[BombersBest]

Ok so I just turned 60 and retired from the business I owned for the past 30+ years. Actually I sold the business. My hobby going back to the late 60's has always been baseball, playing and collecting cards. In the mid to late 70's just about the time when sporting news began the card shows, i was also fortunate enough to hook up with an attorney friend and become a dealer at the shows continuing through the 80's and not just sporting news, all the shows in and around the New York Tri State area. Hey, remember the shows at Hofstra? How about the shows at the Veterans halls? Or Albany? Yes, I was there. Best memories was actually meeting the mick A the NYC show. Does anyone remember up at the Albany Show even when he left early, wasn't feeling good sadly. We had heard later on he flew home to Texas that's how sick he was. Besides all that, I'll never forget the first time I saw mickey at the stadium in 1962, again many times up until his retirement and at a few old timer's games. I'll tell you more later!

To make a long story short.. and as a dealer..and huge fan of the mick, what did I do as a collector of the mick? I have every card every year, including his sub set cards. I did it because of who he was to me not for anything else. Now I see the values of all his cards I have and well, time to get them all graded. You must also know that all my mickey cards are pristine! Nine's and tens....mostly tens in my expert opinion. If I had a mickey card and found one better, I bought and sold them back then. As a dealer, a lot of the other dealers got to know me and would lend a hand finding or helping me to find the best of the best, they did! A few anyway and I thank them for it. I told Mickey at the PG Hotel show in NYC I was collecting his cards, most graciously he chuckled, shook my hand, thanked me for being a fan.

So with all that said, what do I do when the time comes to sell his cards?
Break them up and sell them individually at the auctions? Or try to sell them all as a complete set? Oh and another thing, his cards are kept safely in a bank vault and hardly anyone knows what I have as not to have my home invaded by some a holes thinking I keep them in my home. To further some of the other cards in my collection, you name the top players of the 50's & 60's I have their rookie card as well..9 & 10's.

[pawpawdiv9]

Sounds like a really cool thing you had. I am a Mantle collector too. I have about 40-50 cards of his. Recently picked up some odd-ball stuff cards. Mine is nota 9 or 10's, tho i got some, my average is in the 3-6 ranges.
I like mine in SGC slabs, they bring the colors out on some.
This is what i would do...Sell them at auction, if you ever did. Tho you lose 25% or more to them in fees.

[BombersBest]

Sounds like a really cool thing you had. I am a Mantle collector too. I have about 40-50 cards of his. Recently picked up some odd-ball stuff cards. Mine is nota 9 or 10's, tho i got some, my average is in the 3-6 ranges.
I like mine in SGC slabs, they bring the colors out on some.
This is what i would do...Sell them at auction, if you ever did. Tho you lose 25% or more to them in fees.

The blogs I've read say that all the one time better vintage sports card graders and vintage autograph graders at PSA all left them. Maybe because the vintage sports card & autographs have become a rare commodity for PSA. Perhaps for all grading service companies today. That was enough to scare me away from PSA grading my mantle cards and all other post 50's & 60's cards I have.

I have noticed vintage cards especially Mickeys cards are selling at auctions more than triple plus PSA's posted values for NM-8, 9's and Gem mint 10's. Whats up with that? I really didn't get into the fee schedule at the auction houses.... yet. And I'm guessing buyers at the auctions are the elite big money players from the numbers I'm seeing there.

[pawpawdiv9]

The blogs I've read say that all the one time better vintage sports card graders and vintage autograph graders at PSA all left them. Maybe because the vintage sports card & autographs have become a rare commodity for PSA. Perhaps for all grading service companies today. That was enough to scare me away from PSA grading my mantle cards and all other post 50's & 60's cards I have.

I have noticed vintage cards especially Mickeys cards are selling at auctions more than triple plus PSA's posted values for NM-8, 9's and Gem mint 10's. Whats up with that? I really didn't get into the fee schedule at the auction houses.... yet. And I'm guessing buyers at the auctions are the elite big money players from the numbers I'm seeing there.

There is big hype over PSA & Mastro due to the altering of the Honus Wagner card. There are many collectors that prefer PSA, some think they draw more premium prices.
Stick with the big 3 grading companies: Beckett, PSA, SGC
Others are considered 'overgraded" and just hand out 10's for anything.
I, myself have all 3 and other companies. You could do your own set registry too.
There are several good auction houses. To name a few; Heritage, Goodwin, Mastro, Mile High, Memory Lane, REA, Sotheby, Legendary, Clean Sweep, Sterling, Old Judge, and many others.


Off topic, do you have any of them, not considering grading, that are raw, really low condition that are for sale....I had to ask?

Please post scans of your collection..So we can see it. You can use Photobucket, just copy/paste the image link here. Most people use scanners for better pics too.

[BombersBest]

There is big hype over PSA & Mastro due to the altering of the Honus Wagner card. There are many collectors that prefer PSA, some think they draw more premium prices.
Stick with the big 3 grading companies: Beckett, PSA, SGC
Others are considered 'overgraded" and just hand out 10's for anything.
I, myself have all 3 and other companies. You could do your own set registry too.
There are several good auction houses. To name a few; Heritage, Goodwin, Mastro, Mile High, Memory Lane, REA, Sotheby, Legendary, Clean Sweep, Sterling, Old Judge, and many others.


Off topic, do you have any of them, not considering grading, that are raw, really low condition that are for sale....I had to ask?

Please post scans of your collection..So we can see it. You can use Photobucket, just copy/paste the image link here. Most people use scanners for better pics too.

It's funny you mentioned the Honus Wagner card. In 1985 I was given the opportunity to purchase his card for $15K, Instead I purchased the complete 1952 topps set for the $15K. Some years later Gretsky & Kings owner purchased that very same card and you know the rest of the history on that wagner card.

I had bookmarked most of the auction houses a while ago, never got to doing anything about grading my cards. Like John Lennon said "Life happens when your busy making other plans" Sorry I do not have low type condition Mantle cards, nor anyone else for that matter. Everything either perfect or close to it. I can scan and will as I pick up each card or group of cards for grading from my deposit box at the local bank. Last thing I want to have happen is go around bragging or telling people what I have for fear of a home invasion of which happened to a guy not to far from where I live. They came into his house, pointed a gun to his head and forced him to open his safe. Ain't happening to me! Besides some 20 years have past quietly from the days I collected all these cards/sets etc. Best said was nothing said! I just hope this site's privacy keeps it that way. You never know!
What's also odd even for me is all my Mantle cards were hand picked at a time when it was possible to do that, best of the best! To surface now no doubt will rattle the entire sports collecting industry as each card gets graded and I decide what to do with them. I heard some years ago Barry Halpern heard about me, or knows of me. Whoopie do!

[BombersBest]

I read on so many forums PSA is ideal for post 90's sports cards not so much vintage cards anymore. Makes sense since I'm just about the last holdout to actually have ungraded vintage MLB cards. Before I begin selling Mantle's cards after their graded, I will be offering rookie card such as Tom Seaver 1 card, Nolan Ryan 4 cards and an assortment of other popular players rookie cards from the 1960's. Nothing but rookie cards.