Amateur Card Dealer

Black Friday-Cyber Monday Sports Card Deals

2012-11-21T09:46:00.001-08:00

I have several sweet auctions ending from Black Friday to Cyber Monday! Some big lots and sweet singles!

http://stores.ebay.com/Amateur-Card-Dealer

All purchases during the special over $20 will receive FREE SHIPPING to the US! Many cards in my store inventory will be on sale! Make sure you check it out!

Don't like a price? Just make an offer!

Sports Card Investor: Buy Pujols

2012-08-01T10:23:00.004-07:00

I'll admit it; I buy into all the trade-deadline hoopla. I follow all the news stories I can, trying to get an insight into who goes where. I do the same thing with free agency. One of the most interesting things for me is watching not just how moves affect the team dynamic, but I like looking at how moves affect card prices. Major stars moving from small or mid-market teams to major-markets like New York or Boston always cause a spike in card prices, even if it's just for a few days.

I'm sure Nolan Ryan is happy to see Ryan Dempster arrive in Arlington, but I think Angels off-season acquisition Albert Pujols probably did a little dance when he heard the news. Here is Pujols line against Dempster: 55 AB, 18 hits, 4 doubles, 7 HRs, 14 RBIs, 11 walks, 2 strike outs, .327 AVG, .433 OBP, .782 SLG, and 1.215 OPS.

Albert signed one of the biggest deals in baseball history when he moved to LA this past off-season. For the past 10 years, Pujols cards have been very strong, and rightfully so. Pujols has had one of the most consistent, injury-free careers in recent memory, and his cards have held strong prices throughout. St. Louis is a mid-market team, steeped in history with many big-time collectors of their memorabilia. While Pujols was a Cardinal, he added to that.

After moving to the Angels, which have a huge untapped market in my opinion, his cards remained fairly steady (they did drop slightly, but that was due to the inflation they saw with the potential of him going to a major-market team). When Pujols started off the season with the worst slump of his career, his cards took the hit. No one in the new market was willing to pay major money for his cards, and many of his former collectors started dumping his cards.

For example: Pujols 2001 eTopps rookie has dropped form a high point of $75 to recent sales averaging around $45-50 (~33% drop). His 2001 Upper Deck PSA 10 rookie fetched a premium of $220 during his free agency, with recent sales in the past two weeks ranging from $130-$150 (~37% drop).

I'm not saying Ryan Dempster is answer to Albert Pujols's problems, but I am saying it is one many signs that things are looking up for Pujols and his cards.

At this point, Albert seems to have broken out of his slump (he belted his 19th and 20th HR last night). He's batting .284 right now with 20 HR, 60+ RBI, and a .350 OBP. Sure, it's lower than his norm, but it is significantly more than the Angels would have hoped for six weeks ago while he was still slumping. By seasons end, Pujols will have a solid ~.295+ average, with 30+ HR, and ~.380 OBP. Its scary that that is a bad season for Pujols.

Not only are his numbers going to be fine by seasons end, but the Angels are winning. And with flair. They are getting tons of media attention with the popularity of young stars Mike Trout and Mark Trumbo, they are winning games, and they positioned nicely to overtake the division from Texas. The Angels rotation is one of the strongest in baseball. If they go deep into the post-season with Pujols putting up solid numbers again, his cards are going to regain every penny they have lost.

If the Angels market keeps building, Pujols cards could see an even bigger increase.

Pujols Summary:       Recent Sale Range     Realistic Upside (6-12 Months)
2001 UD PSA 10   = $130-150            $200-210
2001 UD PSA 9         = $55-65                      $85-100
2001 eTopps         = $45-50                   $70-75
2001 Topps Chrome Traded = $55-70              $90-100

p.s. Pujols faces Dempster tomorrow, so you might want to buy now!

*All advice is based on my opinion. I am in no way responsible for any money gained or lost based on advice given on this blog. Additionally, I typically follow my own advice, so I might profit off of it, too.

New Baseball Cards for Sale: Sneak peak and cheaper prices!

2012-07-30T13:32:00.000-07:00

I am about to list a bunch of baseball cards for sale on Sportlots/eBay, and I wanted to give you guys first shot at it. Some of it is new stuff that I am listing as BIN or best offer, and some of it I'm going to put up as a no reserve auction. This is just the beginning, as I am about to start up my eBay store

I'll just attach the link to photobucket albums and type out what I'm asking and what I'd take from you guys before listing (two Mark Trumbos and Hank Aaron are pictured above as well):
New Stuff: http://s796.photobucket.com/albums/yy241/jburl2004/7-30-2012/
2012 Museum Collection Mark Trumbo Logo Patch Auto 6/10 eBay: $300     Your Price: $270
2012 Museum Collection Mark Trumbo Autographs /399: eBay: $50/each       Your Price: $30 Each
2012 Topps Tribute Mark Trumbo Orange Inkable Accolades /25: eBay: $125 Your Price: $95
Lebron James Michael Jordan Dual Jersey R-tifacts (dinged edges): eBay: $60 Your Price: $45
2008 Prime Cuts Hank Aaron Triple Bat Autograph 03/10: eBay: $300             $Your Price: $230

Atlanta Braves Lot (I'm going to list all these together, but if you want to make an offer on a single or all, let me know)
http://s796.photobucket.com/albums/yy241/jburl2004/Yankees%20Lot--July%202012/Braves%20Lot--July2012/

80's Baseball Sets     http://s796.photobucket.com/albums/yy241/jburl2004/1980s%20sets/
1981 Topps Baseball (2 sets)   eBay:   40/each     Your Price: 30/each
1982 Topps Baseball (2 Sets)   eBay:   50/Each       Your Price: 35/each
1983 Topps Baseball (2 sets--one missing Puckett RC)   eBay: 40 (complete) 35 (w/o Puckett)        Your Price: 35 (complete (30 w/o Puckett)
1984 Topps Baseball (1 set)   eBay:    35      Your Price: 30
1985 Topps Baseball (2 Sets)   eBay:   40 each       Your Price: 35 each

Lighthouse Christian Card Show (7/28) in review...

2012-07-29T13:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's show was decent. From my understanding, it isn't really uncommon for a Saturday show in the summer to be poorly attended, especially when it is this hot and it is the week before the National. There were quite a few sellers(41 tables total), so there were some deals to be made by the 60-some-odd folks who did attend.

Although I only sold about $80 in cards, I did pick up several good deals and made some trades. I acquired a 2008 Topps Letterman Adrian Peterson autograph 4/4 through a trade. I also acquired some smaller things that I will be posting either tonight or tomorrow night before I put a bunch of listings up on eBay. I want people who read my blog and follow me on Twitter/Facebook to get first crack at my new stuff. I also acquired 9 Sets from the early/mid-80s that I am willing to part with. It breaks down like this: 1981 Topps (2 sets), 1982 Topps (2 sets), 1983 Topps (1 set), 1984 Topps (2 sets), 1985 Topps (2 sets). If you're interested in any of these, let me know (I will post some pictures probably tonight).

All-in-all, I felt like the day was a success thanks to some good buyers of low-end cards, a few good trades (two cards closer to my 1986 Fleer set), and some good deals I found. The only thing missing were some more buyers with money in their pockets.

Cards for Saturday Show

2012-07-27T12:16:00.000-07:00

Here is a preview of some of the cards I'll be taking to the show Saturday. Enjoy!

1986 Fleer Premier Set Building

2012-07-26T06:25:00.000-07:00

If you were a basketball fan in the 80s and 90s, you either loved Michael Jordan or you hated him. Either way, the 1986 Fleer set contains some iconic cards for you either way. Of course, there is Jordan's holy grail rookie card #57, and the highly underrated sticker from the same year. The set has some nice cards out there for you Jordan haters as well: Isaiah Thomas, Chris Mullen, Karl Malone, Charles Barkely, Clyde Drexler, Hakeem (Akeem) Olajuwon, and Patrick Ewing all have their rookie cards in this set, while stars like Dr. J, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson all have nice cards.

I've never been much of a set builder, but I thought I would try to put this one together over time. I got a pretty good deal on about 70% of the set, mostly commons, and I have traded and put cards back from collections I have bought over the past few months. For some reason, I don't like just buying each individual card online--it kind of feels like cheating to me.

Right now, I have completed the 11 card sticker set (although the Jordan has some surface scratches), and I have 122 out of the 132 regular issue set. So total, I have 133 out of 143 cards. Of course, I am missing the Jordan; I am saving him for last (especially since I am unemployed right now). I am also missing the Thomas RC, Ainge RC, Mullen RC, Jabbar #1, Oakley RC, and a few commons. I have customer who is going to bring most of the commons, the Mullen, Oakley, and Thomas to the show on Saturday at Lighthouse Christian and work a trade.

Overall, I have enjoyed building of this set. Ideally, I would like to hold on to this set, but I just don't think I'm in that place right now. I might be leaning on my card hobby to supplement my income while I look for another job. I do have a great set starter lot up for auction right now if you are interested in starting an 1986 Fleer set yourself; it even has a couple of the big rookies in it. Check it out by clicking on the link in the picture below:

My Recent Adventures at Sports Card Shows

2012-07-24T22:08:00.001-07:00

My sports card hobby has picked up quite a bit in the last two months. As a teacher, I am used to being unemployed over the summer. This is the first time that I don't have a certain job to look forward to (I'm looking if you know of any in the Nashville area) so I have had some extra time on my hands. Thankfully, I somehow make a modest profit doing something I like: buying and selling sports cards.

Of course, I sell on eBay. Who doesn't? I have tried selling on SportsBuy, but I just can't seem to get the traffic I want. Occasionally, I sell on sportlots.com, but that is when I have something I feel like will sell better there (no final value fees!). Over the past month, however, I have ventured into the realm of sports card shows. Within a 30-minute drive of my house, there is a show four Saturdays a month. Not to bad, eh? I have sold at a show three of the last four Saturdays, and had mixed results.

The first show I set up at was in the gym of Lighthouse Christian School in Antioch, Tenn. There were about 41 tables set up, and I set up with about 50 cards I was looking to sell. The bad news is that I sold only four cards. The good news is they were some higher end cards, averaging about $75 a piece. So all in all, I considered it a successful day.

Two weeks later, I set up at the show in Goodlettsville at the Courtyard by Marriott. This time I was more prepared with a similar stack of mid- to high-end cards, but I also brought some boxes of random cards of commons, stars, and semi-stars I have accumulated over the years. By the end of the day, I had sold probably 150 cards with an average selling point of $1. So a completely different experience. There was solid traffic at the show; a lot of traveling baseball teams were staying at the hotel, and their games were all rained out, so we got plenty of traffic from them, but they weren't looking for anything high-end.

This past Saturday, I set up at the show in Murfreesboro at the Ramada Inn. This time I sold about $500 in cards to a couple of dealers before the show even got started. The rest of the day I probably cleared $50 in low-end cards, and spent $150 on some cards for my collection and some for resale. All-in-all the show was super slow. There was hardly and traffic, and if it weren't for the conversation between dealers, I don't think I would have stuck around till lunch. (This was also my longest drive--35 min). I'm not confident that I will set up at this show again since most of my action was from other dealers, but only time will tell.

I am going to set up this Saturday (Jul. 28) at the Lighthouse Christian show again. If you are interested, the show's official run time is from 8-3, but the action always starts before then! (5100 Blue Hole Road, Nashville, TN)

Here are some highlights from my eBay listings (each one is hyperlinked):

Basic Sports Card Collecting: An Overview of the Hobby

2009-01-14T07:45:00.000-08:00

Interested in collecting sports cards? Interested in someone who likes to collect sports cards? Either way, this sports card blog is for you. Whether you're just getting into the hobby or you love someone who is in the hobby and want to know a little more about it, you've come to the right place. I collect baseball, basketball, and football cards, but if you're interested in other sports, the same basic information will apply.

I've been collecting sports cards for about 15 years--probably a little longer, but that's about as far back as I can remember. My wife doesn't know anything about sports cards, so this blog is an effort to help her understand the hobby as well as anyone else who might be interested.

The sports card hobby has a very long history. The cards began in the mid-1800s as simple pictures pasted onto a piece of cardboard for keepsakes. In the late 1860s, a company called Peck and Snyder printed the first baseball cards for the purpose of advertising (known as "trade" cards). Trade cards were printed of a variety of different political and social figures, not just athletes. The 1880s saw the first mass production and distribution of baseball cards. These cards were inserted into a variety of different brands of tobacco to promote their particular brand. Because the American Tobacco Company began to monopolize the market and lost the need to advertise, there was a lull in the production of baseball cards.

Then in the 20th century, after the breakup of the monopoly, they resumed production of cards. Candy companies also got into the mix at this point. This era produced some of the most popular runs of baseball cards ever. Many collectors still seek avidly after cards from this era and will pay handsomely for cards in good condition.

In the 1930s, another popular era of cards began. The Goudey Gum company began producing cards to sell in their gum. Also Gum, Inc. produced the famous Play Ball cards in the late 1930s and early 1940s. However, this era ended as paper became scarce because of the American involvement in World War II.

Today, sports cards are made by three main companies Upper Deck, Topps, and Donruss/Leaf (Playoff). There have been several other companies over the years that have come and gone, but Topps is by far the oldest. Topps began in 1938 as a bubble-gum company. In 1950, Topps introduced trading cards into its product line, and it began making baseball cards the following year. Immediately, the cards became part of pop culture, and the modern sports card was born. Cards from this era, if in good condition, can be very valuable. Not only were there a very limited number of cards produced, but they also were used for a variety of other purposes that severely damaged the cards (i.e. making your bicycle spokes click as you rode down the street). Those facts combined with the hundreds of mothers who threw out their sons' "useless" collections have made these cards a rarity.

As time wore on, the sports card industry began to boom, therefore more and more cards were made. Companies began to produce larger and larger sets of cards. (A post with basic definitions of hobby jargon will be coming soon.) As production increased to meet the rising demand, an unforeseen thing happened that devastated the hobby. Interest in the card market dropped off, and the value of the overproduced cards plummeted. Card produced in the '80s to the mid-'90s are, by in large, worthless. Sure, there are a few cards that retained value for a number of different reasons, but the overall state of the hobby was in the toilet.

By the time the card manufacturers realized their blunder, it was almost too late to save the hobby of collecting sports cards. The manufacturers began to produce more product lines with lower card runs to decrease the supply of cards, therefore raising their market value. This cut in production was a step in the right direction, but, with the growing market of the Internet where anyone could buy cards for a fraction of what they would pay at a dealer shop, the hobby has struggled to stay on its feet.

The sports cards hobby is stabilizing again, despite the tough economic times. The customer base for all genres of sports cards and memorabilia seems to be growing, despite a downfall in dealers. That does mean, however, that those sports card dealers at least will be able to support themselves through additional online revenue.

Personally, I try to support my hobby by selling off parts of my collection that I no longer want through various websites online. I still collect Michael Jordan (playing years only) and former Auburn football players.

Sources:
http://www.topps.com
http://www.cycleback.com/1800s/briefhistory.htm