For those of you who don’t know, dutch auctions are kind of a grab bag style where the seller lists what all will be going out, and the buyers each buy a portion, not knowing exactly what they are getting.

For example, the first dutch auction I ever purchased from was an from an estate sale. This seller had purchased about a couple of million cards in an estate sale where he was only interested in the coin collection. The seller listed the cards in a dutch auction style, taking pictures of some of the cards going out. I purchased five lots or so and got about 100 cards from the collection, some of which were pictured in the listing, others weren’t.

My dutch auction is a pretty good deal for me and the buyer. I offer a guaranteed 4x BV of the dollars spent on the auction. (i.e. you buy 4 lots at $4.99 per lot for a total of $19.96, you are guaranteed to get at least $80 Beckett value in cards.

It’s a good deal for me because I like to buy large lots of cards, pick my favorite athletes out (you won’t see many Jordan cards going out from my dutch auction unless they’re duplicates), and resell the rest to cut the cost of what I spend on the cards for my collection.

I offered up some pretty sweet bonuses (some of which have been claimed, others haven’t yet) on my two dutch auctions, especially the first one listed below:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200425814232&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200425812254&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

I’ve sold about 10 lots on one and 17 lots on the other. Feel free to check them out, and add a note on the checkout page that you saw my blog, and I’ll throw in something extra!

I have just listed a 1962 Topps Mickey Mantle MVP card at the following link. Although the card is creased and shows significant wear, the color is truly beautiful. Check it out and see what you think.

http://www.sportlots.com/auction/aucbin/selleritems.tpl?seller=burl2004

I also listed several 2007 and 2008 football cards, including Matt Ryan and Chris Johnson rookie cards. Check ‘em out!

http://www.sportlots.com/auction/aucbin/selleritems.tpl?seller=burl2004

Tune back in to see if I make my money back… I’ve invested about $4 total in them so far from the pack, taxes, and the listing fees.

First is a 1959 Roberto Clemente card. This card has a high BV of $175. I started the bidding at $10. It’s not in mint shape by any means (check out the scan), but it’s still a nice card of a great player! Clemente is, in my opinion, the second-most collected player in the world of sports memorabilia (next to Mickey Mantle). Clemente was one of the most consistent players in history. His skill on the field combined with his generous heart off the field made him a fan favorite. That coupled with his tragic death in a helocopter crash on his way to give aid to earthquake victims in South America have given his collectables a top-notch value! I expect this card to sell for around $20.

Much to my disappointment, the Clemente card only went for $10.50, but the bidder hasn’t paid for the auction yet, so it might default back to me. We’ll see how it does on the second go around.

After Kobe Bryant scored 61 points Monday, I decided to list his Fleer rookie card for auction. Bryant, who passed Michael Jordan for second on the all-time list of games with more than 60 points, is solidifying himself as one of the greatest basketball players, and even athletes, of all-time. He still has a long way to go before he’s considered an equal with the likes of Jordan, but he has certainly established himself as one of the top players ever.

I will update this post after the auctions have been completed.

If the auctions have already ended and the above links are dead, check out my current auctions on Sportlots here.

Mickey mantle is probably the most collected player in all of sports. Many of the cards from his era sell for thousands of dollars. If you’ve got any in the attic, I would be glad to take them off your hands for you!

To view my auction click here.

The final bid for this item was a little over $23. I offered free shipping, so that took a small chunk out of that, but the auction exceeded my expectations. I still can’t decide if the extra exposure and consumer base that eBay offers if worth the extra final values fees that it costs, but it is definitely better than SportsBuy’s auctions which I have had more than a mediocre experience with up to this point. Sportlots doesn’t charge a final value fee, which means this card could have went for about 15 and I still would have been in the same shape. Can’t decide which is better for individual cards that I know will get plenty of bids and exposure on eBay.

I just wanted to update you on my two newest auctions that are live. First up, I have a 2002 Nolan Ryan 2002 Upper Deck AL Centennial Memorabilia game-used jersey card. This card has a book value of $40. It’s running as a 14 day featured auction auction with a starting bid of $.10 with a buy it now price of $40. The listing upgrades cost me right around $2. I haven’t run many auctions on Sportsbuy, but I’m hoping this card’s listing upgrades and low starting bid will encourage more bidders, which is something I haven’t had much luck with in my experience with the site. That combined with the fact that Nolan Ryan is considered by many to be the greatest pitcher ever, and he is also one of the most collected players in the hobby should help drive this card’s price up. If you want to check the progress of the auction or even bid on it yourself, just click on the following link: Nolan Ryan. I estimate that this card will sell for $15-20. I was sorely disappointed with this auction. The card sold for just under $4.00. The only plus out of this sell is that I’m one sell closer to being eligible to upgrade to a VIP seller storefront.

Second, I have a 2005 Tom Seaver Upper Deck Baseball Heroes Memorabilia Red #28 game-used jersey card. This card has a book value of $10. I listed this card as a standard 7 day auction with an automated relist option, so it will auctomatically repost the auction if it closes without any bids. One great thing about Sportsbuy is that auction (and storefront) listings are free if you don’t choose any of the upgrades. Since this card already has a lower book value, I started the auction at $3 because I don’t think it will generate enough interest to drive up the price to where I want it to be, even though Seaver is one of the all-time great pitchers and is a Hall of Famer. If you want to check this card out follow this link: Tom Seaver. I estimate that this card will sell for $3-4. Unforunately, this auction ended with no qualifying bids.

Also, if you’re curious to check out my other listings on Sportsbuy, just follow the link below.

I’ve recently posted two new auctions on sportlots.

One is a 1956 Topps Richie Ashburn card (picture: left).
http://www.sportlots.com/inven/dealbin/disitem.tpl?lotnbr=191503
Ashburn is a Hall of Fame member, and this particular card of his has a high book value of $60. I estimate that it will sell for about $10 on sportlots.

The other is a 1966 Topps Pete Rose card (picture: right).
http://www.sportlots.com/inven/dealbin/disitem.tpl?lotnbr=191500
Rose is controversially not a Hall of Fame member. The all-time hits leader was snubbed because he was caught gambling on MLB games while he was a manager. Although he has been snubbed by the Hall, his collectibles haven’t suffered too much. Arguably the best hitter to ever play the game, this vintage card of his has a high book value of $100. I estimate that it will sell for about $20 on sportlots.

Unfortunately these auctions didn’t pan out like I had hoped. The Ashburn card didn’t receive a single bid, and the Rose card went for $9.50.

Feel free to check out my current auctions on Sportlots here: http://www.sportlots.com/auction/aucbin/selleritems.tpl?seller=burl2004

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, Ken Griffey Jr., and former Auburn football players. I also try to hang on to vintage cards of Hall of Fame players; I feel like they’re a pretty solid investment.

For me, the hobby of collecting sports cards and memorabilia takes me back to the joys of being a kid. I hope you or someone you love can take part in this joy, too. Best wishes, and feel free to check out some of my sports cards that I have listed for sale on Sportsbuy or checkoutmycards.com!

http://www.checkoutmycards.com/Users/jburl2004

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