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An artist from Boston, Massachusetts collected vintage baseball cards with beautiful designs that appealed to his artistic eyes. Cards from historic sets such as T206, 1933 Goudey and 1952 Topps baseball, thousands of both graded and ungraded cards were ready to find a new home. Just Collect has proudly purchased this beautiful collection from a true collector. 

An artist residing in the Northeast, just outside of Boston, MA., amassed quite the vintage sports card collection. Deciding it was time to part with his treasure, he reached out to me at Just Collect. Given the extensive size of the collection, the owner opted not to ship the cards and did not want to drive to our store here in New Jersey. After reviewing images of the cards through our free appraisal link on the website, we agreed for me to hit the road and travel to Boston. 

THE BOSTON I LOVE BASEBALL COLLECTION

When I arrived to the collector's home, the scenery was just like one of his own paintings! A splendid home built in 1782 with a huge yard. The owner has lived in the house for the last 60 years, and along the way collected vintage sports cards that he felt exhibited wonderful eye appeal and art.

The collection was very well organized! Cards were organized by year, set, and the graded cards were not mixed with the ungraded cards. In total, there were 14 boxes filled with vintage sports cards! As I opened each box, cards from some of the most influential sets in our hobby were inside. 

Below you can see images of the cards, separated into different slide shows. In chronological order, we start with the graded baseball cards cards from 1909-11 T206 to 1952 Bowman. The next slide show displays graded baseball cards from 1952 Topps- 1969 Topps decals. Onto slide three with vintage graded football cards beginning with 1950 Bowman and you'll see graded 1951 Topps Ringside boxing cards and graded non-sports with 1933 Goudey Jungle Gum. The final slide includes ungraded cards spanning from the 1909-11 T206 set to 1964 Giants on the baseball side, then more 1950's Bowman football, 1910 T218 Champions, and then 1951 Topps Ringside boxing. 

Starting off with 1909-11 T206 cards, you may recognize this set is where the famous Honus Wanger card is from. These cards were inserted into various brands of tobacco in the early 1900's. On the backs of each card are the brands of tobacco being advertised. In total there are 16 different backs/brands possible and 524 total cards in the set. Each card measures 1 7/16th" x 2 5/8" which is much smaller than a standard card size you see today (2 1/2" x 3 1/2"). On first picture of the last slideshow is a group of ungraded T206 cards. The card in the bottom right is Harry Pattee, a player from Charlestown, MA. that suited up one season for the Brooklyn Superbas in 1908. Forget the stats and look at the card; a stunning background! A blue, white, and orange sky with trees behind Pattee. The collection contains both  graded and ungraded  cards. Professional companies such as PSA, SGC, and BGS assign a grade between 1 and 10, with 10 being perfect Gem Mint, based on the condition of a card. Even the slightest crease on a card could alter the grade by a single digit, decreasing the value by possibly thousands of dollars. Using a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle rookie card as an example, a card graded PSA 1 recently sold for $24,000 while a card graded PSA 3 sold for $48,100. Just two grades higher on a scale from 1 to 10 changes the value of a Mantle card by double.

Next came batches of 1933 Goudey baseball. Big League Gum increased the size of the baseball cards to 2-3/8" by 2-7/8" Among the 240-card set are multiple Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig cards. These Ruth and Gehrig cards are among the most desired in the hobby. I had the pleasure of purchasing a collection of over 800 Goudey cards that includes a total of 22 Ruth and Gehrig cards! You can see that historic collection HERE. While there were no Ruth or Gehrig cards in this collection, you can see big names like Mel Ott, Charlie Gehringer, and Hack Wilson. Like the T206 cards, the collector had cards from the 1933 Goudey set with vibrant colors. On that last slide show, third picture in, we love the card on the bottom left of Chuck Klein. We get lost in the design just looking at the purple sky behind Klein.

The 1934 Goudey baseball cards are the same size as the 1933 set, but the volume of the set shrunk to a total of 96 cards. The collector had high-graded cards from PSA! In the third photo, you can see each card is graded PSA 7. On the first slide show, the 11th photo, four cards in on the top right is Pinkey Higgins. In the population report, PSA has only graded 16 cards ever higher than a 7! To date, zero cards of Higgins have been graded a perfect 10 and just 1 has been graded a 9. The cards have colorful backgrounds as we continue to see the trend of artistry behind the collection. 

1934 Diamond Stars stand out in the collection. These gems are also in high grade, boasting a PSA 7. Produced by National Chicle between 1934 and 1936, the cards are 2-3/8" by 2-7/8" and have immaculate eye appeal. First slide show, 12th card, first card in the middle row - look at the number of colors used on the Willis Hudlin card in the second row - green, blue, yellow, red, white. These cards simply pop! Speaking of pop, the population report is thin on high grades. On the bottom left is a green back variation of card #84, Sam Byrd in PSA 7. Only 7 total cards have been graded higher than this 7: 6 PSA 8, 1 PSA 9, and zero known PSA 10.

Batches of cards from the 1950's like the 1952 Bowman are in this collection. Bowman used photographs of players and made a color reproduction with each card measuring 2-1/18" by 3-1/8". The grades on these 1952 Bowman baseball cards are higher than the Goudey and Diamond Star cards! The last photo in the first slideshow has a card in the  top row, middle of card #192, John Cusick. There are only 7 cards known graded higher than this PSA 8 - all graded 9, and none graded 10. This card looks pack-fresh! This card looks like an oil painting that could be on display in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Not only did the collector have baseball cards in the collection, but also vintage football cards, boxing, and non-sports cards with great artistry! I had the pleasure of holding 1950 Bowman football cards. In 1950, each card measures 2-1/16” by 2-1/2”. Just look at second slide show, first row, fourth card in of Cloyce Box! The sky is orange and yellow, the green trees, bleachers, and the blue uniform all blends nicely. This particular card is graded PSA 8. To date, only 11 cards of the Box cards have been graded PSA 9, and zero have been graded PSA 10. Next up came 1951 Bowman football cards, and like their baseball counterpart, each features a painting-like version of each player on the front of the 2-1/16" by 3-1/8" cards. After reviewing the '51 batch, 1952 Bowman football cards were ready for me. In 1952, the size of Bowman football cards increased to 2-1/2" by 3-3/4" for us enthusiasts to enjoy the look of each card.

1951 Topps Ringside boxing cards are shown in the 8th photo of the second slide show. These boxing cards measure 2-1/16" by 2-15/16" and were produced for a total of 96 cards. Most of the cards in this batch are graded a 7. High grades of these cards, like most other vintage sets, are hard to come by. In total, PSA has graded 13,138 of the 1951 Topps Ringside cards, and just 6 ever received a 10. If you love boxing, you'll want to move your eyes to the last slide show with the ungraded cards, and see the 17th and 18th photos. These cards are from the 1910 T218 Goodwin Champions sets. On the 17th photo, the first card is Jack Johnson! Johnson was the heavyweight boxing champion from 1908-1915. 

In 1951,Bowman released a set called Jets, Rockets, Spacemen. Measuring 2-1/16" by 3-1/8", is a set of science fiction cards with artwork that makes your imagination work overtime! You guessed it - each card graded PSA 7 and few are known to be graded higher. These non-sports cards are in the third slide show, and the 9th card in.

One of the last sets I'd like to feature is perhaps the most poplar in our hobby - 1952 Topps baseball. Standing tall, these cards measurer 2-5/8" by 3-3/4" and are highly-coveted. Home to rookie cards of Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays, cards of legends like Jackie Robison, you can see how beautiful these cards. The second slide show below starts off with graded 1952 Topps baseball cards. When looking at the first image, you can see each card is graded PSA 7. In the days when cards placed in bike spokes or used in a game of flip this Boston painter found cards in near-mint condition.

While going through the batch of 1952 Topps cards, I asked why the owner did not have cards of Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, or other other "big names." There are high-grade cards from nearly 100 years ago here!  The answer was perfect: Had he spent his funds on a valuable card such as a Mickey Mantle rookie, he could not afford to purchase each of the cards that brought him joy to look at. This - this is the answer from a true collector.

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We love telling you the stories about each collection Just Collect is able to proudly purchase. Leighton documented the journey and tells you about the trip, process, and the purchase of this wonderful collection. Please enjoy the video of the Boston I Love Baseball Collection:

VIDEO OF COLLECTION

APPRAISAL AND PURCHASE

Your local card shop is generally not well equipped to appraise or purchase vintage collections like this. The retail stores are focused on selling modern products and simply don't have the time or the knowledge to carefully evaluate vintage collections. This is where I'm happy to help you. I have a two-step process: research and appraise the collection and then make the highest offer possible. With collections of this size, I must be thorough and treat the collection with the care it deserves.

The first day, I spent multiple hours carefully going through each card. I take inventory first before while at the home. I checked into a nearby hotel but there was no sleep to be had! I stayed up, appraising each card. I had hand-written notes and an Excel file on my laptop.

Returning the following day, I showed my notes, value, and the amount I could pay for the collection. I always show my notes and offer to answer any questions when you and I work on a deal to purchase your collection. Then, I "shoot for the bullseye." If I believe I can offer you X amount for your collection, that is what I offer. By offering low values and not being honest is bad for business and as a believer in karma, that's simply not how I like to go through life. I made a fair offer to the artist and he happily agreed to sell the entire collection! When you sell your collection to Just Collect, I pay you how you want to be paid - cash, check, wire transfer, etc. 

After purchasing the collection, I made a quick stop to the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA. As a hoops lover, I couldn't say no. When in Rome, right? 

My name is Leighton, owner of Just Collect, and professional sports card treasure hunter! If you're interested in selling your collection, reach out directly to Leighton@JustCollect.com. 

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 or 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. Check out the Just Collect Buy List.

We always offer a FREE APPRAISAL for your collection here at the Just Collect site. Just click here:

We offer may ways to evaluate your cards other than or using our website, too.

• Come to convention

We keep a LIST of card shows we'll be attending.  Come stop by the Just Collect table and chat.

• Meet in-person

If you have a valuable collection and want us to come to you, we'll hop on the next plane out.

• Meet in New York City

We have another location in New York you can meet us at; read all the information here.

• SHIP your collection 

If you choose to mail your cards for an appraisal, we will evaluate your cards for FREE still. If you choose not to sell the cards, we'll ship them back shipping fees paid by us!  We can offer our FedEx account with 2-day shipping, fully insured, all covered by us. Simply contact the office to set up this option.

OUR BUYING PHILOSOPHY

We've run into a wide range of people and collections over the last 25 years. Although Just Collect is known for buying vintage sports cards and especially vintage baseball cards, we are also extremely interested in buying non-sports cards, too!  

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 souls into building their collections. So when you're ready to sell, we understand the feelings that you're going through and 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.

CONTACT US ANY TIME

Whether you have vintage cards or modern wax you want to sell, you can reach out to us any time! 

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• (732) 828-2261
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