The 1998 Topps Tek Thread

[Yanks2151]

I thought the Jeter diffractor would go for over $100. Happy to win it at $80. I didn't bid on the last couple of Jeter diffractors that were on eBay and went for $75 to $80 without my help because they were duplicates for me. As to the whining about my bidding method, I just don't have the time to sit and watch bidding over a several-day period and keep adding tiny incremental bids like the pre-teens do. Wish I could spend all my extra time on hobbies, but I have a business to run and a family to take care of.

Funny, yesterday afternoon I stopped by an LCS that I rarely frequent. The owner is a grouchy old bird who complained years ago that I was being unfair to LCS owners like him by frequenting the Internet to collect cards. He didn't do eBay for some pretty bogus reasons. Yesterday I did pick up a couple of nice Pedro cards from him at a fair price, and picked eight misc. 1998 Teks out of his large 10-cent box. He then asked me if I was interested in what turned out to be a beat-to-crap 1998 Tek box. I gave him the $50 he asked for the box that he insisted was "as is" and non-returnable. I cracked the box this afternoon. While the box was pretty badly crushed and damaged, the cards were fine. The box definitely looked old, and he said the box had been in his cellar since '98. Lot of oddities with the packs. Many packs were missing the blue check-list. Nine packs had five cards each, including the four with diffractors. Many of the packs looked like the cards were scrambled--reversed, upside-down, etc. But they weren't damaged, and I would swear they had never been opened or tampered with. 85 commons plus 4 diffractors. I got two new diffractor patterns: a Larry Walker and an Edgar Martinez. Also two pattern 1 duplicate diffractors, one of Bernie Williams and one of Brian Jordan. I checked the commons against a bunch of want lists I have. I got one of Don's last 40 of 8100, a p. 1 Bagwell. I'll check with Shadowking86, Brian26, RustyGreerFan, and BenG76 about a few cards on their lists. Sorry I didn't hit the others people are looking for.

Rich

Hi Rich, I am still looking for Pattern 14 and 90 for Paul O'neill #37

 

[brian26]

I thought the Jeter diffractor would go for over $100. Happy to win it at $80. I didn't bid on the last couple of Jeter diffractors that were on eBay and went for $75 to $80 without my help because they were duplicates for me. As to the whining about my bidding method, I just don't have the time to sit and watch bidding over a several-day period and keep adding tiny incremental bids like the pre-teens do. Wish I could spend all my extra time on hobbies, but I have a business to run and a family to take care of.

Funny, yesterday afternoon I stopped by an LCS that I rarely frequent. The owner is a grouchy old bird who complained years ago that I was being unfair to LCS owners like him by frequenting the Internet to collect cards. He didn't do eBay for some pretty bogus reasons. Yesterday I did pick up a couple of nice Pedro cards from him at a fair price, and picked eight misc. 1998 Teks out of his large 10-cent box. He then asked me if I was interested in what turned out to be a beat-to-crap 1998 Tek box. I gave him the $50 he asked for the box that he insisted was "as is" and non-returnable. I cracked the box this afternoon. While the box was pretty badly crushed and damaged, the cards were fine. The box definitely looked old, and he said the box had been in his cellar since '98. Lot of oddities with the packs. Many packs were missing the blue check-list. Nine packs had five cards each, including the four with diffractors. Many of the packs looked like the cards were scrambled--reversed, upside-down, etc. But they weren't damaged, and I would swear they had never been opened or tampered with. 85 commons plus 4 diffractors. I got two new diffractor patterns: a Larry Walker and an Edgar Martinez. Also two pattern 1 duplicate diffractors, one of Bernie Williams and one of Brian Jordan. I checked the commons against a bunch of want lists I have. I got one of Don's last 40 of 8100, a p. 1 Bagwell. I'll check with Shadowking86, Brian26, RustyGreerFan, and BenG76 about a few cards on their lists. Sorry I didn't hit the others people are looking for.

Rich

Rich - very happy for you on the find! Great job! I love stories like this, and definitely we will discuss the Venturas

Also - kudos on picking up the Jeter diffractor. Anyone who doesn't snipe these days is foolish.

 

[brian26]

Nice pickup Rich. Can't beat $50 and yes if anyone is complaining about sniping, umm, its 2015.

Ryan

Exactly. I cannot believe anyone would actually have a problem with that. Also, Rich is one of the classiest guys I've ever talked to from this board, so I don't take kindly to anyone here trying to throw him under the bus with quotes like "you know who". The fact that someone posted about that auction beforehand to make sure it got more views to try to drive up the price to make it harder to win also says a lot about that person.

 

[togaman]

Congrats on picking up a Jeter diffractor. Those are certainly hard to come by especially these days. I stopped at around $ 40 or $ 50 which was way more than I intended going to go but pattern# 55 is a cool pattern.

 

[togaman]

I don't see any reason to lol @ a rare 90's Jeter card that has probably less than 10 copies out there. $80 is a steal for a card that rare of arguably one of the best 90's players. If people didn't have Christmas fast approaching I wouldn't be at all surprised to see the same card easily top $100+.

I thought the Jeter would actually go higher with his NY popularity. I don't think 10 of each particular card# pattern # diffractor cards is correct though. Nobody knows and Topps wont divulge.
I wasnt willing to ante up so more power to those who did..

 

[togaman]

Exactly. I cannot believe anyone would actually have a problem with that. Also, Rich is one of the classiest guys I've ever talked to from this board, so I don't take kindly to anyone here trying to throw him under the bus with quotes like "you know who". The fact that someone posted about that auction beforehand to make sure it got more views to try to drive up the price to make it harder to win also says a lot about that person.

I was trying to win the bid for my own collection as Jeter is one of missing 14 for set # 2 .. FCB says I should not mention you know who's name so as not to upset him. So I wont.

 

[brian26]

Anyone with real intentions of winning an auction does not post about it just before the end as to drive up views and bids. That's entirely counterproductive to the auction process. It's to your benefit to keep views or interest to a minimum. I know if there's something I have interest in, I keep quiet until the end of the auction. After it ends, you can gloat about winning it or ***** about losing it, but until that point I'm not sure what good comes from putting more eyes and interest on an auction.

The two ulterior motives are always either that 1.) you're trying to keep someone from winning it, or 2.) you're trying to drive up interest (because 2a.) you're selling it, or 2b.) it benefits the value of your own collecton). Point 2a is shilling, point 2b is something I define as indirect shilling. I've pointed this out on the PSA boards related to the wrestling card "phenomenon", where essentially one guy, working under three names, has attempted to drive up prices on a set of cards from the early 80s after some extra stock was mysteriously found, but that's an entirely different subject.

I know I helped one of our friends here with one of his last TEK cards when I found it buried in an auction recently, but I only PM'd him and didn't post about it here. Posting it here would have been to nobody's benefit.

 

[togaman]

I would sell my Gwynn Diffractor for $40 shipped.

View attachment 56776View attachment 56777

Thats a very nice card. You should be able to find a Gwynn collector to buy that I would think. I have only two Gwynn diffractors (pattern numbers 1 and 65) so far

 

[corockies]

Holy moly!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1998-TOPPS-...ET-/272045711725?_trksid=p2141725.m3641.l6368

 

[BenG76]

Found a Paul Molitor #54 pattern 46 today while at a card shop. Snagged it in case anyone needs it. LMK if anyone can use it.

 

[MansGame]

Holy moly!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1998-TOPPS-...ET-/272045711725?_trksid=p2141725.m3641.l6368

HAHHA! $1400?! That's someone not really wanting to sell that

 

[u2me57]

I thought the Jeter diffractor would go for over $100. Happy to win it at $80. I didn't bid on the last couple of Jeter diffractors that were on eBay and went for $75 to $80 without my help because they were duplicates for me. As to the whining about my bidding method, I just don't have the time to sit and watch bidding over a several-day period and keep adding tiny incremental bids like the pre-teens do. Wish I could spend all my extra time on hobbies, but I have a business to run and a family to take care of.

Funny, yesterday afternoon I stopped by an LCS that I rarely frequent. The owner is a grouchy old bird who complained years ago that I was being unfair to LCS owners like him by frequenting the Internet to collect cards. He didn't do eBay for some pretty bogus reasons. Yesterday I did pick up a couple of nice Pedro cards from him at a fair price, and picked eight misc. 1998 Teks out of his large 10-cent box. He then asked me if I was interested in what turned out to be a beat-to-crap 1998 Tek box. I gave him the $50 he asked for the box that he insisted was "as is" and non-returnable. I cracked the box this afternoon. While the box was pretty badly crushed and damaged, the cards were fine. The box definitely looked old, and he said the box had been in his cellar since '98. Lot of oddities with the packs. Many packs were missing the blue check-list. Nine packs had five cards each, including the four with diffractors. Many of the packs looked like the cards were scrambled--reversed, upside-down, etc. But they weren't damaged, and I would swear they had never been opened or tampered with. 85 commons plus 4 diffractors. I got two new diffractor patterns: a Larry Walker and an Edgar Martinez. Also two pattern 1 duplicate diffractors, one of Bernie Williams and one of Brian Jordan. I checked the commons against a bunch of want lists I have. I got one of Don's last 40 of 8100, a p. 1 Bagwell. I'll check with Shadowking86, Brian26, RustyGreerFan, and BenG76 about a few cards on their lists. Sorry I didn't hit the others people are looking for.

Rich

Rich- Congrats on the Jeter diffractor, the beat up 98 Tek box, and the Pedro cards. That's great how those Tek cards were not damaged.

Do you know if Don still needs the Ben Grieve pattern #1 ? I've got one if he still needs it. I've got his address but not his email. Let me know. Thanks.

 

[u2me57]

Holy moly!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1998-TOPPS-TEK-COMPLETE-SET-FRANK-THOMAS-PATTERNS-1-90-TOUGH-SET-/272045711725?_trksid=p2141725.m3641.l6368

Exactly. That is a nice PC set and tough to complete. But no way the seller gets $1400 for it.

 

[rinkrat38]

Do you know if Don still needs the Ben Grieve pattern? I've got one if he still needs it. I've got his address but not his email. Let me know. Thanks.

Just got Don's want list, and he still needs the Grieve p. 1. You can contact him at [email protected].

Rich

 

[rinkrat38]

Exactly. That is a nice PC set and tough to complete. But no way the seller gets $1400 for it.

Adding that he would take a best offer at less than the $1400 pretty much ensures that he won't get $1400 for the Frank set. Not sure the price is all that far out of line though. I remember people laughing at our Bonds collector for asking $1200. for one of his Bonds '98 Tek sets of 1 to 90, but he persisted and eventually sold it. Think he sold two of those sets. Can't say for sure that he got the $1200, but it wouldn't surprise me.

Rich

 

[u2me57]

Just got Don's want list, and he still needs the Grieve p. 1. You can contact him at [email protected].

Rich

Thanks Rich

 

[u2me57]

Bump for Tek collectors

 

[shadowking86]

Thanks to rinkrat and another user on another forum, I am down to just 11 Sandy Alomar Jr. patterns to go. I also need all but four of the diffractors.

Here are my Tek pattern needs: 8, 11, 13, 21, 27, 54, 55, 71, 78, 83, 86
Here are the diffractors I have: 23, 31, 72, 74

Here are my Tek cards for trade for Alomars I need:
12 Craig Biggio: 35
24 Todd Walker: 67
25 Tino Martinez: 14
38 Vinny Castilla: 36
42 Derek Bell: 81
52 Jason Kendall: 50, 76
57 Barry Larkin: 22
58 Tony Clark: 81
62 Jose Cruz Jr.: 28
70 Chuck Knoblauch: 47, 53
72 Tim Salmon: 39
75 Brian Jordan: 66
78 Mark Grace: 31
79 Jeff King: 67
90 Ray Lankford: 16

I also have this Diffractor to trade, also for a Sandy Alomar Jr. diffractor:
7 Bernie Williams: 56

 

[u2me57]

Congrats on getting down to 11 Sandy Alomar Jr. cards!

Here are the Thome Tek cards I need:

4, 16, 17, 22, 24, 34, 44, 52, 54, 59, 63, 83, 90

 

[MetalAndy]

Usually when I get up in the morning for work I go on my phone to check the newly listed item for Ellis Burks on Ebay. Well yesterday was no different. Most of the time there's nothing I need but this time there was a 98 Topps Tek Diffractor as a BIN which I needed. It's one of the most exciting things to me finding one of those. I frantically hurry up to buy is as if someone else is dying to find this card haha. The only lousy part is I paid a little over $27 shipped for it, but what choice do I really have? I either buy it for a ridiculous price or possibly never find it again. I'm sure plenty of others have gone through the same thing with this set. They have us right where they want us lol.