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We see collections with initials, marks and notations all of the time.  It was not uncommon for brothers and sisters to put an initial or a mark on their cards to differentiate them from their siblings or to identify them when they were sharing or trading with friends. Many times, cards with pencils, crayon or marker have little to no value after being defaced, but still are great for collectors that are looking for bargains in building their sets.  However, there are some star cards that even when marked, torn or otherwise defaced or damaged, still hold some significant value. 

Leaving Their Mark

Recently, a gentleman contacted us with a collection that he had inherited from his grandfather.  He was worried because, while he knew he had some star cards, the cards had been written on and he was not certain that they would have much value.  We asked for some images and our specialists were able to prepare a valuation which surprised the owner and he agreed to send them in for in-hand inspection and evaluation and eventually agreed to sell them based upon our strong purchase offer.

Play Ball commons are typically worth just a few dollars per card in FR to GD condition. Most of the cards in this collection were in the VG range with either an ink initial on the front or colored pencil and/or crayon on the reverse. However, the value of the collection came from a few Hall of Famers, including Joe DiMaggio and the rookie card of Ted Williams. While the cards had an ink initial on the fronts, they still presented very well with very solid centering on both.

Teddy Ballgame and Joltin' Joe

The highlight of the collection of nearly 100 1939 Play Ball, 1940 Play Ball and 1941 Play Ball cards were Joe DiMaggio and the rookie card of Ted Williams -- both found in the 1939 Set.  Despite the letter inscribed on the front, the tandem was still worth more than $1500.  While some argue that DiMaggio's rookie is from several other issues, the Williams card is considered his rookie issue.

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Plenty of Stars

The collection also included a nice selection of other stars and Hall of Famers.  Within the assortment were cards of Mel Ott, Jimmie Foxx, Red Ruffing, Tony Lazzeri, Leo Durocher, Charlie Gehringer, Babe Dahlgren and the Waner brothers, Paul and Lloyd. 

Another Marked Ted Williams 

Stay tuned to our blog in the upcoming weeks for an amazing announcement of another Ted Williams card that we recently purchased that has also been "marked."  And we used the word "marked" with tongue firmly planted in cheek.

Schedule an Appointment to Meet Just Collect at a Show Near You

Just Collect travels to several shows on a regular basis. In the New York area, we often attend the White Plains Show at the Westchester County Center in White Plains, NY. If you're in the New England area, you can make an appointment to meet with one of our specialists when we're in the area for the Shriner's Show at the Aleppo Auditorium in Wilmington, MA. We also visit the Metro-DC area when we attend the CSA Show in Chantilly, VA. If you're in the South Jersey or Delaware area, you can also schedule appointments while we're in the Philadelphia area when we do The Philly Show in Valley Forge, PA.

We set up at The National Sports Collectors Convention every year and this year.  Next year, 2020, The National will be at the Atlantic Cuity Convention Center in Atlantic City, NJ.  It has also been in Cleveland, Chicago and Baltimore in recent years. Additionally, we travel to the Sports Card and Memorabilia Expo in Mississauga, Ontario for those of you in the Toronto area that want to meet with us in Canada.

We would love to meet with you and schedule a private appointment to assess and value your collection while we are in your area, so please check out our show and travel schedule to see when Just Collect will be in your area!

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.

Won't They Be Worth More if I Grade Them Myself

We discuss all of the selling options with everyone that we meet with. In most cases, selling the collection on their own will put the most money on the bottom line, but it will also take an large commitment of time and energy and one that most are not ready or able to undertake. Another misconception is that grading the collection will return more money. When I hear people say, "You're just going to grade them and get ten times the money," I almost cringe. Grading a collection can be a money losing proposition, especially if you don't know what you're doing. And most times, we grade very few, if any cards, from average collections that we buy.

We value a collection based upon the condition and the value. If a card is worth $100 in a PSA 7 NM, we're going to value it at $100 whether it is ungraded or graded. You can spend hundreds or thousands of dollars grading your cards, but we're still valuing them the same and paying the same regardless of how much you've invested in grading them.

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.