2014 Leaf Memories 1992 Buybacks

diwhite · Sep 13, 2014

It looks like Leaf just released the 1992 Leaf buy backs in their 2014 Best of Baseball boxes.

I know a lot of player collectors will be following this set closely, so I thought I'd give everyone a heads up.

I'm looking for Kelly Gruber cards from this set, and also from the previous Leaf Memories sets. Thanks!

Austin · Sep 13, 2014

Hi TC, I apologize for this rant and it's not directed at you.

I just don't get these "buy-back" products.
The 1992 Leaf set was overproduced and can be bought for a few bucks on eBay.

But put a new stamp on a five-cent common card, number it to 10, even though a million cards exist, and player collectors spend big money on some of them.
Seems like false scarcity to me.

mrmopar · Sep 13, 2014

That is the key. Make it limited and UNIQUE. That stamp, by the original manufacturer or even a competitor, will create the value. The card itself is not specie, the stamp is. I don't think the common cards should be worth a whole lot, but then again there are no players I would buy. When they are signed as well though, that makes them so much more desirable.

Austin · Sep 13, 2014

mrmopar said:
That is the key. Make it limited and UNIQUE. That stamp, by the original manufacturer or even a competitor, will create the value. The card itself is not specie, the stamp is. I don't think the common cards should be worth a whole lot, but then again there are no players I would buy. When they are signed as well though, that makes them so much more desirable.

I agree the on-card autographs are awesome.
It's the common stamped cards I have a problem with.

I buy the card, not the stamp. It's like paying for a 1992 penny with a new stamp on it, or any worthless item from 1992.
Why does a stamp suddenly increase the value of a worthless item? It makes no sense to me.

So a comic book company can buy thousands of worthless common bargain bin comics from the '90s, stamp them, and they're suddenly valuable?

Collectors complain about the industry releasing garbage, but they still buy this stuff.

mrmopar · Sep 13, 2014

I don't necessarily disagree with you, but in the end, those 5 or 10 1992 Leaf cards will still be unique to the millions of others and they will be scarce. They will all settle into collections and resurface rarely. Same as the embossed & foil Topps and the rest of the buyback stuff. It's too bad the buyback stuff can't be better all the time, instead of junk mostly, but of course that would raise costs.

Austin · Sep 13, 2014

mrmopar said:
I don't necessarily disagree with you, but in the end, those 5 or 10 1992 Leaf cards will still be unique to the millions of others and they will be scarce. They will all settle into collections and resurface rarely. Same as the embossed & foil Topps and the rest of the buyback stuff. It's too bad the buyback stuff can't be better all the time, instead of junk mostly, but of course that would raise costs.

That makes sense, especially for player collectors, as long as they don't spend more than a few bucks for a stamped common card.
And when they collect a player who rarely has new cards come out, any new card is exciting.

I guess I'm just bothered by the principle of it. Putting a new stamp on an over-produced turd makes it suddenly in demand to collectors despite it's manufactured rarity.

DaClyde · Sep 13, 2014

Those Desert Shield versions of completely worthless 1991 Topps cards were definitely popular. These style of variations have been around for at least 20 years. I'm not complaining about having a couple "new" Hensley Meulens cards to chase. I just have to be sure to get them quick before someone holds them hostage, like the guy trying to sell the 2012 Leaf Memories Buybacks Roberto Kelly 1/1 for $75.

TNP777 · Sep 13, 2014

I just realized that I haven't tracked down last year's 1/1. Ah, well. The soitch continues.

Thanks for the heads up. I'll be on the lookout for the newly-released '92s. Wonder if they bought any of the Black Gold parallels.

matfanofold · Sep 13, 2014

Austin said:
Hi TC, I apologize for this rant and it's not directed at you.

I just don't get these "buy-back" products.
The 1992 Leaf set was overproduced and can be bought for a few bucks on eBay.

But put a new stamp on a five-cent common card, number it to 10, even though a million cards exist, and player collectors spend big money on some of them.
Seems like false scarcity to me.

Not for nothing, and this is not directed at you either, but even though it is slightly left of your comment, some would say the same thing about all the 'parallels' of modern cards that simply have a foil numbered stamp and perhaps a different colored border. It's a blurred line but history shows people pay year in and year out for something/anything rare, even if it is nothing more than a aftermarket stamp making it so.

mrmopar · Sep 13, 2014

Sometimes you wonder why the card makers do what they do. I suppose making buyback cards #'d/5 helps sell the product, but it seems that they are helping the aftermarket more. It would be more fun to be able to find these cards in greater quantities. Not massive amounts, but more than single or double digits. I have purchased a few of the older Dodger buyback commons for anywhere from 50 cents to a couple bucks. They make for something different, but unless the card was more expensive or it was a Garvey (i admit to spending more on those), then I back out as the price rises.

I think if they do it though, they need to advise us of who gets bought back. I have to assume that it's nowhere near the entire set of most products and stars seldom show up at all, especially the vintage buyback stuff. that and quit buying back BEATERS!! Excellent or better condition or don't bother.

Austin · Sep 13, 2014

matfanofold said:
Not for nothing, and this is not directed at you either, but even though it is slightly left of your comment, some would say the same thing about all the 'parallels' of modern cards that simply have a foil numbered stamp and perhaps a different colored border.

True, there are too many parallels these days. But people who compared the two are knuckleheads.
There is a huge difference in a parallel and a buyback stamped card, as you know.

A parallel is printed uniquely and specifically as a limited printing, numbered (in theory) to how many times it was printed.
When you have a parallel numbered to ten, you know you have one of ten cards, entirely printed with that parallel variation.

A stamped buyback is a card usually printed in the hundreds of thousands or millions, then given an after-market stamp to create artificial rarity.

A parallel may look similar to a base card, but it's physically printed in limited numbers.
A buyback is a base card.

bobthewondercat77 · Sep 13, 2014

matfanofold said:
Not for nothing, and this is not directed at you either, but even though it is slightly left of your comment, some would say the same thing about all the 'parallels' of modern cards that simply have a foil numbered stamp and perhaps a different colored border. It's a blurred line but history shows people pay year in and year out for something/anything rare, even if it is nothing more than a aftermarket stamp making it so.

Exactly. This is an oft-overlooked point. It is all manufactured scarcity, and really all of it is similarly implausible.

This is a black cloud hanging over future value of many of today's cards IMO.

matfanofold · Sep 13, 2014

Austin said:
True, there are too many parallels these days. But people who compared the two are knuckleheads.
There is a huge difference in a parallel and a buyback stamped card, as you know.

A parallel is printed uniquely and specifically as a limited printing, numbered (in theory) to how many times it was printed.
When you have a parallel numbered to ten, you know you have one of ten cards, entirely printed with that parallel variation.

A stamped buyback is a card usually printed in the hundreds of thousands or millions, then given an after-market stamp to create artificial rarity.

A parallel may look similar to a base card, but it's physically printed in limited numbers.
A buyback is a base card.

That is why I said I believe it to be left of the original rant, however I do not believe the difference is as drastic as you. Both are simply taking a otherwise mass produced card, sticking a numbered stamp on it and calling it limited. The process in how, why, or when this happens is not major factor to me. And just to rebuttal your knuckle head comment, I always thought it a bit foolish home some can get giddy over a low numbered parallel simply because it has a blue border instead of black, and a foil stamp on the back with all else being equal. However, That is my opinion and would not consider them knuckle heads for how they view and/or accept what they want to buy/collect.

gracecollector · Oct 2, 2014

Anyone have success finding their players? I grabbed the first Mark Grace one I've seen listed today. Nobody bust 2014 Leaf Memories (can't blame them)? These seem significantly harder to find than in past years.

#1 /5

jszczech · Oct 2, 2014

Haven't seen a Puckett yet.

olerud363 · Oct 2, 2014

I haven't seen an Olerud up for sale either, but I really don't know how much of a priority it is for me to find one. I certainly wouldn't pay the same as for a "real" /5. I paid under $10 for a show-stamped /5, and I'd probably put Leaf Memories in the same ballpark.

gracecollector · Oct 2, 2014

olerud363 said:
I haven't seen an Olerud up for sale either, but I really don't know how much of a priority it is for me to find one. I certainly wouldn't pay the same as for a "real" /5. I paid under $10 for a show-stamped /5, and I'd probably put Leaf Memories in the same ballpark.

Grace cost me $12/$15 shipped.

Brewer Andy · Oct 2, 2014

These are in "Best of" right? I've yet to see a Sveum. This has been out a few weeks now right? And have we determined if there are any of the Black Gold cards bought back?

timfsu2k · Oct 2, 2014

Well guess I'll add another Nolan Ryan to my want list.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

DaClyde · Oct 2, 2014

If these are only released in the "Best of Baseball" product, I fear a majority of the buyback cards will not see the light of day, sort of like all of those 2009 UD buybacks that are locked up in unopened 2009 UD products no one wants. Hopefully I'm wrong and Best of Baseball is wildly successful.

Looks like lots of the cards on eBay are in Taiwan, so already shipping is $6. And somehow I already missed the 1/1 of Winfield. I never even saw it come up for auction and it went for only $10!

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