Griffey Collector's Thread

goobmcnasty said:

A few trusted sellers have listed some great Griffeys this week.

crump_family - Just listed. Highlights include an authentic (PSA/DNA) Peter Max auto and some tougher Artist Proofs and Refractors. http://www.ebay.com/sch/m.html?_odkw=&_ssn=crump_family&hash=item43dcca06f2&item=291467036402&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2046732.m570.l1313.TR10.TRC2.A0.H0.Xgriffey.TRS2&_nkw=griffey&_sacat=0

probstein - Like him or not, he has some good stuff listed. Highlighted by not one, but TWO 1999 Bowman Chrome International refractors. a PSA 9 and PSA 10.
pwcc - 93 Refractor, 94 Mantle autos, some good classic/tough Griffeys

medoogan - Some tough ones ending tonight and tomorrow. Several of them he got from me, so I doubt I will be watching how high they end at. Not good for the soul lol. - http://www.ebay.com/sch/m.html?item=111668600153&hash=item19fff79d59&_ssn=medoogan&_sop=10

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Thanks for the plug. I'm probably going to list a good majority of my Griffey's over the next couple weeks so if there is anything in particular anyone is looking for please let me know on here or PM me.

Crump_family said:

Thanks for the plug. I'm probably going to list a good majority of my Griffey's over the next couple weeks so if there is anything in particular anyone is looking for please let me know on here or PM me.

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I emailed my list to you. Look forward to hearing back! Thanks Justin.

brinn1 said:

goob, thanks so much for the advice. I will do it that way, and let the chips fall where they may. Good luck to you and laa the Griffey guys
Steve Brinn

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Goob ov is right on. While I respect ChipperJones point that does not apply to Griffey. 95% of the time I get more than I thought at auction. .99 start at 10pm on any night but Fri or Sat. For 7 days. I know 2 guys that will bid that card up way more than it should sell right now.

On on another note since we are helping each other out, I think your leaving a lot of money on the table the way you have been listing your autos. Only listing1 starting at 10am isn't going to attract as many bidders as listing 20 at a time 3 minutes apart starting at 9:30 pm. Goob and myself have been selling non stop and can attest this brings the most money.

That run a year ago when the cut above sold for $550 was mine. I had 10 plus cards that sold the highest they ever went. People have money to spend, and will find money if they don't to buy stuff they want.

Edit: wrote this on the go if some stuff doesn't make sense lol

chippercards.com said:

Hi Steve - I'll provide a second opinion here. I sell thousands of cards every year on ebay. My goal is always to maximize value. I tend to avoid the ultra high-end cards like you Griffey collectors get into. The market is too small and has a much bigger up front investment. That said, I have learned a lot and have done a lot of selling (user ID cardboardstars.com), so I am very much an expert on the ebay market in general and you can take that for what it's worth.

Could you be ok and hopefully still get max value on your BGS 10 Purple? Sure. Maybe. The high end Griffey market is one of the very last remaining strong points in the market. But I think what goob shared was one-sided. From his perspective. My perspective? Leave nothing to chance,. Do not trust the market. Protect yourself. It is all about the right buyers coming in, and the timing has to work for both them AND for you if you go the no-min route. If I were to liquidate my inventory right now, I would get .10-.15 on the dollar vs. if I were to sell it over time with a set minimum. That is what I have found in the data and I adjust my practices accordingly.

If I were in your shoes, I would do the high BIN with best offer. Probably would try something like $3500 or $4000, but you Griffey guys might know better what the Griffey market would bear. While goob makes the point about people being put off by reserves...for a card like this, when they really want it and they have to have it AND it is the only one out there, I think they will get over the slight nuisance of it not being a no-minimum auction.

Good luck!

Matt

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With all due respect, your sales history indicates less than 10 recent sales for over $20. So my opinion might seem "one-sided." and it probably is, but it's the right side. With lower end stuff that not a lot of people are searching for, I agree, you have to protect yourself to insure your $10 card doesn't sell for a buck. But with higher end Griffey cards, its a whole 'nother animal. If you list a good Griffey card for auction with no reserve and a low starting price, it WILL sell for (at the very least) what its truly worth. The only "steals" you ever see are from Buy It Nows/OBOs from naive sellers who think they are selling the right way. Christ, even a card listed as "Griffrey" sold for $7k.

If it's good, people will find it, and it will sell.

I can't believe the Griffey Red Crusade is valued so damn high, it really makes no sense to me at all. No way that's sustainable? It's ridiculously overvalued compared to every other player in the set, by far? Right, or am I just losing my mind?

From my perspective, as a Ripken guy, his prices seem to be dirt cheap when using Griffey as a benchmark. I won his Red Crusade at open auction before Xmas for about $800 shipped, maybe $850. I know it was way less than my snipe, to the point where I thought I got a steal and wondered where the bidders were. This was the first open auction Red Crusade of his I had seen in about 4 years (which was around $1250 then).

And Griffey is really 8-10x that amount? If Griffey is $6-$8k then I'd put Cal at $2-$3k, which boggles my mind that it'd auction under $1k.

I can only compare Griffey to Ripken demand across certain inserts. Like the 1993 Refractors PSA 10s that just ended. Griffey was the highest of course ($2.4k), Ivan Rodriguez was 2nd (!?), and Ripken was 3rd at $1.3k. Thomas and Maddux also broke $1k.

I know that Griffey cards are ultra hot (Jeter is too), but at some point I just have to scratch my head and wonder. I get Jeter's recent retirement as a hype inducing event but I really have no clue why Griffey is so hot. When I was young and collecting in the 90s, you always wanted to pull a Griffey, Thomas, Ripken or Ryan. Just Griffey prices are so astronomical over the other 3 (though Ryan is really a different era), that Thomas / Ripken are undervalued or this Griffey train is going to cool off at some point.

jonebone said:

I can't believe the Griffey Red Crusade is valued so damn high, it really makes no sense to me at all. No way that's sustainable? It's ridiculously overvalued compared to every other player in the set, by far? Right, or am I just losing my mind?

From my perspective, as a Ripken guy, his prices seem to be dirt cheap when using Griffey as a benchmark. I won his Red Crusade at open auction before Xmas for about $800 shipped, maybe $850. I know it was way less than my snipe, to the point where I thought I got a steal and wondered where the bidders were. This was the first open auction Red Crusade of his I had seen in about 4 years (which was around $1250 then).

And Griffey is really 8-10x that amount? If Griffey is $6-$8k then I'd put Cal at $2-$3k, which boggles my mind that it'd auction under $1k.

I can only compare Griffey to Ripken demand across certain inserts. Like the 1993 Refractors PSA 10s that just ended. Griffey was the highest of course ($2.4k), Ivan Rodriguez was 2nd (!?), and Ripken was 3rd at $1.3k. Thomas and Maddux also broke $1k.

I know that Griffey cards are ultra hot (Jeter is too), but at some point I just have to scratch my head and wonder. I get Jeter's recent retirement as a hype inducing event but I really have no clue why Griffey is so hot. When I was young and collecting in the 90s, you always wanted to pull a Griffey, Thomas, Ripken or Ryan. Just Griffey prices are so astronomical over the other 3 (though Ryan is really a different era), that Thomas / Ripken are undervalued or this Griffey train is going to cool off at some point.

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That's the thing. I don't know if I'd say Griffey is "hot." In my mind "hot" means a quick spike in prices, which drops back down when a player cools off. The Griffey market has always been steadily high compared to other players. I would say the only players of his era that come close are Jeter/Ripken, but they only come close with the more common inserts. More consistent demand by more collectors with deeper pockets. I don't necessarily believe this a bubble that is going to pop, more so a strong market that has always been strong, since his playing days.

With the tougher cards (Crusade Red, Gold Embossed Refractor, Perfect 10, 96 Mirror Gold) there are extremely limited quantity available, so when one is offered, you have 10-20 guys with deep pockets fighting over them. In their eyes, money is no object. They'd much rather have the card than the money. It's worth it to them to throw $7,000 at a card they potentially might never see again.

Double post.....

Everybody has been saying the same thing about Griffey prices for the past 5 years as his rare stuff just steadily rises up. I don't see the rare stuff ever coming down as Griffey played until 2009. I was a Griffey fantatic and I was only 13-17 in his prime. I couldn't afford ****. What about Griffey fans from his later part of his career 00-09? I'm personally not but if you where 13 in 2005 that means you might not be able to afford his high end stuff until 2020. I know I couldn't afford his higher end stuff until about 5 years ago and I still can't unless I get great deals. If I had the money I would have bought that crusade for the 7k he would have took. It doesn't matter 90 people don't think it's worth it, it only matters 10 do.

Griffey is baseballs Jordan of the 90s. Jeter is close but Griffey still outsells him 90% of the time. Griffeys popularity was and is still huge.

jonebone, I really don't see what you're complaining about here... You're essentially complaining that you picked up the crusade red of your guy Ripken for under $1K. Man, I wish I had the desire to collect someone other than Griffey. Do you think we all like spending thousands on his cards? Haha, probably not. We do it because we have to because that is what they are worth and what they have been worth for a while. The ultra high end Griffeys will likely be sustainable because there will always be 20-30 guys that want these cards. When you get to print runs over 100, they'll likely come back down a little bit over time, but they aren't priced too ridiculously now. The market really sets itself, and to me, Griffey was the best player of the 90s, as well as the most exciting. As Joey said, he was the Michael Jordan of baseball. I wish I collected someone like Rusty Greer or Todd Helton, whose cards can be had for pennies. That would simplify my collecting needs. Unfortunately though, like many here with me, I'm a Griffey addict.

Jonebone sounds like he is upset he that his boy Ripken isn't getting what Griffey Jr gets- Well he never has except when Griffey was on a card with him. Giffey jr Collectors are a differernt breed, don't I know it from the years I spent on this forum learning from all of you.

Reading all the different ideas for card selling ( I sell a few myself ), I am convinced that no reserve, no bin, low starting bid was the way to go with this particular card. Other cards, even if Griffey Jr, may be handled differently. But with my card, a purple crusade PSA 10 mint, My main point is that no one has any idea of what the card is worth. When that happens, you just let it go for what it gets, unless you paid a certain amount and decide that you won't sell under that amount and will keep the card rather than do so.

I thank you all for the advice and I do believe that the Griffey Jr buyers can decide the value (along with perhaps some PSA 10 collectors).
Steve Brinn

brinn1 said:

Jonebone sounds like he is upset he that his boy Ripken isn't getting what Griffey Jr gets- Well he never has except when Griffey was on a card with him. Giffey jr Collectors are a differernt breed, don't I know it from the years I spent on this forum learning from all of you.

Reading all the different ideas for card selling ( I sell a few myself ), I am convinced that no reserve, no bin, low starting bid was the way to go with this particular card. Other cards, even if Griffey Jr, may be handled differently. But with my card, a purple crusade PSA 10 mint, My main point is that no one has any idea of what the card is worth. When that happens, you just let it go for what it gets, unless you paid a certain amount and decide that you won't sell under that amount and will keep the card rather than do so.

I thank you all for the advice and I do believe that the Griffey Jr buyers can decide the value (along with perhaps some PSA 10 collectors).
Steve Brinn

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Your PSA 10 has already hit more than we thought... and it's only the first day! When are you gonna list your BGS 10? Sky is the limit on that one.

brinn1 said:

Jonebone sounds like he is upset he that his boy Ripken isn't getting what Griffey Jr gets- Well he never has except when Griffey was on a card with him. Giffey jr Collectors are a differernt breed, don't I know it from the years I spent on this forum learning from all of you.

Reading all the different ideas for card selling ( I sell a few myself ), I am convinced that no reserve, no bin, low starting bid was the way to go with this particular card. Other cards, even if Griffey Jr, may be handled differently. But with my card, a purple crusade PSA 10 mint, My main point is that no one has any idea of what the card is worth. When that happens, you just let it go for what it gets, unless you paid a certain amount and decide that you won't sell under that amount and will keep the card rather than do so.

I thank you all for the advice and I do believe that the Griffey Jr buyers can decide the value (along with perhaps some PSA 10 collectors).
Steve Brinn

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If I can add any suggestion to you listing is to change it. Right now you have it ending on a Friday at 5:30 in the morning. That's not going to bring you the most eyes. Your missing people sleeping , working , traveling etc. If end it on any days besides Friday or Saturday , and end it in the 7-10 PM type range.

Ryan

RStadlerASU22 said:

If I can add any suggestion to you listing is to change it. Right now you have it ending on a Friday at 5:30 in the morning. That's not going to bring you the most eyes. Your missing people sleeping , working , traveling etc. If end it on any days besides Friday or Saturday , and end it in the 7-10 PM type range.

Ryan

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9:30 PM Eastern Time Sunday-Thursday is the best time to start/end an auction I've found.

goobmcnasty said:

9:30 PM Eastern Time Sunday-Thursday is the best time to start/end an auction I've found.

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Right , I guess I should of prefaced I'm I'm AZ , so that's 630 here. But def not 530 AM on Friday as an ending time

Ryan

RStadlerASU22 said:

Right , I guess I should of prefaced I'm I'm AZ , so that's 630 here. But def not 530 AM on Friday as an ending time

Ryan

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Definitely can agree on all of the above. Haha

murphy17 said:

jonebone, I really don't see what you're complaining about here... You're essentially complaining that you picked up the crusade red of your guy Ripken for under $1K. Man, I wish I had the desire to collect someone other than Griffey. Do you think we all like spending thousands on his cards? Haha, probably not. We do it because we have to because that is what they are worth and what they have been worth for a while. The ultra high end Griffeys will likely be sustainable because there will always be 20-30 guys that want these cards. When you get to print runs over 100, they'll likely come back down a little bit over time, but they aren't priced too ridiculously now. The market really sets itself, and to me, Griffey was the best player of the 90s, as well as the most exciting. As Joey said, he was the Michael Jordan of baseball. I wish I collected someone like Rusty Greer or Todd Helton, whose cards can be had for pennies. That would simplify my collecting needs. Unfortunately though, like many here with me, I'm a Griffey addict.

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Again thanks guys. Just to be clear, goob asked about the BGS 10, I had made a mistake and the card was a PSA 10. So there is no BGS 10 of a Purple crusade waiting in the wings.

Concerning changing the auction time and "eyes" I really don't worry about that at all. I know some of you do and I respect that. But with a 10 day auction, if someone wants a special card, they have seen it and there is no reason to be physically present to bid at the end. When I was buying heavily, I never bid on a card until the last 9 secs and programmed it in 7 days before. I know not everyone does it that way, but if they really want the card, they will do what they need to in order to put in a bid. I don't think the card will sell any lower because of a time or day. That's just my opinion. On little stuff it may matter more, but on special stuff, one isn't going to let a card go because the auction isn't closing at a optimal time or day.

Thanks again for all the helpful advice
Its great to see magic papa's name again, its been a while
Steve B

brinn1 said:

Again thanks guys. Just to be clear, goob asked about the BGS 10, I had made a mistake and the card was a PSA 10. So there is no BGS 10 of a Purple crusade waiting in the wings.

Concerning changing the auction time and "eyes" I really don't worry about that at all. I know some of you do and I respect that. But with a 10 day auction, if someone wants a special card, they have seen it and there is no reason to be physically present to bid at the end. When I was buying heavily, I never bid on a card until the last 9 secs and programmed it in 7 days before. I know not everyone does it that way, but if they really want the card, they will do what they need to in order to put in a bid. I don't think the card will sell any lower because of a time or day. That's just my opinion. On little stuff it may matter more, but on special stuff, one isn't going to let a card go because the auction isn't closing at a optimal time or day.

Thanks again for all the helpful advice
Its great to see magic papa's name again, its been a while
Steve B

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hiya Steve, your still on my list for My Red Crusades

brinn1 said:

Again thanks guys. Just to be clear, goob asked about the BGS 10, I had made a mistake and the card was a PSA 10. So there is no BGS 10 of a Purple crusade waiting in the wings.

Concerning changing the auction time and "eyes" I really don't worry about that at all. I know some of you do and I respect that. But with a 10 day auction, if someone wants a special card, they have seen it and there is no reason to be physically present to bid at the end. When I was buying heavily, I never bid on a card until the last 9 secs and programmed it in 7 days before. I know not everyone does it that way, but if they really want the card, they will do what they need to in order to put in a bid. I don't think the card will sell any lower because of a time or day. That's just my opinion. On little stuff it may matter more, but on special stuff, one isn't going to let a card go because the auction isn't closing at a optimal time or day.

Thanks again for all the helpful advice
Its great to see magic papa's name again, its been a while
Steve B

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Gotcha, I'd much rather have the PSA 10 than a BGS 9.5. But if it was a BGS 10 Pristine. That is ridiculous money!

...and looking at the bid history, and the high bidder, I'd say the "right buyers" are already watching it!

Joey_peapod said:

Everybody has been saying the same thing about Griffey prices for the past 5 years as his rare stuff just steadily rises up. I don't see the rare stuff ever coming down as Griffey played until 2009.

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Well I come from other hobbies, I'm actually primarily a video game collector. And in comparing the two hobbies (though I'm mostly a Ripken guy), I find cards to be dead and games to be lucrative. Games have many $10k+ items, though nothing has broke $60k yet. And every single day, new collectors show up with WTB threads, more resellers enter the market and prices have been straight up since I started in 2008.

But cards? Honest question, have you seen a huge influx in Griffey or card collectors in general over this time? Hobbies don't keep going sky high forever by the same 5 guys bidding on things, they go up by new blood with deeper pockets showing up with crazy WTB offers. And I feel like anyone in their 20s / 30s that is going to be collecting Griffey probably already has started.

brinn1 said:

Jonebone sounds like he is upset he that his boy Ripken isn't getting what Griffey Jr gets- Well he never has except when Griffey was on a card with him. Giffey jr Collectors are a differernt breed, don't I know it from the years I spent on this forum learning from all of you.

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And to this point, please be clear, I'm not jealous at all, just trying to understand the market. What is Griffey's highest valued card or highest documented sale? Ripken has a 1980 Police Issue Minor league card that is $10k-$15k, maybe even $20k+ in high PSA grade. Going back to the comment of "it doesn't matter if 90 people don't care as long as 10 people want it", well clearly at least some closet Ripken collectors have 5 digits to throw around on a whim at auctions.

But, after watching most of his other cards be flat, I can only wonder why I continue to throw money at a flat hobby. I enjoy collecting Ripken but I feel like every $1 I spent may be hard to recover, yet in games every $1 I spent is an easy $2 or $3 in a year.

But you guys know the Griffey market much better than me, I'm just curious why his prices defy the overall trend of the hobby being relatively stagnant. His career was completely marred by injuries and I feel like he never lived up to the hype, and most of the collectors seem to be nostalgic for his "hype" days in the mid 90s.