Selling Cards You Didn't Want To Or Have To?

[T206Collector]

Anyone ever get an offer on a card that was too good to refuse that you took it even if you didn't need the money or want to lose the card? I could use a few anecdotes on this topic.

[arexcrooke]

Originally Posted by T206Collector

Anyone ever get an offer on a card that was too good to refuse that you took it even if you didn't need the money or want to lose the card? I could use a few anecdotes on this topic.

Just recently I did. I had a card up on ebay for above the highest VCP sale of the card in the grade. The card was a 57 topps Aaron with no snow and great picture quality. I didnt really want to sell it but the buyer met my price and so I let it go. Even then I didnt really want to but I knew I could look and would be able to find one as nice but better centered.
So as soon as it sold I began being on the lookout for another one!

[4815162342]

I've made offers on several cards and other items I've found in old Net54 posts. Some made a deal, some didn't. Did I overpay? I probably did, though I still haven't seen any of them for sale elsewhere.

[Bicem]

Yes, irreplaceable stuff too. I regret it.

[Jacklitsch]

More regrets that I can count.

One that stands out is a 1915 Zeenut McMullin. Another is a Rose Matty.

I could go on but won't.

[T206Collector]

Ugh! I was hoping there would be less regret stories as I already regret the deal I just made. More on that after the transaction is official and complete.

[philliesfan]

Yup. Every T206 I sold on ebay over the years.

[Leon]

I haven't really sold a card I didn't want to. I always need some cash because I spend too much so I have sold some I sort of regret not having. But I never sold one when I didn't really need to just because the offer was too good to pass on. As for the collection just sold, the impetus was college funds but I also wanted to take my proverbial chips off the table and start over, this time with less bills.

[packs]

I had bought a Leifield signed T206 on the board a few years ago. Another member offered me 3 times what I paid after they saw me post it in a pick up thread. Really wasn't looking to sell, but how could I say no?

[T206Collector]

Originally Posted by Leon

. . . . I also wanted to take my proverbial chips off the table and start over, this time with less bills. . . .

I have to say that this is basically what I was doing with the pending transaction I'm involved in. Although I am surely going to miss the card, it is not part of my core focus of collecting. Having said that, I do sometimes wonder what it would be like to sell the whole collection and start over with fewer bills. Sometimes I ever translate the fantasy as -- sure I have bills, but that's an intrinsic part of having this collection; if I would only sell the collection then I wouldn't have the bills, so it cancels itself out.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by T206Collector

I have to say that this is basically what I was doing with the pending transaction I'm involved in. Although I am surely going to miss the card, it is not part of my core focus of collecting. Having said that, I do sometimes wonder what it would be like to sell the whole collection and start over with fewer bills. Sometimes I ever translate the fantasy as -- sure I have bills, but that's an intrinsic part of having this collection; if I would only sell the collection then I wouldn't have the bills, so it cancels itself out.

For me, once I plucked 200k out of what I had it would have taken some wind out of the sails. So it was a good time to do what I should have done some time ago, financially speaking. I would think no finanicial advisor would tell you to have an inordinate percentage of your net worth in baseball cards. But I guess that too is debatable.

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by T206Collector

Anyone ever get an offer on a card that was too good to refuse that you took it even if you didn't need the money or want to lose the card? I could use a few anecdotes on this topic.

Many times, especially back when I was accumulating T206 'errors'. I would actually have collectors beg me to sell them a card and I would give them a number, telling them I felt guilty about such a high number (which I did), but that I really didn't want to sell the card. I ended up selling all of them. I won't say I regretted selling any of them, but I didn't actually want to. I used the money to buy other stuff which I probably sold and repeated the process, so no concerns about prices. The lesson I learned is that if you don't want to sell something, don't ever offer it for sale.

Opposite example - I purchased a bunch of cigar boxes just to get at the small EPDG box that I don't think anyone had ever seen before. I had someone contact me telling me that they were a descendant of the man who created the company, that they really wanted the box, but they couldn't afford to pay any more than some very trivial amount. I had no real attachment to it, so I sold it to them for next to nothing, knowing it was worth a lot more but thinking they were keeping it for sentimental reasons. I saw it auctioned less than a year later, and it of course brought a heckuva lot. I'm not real great at listening to sob stories any more when it involves collectibles.

[Bicem]

If it's no longer core to your focus, I don't think you'll miss it.

[Exhibitman]

I've never sold anything at my price that I regretted. If I don't want to sell it I set a really, really high price and don't budge from it. If someone wants to meet that price, fine, I will sell the card without remorse. After all, it's just stuff. I've very much regretted what some of my things sold for at auctions. A couple of times I've gotten lucky and bought them back for less than I sold them for.

If I had to pick a card that I regret selling it would be the 1954 Aaron rookie I had in PSA 7. I sat on it for about ten years then finally sold it for a fair, negotiated price...before the run up in prices. When I look at the VCP most recent prices I throw up a little in my mouth.

[T206Collector]

Originally Posted by Leon

I would think no finanicial advisor would tell you to have an inordinate percentage of your net worth in baseball cards. But I guess that too is debatable.

I would have a hard time debating that notion!

[vintagehofrookies]

Originally Posted by T206Collector

Ugh! I was hoping there would be less regret stories as I already regret the deal I just made. More on that after the transaction is official and complete.

unfortunately I agree with what others have posted as I have been in that situation more than I'd like to remember and almost always regret it, but it was because I needed the money.

[Jobu]

I once sold an EPDG box that I got for a song, but I turned a huge profit so it didn't hurt all that much.

Seriously though, I have only been back into collecting for a bit over a year so I haven't yet sold/traded something that I regret - and I hope that I never do. I must admit that I am interested to see the details of the deal that sparked this thread.

[T206Collector]

Originally Posted by Jobu

I must admit that I am interested to see the details of the deal that sparked this thread.

I expect to share some of the details in the next couple of days.

[T206Collector]

This is the card I sold, which I am going to miss.

[glchen]

Originally Posted by T206Collector

This is the card I sold, which I am going to miss.

That's a very nice Mantle RC. I can see why you didn't want to sell it.

[atx840]

Very nice card but relatively easy to replace...happy to see its not one from your signed collection.

[T206Collector]

Originally Posted by atx840

Very nice card but relatively easy to replace...happy to see its not one from your signed collection.

Definitely replaceable, which factors into the decision; but given where the market on these has gotten to I am not realistically likely to ever approach one again. I can think of a ton of cards I'd prefer to have within and under that price range that would trump Mr. Mantle next time around. When I bought it a few years ago it was much less of a commitment.

The signed T206s happily remain untouchable.

[ValKehl]

Originally Posted by Bicem

If it's no longer core to your focus, I don't think you'll miss it.

Jeff, what you said makes much sense. This said, I still wish that I hadn't, in a moment of weakness on May 26, 2011, traded this jewel, even though I still had a card of a common player from this set to serve as my type example (hence, I rationalized that this card wasn't "core" to my type-card focus) - but, it helps a bit to know that the Net54er I traded this card to (hi Ted!) truly treasures it:

[Jobu]

That is a beautiful Mantle and I can see why you might be conflicted. I hope that you land one of your top cards with the money so you never have to think twice about this decision.

Val, I wish I had been around when you traded that Matty! That is one of my top three favorite cards, absolutely incredible. Take solace in knowing that it resides in one hell of a collection.

[Bicem]

Don't even worry about this, relatively easy to replace anytime you want. Parting with the irreplaceable stuff that still fits your collection is what pains you forever.

[T206Collector]

Originally Posted by Bicem

Don't even worry about this, relatively easy to replace anytime you want. Parting with the irreplaceable stuff that still fits your collection is what pains you forever.

Honestly, with the prices the signed T206s have been getting at auction lately, I might be jumping into the terror dome. Leon's evacuation may cause a run on my collection!