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On the Lookout

Just Collect is always on the lookout for fantastic collections. They may not always be the largest, the scarcest or the most valuable, but fantastic collections are incredible because the stories are so much fun to hear and to share, and we love to share them!  Occasionally, some of these collections turn out to be fantastic finds as well.

Great Finds

There have been plenty of finds in the past and Just Collect has been associated or responsible for a few of them. Whether The M116 Philly Find or the Fairy Godmother Collection featuring a T206 Eddie Plank, both of these were found by Leighton and Scott or the nationally famous Ohio-based Black Swamp find or the late Al Rosen's Paris, Tennessee Find, they all tell a story about someone collecting and saving the cards.

No Major League Baseball in California?

We just purchased a very nice childhood collection from a gentleman who now resides in Ohio.   While growing up in the San Francisco/Oakland Bay area of California years before Major League baseball finally moved west of the Rockies, the collector recalled attending Pacific Coast League games of the Oakland Oaks.  He witness games against the Oaks arch enemies from across the bay, the San Francisco Seals and other teams from the talent rich PCL.  The PCL has a rich history and an even more exciting cardboard history with issues like Home Run Kisses, Zeenut, Obak, Remar, Mother's Cookies, Bowman were just a few of the significant manufacturers that produced cards for the Pacific Coast League dating back into the 19th Century including SF Hess cards produced featuring players in the California League!!!

During the early 1950s as a young child, the gentleman would save up his allowance to attend the Oaks games and to buy baseball and football cards. He managed this for a few years, mostly from 1953 through 1957, and then stashed the cards away as many of the other wonders of youth caught his attention and, ironically, as the area got a Major League team when the Giants moved from New York to San Francisco for the 1958 season.

Preparing to Sell . . . Eventually

Around 15 years ago, in preparation for eventually selling off his childhood collection, opted to send his cards to be professionally graded. He chose Beckett because he was familiar with their price guide and there was no membership fee. Beckett Grading was still in their infancy and the cards he had graded were the most prominent in his collection, including a 1954 Topps Hank Aaron rookie card, 1953 Topps Mickey Mantle, 1954 Topps Ted Williams and other stars like Jackie Robinson, Al Kaline, Willie Mays, George Blanda and Frank Gifford. The cards are noteworthy in that they are graded by the old BGS standards with complete subgrades. As you can tell by the relatively low serial numbers on the flips, this was very early in the BGS history as shortly thereafter, Beckett switched to the vintage cards to Beckett Vintage Grading (BVG) which did not include subgrades and also exhibited a tendency for leniency with respect to vintage cards.

People always ask us, "Should I get my cards graded before I sell them?"  Our answer is, it depends.  It certainly makes it easier for us to evaluate them when they've already been graded, but the expense of grading the wrong cards or not getting the grades that might be expected can be very discouraging.  Just Collect values collections based upon the market value of the cards in their current condition, so you'll always get a fair evaluation whether they are graded or not.

But Not Just Baseball

Another unique portion of the collection was a group of 1952 and 1953 Mother's Cookie Cards featuring 1952 and 1953 Pacific Coast League baseball players and also 1953 Mother's Cookies Televison and Radio Stars and 1953 Mother's Cookies Movie Stars non-sport cards with such notable names as John Wayne, Rock Hudson, Robert Mitchum and others! These cards are unique because they were part of regional issues and back in the day, many people east of the Rockies had never heard of Mother's Cookies or had much inkling about the Pacific Coast League.  

Our Buying Philosophy

We've run into a wide range of people and collections over the past decade. Although we are known for buying vintage sports cards and especially vintage basketball cards, we are also extremely interested in buying non-sports cards, also!

Every collection and every collector is different and we treat EVERY collection with the respect and attention that we show for our own collections. We understand that many have put their heart and soul into building their collection. So when you're ready to sell, Just Collect understands the feelings that you're going through and we will work with you to help you reach a decision that is a WIN/WIN, because if you're not happy, we're not happy.

We Are Always Buying

Just Collect is always buying vintage sports and non-sports cards from 1879 to 1979 as well as select modern cards. If you have a collection that you are considering selling, contact us today to discuss your collection and get our industry leading purchase offer. If you have a collection that you want appraised, please contact us and we would be happy to discuss your collection and help you understand the real cash value of your collection in the current marketplace.

Don't hesitate to check out our Google Reviews left by many of the great people that have considered selling collections to Just Collect.

The Video of the Bay Area Beckett and PCL Collection: