First, we'll start with the lesser name but bigger card. I was searching for Roy Campanella cards when this beauty popped up, with just a day or so to go.
It was shockingly cheap, and though I knew it wouldn't stay that affordable, I held out hope it would stay within a range I was comfortable with. It did. As the seconds ticked down, it was still under $50. I gave it a shot, but was automatically outbid by a previous bidder's high-bid. The auction ended. For $51 even. Campy's rookie card books for eight hundred bucks. This one was clearly no more than a 1 or 2 if it were slabbed, but still. That's a phenomenal bargain.
Regret. Regret. Regret.
Now the bigger name, and almost certainly the biggest or second biggest name in Dodgers' history.
Sandy. Koufax.
This awesome card, from one of my favorite sets of all-time and in fantastic shape all things considered, peeked out with a day or so remaining. I waited, and it too stayed within a range that called to me. But here is where the story differs from the above Campy. I had the high-bid on Koufax.
For all of one or two seconds.
It sold for $28.50 shipped.
Regret. Regret. Regret.
I'm optimistically confident that another '56 Koufax will present itself within that range. The Campy? Not so much. A man can dream though.
So I ask you, what one or two cards do you most regret missing out on? If you remember the price and how you lost out on it, please do share. I'm very interested to hear your responses.
Everyone who shares gets a bonus entry into the contest.
A contest which is still open. The same can be said for Bonus Question Part Deux.
oh man... where do you start?
ReplyDeleteI'll just go the most recent I guess. There is this hockey set I've been after. 600 cards, 100 SP's. It normally sells for $450-$650. An auction came up with a lousy title and description. Hardly anyone bid. I won it for $122 shipped. I was thrilled. Did the happy dance like you wouldn't believe. Paid my money and danced some more.
Went back online the next day and found that ebay had refunded my money and kicked off the seller for not paying his fees.
I pouted for days afterwards... still makes me mad.
So close.
There have been several, and some of the most important were cards I sold about 8 years ago in a ton of auctions around Thanksgiving. I had an amazing collection of autographs and relics from baseball and non-sport but sold them all - we're talking quality hall of famers and rarities. I was desperate for money, what can I say? Well, now I look back at several of those cards and wish I still had them. At least it wasn't a case of my mom throwing them away.
ReplyDeleteI can't possibly count the number of times I lost an auction because I couldn't get a bid in on time due to slow internet or I was outbid in the last few minutes and didn't get a chance to rebid and I missed out on a great deal.
I will share my best find, the opposite of this, and a card I still have. When I was out of baseball but into non-sport autographs, I happened across an auction for a lot of Small Soldiers cards that included an unused expired redemption for a Kirsten Dunst autograph. These details were hidden in a poorly made listing and I won the lot for about $5. I contacted the manufacturer and they still had the autographs and told me to send in the redemption, so I was able to get a certified autograph of her for $5. It's probably my favorite card, now that I think of it.
First, Ryan G - you have to show that card someday (if you have let me know the post haha). Sounds cool!
ReplyDeleteMy major one that got away is like one of Ryan's - sold off a bunch of stuff a few years ago before I came back to the hobby. Nothing super awesome, but ome good stuff, including most of the 1995 Topps set that I'm now working on again. So I miss that.
As for close calls, I actually had one two days ago. I try not to spend over $20 on Seneca Wallace cards that aren't /20 and under, so when a /50 refractor auto came up I put my max at $20 with about 30 seconds left. Got outbid with 2 seconds left and it sold...for $20.06. Ridiculous!
Most recently I missed out on a Jeter 2000 UD hologrfx World Series GU base card. It sold for under $10. With about 15 mins to go I was going to bid, but my kitchen literally caught on fire. By the time if was out and the fire dept came, I had missed out.
ReplyDeleteIt's not just one, it's been several... and I know where they've all gone... straight over to Things are Funner Here!! Julie has managed to snag a lot of good Halladay & other Phillies cards from my fellow bloggers before I've had a chance to think about chiming in!!
ReplyDeleteNow seriously, having just started collecting, I really have not lost any cards that I really really wanted, so far, and even more seriously, Julie and I have traded a few cards as well, she's sent me some very nice stuff for my collections, and I'm always on the lookout for dupes of my cards that I can send her way.
Some great stories from everyone. A year or so ago, I had to sell a Nolan Ryan signed ball and glove to pay some bills. That sucked pretty hard.
ReplyDeleteAlso, at one time, I was trying like a madman to acquire a Gary Redus starting lineup figure and got outbid on several attempts. I know it's there now at a decent Buy it Now but times are tough lol. I will get it someday though.
There are so many that I have missed, lost, traded away that I regret so I will go with the last one. I missed bidding on a David Wright 2004 Bowman Futures game jersey card and it ended up selling for 99 cents plus the seller had some other cards I liked with a cheap combined shipping but without the Wrigt I just passed on all the others as well. While I can porobably find one for 10 bucks or so, I am cheap like that and will have to wait for another cheapy to pop up.
ReplyDeleteI missed on a 1/1 laundry tag Christian Friedrich that sold for like $30. I would have went as high as probably $50-60 (unless my competitiveness got away from me), but I had to stay late at work that day and the auction ended before I got home. I was pissed, then the guy bragged about getting it on Blowout forums too...so there's that.
ReplyDeleteI had the sixth pick in Trade Bait Draft 2, at GSNHOF. I only scrolled halfway down his trade bait page before I made my first pick, and I went with a Garrett Mock auto. I missed out on a printing plate, a batting gloves relic card, and a game-used ball card. However, I did end up with a game-used helmet piece, so I'm not totally mad at myself. Still wish I had snagged the 1/1...
ReplyDeleteI had a Cal Ripken 1982 Topps rookie as a kid. When I started working at a card store at 14, the allure of the packs and "Alex Rodriguez RC's made me trade it in.
ReplyDeleteI did pull an Arod Flair RC for my dissent.
I didn't feel the sting until I started collecting Ripken fulltime and had that gaping hole in my collection. I got the card later for my birthday.
Then I went and fell in love. I sold my Ripken collection to buy an engagement ring and a house. Damn straight I kept his 1982 Topps card though.
The card that got away thats easy a 58 bob clemente wen i was living in NY my lcs was goin outa business and i coulda had it 4like $25 but i turned it down and instead spent the $25 on a VERY POOR conditioned 56 jackie robinson
ReplyDeleteCC- Damn, that really blows. Sorry you had to suffer through that.
ReplyDeleteRyan G.- Post the Dunst auto! And yeah, selling cards is never a fun thing. But yes, your mom not throwing them out is unquestionably WINNING.
Tim- I hate when I lose an auction by pennies! A truly terrible feeling.
A.J.- That sucks. Glad you're still with us! Stupid fire. So uncool and uncaring about more important things.
dawgbones- Haha, you and Julie should have a Phillies Battle Royale. I'd pay to see that!
jbf- Sorry to hear about the Ryan. Hopefully you can snag another one at some point. And good luck, hope you score the Redus for a nice price!
B.A.- That '04 Futures Jersey is a beauty. Hope you can grab one cheaply, and soon! And we need to trade again soon! Let me know what you liked from my Bait and I can set it aside! Gotta update that like now anyways haha.
Johnny- Damn, that sucks. That card just sounds amazingly pretty. F that Blowout guy.
Justin- At least printing plates occasionally are cheap on the Bay. I hate when I overlook things.
Kirk- I think the money was better spent on the ring and house! A wise choice on your part. Also wise: keeping the second Ripken haha.
dominicfdny- As someone who JUST bought a '56 Jackie for $29 (and who loves Jackie and the Dodgers in general), I think the money was still well-spent! I'm sure you'll snag that Clemente eventually.
THis one's easy for me because it just happend last month. In 2008 I was able to put together a 2008 Topps Tribute Rollie Fingers Rainbow. From the base all the way to the red 1/1 parallel and even added a few printing plates. This year Rollie had another base card in the Tribute set. I was able to pick up all the parallels pretty cheaply and easily except for the Red. I waited and waited, chances are someone could put that card and never put it up for sale so when it finally did come up on Ebay I was on it like a fat kid on an ice cream cone. Sadly I lost the auction in the last few seconds to an even more rabid Rollie Fingers collector. I let it go for under 50 bucks. Sadly there will be no Rollie Rainbow for me this year.
ReplyDeleteThe one that got away from me was not a card but an autographed baseball. It was an authenticated Babe Ruth autograph ball and I had it in my hands and it slipped through my fingers. It was once in a lifetime finds that you know you will never happen upon again.
ReplyDeleteHappy Berfday there Young Pup, hope you have a GReat day!!!
ReplyDeleteverification word: monion - a Jamaican onion!!
Mark- Damn, sorry to hear that. At least you've got the one Rollie Rainbow though.
ReplyDeleteCorky- Wow. That's crazy. A Ruth signed baseball might make me stop collecting. I hope you somehow find yourself in that position again.
Richard- Thanks! monion!
Jack Warhop T206! Elusive........
ReplyDeleteNolan Ryan RC. It was on sale at a shop I ran across one day for $200 because it wasn't in the greatest condition. While I was mulling it over and walking around the shop, another guy came in a snagged it. I still kick myself for not grabbing it while I had the chance...
ReplyDeleteLike the Dimwit, mine is a Nolan Ryan rookie. It was also $200, but this was way back in 1989. It was in a little card shop in Orlando and it was in great shape. I must have looked at that card at least a dozen times. I was 19, in the Navy and not making much money so I never pulled the trigger on it and I've regretted it for the last 20 years.
ReplyDeleteI've missed out on a number of Orioles autographs that I need for my collection. Most recently a Sad Sam Jones and a Bert Hamric. I know that's two cards, but it's impossible for me to narrow it down any further.
ReplyDeleteRyan LaMonica- Good luck, hope you grab one!
ReplyDeleteSam- I'm sure you'll come across another one. Especially with your Ginter moratorium, some extra funds to play with haha.
PATP- To be young and broke. I'm going through that now haha. I hope you and Sam both snag that Nolan RC sooner rather than later!
Ryan OM- Good luck!
I'm sure I've had a few cards that have gotten away from me, but I'm not remembering anything specific right away.
ReplyDeleteWhat's on my mind right now is a 1950 Bowman Enos Slaughter for sale at my LCS for $5. It's pretty mangled, and the worst of the damage is across Enos' face. I keep almost buying it. And if I don't soon, I fear it may become the one that got away.
1958-59 Bobby Hull RC. I saw one in a shop in the winter of 1990 for $85. It was pretty good - somewhere between EX and EXMT. I passed on it because to my eyes, that was about a $60 card.
ReplyDeleteWhat I didn't realize was that this was the beginning of The Winter Where Everything Went Stupid. The world suddenly discovered vintage hockey and everything skyrocketed. Within 3-4 months that was a $600 card. Within another year it was twice that. I've never seen another I could have afforded.
The two others were both cases where there were two great cards and I could only buy one with what I had on me. By the time I got back to the shop the other was gone. One was a beautiful Gordie Howe RC for $135, the other a perfect Gretzky RC for $12. Obviously, both were pre-explosion.
well, I'm sure there have been some, but apparently I've gotten over them, because I can't think of any specifically!
ReplyDeleteToo many to count. The most recent one I'm kicking myself over is forgetting to bid on a PSA 7 1964 Challenge the Yankees Marichal that sold for under $10 plus shipping.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many cards that have slipped away from me in the past handful of months because I try to lowball my auction bids and am never around to defend them when I get outbid. If I had a card for every auction I've lost for a quarter, I'd have a really hefty collection.
ReplyDelete