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About our retail price guides: We are still adding to the list of sets you will see in the sidebar at right. Within the next few weeks, we will have all major sets and important minor sets from 1949-1989 added.
The prices found in our guides are “cash money” prices based on what dealers are actually selling the cards for, not pie-in-the-sky prognostications or mathematical formulas. These are the prices you can reasonably expect to get when selling cards in a retail store or online shop.
If you are evaluating cards, be sure to read our guides on grading and pricing.
>>>>>>——– Get book values using links at right———->>>>>>
BUILDING A VALUABLE COLLECTION
by Card Gator
“In 1949, I was shot by a deranged girl.”
So begins the back of this Bowman Color TV card, circa 1955.
The Robert Redford baseball movie “The Natural” was based on shortstop Eddie Waitkus.
Although this card is retail-priced somewhere in the $15 range, it is undervalued – because there is a story behind the card. Cards with a story behind them (or ahead of them) have more intrinsic value, and should never be considered “commons”. The mere fact that there is some fifteen minutes of fame associated with them is how they become “uncommon” cards. Tony Kubek, Joe Garagiola, Chuck Connors, Jim Bouton (and Dooley Womack for that matter), and quite a few other players who are often priced and construed as common cards are all absolute bargains at full book price.
Put another way, nobody knows who Tom Waitkus is. But everybody knows who Robert Redford is. To most people, mention Joe DiMaggio, and they immediately think “Oh yeah, Marilyn’s husband!”
Look for cards that have a story to them. The more interesting the story, the more value it reflects on the card.
Here are five cards from Topps, the very season Jim Bouton began writing his book “Ball Four” – prices are BBV:
1968 #458 Lew Krausse $6.00
1968 #479 Phil Gagliano $6.00
1968 #498 Bill Brien $6.00
1968 #562 Jim Bouton $6.00
1968 #586 Jim Pagliaroni $6.00
The book says they are worth the same amount to a collector. We all know that’s nonsense.
There is also reflected glory in family members – for example Aarons, DiMaggios, Perrys, Bretts, Alomars, Alous, Niekros, etc. They are consistently sold for less than they are worth, and they move along pretty fast. Ken Griffey Sr. cards are a steal at book price – that’s Ken Griffeys dad, and he was an all-star outfielder on the Big Red Machine!
Bet on winning teams: There is little to no difference in book values between players who were on a last place team and those who were on a World Series team. I cannot explain why, but 1957 Milwaukee Braves are allegedly worth no more than Chisox cards from the same set. The fact is, there are a lot more collectors out there who want the 57 Braves, and the cards have a higher resale value. Cards from great teams (69 Mets, 61 Yankees, Big Red Machine, etc) are always a bargain.
Pick the good sets. The more attractive cards are worth more. Sometimes the design chosen for that year has problems. In Topps 1971 it was the black borders, which cracked and flaked. In Topps 1964 it was the orange backs, which were often impossible to read right out of the package. The Topps 1973 set had a lot of problems with centering and bad cuts at the factory. The Topps 1961 sets had a boring design and were too dark to be easily read on the back. The Topps 1972 cards looked garish with hippie-style graphics. Great sets from Topps include 75, 71, 63, 62, 60, 59, and all sets 1952-1956. All of those sets featured well-designed, legible, attractive cards.
Happy hunting my friends…. CARD GATOR
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