I'd rather buy than sell

 

 

Yes, I'd rather buy than sell. I think most collectors can relate to that. People who repeatedly rejoice in selling cards usually get the side-eye from me.

I've addressed the buying vs. selling in the past, but I have another little story to underline it. First, just three cards that I've purchased recently.

Card No. 470 in my 1975 Topps buyback quest. I'm fully at 71 percent of the set now (71.2% to be more accurate). With this card I believe I've exhausted the supply from the one ebay seller who was offering these very reasonably.

But as others have mentioned, next year should be a bonanza of '75 buybacks with the release of 2024 Heritage. I've got my hopes up for some of those elusive cards. Better not be stamping more Oscar Zamoras.

Yeah, this is what I was referring to in the Ron Cey birthday post from last week. This is the "card" that did not arrive in time.

It's one of the trimmed pictures from the page inserts in the All-Star Game programs during the 1980s, this one from 1982 when the game was in Montreal. The inserts were featured in programs from 1981-86 (figures, I bought the 1980 one back then, nothing cool like that inside).

It's super tiny and flimsy and just the thing a player completist would buy.

The interesting back. ... There aren't a lot of Ron Cey cards left for me to acquire unless I want to go the crazy parallel route or scoop up the rest of the relics I don't own. (And forget about the Cubs and A's cards). But I'll still be on the lookout just in case he pops up in sets again.

 

 

The final purchase I'll cover here. I love getting notable Hershiser cards that have somehow missed my collection.

This is the O-Pee-Chee version of Orel Hershiser's rookie card. I realized I didn't have this yet and went wandering through ebay for something cheap. As usual, when it comes to rookie cards of notables, there were a whole bunch of graded copies. Graded 1980s cards, well I can't think of a bigger hobby scam that's been accepted into the mainstream. I bought this card for $6.99 (free shipping). I saw graded versions for $25, $50 and $199. Just nuts. Sure, this card is off-center, but if you go looking for problems, you'll find them. And you'll pay.

 

This is why I'll never be much of a seller. I understand why people get cards graded and sell them, they get more dollars (theoretically). But I don't think I could do that without feeling a little queasy. That Hershiser is an $8 card, maybe $10. That's all it is. I'm not paying an extra 90 bucks for plastic and a label.

 

This brings me to my recent experience with the selling game, which I referred to briefly last week. The funds for these three cards (which barely cost 10 bucks) and for what I spent at the card show the other day, came from selling this:

 

I've shown this ticket before. My grandfather gave it to me. It's from Game 6 of the 1951 World Series, notable for being the Series-clincher and also Joe DiMaggio's final game.

 

I don't know the history behind it as far as my grandfather. Obviously the ticket was used, but I don't know if he attended the game. He died when I was 12.

 

It's a nice item, but I don't collect tickets and it sat in an envelope for decades. Once I heard that tickets were selling for weird prices, like all memorabilia the last three years, I figured now was the time. Funds just haven't been there these first couple months of 2023 (buy a box of Series 1? HAH!) and February is a short month, all you bill payers know that. 

So I put it up for sale, sold it for a decent sum and waited for the cash. And waited. And waited. Three days go by. Every other sale I've made, the buyer paid within a day. I finally sent a reminder -- hey, haven't gotten payment, you've got a day to go -- basic stuff (ebay recommends 4 days to pay).

Well the buyer got both defensive and accusatory (two signs of the guilty). Called my reminder, "ridiculous," said he's never received negative feedback (did I say I was going to give negative feedback?) and accused me of not being happy with the purchase price and eager to relist (yeah, because I'm that guy). I instantly regretted selling the ticket and may have apologized to my grandpa.

Oh, and the dude paid right away after his response.

That annoyed the hell out of me, and showed that I can't move on from stuff like that very well. I'll still sell periodically but that garbage I don't need. Ebay needs to get it straightened out or I'll sell on other sites exclusively. Buying is fun. Or almost always is. Selling is work and attracts some shitty behavior.

May I always have the funds to buy. Because I don't want to sell.