

[robw1959]

Once I cut open a bubble-wrap envelope to remove a 1961 Topps Sandy Koufax card. Unfortunately, the seller failed to secure the opening at the top of the plastic toploader, and somehow this card managed slide out of the holder and lodge itself right into the crevice at the top inside of the package where it was sealed. I then, with my heavy duty scissors, cut right through part of the top of the Koufax card! Now I always double-check that sealed fold at the top of the bubble-wrap envelope to be sure nothing is lodged in there before opening it.

[brian1961]

Originally Posted by robw1959

Once I cut open a bubble-wrap envelope to remove a 1961 Topps Sandy Koufax card. Unfortunately, the seller failed to secure the opening at the top of the plastic toploader, and somehow this card managed slide out of the holder and lodge itself right into the crevice at the top inside of the package where it was sealed. I then, with my heavy duty scissors, cut right through part of the top of the Koufax card! Now I always double-check that sealed fold at the top of the bubble-wrap envelope to be sure nothing is lodged in there before opening it.

OUCH! I'm sorry for your experience. I'm still looking for the first and second year cards of Bobby Orr from my childhood I stupidly lost track of 30 years ago! Monumentally stupid!!!!!!!! ---Brian Powell

[Stampsfan]

Geez, usually we blame our mother for throwing these things out.