April 11, 2020

My big lot has not arrived yet. Tracking says it made it to Illinois so I expect it will show up either today or Monday. Also, the handful of items I bid on yesterday have not ended yet. I noticed that a large number of '54 Bowmans are scheduled to end tomorrow. Might as well place some bids.

I found a Doby, listing states no creases but the corners have heavy wear. It is currently at $1.55 with two bids. Shipping is only $2 and seller offers combined. I think I'll bid $10. I'm high bidder at $1.83.

There is a large seller on eBay with the name Tripleplayvintagestore. I always see their listings but never bid. They only show a scan of the front of the card and they do not give a description. I see that they have a bunch of 1954 Bowmans scheduled to end tomorrow. I just can't bid without a back scan and a description. Anybody ever bid with these guys? If so, have you been pleased with your purchases?

Wow, there are three complete sets up ranging from $600, initial bid, to $1,500. I'm too far along on my set but that one at $600 is tempting.

I found a Mays that looks decent except for some corner wear. The seller's description states the card is clean and advises to look over the scan. Well, you can't see all the flaws of a card in a scan. I hate when sellers don't list a description of the card and just say to look at the scan. The card is at $34. I can't see any creases from the scan. I think I will take a chance and bid $75. Outbid at $76. Without a better description of the card, I am not going to take a chance and bid any higher.

​Well, that is it for cards ending tomorrow. I did not have a whole lot of luck today. Most of the cards I saw were creased up. Hopefully, I'll have better luck tomorrow.

April 13, 2020

Well, I didn't work on this project yesterday but I am back at it today. My lot showed up on Saturday. I ended up receiving 195 cards when the headline in the auction stated 170. So, with 25 extra cards, I really can't complain about the purchase. I paid just under $2 a card. The Mathews is creased up. I might replace it. About 10 percent of the cards are creased. I was worried that more like 90 percent of the cards would be creased.

My only complaint is that just about all of the cards have soft corners. I am toying with the idea of trying to find another lot in better shape to replace this one. I would say the majority of the cards grade Good to VG, while the seller stated 85 percent were VG. All in all, I think it is awesome to have the majority of the set already without laying out a ton of money. 

With the lower grade cards, I don't feel as much pressure trying to buy high grade stars. I have been working on a high grade 1966 Topps baseball set and finding cards in high grade at a price that won't break the bank, especially high numbers, is extremely difficult. I have been working on that '66 set forever and don't know when I'll finish. I can definitely see the finish line for this '54 Bowman set.

Here are the results of my most recent bids:

I placed $10 on a Doby and lost at $13.50. I put $75 on a Mays and lost at $217. No big whoop, there are plenty more of these cards to bid on. On the plus side, I won a Kiner at $19.99. Let's see what is up for auction today....

I see a Campy that is really far off center at $26 with no bids. I am going to pass, I would like one better centered. I found another Campy that the seller states is VG but a big ole crease is jumping out. As I stated before, a card can't be VG with a crease, in my opinion.

I see a Mathews. Seller says it is in GOOD condition. I see at least one crease. This one does not seem to be an upgrade from the one I have. Pass. Same seller has a Berra. Looks like a light pen or pencil mark across his face. Pass. Same seller has a Ford. The scans are really bad. Too fuzzy. Pass.

The same seller has a Campy. Creased. Pass. He has a Snider as well. His scans are blurry and he doesn't provide a description. Pass again.

There is that damn tripleplayvintage again. I just can't bid with these guys. You gotta put up a back scan. Sheesh!

I see a Kuenn with a big ole stain. Pass. I found another Kuenn which looks pretty nice. Two bids at $1.04. Card ends tomorrow. I am going to bid $12. I'm high bidder at $2.26.

The guy with the blurry scans has a bunch of team lots ending tomorrow. No back scans. He says the cards are overall GOOD, which means probably creased. I am thinking about the Dodgers 12 card lot which is at opening bid of $30 and $4.25 shipping. There are a few cards in there I could use like the Erskine and Roe. I need to upgrade my Billy Cox, not sure if this one would be an upgrade. There is a Hodges with a pin hole. A nice looking Reese, which I already have. Man, for 30 bucks, I can't pass this one up. I'm high bidder at $30.

Same seller has a Braves lot. I don't need any of the cards but I have a tough time passing up Braves at a decent price. I'm high bidder at $25. Maybe there will be some upgrades in there.

Damn Tripleplayvintage… they have a nice looking Snider but without a back scan, I just can't pull the trigger. Plus, they have a bunch of negative feedback. Ugh! These guys have a Mantle with a back scan! Front looks good. Back shows a crease on the bottom edge. Card is at $277. Pass.

Well, that's all for today. Seems like most of the cards posted are creased. I don't want creased cards! Oh well, tomorrow is another day.

April 14, 2020

My Junior Gilliam arrived and it is officially the nicest card in my set. One soft corner, really no other flaws. None of the cards from yesterday have ended yet. I'm still high bidder on the Kuenn, Dodgers and Braves lots.

Let's see what eBay has to offer today.... I see a stellar looking Campanella at 50 bucks for an opening bid. I think I'm going to go for it. I'm high bidder. Card ends tomorrow. Well, that's about it today. I already have all the cards posted that are scheduled to end in the next day. I still need 18 cards. Maybe I will find some tomorrow!

April 15, 2020

The eight cards I won from that set break last week arrived. Three cards were creased even though the listing claimed they were in EX+ condition. I am glad I stuck to my guns and did not bid on more cards from this seller. Now I won't bid on cards from this seller again. If a card is creased, a seller must state so in their description, in my opinion. A statement advising to just check the scan... does not cut it. You can't see all the creases in a scan. Also, a card listed as EX+ should not contain a crease or in this case multiple creases. Sending me a card with multiple creases that was listed as EX+ is totally dishonest. 

I have not spent this much time on eBay in years and now I feel justified for avoiding eBay. I have found that the vast majority of vintage card sellers are either dishonest, lazy or just plain ignorant because they put up fuzzy scans, don't scan the back, and don't honestly describe their cards.

This little exercise clearly shows that card shows are superior to eBay. At a card show you get to meet the dealer in person. You get to inspect your card in person. You don't pay any shipping cost. You don't pay sales tax. You get to go home with your card as soon as you pay. It has only been about six weeks since I was last at a card show and, man, am I missing card shows.

The only drawback to card shows is you do not have the same number of cards available as you do on eBay. I doubt there are more than 500 to 1,000 of 1954 Bowmans at any of the shows I regularly attend while eBay consistently as 23K to 25K. I do have to say that my show inventory is pretty strong right now. I had just reloaded my binder before I started this set project. The reload was the impetus for my desire to build the set. So any show that I am set up at as a dealer will have a nice selection of 1954 Bowmans.

Getting back to my set build. I finally took the time to take stock of my recent purchases and realize my want list was off by one card. I need a Don Larsen, card 101. As far as my bids from yesterday, someone beat me out on that Dodgers lot while I won the Braves lot for $25 and a Kuenn for $2.76. The Campy has not ended yet. I need 18 more cards. Let's see what there is today....

I found a seller that is having a partial set break. He claims the cards have been sitting in a closet for 30-plus years. Yeah right! No description. He advises to check the scans. First card I see is an Erskine. Looks nice from the scan. Opening bid is $14.95. Add in the $3.95 shipping plus a buck or so sales tax, the final price will be overbook, a la, overpriced!

I see a nice Nellie Fox with one bid at $10. It would be a nice upgrade to the one I have. I'll throw down $15. I'm high bidder at $10.50 with a day to go.

Wow, a seller has a lot with 42 cards, six bids, currently at $17.50, and 12 watchers with a day to go. I probably don't need any of the cards but at that price, I can't resist throwing down $25. I'm immediately out bid at $26.

The guy with the team lots has a bunch more up. I can't resist the White Sox lot and bid $25. I'm high bidder at $25.

I found a Berra that looks perfect but this is another seller that fails to offer a description and has the lame statement "see the scan." The seller grades it VG so there must be some flaws I cannot see from the scan. It is at $45. If the seller would have stated "No creases," I'd be a player. But the facts that there is no statement regarding creasing coupled with the seller's grade of VG, I think there has to be some hidden flaws in this card. Pass.

I found a nice looking Matt Batts, card 183. Seller states "no creases." Card has one bid at $2.99. Shipping is $3.25. Seems kind of high for a common but I just haven't seen any other Matt Batts' cards. I'll throw down $5. I'm high bidder at $3.25 with a day to go.

Okay, I found an unusual listing for an Allie Reynolds, card 113. Scans look good. No bids. Opening bid is $8.99. So far, I'm ready to bid. Then I read the description which states condition is "EXMT++." However, I can clearly see corner and edge wear. This card is EXMT++ only to a blind man. But here is the kicker -- shipping is 99 cents unless you want a bubble envelope, in that case shipping is $4.49. I gather that the seller will ship it in a regular envelope with no protection for 99 cents or in a bubble envelope without any further protection, like a piece of cardboard, for $4.49. Pass! 

Well, I'm done for today and further disillusioned with eBay. Man, these sellers are lame! eBay is Scam-O-Rama! I really think eBay needs to tighten the rules for selling cards. How about requiring sellers to state whether a card is creased or not? Man, building a set during a pandemic is exhausting! Good thing these pandemics seem to only occur once every 100 years. 

Thankfully, tomorrow is another day. Maybe I'll have better luck. I am starting to wonder whether I should check the BINs (Buy It Nows). Maybe all the honest sellers are posting their cards as BINS. Seems like the bulk of the raw card auctions are shady.

April 16, 2020

Well, I won that Campy. It looks like a beaut. Hope it comes that way. I had to pay $3.37 in sales tax along with $3.99 in shipping, which I did not like. There are still several auctions up and I am currently winning. Let's see what else is out there today...

Okay, I see a Slaughter. Once again, an odd description. It states EX-MT in one sentence then Very Good in the next sentence. Well, what is it. Is the card EX-MT or VG? I see a faint line in the middle of the card which may be a crease but I do not know for certain and the seller is silent as to creasing. I think I will pass. Wow, this is a frustrating process!

Same seller has a Feller. Same deal with the description. Pass. I'm seeing a lot of cards I need but they are all creased up. Disappointing selection today. Okay, I am giving up on trying to build this set exclusively through auctions. I am going to check out the BINs.

Hello! The BINS provide infinitely more cards at much high prices, as I expected. I found a Ford that looks pretty good from the scans except for a weird speck on the back. Seller says card is VG-EX but is silent on creases. The card is for sale at $45 but the seller has a best offer option, so I will offer $35 and see what happens. I also asked if the card had any creases and for an explanation of the speck on the back. It sort of looks like paper loss.

Okay, some of these prices are absolutely ridiculous. A Feller BVG 8.5 for $3,750? Really? First off, Beckett graded cards have little to no value to me. It is well documented that Beckett routinely overgrades. I only buy cards in a Beckett slab if they are ridiculously cheap. I checked SMR for an 8.5 and it states only $400. Where does this seller come off?

I see a Pesky, a little high at $8.25. Seller claims it is VG-EX and also includes a little chart explaining his grades. He says VG-EX may include light crease. They don't say whether this particular card has a light crease. Pass.

Okay, that is enough for today. This is much more difficult than I anticipated. So do you guys regularly shop on eBay? Man, I just really don't like it. This is like pulling teeth. It is awfully painful. 

​Stay tuned for Part Three.

How is a vintage sports card addict supposed to get a fix during a pandemic? Seems like everyone is shouting at me to stay home. Where am I going to go, just about everything is closed plus there is the real possibility I can contract a deadly disease. You don't have to tell me twice!

I have really ignored eBay these past several years. The problems I have with eBay are too numerous to mention here. But, since I can't go to a card show, eBay is just about the only way to purchase cards. I am having problems with my scanner so I have not been able to post cards for sale on eBay. Hopefully, I can figure it out sooner rather than later.

I recently reloaded my 1954 Bowman baseball binder which gave me an opportunity to get reacquainted with this great set. After loading the binder, I realized I was 15 cards or so short of a complete set which got me thinking that I should build a 1954 Bowman baseball set for my personal collection. I think it is an underrated set and features some really cool paintings of some of the greatest players in history like Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Bob Feller and Roy Campanella. Of course there is the difficult Ted Williams card, pulled after he signed an exclusive contract with Topps for the 1954 season.

The Bowman 1954 set was issued during a competition with Topps for sports card dominance. Both companies had exclusive agreements with certain players. As a result, the Bowman set has Mantle, Feller, and Campanella, while Topps does not. However, Topps has the amazing rookie cards of Kaline, Banks, and Aaron, while Bowman does not. In my opinion, sports card fans win because there are two amazing sets of cards from 1954 to collect.

I thought it would be fun to build the entire set completely from cards purchased on eBay. I am not going to pursue the Williams. I might want to include some autographed cards and a wrapper. Below is a diary of my attempt to build the 1954 Bowman baseball set on eBay:

April 7, 2020

First off, I am a passive bidder. There is no card that I must own, so I won't get into a bidding war and overpay for anything. My method  is simple, I just throw down my max bid. If I win, great. If I lose, no big deal. While these cards are 66 years old, they are not rare. If anything, eBay has shown us over the past 20 years or so that NOTHING is rare. There are more than 25,000 1954 Bowmans currently on eBay, so I won't ever run out of cards to bid on.

Day 1 of my attempt to build a 1954 Bowman baseball set exclusively on eBay. I punched "1954 Bowman" into the search box on eBay. Decided to look at auction only, cards ending soonest. I saw a lot of nice commons for reasonable prices. However, when I factored in the shipping costs ranging from $3.10 to $6, the price of the cards became a lot less reasonable.

I figured maybe if I purchase multiple cards from the sellers, I could get a break on shipping. To my dismay, none of the sellers on Day 1 offered shipping discounts. Most of them did not accept returns. My scam radar started to go off. I checked what other cards these guys were selling. Most seemed to sell mostly modern cards with a handful of vintage scattered in. I am always a little uncomfortable when I see one vintage card on a seller's eBay page along with 25 or more modern cards.

I have learned over the years that eBay is scam central. I have been burned a few times. So, in order to avoid getting scammed, I make sure I scrutinize a listing before placing a bid.

I saw a Mantle pictured in a thick screwdown for $350. The seller claimed the card was real, not a reprint. He claimed to have owned the card for 20 years. The other items he had for sale included mostly Dallas Cowboys memorabilia. It just seems odd that a guy with 50 modern Dallas Cowboys items has one vintage card, a 1954 Bowman Mickey Mantle.

I have seen a lot of fakes and reprints over the years. The real 1954 Bowman backs have a light gray-white-ish base with red overprint. Seems like a lot of the fakes/reprints have fuzzy backs with yellowish dark shade, almost like a varnish look. The Mantle had the fuzzy back varnish. Fake, in my opinion. Too bad, I would have loved to have purchased an EX Mantle for $350. He had no bids. I am glad others saw that it was fake. Scammers suck!

Another seller had a really nice looking Gil Hodges. The description said miscut. There was no photo of the back. I am always hesitant to purchase a card that does not have a picture of the back. A closer look at the card showed an uneven cut on the top edge, like someone unskilled took a scissors to it. Pass!

Found another Mantle, it had corner and edge wear and what looked like a little tire track across the top. Still at $250, worth a bid. Upon a closer look, the card is perfectly centered. My scam radar always goes off when I see a perfectly centered vintage card. There was no quality control in 1954 and this was the era of liquid lunches. Those guys working the presses could care less whether the cards were centered.

I also observed that Mantle's teeth were bright white while the border was a dimmed white. The differences in the shade of white is another item on my scam radar. The back looks legit, nice and bright gray, no varnish. However, upon a closer look, the edges look handcut, pass!

I then came across an item featuring 170 different 1954 Bowman cards, including some stars. I recognize the seller as someone I have dealt with before so I am confident the cards are legit. The picture is bad, see below, so I can't get a good idea on the condition. I am not creating a Mint set, so I do not mind some wear but I do not want cards creased up.

The description states that 85 percent of the cards are in VG. I don't believe it. I have learned over the years that cards are always at least a grade or two lower than the seller claims. I threw down a bid of $280 and was immediately outbid. Cards went up to $290.

Decisions, decisions. Do I want to bid on a near set of 1954 Bowman cards in Good condition? There is a Rizzuto, Mathews, and a handful of other stars. I decided to bid $300. Immediately outbid. Lot sent up to $305. 

Being that we are in the middle of a pandemic, my income is down, so I have to be conservative. Also, I need to figure in sales tax, since eBay is now charging everyone sales tax. I am thankful there is no buyer's premium. Sales tax plus buyer's premium has priced me out of the big auction houses.

I still think the best deals are at card shows. I hate that I have to purchase cards on eBay, but there is no other choice in these trying times.

Okay, I'll throw down $400 but that is my final bid. Nice! I'm high bidder at $355. There is still six more hours to go on the auction. I doubt I will win the lot. I am going to hold off bidding on any other cards until I learn whether I won the lot.

That was an interesting start to my attempt to build a 1954 Bowman baseball set on eBay.

April 8, 2020

The eBay auction for the 170-card lot of 1954 Bowmans ended at about 9 p.m. I kept checking all evening and my bid at $355 held out and I won the cards. Initially, I was excited. Then when I went to pay for the cards I saw that I was being charged $11 shipping and $22.88 in sales tax, for a total of $388.88. My enthusiasm was dampened when I thought about dropping all that money on cards I did not inspect in person. What am I going to receive? What if the cards are all creased up? I much prefer purchasing cards at shows where I can actually hold, feel, and touch my purchase.

The seller's description does not mention creases which does not mean the cards do not have creases. I would feel much better if he specifically stated no creases. Well, 1954 Bowman commons book at $12 each. If the cards are not creased up, I got a really nice deal at $2.29 a card. If they are creased, I overpaid.

I spent a lot of time last night analyzing my purchase. I went over the seller's description umpteen times and found some anomalies. First off, the listing states 170 cards while the description states 180 cards. Then the seller listed all the cards in the lot. When I counted the cards listed, I came up with 194 cards. Well, what did I just purchase? 170? 180? 194 cards? I better receive at least 170 cards and all the stars stated in the description!

Based on the guy's description, these are the numbers of the cards I now need to complete the set: 10, 15, 23, 38, 45, 58, 62, 65, 74, 84, 89, 90, 92, 94, 97, 105, 113, 122, 132, 135, 138, 161 170, 177, 183, 195, 210, 211, 218 and 221.

There are 224 cards in the 1954 Bowman set, so whether I am receiving 170, 180 or 194 cards, I am receiving the bulk of the set minus the majority of the stars and semi-stars. So I will continue today trying to purchase more cards based on the list above.

Again, I typed in 1954 Bowman, auction only. I feel that I get the best deal with an auction. Buy It Nows seem to always be overpriced.

Same issues as yesterday. I see some cards I need but the shipping cost prices me out. I found a seller with a Carl Erskine, card number 10, which I think I need, though I am not 100 percent sure because the seller of the lot I won really screwed up the description. The Erskine looks nice, just a little off-center. Initial bid is $5, no one else has placed a bid and the card ends in 21 hours. 

A couple of problems. First, the seller only has 68 feedback. I am always a little suspicious of low feedback. Those with low feedback are usually the scammers, in my experience. Second, shipping cost is $4.05. So, if I win, the total would be 9.05 plus sales tax. Does eBay tax the shipping cost? I am going to assume they do, because I do not have a very high opinion of eBay and think they will pull that kind of crap. So tack on another 75 cents for sales tax and I would be paying $9.80, which is about the actual value of the card. As a dealer, I could not pay $9.80 because I would not be able to realize a profit. But, here, I'm building a set as a collector with no immediate plans to sell the set. As I result, I can do the $9.80.

However, the seller does not offer a shipping discount for multiple purchases and does not offer returns. These are problems in my book and I will pass.

I found an Ashburn, card number 15, a little off-center and soft corners. This card books at $80. The card has six bids and is only at $7.50. Shipping is $3.00 and seller offers shipping discount and accepts returns. He also has more than 4,000 positive feedback. Item description states no creases. I think I'll throw down $20. I'm high bidder at $9.50 with a day to go. Woot!

Same seller has a Minoso and it looks like a beaut. It has bids and is currently $8.88. The card books at $30. I think I'll throw down $15. I am now high bidder at $9.50 with a day to go.

Same seller has a Pee Wee Reese, card number 58, with corners that are slightly rounded. Nice centering. Does not appear to be creased. I am a little concerned that the description does not state anything about creasing. The seller specifically stated in the Ashburn description that there are no creases, here no mention. 

The card high books at $100 and it is currently at $13.50 with seven bids. I think I'll throw down $25. I'm high bidder at $14 with a day to go.

Next, I find a Junior Gilliam, card number 74. It looks nice. Different seller with just 168 feedback. This seller offers shipping discount for multiple purchases and accepts returns. Seller claims the card is VG and does not mention anything about creases. The card has two bids and is only at 1.04. I think I'll throw down $8. I'm high bidder at $1.51 with a day to go.

Same seller has a Larry Doby, card number 84, with soft corners. He says it is VG. Card is at $2.80 with two bids. I think I'll throw down $8 again. I'm high bidder at $4.25 with a day to go.

Next, I see another Gilliam but since I just threw down a bid on one, I don't want to bid another just yet. Pass.

I then see a Whitey Ford, card 177. It looks battered and the seller says it is VG. No way. Pass.

April 9, 2020

Day 3. Today is an important day because an entire set is ending today, listed card by card. I have to work at my real job then try and find time to bid.

I received tracking on the lot I purchased. Says I should receive it tomorrow. I  appreciate that the seller shipped it so quickly. 

A quick review of my current bids. I am high bidder on the Ashburn at $9.50. I've been outbid on the Minoso, it is now at $15.50. Too high for this card. I am not going to increase my bid. I'm high bidder on the Reese at $20.50. I'm high bidder on the Gilliam at $2.25. I am also high bidder on the Doby at $5.50.

The guy breaking up the set has 25K in feedback. He charges $3.50 for shipping and does not offer a shipping discount. He also does not accept returns. So any card I bid on, I have to factor in $3.50 plus tax. I am not too high on the lack of shipping discount and the refusal to accept returns. However, I just can't pass up the opportunity to place bids on all the cards I need from one seller in one day!

First up is an Erskine, nice shape but terribly off center. It is currently at $6 with 6 bidders. After factoring in the shipping and tax, I cannot place a bid. The price would be too high.

Next up is a Harvey Kuenn, card number 23. Nice looking card with one soft corner. Seller says EX. I'm thinking VG. Currently one bid at $1.99. I'm going to throw down 7. I'm high bidder at $3.25 with seven hours to go.

There is a Minoso with soft corners and bad centering. One bid at $1.99. I'm going to throw down $8. I'm high bidder at $2.75.

Next up is a nice looking Kiner, card number 45, at $9.50 with three bids. Some slight corner and edge wear. I am going to throw down $15. Looks like I matched another bid and am losing at $15. I'll up it to $20. I'm high bidder at $15.50.

I see an Enos Slaughter, card 62. Seller says EX but the card has corner wear and some wax stains on the back. Card is at $12.50 with seven bids. I am going to throw down $20. I'm high bidder at $13.50.

The Mantle, card 65, is listed in Good but clearly has creases and stains. I appreciate the fact that the seller does mention in the description that the card is creased. It is up to $125 with 13 bids. I am going to throw down $150. I'm high bidder at $132.

The Mays, card 89, is listed as EX or better. I say GOOD would be more appropriate. I don't see any creases and the seller does not describe any. The corners are soft. Surface wear is evident as well as edge wear. There is also what appears to be a pen mark on the lower left edge. Card is currently at $67 with 11 bids. I am going to bid $75. I'm outbid at $76. With that pen mark, I'm not going to up my bid. Pass.

The Campanella, card 90, is listed as EX or better. I can see some corner wear. The back has some scuff marks. It almost looks like a corner crease but tough to tell for sure. The description does not mention a crease. I am a little skeptical. Current bid is $26.40 with 11 bids. I will throw down $35. I would probably bid higher but there does seem to be either a crease or bend on the back. Outbid at $36. I will not up my bid because I think this card may have issues that the seller is keeping quiet about.

The goofy description from the lot I won, shows I need common Ken Raffensberger, card number 92. The one from this set break, looks pretty good. A ding on one corner and a little bit of a centering issue. Card has no bids and starts at $1.99. I am going to bid $4.

I also need another common, Solly Hemus, card number 94. The one from this set break looks pretty good. I see some corner wear. It is at $1.99 for an opening bid. Again, I'll place $4.

Next up is a Gil McDougald, card 97. Description says EX. No way, the seller is on crack! There is clearly creasing visible near the upper left corner. Currently no bidders with an opening of $1.99. I'll throw down $7. Without the crease I would have been willing to go $15 to $20.

I need a Sal the Barber, card number 105. This one looks pretty good with some corner wear. Definitely not EX, as the seller claims. It is at $1.99 for an opening bid. I decide to throw down $5.

Next on my list is Allie Reynolds, card number 113. The one from the set break has some minor corner dings and centering issues. It is also at $1.99 for an opening bid. I am going to throw down $7.

I need Carl Furillo, card 122, an underrated player from those great Brooklyn Dodgers teams from the 1950's. Description states EX or better. Again the seller was hitting the crack pipe too hard. The corners are soft. A lot of scuffing on the back. Looks like there may be a small crease. The card is currently at $2.25 with two bids. I will throw down $7. I can't do much more with a potential crease. I am high bidder at $4.23.

I need a Bob Feller, card number 132. I think the seller is asleep at the wheel. The description states EX or better. From the back scan, I can clearly see a crease. The corners are also soft and the card has centering issues. It is currently at $13.50 with four bids. Without that crease, I would be willing to bid $40 to $50. The crease drops me to $20. I'm high bidder at $16.05.

Up next is a Johnny Pesky, card 135. Maybe the seller started to feel the effects of Corona Virus because this card is clearly in POOR Condition and he is stating that it is EX or better. Heavy corner wear. Scuff marks on the front. The back shows multiple creases. The card is at $4.45 with three bids. Pass.

I need a Gil Hodges, card number 138. The one here looks okay. Though, I am starting to grow a little concerned with this seller. The Pesky listing at EX is troubling. The Hodges is at $14.50 with seven bids. I am going to throw down $25. I am high bidder at $22.53.

The Berra, card 161, is scuffed and the corners are soft -- not EX as the seller states. I cannot be certain whether there are any creases. Seller does not mention creases in the description but I have seen enough of this guy's listings to lose trust. The card is at $41. I will bid $45. I would bid higher but I no longer trust the seller's description. I'm high bidder at $42.

I need Duke Snider, card 170. The seller lists this card as VG, the first card lower than EX, I have seen in a while. He also lists that the card is creased. From the scan, I cannot tell where the creases are located. I don't see any creases -- which is why it is so imperative for sellers to be honest and state whether a card is creased. This seller does not always state whether a card is creased. Looks like a little scuffing on the back. Some corner wear. In my opinion, a card cannot achieve the rate of VG if it is creased. I know a lot of sellers disagree but I NEVER grade a card VG if it is creased.

The Snider is at $13.50 with six bids. I will throw down $18, but that's as far as I will go. I am high bidder at $15.50.

The Whitey Ford is listed as EX or better -- NOT! The corners are rounded and there are scuff marks. While I cannot detect any creases from the scans, it does not mean the card is crease free. Actually, I would not be surprised if the card is creased because of the rounded corners. The card is at $24.50 with five bids. I will go as high as $35. I am high bidder at $29.

I need another common, Matt Batts, card number 183. Description states VG with creases. Pass.

Next up is a common Bob Cain, card number 195. Description states EX. Corner wear and scuff marks evident. Back shows some odd lines that may be creases. I'll take a chance at $1.99.

This set contains two Jimmy Piersall cards. I think card number 210 is the original Piersall. The lower number Piersall was used to replaced the Williams. I need card 210. Corner wear, scuff marks. Card is at $3.55 with 3 bids. I'll throw down $7. Outbid at $7.50. I'll pass because I also noticed what may be a pen mark on the back.

I need Jim Robertson, card 211. Corner wear, some wax stains on the back. One bid at $1.99. I'll bid $4. I'm high bidder at $2.25.

I need Preacher Roe, card 218. The one pictured here is what I believe a "Loop" variation. Some of the cards in this set have a small black loop at the top. Some sellers charge more for a card with the loop. While this one is listed at VG+, it is clearly beat up. Heavy corner wear. The description states that it is creased. It is currently at $1.99 with two bids. I'll go $4. I'm high bidder at $2.82.

Lastly, I need Frank Baumholtz, card 221. I see corner wear. There does not appear to be any creases and the description is silent as to creasing. Opening bid of $1.99. I'll go $4.

Well, that was kind of time consuming. I scrutinized the scans. I think I am done for today. I am going to let the chips fall as they may. Hopefully, I win some of the cards and the seller does not jam me with an extra $3.50 in shipping per card.

April 10, 2020

Day 4. Much to report today. I lost more auctions than I won. I really had a problem with the set break seller's descriptions that were clearly off. I might have upped my bids had the seller provided honest detailed descriptions -- which is one of the many reasons I normally avoid eBay.

Anyway, here's the stuff I lost:

Before I started bidding on the set break, I found a Minoso from another seller and bid $15. I lost at $15.50. I also placed a bid on a Doby from another seller. My max bid was $8. I lost at $14.50.

Now comes my bids with the set break. I started with a Kuenn and placed a $7 bid. Lost at $7.50; I bid $20 on a Kiner and lost at $20.50. I also put down $20 on a Slaughter and lost at $20.50. I put down $150 on a Mantle in absolutely crap shape. I lost at $227.50.

I placed a bid of $75 on a Mays that had a lot of condition problems and lost at $104.62. I placed a bid of $35 and a Campanella that was also problematic and lost at $49.60. I put $7 on an Allie Reynolds and lost at $7.50. I bid $20 on a creased up Feller and lost at $29.99.

I put $25 on a Hodge and lost at $29. I put $45 on a Berra and lost at $52. I put $18 on a creased up Snider and lost at $26.65. I put $35 on a problematic Ford and lost at $36. I put $4 on common Jim Robertson and lost at $4.25. I put $4 on a creased up Preacher Roe and lost at $4.25.

Obviously, I was sniped at the end on most of these cards which is fine because the condition did not warrant higher bids on my part. I just won't overpay. 

Now for my winnings.  I placed a bid of $8 on the Gilliam pictured above and won at $8! I put down $25 on a Pee Wee Reese, pictured below, and won at $22.50. I put down a max bid of $20 on an Ashburn and won at $11.50. I placed a bid of $8 on a Minoso and won at $6.01 which shows how unpredictable eBay can be because earlier I had placed a bid on a different Minoso from a different seller at $15 and lost at $15.50. This one I only bid $8 and won at $6.01. There is no rhyme or reason!

I put $7 on a Furillo and won at $6.01. I put $4 on a Raffensberger and won at $1.99. I put $4 on Solly Hemus and won at $2.49. I put $7 on Gil McDougald and won at $3. I put $5 on Sal Maglie and won at $3.25. I put $4 on Bob Cain and won at $1.99. Lastly, I put $4 on Frank Baumholts and won at $2.50.

Successful day in my book. I was able to knock off 11 cards from my list. I need just 19 more cards to complete the set or so I think... I haven't received that lot yet and I don't know exactly what is in there.

Let's get back to bidding on cards. Ugly stuff up today on eBay. Most everything is creased. There is a Mantle with paste and scrapbook residue on the back. Starting bid $250. No takers. There is another Mantle missing a huge chunk of the upper right side. Starting bid $75. No takers.

I finally find something bidworthy -- a Kiner. Corner are soft. I don't really see any other flaws. Starting bid $19.99 with $4.49 in shipping. I'll bid the minimum. Card ends tomorrow.

Saw another Mantle. A whole bunch of creasing visible on the back. It's at $243. I'll pass. I see a Slaughter. A little scuffing on the back otherwise nice. Currently at $2.59 with two days to go. $3.95 shipping. Reputable seller. I'll throw down $25. I'm high bidder at $6.89.

I think that is all for today. I don't like bidding on auctions that end in more than 24 hours. I'll report back soon.

The older I get, the more I realize I had a pretty unusual childhood. This was the 1970's. Suburbia at its finest. The kids I knew had boring, stale lives. They all seemed to live like the "Waltons." I could almost hear them each night, "Good night Mary Ellen. Good night John Boy."

At my house it was more like, "shut the hell up and go to bed!" 

The neighborhood kids knew what was going to happen each and every day. They knew their moms were going to cook bacon and eggs for breakfast, their fathers were out of the house by 8 a.m. to work and would be back for dinner, and the kids would spend the day at school, camp, or on the weekend take a short jaunt to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. I, on the other hand, had to eat this crappy cereal every morning called "Puffed Rice" that my sister liked and I'd only get to eat if I woke up early enough before I was shipped off or shipped out somewhere. However, often I was shipped out on an awesome adventure.

See, my folks were unlike the white-washed sterile neighbors of 1970's suburbia. My mother did not spend all day in the kitchen or do laundry like the other women in the neighborhood. Hell, I don't even know what she did all day because she wasn't home and I did not know where she went. I just knew that her friends smoked a lot of cigarettes. 

My dad wasn't like the other dads. He didn't work 9 to 5. He didn't coach my little league team or take me out for ice cream. Instead, he was out somewhere hustling. He cut his chops on Chicago's Maxwell Street in the 1950s. Maxwell Street was a flea market, unlike any other flea market in the world because the vendors weren't there to sell you a pair of socks. No, they were there to convince you that the poorly made pairs of socks on their tables were made from the finest materials the world had to offer and for a quarter, your feet could be covered like those of pharaohs, kings, knights of the round table.

Maxwell Street was where the art of the "hustle" was born. My pop studied under the Maxwell Street elite. He knew that the vendors bought the socks from old Marty who lived on Blue Island Avenue and his wife made the socks in the basement of their two flat from Marty's old underwear. For a quarter, you got to cover your feet in old Marty's shit stain.

It has always been about the hustle for my pop. So while my friends were picked up summer mornings by these glowing yellow buses covered with all sorts of Indian logos and staffed by college coeds then taken to day camps where they did crafts, went swimming, played sports... I got picked up summer mornings in a Sanford & Son junker with old Harry Heller at the wheel.

I'm pretty sure Pop knew Harry from Maxwell Street. Harry was larger than life. A big personality. He went to college on a basketball scholarship. Afterwards, he bounced around the Indians and the Cubs minor leagues until he was drafted into World War II.

Harry was a hustler. He'd be glad to see me and in some weird way, I'd be glad to see him. But he'd always hurry me along. We had lots of other kids to pick up in the northern suburbs and across the North Side of Chicago. I didn't know any of those kids. I just learned to go along with the day's adventure.

Once we picked up all the kids, I knew we would end up somewhere hot. Often it was a 100 year-old beaten down school on the North Side of Chicago that had a cavernous gym with no air conditioning, just hot, wet air. There would be a dozen basketballs on the floor. Harry would disappear. Us kids were left in the gym to do whatever.

Often, I would try to toss a basketball to the ceiling of the gym. Those old gyms had these sky-high ceilings. I could never hit it. If I had a baseball, probably. But I couldn't jack a basketball that high. So I would end up shooting baskets until I got too hot. It always got too hot. Then I'd just sit around and wait to get back into the junker, drop off all the city kids, then go suburb to suburb and drop off all the other kids and eventually get home.

One summer morning, while expecting to be dropped off at an old time gym, I observed that the old junker ended up parked on Waveland Avenue, just outside the left field bleachers of Wrigley Field. This was the mid-1970's. The Cubs were out of town and the park was empty. We were led into Wrigley Field through an old metal door that I think has long been sealed over.

We were ordered to get in line, two by two, and were marched into left field down toward the Cubs dugout. Then we went past home plate and up right field, past the visitor's dugout. They parked us on the right field grass. We sat, and sat, then sat some more. It was one of those hot Chicago summer days. I was initially thrilled to be walking around Wrigley but sitting on that right field grass in the hot sun, with nothing to drink, dampened my enthusiasm.

Eventually, a familiar face -- Ernie Banks showed up and popped us kids out of our heat haze and we all stood up. I wondered how ole Harry hustled this up. I thought of my friends making freakin' lanyards at their Indian summer camps while I stood on the right field grass of Wrigley Field looking up at Ernie Banks. 

Ernie was a ball of energy. He told us that he was our tour guide for the day and we followed him along the outfield wall. I was a little light headed from sitting in the heat but damn if I wasn't going to get right on the heals of Ernie Banks. I listened intently as he plucked a leaf off the outfield ivy and explained how it was planted in 1937 by Bill Veeck, who I knew as the owner of the White Sox at the time. Ernie explained that if a ball got lost in the ivy, the umps rule it an automatic double.

Man, that ended up being a great day but not unusual for me. As a kid, I never knew what was going to happen, especially in summer. When I needed a baseball mitt, we went to see Pop's old friend from Maxwell Street, Morrie Mages. Old Morrie went from selling sports equipment on Maxwell Street to owning the largest sporting gear store in the world, at one time. If I needed a suit, we'd go find an old tailor on Roosevelt Road, near the old Maxwell Street, even though we lived all the way in the northern suburbs. Pops had to get a deal. There were no deals at the suburban malls. We only shopped at places where Pops could negotiate a price. 

All the furniture in my house came from the old Twin flea market in Wheeling, because pop could get a deal. When I wanted a fishing pole, I was only allowed to get a "pocket fisherman" because Pop went to high school with Ron Popeil. You remember that guy? He was a hustler too. All his stuff never worked but he was on TV all the time hawking stuff like the Mr. Microphone -- Hey Good Looking, Be Back To Pick You Up Later!

There was Pop's friend who had a car collection that would make Jay Leno blush. I got to ride in one of the original Batmobiles from the 1960's TV show. Pop's friend drove it on over. The Batmobile was in my driveway!

Pops was into politics too. We would have these lavish fundraisers at our house for all sorts of local political candidates. As a kid, I was invisible to these people. I would weed my way through the hoards in my living room to find the bowl of cocktail franks. Steal the bowl, hustle it up to my bedroom and chow down with my brother.

The best part of growing up was that Pop loved sports. The highlight was going to the All Star games in 1981, 1982, and 1983. We hung out at the hotels where the players were staying and I got tons of autographs. I hopped on an elevator in Cleveland in 1981 and found my self staring at Warren Spahn and Yogi Berra. I still have the autographs. Don Drysdale was on our flight back to Chicago, as he was the White Sox announcer back then. He signed my ticket stub. I still have it. My brother and I ran after Mike Schmidt outside Olympic Stadium in Montreal in 1982. In 1983, Pops got us tickets to the All Star game banquet, the night before the game in Chicago. I sat at a huge table with eight or nine all stars and ate dinner with them.

I think it was 1982 and Pops got me and my brother into the Cubs dugout before a game. I remember sitting with Larry Bowa in the dugout. Later that night we went to some sort of fundraiser dinner with the Cubs. I sat next to Steve Henderson. He was awfully nice.

Pop's became friends with all sorts of old-time baseball players. It was not unusual for Jimmy Piersall or Randy Hundley to call my house. I was always too scared to really say anything to those guys. I usually just took a message. I really wanted to ask Jimmy Piersall why he was riding Wayne Nordhagen. Piersall was a White Sox announcer for a long time.

It was a crazy way to grow up but when I think back on it, it was pretty cool. I really loved meeting Ernie Banks in the mid-1970's and feeling the gravel of the warning track in the outfield of Wrigley Field under my feet. I've got so many crazy stories from my childhood. Like the building on Division Street in the West Town neighborhood of Chicago that my grandmother owned with her brother. The building housed a boxing gym and Pop's would take me there with him to collect rent from the boxers. When I got my drivers license, I was sent all over the city and suburbs to collect rent or remove the change from the laundry machines in apartment buildings.

Pops is still around at age 82. He comes out to the card shows occasionally. I know he's hustled some of you guys. Sorry! That is the way he was made. He comes from a different time and like I said, I had a very different upbringing but I wouldn't change a thing!!

I might have told some of these stories in some earlier blogs. Forgive me for repeating them, if I did. Just feeling a little nostalgic and it is always fun to tell these stories.