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We're Going to Have to Wait

Just Collect receives many inquiries and questions every week.  Sometimes, people are looking to find out values of their collections, some are inquiring about whether we would be interested in purchasing and many just have general questions about the cards that they have and what might be the best move for them.  Each of these calls and emails are different and people have different time frames.  Most are interested in finding out the value and selling their cards or collections relatively quickly, but a few are looking to do their due diligence and are in no rush to make a decision.  We are happy to work with and help all of these people.

The owner of one such collection originally contacted Just Collect over a year ago to discuss his father's Goudey collection that he had inherited.  He stated that he had shown it to some local shop in the Midwest and that he had a ballpark idea what the collection was worth and was beginning the process of looking for "the right buyer" to sell the collection to.  He was very clear from the onset that he was not in a hurry, time was not of the essence and that he had no intention of shipping the collection.  We mentioned that we had an upcoming trip to Chicago and that we could arrange the travel to meet with him in his hometown if we were able to see eye-to-eye on the value of the collection, but he held to his guns and said that he was not yet ready to make a decision to sell the collection to us or anyone else.

The Preliminaries

Even though the gentleman wasn't in a rush to sell the collection, we were very interested in helping determine a value and at least being able to discern if we would be in the ballpark with a potential offer when he was closer to selling.  We asked the owner if he could forward us some representative images of the collection so that we could get an preliminary impression of the condition and then begin the process of preparing an evaluation.  He agreed and as we worked through the process, he forwarded images of all of the cards in the collection as well as back images of most of the key cards.  We prepared an evaluation on the collection and provided it to the gentleman for his inspection and we agreed to keep in touch.

Regular Follow-up

We touched base with the seller several times over the year, but he was still not ready to sell.  Each time we spoke, we agreed to a follow-up call a few months down the road and the seller said that if he was prepared before then, he would contact us.

It's Time

More than a year after initial contact, the seller decided that he was finally ready to sell the collection and made it clear with the simple phrase, "It's time."  We discussed the entirety of the collection and talked about the other parties that were interested inpurchasing the collection.  We discussed the valuation and the range of our possible purchase offer based upon the images that had been provided.  The seller appreciated our candor and that we understood that he wanted to speak with other buyers to get the best offer for his collection.  We simply asked him that if he received potential offers, to please contact us before he accepted any offer.  He agreed and said that would let us know as things progressed.

The Nuts and Bolts of the Collection

The collection consisted of a near set of 1933 Goudey Baseball cards that consisted of 221 of the 239 total cards including 3 of the 4 Babe Ruth cards and ranged in condition from GD to EX/MT with most of the cards being in the VG to VG/EX range, a near set of 1934 Goudey Baseball cards that included nearly 80 cards that were consistent in the VG/EX and better range as well as nice groups of more than 20 1935 Goudey 4-in-1 cards that included the Babe Ruth card (see the image of the Ruth 4-in-1 at the very beginning of this blog) and about 20 additional 1934-36 Batter-Up cards, including a few Hall of Famers.  

Additionally, there was a Lou Gehrig in the 1933 Goudey Set and the 1934 Goudey Set.

The 1934 Set was almost complete, missing just a few cards and the group of 1935 Goudey 4-in-1 cards were very nice and presented in VG-EX to EX or better condition which is pretty good for these cards as they feature a very soft stock with red and blue full-bleed borders that show wear at the slightest touch.

Closure

After several discussions with the seller, and consistent follow-up, he noted that he had an offer and wanted to know how we would handle the possible purcahse.  We discussed some specifics scenarios and we were able to agree on a ballpark price for the purchase and the seller noted that even though he said that he would not ship the cards, that he had become comfortable enough with our regular communication over the past year that he would forward the collection to us for final in-hand inspection based upon our preliminary offer.  He sent the collection to our Somerset, New Jersey office via Just Collect's FREE Shipping Program and our specialist was able to review the collection and confirm our purchase offer the day it was received.  We contacted the seller, agreed on terms and sent him payment via overnight FedEx.

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 Dad's 1933-35 Goudey Baseball Card Collection Video: