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View Full Version : What Deal Makes You Feel Sick?



Yankwood
01-27-2006, 11:43 AM
If you've been around this hobby long enough and have seen the prices of game used equipment fluctuate like it has, there must be at least one deal, one trade, one sale, one purchase that makes you wish you could do it all over again. I have several actually, but wondered if anyone out there has a nauseating tale to tell. C'mon, it's good therapy to get it off your chest. :eek:

hblakewolf
01-27-2006, 12:23 PM
Back in 1987, I developed an amazing connection for Chicago Bulls equipment. I obtained at least 6 Jordan game used jerseys, and sold all of them except one. I held onto his 1988 road jersey and trunks, however, had an offer in 1990 that I could not refuse. Considering I had a great source, I knew I would have additional Jordan game jerseys and shorts in the near future. After taking $2,500 for the set, my connection never obtained another Jordan jersey, only a few Pippens, Paxsons and commons. I only have a Jordan road shooting shirt from 1988 in my collection, and every time I look at it, I want to throw up! It's not the fact that I could sell the same jersey and trunks for 10 times the price I got. If I would have known that the 1988 Jordan jersey and matching shorts would have been my last from a direct team source, I would never have sold it-PERIOD.

Then again, I sold Bruce Ruffins rookie 1986 Phillies jersey in 1987 for $700. Today, I would be lucky to get $70.00 for it!

In the end, it all equals out (...and if I say this another 100 times, I may actually not miss the Jordan jersey!)

Howard Wolf
hblakewolf@patmedia.net

sammy
01-27-2006, 12:53 PM
Hi Howard,

This Jordan jersey was discussed in a previous post on the old forum and supposedly sold for 45k on eBay.

I know you really liked it then. ;)

It has turned up again for your perusal.

The key quote from the auction is: "The Champion 46 label has been resewn."

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8756512810&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1

both-teams-played-hard
01-27-2006, 01:15 PM
I'm sure Howard's were SandKnits and didn't have an upside down "N" in JORDAN. Real nice the way you can hardly see the photo of the name on back. Is the "N" still wrong side up? Its hard to tell if this jersey has been "edited " since it was last listed. From those recent ESPN.com articles, we know that equipment managers make mistakes with lettering, etc...but MJ? seems like a stretch. There are TONS of "45' pro-cuts and so-called "team issues" that have the "N" correct. Who made this mistake? A forger or Champion?

Yankwood
01-27-2006, 01:35 PM
In 1987 I received a call from a man who must have been in his eighties. He said he heard I bought, sold and collected bats. He told me he had a Duke Snider H & B and 2 Stan Musial Adirondacks that he got in 1963 in Tampa-St. Pete where both the Mets (whom Snider was with that year) and the Cardinals had their spring training sites. He said he wanted $850 for the 3 bats and I remember my heart racing as I drove to his house. Sure enough, they were the real deal and I thought I was a real wheeler-dealer when I sold all 3 by the end of the day for $2000. It seemed like a hell of a profit at the time. Also, being from Rochester, I had accumulated at least 8 or 9 Ripken bats that Cal had used here in 1981. Cracked, uncracked, used, unused, whatever. I was lucky if I could get 50 or 60 bucks for them 6 or 7 years later. Oh well, they're all gone now. The bad part is 2 of them are in the hands of friends of mine who never let me forget it.

mchmaj
01-27-2006, 03:14 PM
what make me so sick with the deal i made couple of years ago, new york yankees david cone 1998 game used jersey, i almost kept it in my personal collection but hell, why not i sell it and use $$ for xmas, by the way it was during xmas season. I sold it for $675 and then i mailed it to a guy in syossett, NY and IT NEVER ARRIVES, and it was LOST in mail. But i wrote SOYSSETT, NY but i wrote correct zip code. That was MOST SICK PART because i lost $675 and DAVID CONE 1998 JERSEY !!!!!!!!!!

reason i mention this, i wuld like ur help if u know anyone who have 1998 grey new york david cone game jersey , and I HOPE somday i get it back :)

cheers
marcus

apujols04
01-27-2006, 05:52 PM
I just passed yesterday on a 1947 St. Louis Browns game used jersey with original numbers. The player was John Berardino. He later changed his name to John Beradino and starred with General Hospital for 33 years as Chief of Staff Dr. Steve Hardy on the daytime soap. The price was $4500 and it was purchased by a big time user and seller on this g.u.u. site. also a 1957 cardinals gamer of a non-hof'er for $1500. I feel sick about not buying the john berardino jersey. I hear commons are worth $4000+.

I am also sick about selling the first 2 checks ever written to Albert Pujols to appear on a fleer baseball card. i bought them both of of ebay, sold them for 400% of what I paid for them and I was still mad.

They were both signed on the back when cashed "jose A Pujols" and the second check his wife had signed as well. What a shame I didn't keep the first one from 2001. UD and topps will never go out of business so the checks are kind of like having pujols first and second year player contracts.

apujols04
01-27-2006, 05:55 PM
In 1987 I received a call from a man who must have been in his eighties. He said he heard I bought, sold and collected bats. He told me he had a Duke Snider H & B and 2 Stan Musial Adirondacks that he got in 1963 in Tampa-St. Pete where both the Mets (whom Snider was with that year) and the Cardinals had their spring training sites. He said he wanted $850 for the 3 bats and I remember my heart racing as I drove to his house. Sure enough, they were the real deal and I thought I was a real wheeler-dealer when I sold all 3 by the end of the day for $2000. It seemed like a hell of a profit at the time. Also, being from Rochester, I had accumulated at least 8 or 9 Ripken bats that Cal had used here in 1981. Cracked, uncracked, used, unused, whatever. I was lucky if I could get 50 or 60 bucks for them 6 or 7 years later. Oh well, they're all gone now. The bad part is 2 of them are in the hands of friends of mine who never let me forget it.

I feel your pain in regards to the musial bats. You sold the ripken bats to your buddies or the musial bats?

Yankwood
01-27-2006, 06:02 PM
I sold 2 of the Ripken bats to friends of mine. The Snider I sold to the man who got me started in bats who lived in Pittsburgh at the time. One Musial went to a guy named Montbriand in California and the other Musial is still here in Rochester.

RobSteinmetz
01-27-2006, 06:05 PM
Here's one that will turn all of your stomachs, especially you football collectors. Many years ago, I picked up an incredible jersey worn by Walter Payton during his final Pro Bowl. I sold it for what I thought was a ton of money at the time....

...$850.

:mad:

Makes me want to hurl.

apujols04
01-27-2006, 06:10 PM
Here's one that will turn all of your stomachs, especially you football collectors. Many years ago, I picked up an incredible jersey worn by Walter Payton during his final Pro Bowl. I sold it for what I thought was a ton of money at the time....

...$850.

:mad:

Makes me want to hurl.

DANG! I would love to have seen that jersey. My biggest mistakes have been passing on items. It is still pretty neat that you owned that jersey though. Thats even better than your Pujols gloves.

Kid4hof03
01-27-2006, 06:29 PM
I've got a few, I guess we all do. One that stands out is a Bernie Williams jersey. About 10 years ago I found a Bernabe Williams #63 Yankees road jersey in Murf Denny's catalog. If you check out Bernie's 1990 Donruss card you'll see him wearing #63. After getting a 1994 Bernie Pinstripe I decided that I didn't need the #63 any longer, put it in a Coach's Corner auction and got about $350 for it, I was happy at the time but really miss that jersey. Also, in 1994-95 I was buying Bernie game used bats from every Centerfield monthly auction in the $60 range, I flipped most of them in 1996 for about $150-$200 each, made good money but again, I miss them.

Abe

Kid4hof03
01-27-2006, 06:33 PM
Sorry, just checked because it's been awhile, not 1990 donruss but rather 1990 Score, 91 UD and 91 OPC Premier that show Bernie with 63 on his helmet. Should have checked again before typing.

Abe

Calrima
01-28-2006, 12:55 AM
I was offered a Reggie Jackson Adirondack for $62 shipped, years ago.


Den

bigtime59
01-28-2006, 09:49 AM
Here's one I bought, a good lesson in doing your homework before you buy: 1999 Jerry Hairston team issued #13 Orioles road jersey w/ Ripken Sr. 7 patch that I paid $415.00 for! It was represented to me as a Cuba game jersey, and of course, as I would have known had I done my homework, Jerry didn't play in the Cuba game!
I take some solace, however, in my Willis Otanez #1 Orioles road jersey, which I paid substantially less than $415.00 for, which I believe, with some certainty, was worn in the Cuba game. Still looking for a photo match on that one, but he is on the box scores for that game, and did not wear #1 during the regular year.

weimerskirch
01-28-2006, 11:32 AM
In 1998 I saw an ad in the back of SCD listing a 1980 green game used Oakland A's rookie Henderson for 300.00. I had the seller send me photos and I passed on it bucause I had just picked up a McGwire and rookie Giambi. In 2004, I saw the same jersey at the "National" and it was being offered up by a major seller for $5,500.00!!!

You just can win them all!!!

G1X
01-29-2006, 12:52 PM
I was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. The city is and always will be a football town, but still there was a lot of excitement when John Bassett decided to move his WHA franchise from Toronto to Birmingham in 1976. The team kept the same colors and uniform style, but changed the nickname from Toros to Bulls. Initially, the team used the durene sweaters from the previous year and simply covered the Toros wording on the sleeve.

Early in the season, the team got new uniforms which were basically the same design except that the material was mesh with screened-on numbers and chest logo. A real disappointment in comparison to the durene style they had been wearing. The team took the old uniforms and sold them at the concession stands during games for $25 each. I had just graduated from UAB and started a new job only a few months before, so I did not have a lot of extra cash in my pocket at the time.

I decided that I was going to buy one home and one road jersey, and I would be patient until my favorite player, Mark Napier, became available. One Friday evening after I had cashed my pay check, I was attending a game and couldn't believe what I was seeing. It wasn't a Napier, but rather a beautiful blue #27 Frank Mahovlich!

Us Southern boys may not have known much about hockey, but we all knew who Frank Mahovlich was. I stammered as I asked if the Mahovlich was for sale. The vendor said yes, but that this one would cost a little more than the others. I asked how much, and he said $35. I couldn't get the bills out of my pocket fast enough!

Now, for the sad part of this story. I was and still am a huge fan and uniform collector of the defunct World Football League that existed for two seasons in 1974 and 1975. By the late 1970s, I had put together a large collection of WFL jerseys and was attempting to complete a set of home and road jerseys from every team from the league's two-year existence. I eventually ran into another collector who had a number of WFL jerseys that I needed for my collection. He was more into hockey than football, so we worked out a complicated trade where I ended up trading the Mahovlich and my white Bulls sweater for 8 WFL jerseys and cash.

Now don't get me wrong, I ended up with some nice WFL jerseys that I wanted, but I almost want to cry every time I think about that $35 Mahovlich. I wish that I still had it for no other reason than it was just a very sharp looking item.

Mark Hayne

toddhead
09-21-2007, 08:45 AM
Here's one that will turn all of your stomachs, especially you football collectors. Many years ago, I picked up an incredible jersey worn by Walter Payton during his final Pro Bowl. I sold it for what I thought was a ton of money at the time....

...$850.

:mad:

Makes me want to hurl.

That makes me want to hurl!:eek:

worldchamps
09-21-2007, 10:23 AM
Wow..these are very insightful posts. No matter how bad you feel about owning all the Jordans and Walter Payton...you can at least say you had them for a day. I couldn't imagine having either of them. If i had a real Jordan I would be done, I would quit collecting...how can you top that!

My biggest regret is going to the Dallas Mavericks equipment sale about 4 years ago and not buying every single jersey they had...they were dirt cheap!!! I bought a whole lot, but should have been greedy and got them all.

I have had 2 major purchases in the last year that I got where the items were not legit. Luckily in both cases I was able to return and get all my money back. But those both left for a couple sleepless nights.

I guess I regret a year or so ago. On the Pujols site they had gloves and hats. I bought a hat and then got on this site and posted what they had for sale. So many of those got reposted on ebay for 2X-3X what people paid. Not hating on anyone for doing that, but I could have made some quick cash.

Bill

bigtruck260
09-21-2007, 12:38 PM
When my grandfather died in 1991, I was left with a cache of Indians game used items from the late 40's and early 50's and World Series items from 1948...he was friends with Mike Garcia (catcher). Included in the items was a Larry Doby bat, a pair of Feller's cleats and an Early Wynn hat/jersey. My Dad told me to donate them to the Indians...as the new Stadium was being built, and there would likely be a museum. I instead listed the items in the Plain Dealer and eventually sold them to a guy in Pittsburgh for $1200. I still have a few team signed balls and the WS items, but I would like to AT LEAST have the Doby bat in my hands.

Thank God I live in STL now and can put the ignorance of my youth behind me.

bigtruck260
09-21-2007, 12:45 PM
And about the PFF website selling Albert's signed batting gloves authenticated for $375 per dual autographed pair...I am suprised I did not see more of them on eBay. Was't sure if it was an ethical issue at first to re-sell them...but after all, the foundation got the money it wanted. I did notice that they increased the prices not long after they started selling out...and eventually let UD do the memorabilia selling for outrageous prices...

TNTtoys
09-21-2007, 02:46 PM
I know it's probably not in tune with the other posts in this thread, but here's a "deal" that was offered to me recently that made me feel a bit sick...

Just a month or so ago, I replied to a posting on the for sale board. I was somewhat interested in the item, so I wrote the seller an email. He replied by telling me that the item was already sold and paid for, but I can have it if I want. I can simply pay him $100 more than the other guy already did, and he will refund that guy's money and sell the item to me. I could not believe what I was reading!!!
I politely declined, but quickly received a reply, where the seller applied more of a pressure sales tactic. Again, I told him I was not interested. At this point, the prospect of adding this piece to my collection weighed in far less than the feeling that I was party to someone else being duped. I did not know who "bought" the item, but really felt for this guy. How would he feel if he were to find out that the sale is off after he contractually bought & paid for an item? I wonder now if this deal was ever came to a conclusion -- who knows... was someone else offered the item later that day?

worldchamps
09-21-2007, 03:46 PM
Good for you TNT Toys. You are a better person for not dealing with those tactics.

richpick
09-22-2007, 01:19 AM
I sold a bunch of World Series and All-star game press pins to I believe California Sports Numismatics? I think? here in Southern California and the purchase price was $1600 and this was like at least 20+ years ago when I was around 18 years old maybe around 1985. It was a lot of money as I bought them for only $100 and the $1500 profit would buy a lot of beer;) Well as he was about to pay me he had some game worn uniforms so this was my first experience with game worn items and he had some real nice stuff. I ended up buying a California Angels home 1985 Rod Carew which was autographed by Rod for I think $300 or $400 bucks and took the rest in cash. Here is the sad part he had a 1982 Cal Ripken Jr Road Game Worn Jersey autographed by Cal with a ROY inscription for $700 and I was so close to buying it and turned it down because it was too expensive. Now the Carew did appreciate and I did sell it for a profit but the Cal could have been a GREAT PIECE to own. The nice thing is this started me on the path of collecting game used items so I owe them a big thank you. I can only hope that the Ripken was a fake (jk). It is nice to know that many of us make mistakes or have regrets in this hobby and that I am not alone in my would have should haves!!!

33bird
09-22-2007, 09:24 AM
For my high school graduation n 1987 my dad gave me a game used Michael Jordan home rookie jersey. 3 years later my mom was hard up for money so we sold it Smokies in Vegas (yes, that Smokie). I HATED to sell it, but you know, family goes first. Got 2,000.00, which even then, was too low. What would that go for now? I also had an Adrian Dantley game used Notre Dame 1974 jersey that I bought for 350.00 and sold for 1200.00. Thought I did well until it showed up in an AMI auction the next month and went for 4,500. Of course, I wish I never would have sold either. You live, you learn.
Greg

Swoboda4
09-22-2007, 10:34 AM
Greg,
With that M.Jordan rookie jersey story,now I'm sick,and it wasn't even mine.
http://cache.gettyimages.com/xc/52163943.jpg?v=1&c=NewsMaker&k=2&d=17A4AD9FDB9CF1939847EC77F5F8D1CE908AC27C8AAC0AAE 4E9C89C783688B46

33bird
09-22-2007, 11:32 AM
Yea, I know. My Mom needed it for bills. We begged her not to sale it, to find another way to get the money, but it was the only thing we could move quick. I remind her a lot what we could have gotten for it today if we could have hung on to it. It was a beautiful jersey. I use to wear it around sometimes-rookie collector-until my mom said NO WAY. I wish I had it, but I'd rather have Larry Bird's rookie jersey.
Greg

33bird
09-22-2007, 11:34 AM
Yea-that was the one Swoboda. Man!

scottanservitz
09-22-2007, 09:55 PM
Boy, the horror stories I've read so far....Mine was I bought an Eric Dickerson game worn SMU fishnet jersey from a Rainbow Collectibles auction back in about '96 or '97. I sent it out to a Tristar signing and got it autographed for $40. I had $440 into it total. I had the jersey for quite awhile. Then in I believe 2003 or 2004 I took it to the Atlantic City National to see if I could sell it. I don't know, I guess I wanted to just change up some stuff in my collection. Well, I went from table to table showing it off and really only one guy was semi interested, but he never made an offer. I finally showed it to Vintageauthentics. They were really interested. I can't remember, but I believe it was when they were first starting up. Well, they offered me $900 for it and I figured it was a good profit so I took it. Well, a few years pass and while browsing the internet I stumble upon their website and lo and behold, there is my Dickerson for sale for get this......$12,000. I yelled to my wife to come and check this out! I could not believe it. I totally fell into a deep depression for a few days. My wife and my mom kept telling me I made a good profit and not to let it bother me. But man.... Anyways, it never sold at that price and they soon thereafter put it up for auction. I tracked it throughout and it finally did sell for like $3,200 or so. Looking back at the whole ordeal I really came to understand the whole hobby much better. There are those items that are truly rare and when somebody gets a hold of them, be sure you really want to sell them before you let them go. I have since turned that money over from item to item and I think it is now my 2004 Marshall Faulk jersey that is Wetrack tagged. It is one of my best and most favorite pieces. So I guess all is good. Just thought I'd share my story. Thanks and happy collecting.
Scott