Originally Posted by Will Waters Feb. 8, 2009 @ lifeinatown.wordpress.comI grew up collecting boxes and boxes of baseball, football and basketball cards. Initially it was for fun, but later in my teen years I started to view them as “investments.” That’s about the time, in the early 1990s, when the card companies flooded the market and the card industry hit the crapper.
Many of the stars of that era—Dwight Gooden, Don Mattingly, Jose Canseco, Darryl Strawberry and Mark McGwire—also fizzled with injuries, drug problems and off-field troubles. Their card values plummeted like Kodak stock.
But it was a good era for football with guys like Dan Marino and John Elway. Basketball also was golden with Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.
As I moved around, venturing off to college and changing addresses several times with my mother, I kept the really good cards close by. I even sold a few in a pinch at college. When it was time for the winter formal dance my freshman year, and I was short on cash, I sold a couple Barry Sanders and Troy Aikman rookie cards. I think I got $100 for the lot. That paid for my tickets, a new tie and flowers for my date.
I was content to leave most of the cards in my old bedroom at my father’s house. Last year he began cleaning out the house preparing to move into a smaller one. Each trip home I returned with three or four boxes of cards. After a year, the cards started piling up and they’ve overtaken an entire bedroom in our house.
I’d sell some of these, but they’re not worth that much. They’re not worthless either, so I don’t want to give them away. I also don’t want to take the time to hunt down buyers. With online auctions, you should have these things professionally graded because the difference in value between “good” condition and “very good” is about double the price of the card. I don’t want to shell out money getting a card appraised and its condition graded when the sale price may not cover those costs.
So I’ve just let the cards sit on shelves, in the corner on the floor, on top of desks and tables. My wife says they should go. I agree. I don’t feel much emotional attachment to them. I keep hoping someone will show up, hand me two grand, and take the lot.
Anyone interested? lifeinatown@gmail.com
Many of the stars of that era—Dwight Gooden, Don Mattingly, Jose Canseco, Darryl Strawberry and Mark McGwire—also fizzled with injuries, drug problems and off-field troubles. Their card values plummeted like Kodak stock.
But it was a good era for football with guys like Dan Marino and John Elway. Basketball also was golden with Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.
As I moved around, venturing off to college and changing addresses several times with my mother, I kept the really good cards close by. I even sold a few in a pinch at college. When it was time for the winter formal dance my freshman year, and I was short on cash, I sold a couple Barry Sanders and Troy Aikman rookie cards. I think I got $100 for the lot. That paid for my tickets, a new tie and flowers for my date.
I was content to leave most of the cards in my old bedroom at my father’s house. Last year he began cleaning out the house preparing to move into a smaller one. Each trip home I returned with three or four boxes of cards. After a year, the cards started piling up and they’ve overtaken an entire bedroom in our house.
I’d sell some of these, but they’re not worth that much. They’re not worthless either, so I don’t want to give them away. I also don’t want to take the time to hunt down buyers. With online auctions, you should have these things professionally graded because the difference in value between “good” condition and “very good” is about double the price of the card. I don’t want to shell out money getting a card appraised and its condition graded when the sale price may not cover those costs.
So I’ve just let the cards sit on shelves, in the corner on the floor, on top of desks and tables. My wife says they should go. I agree. I don’t feel much emotional attachment to them. I keep hoping someone will show up, hand me two grand, and take the lot.
Anyone interested? lifeinatown@gmail.com
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