I suspect ten years (make that 20) you might be still be looking for your final 2000 diffractors. Some guy on Ebay keeps listing diffractor commons at $ $19.95 or more. I never see any of them sell. But it created the illusion they are very valuable. Other than the Gwynn #1 Diffractor pattern you traded me several months back I was lucky once a couple weeks ago and bought a Palmerio 40p27 for $2.00 that someone had a Buy It Now and I just happened to log on 2 minutes after he posted it. If it were a dupe for me it would be yours of course, but unfortunately it is not. I still find it odd that I only have 261 Diffractors yet 148 of them are on your want list with a high percentage of them being in my only complete 90 card mixed diffractor set. I dont know what to make of that other than maybe the Diffractors are in shorter supply than I thought. A complete diffractor set of al 8100!!! Guarantee you would be the only one in the world unless Topps saved a copy of all th diffractors for someone inside...
Welcome to our community
Be apart of something great, join today!
The 1998 Topps Tek Thread
- Thread starter RustyGreerFan
- Start date
Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.
byronscott4ever
New member
- Dec 3, 2009
- 667
- 0
Just out of curiosity, have some of you been searching for these since 1998? Haven't done much in baseball for a long time so was just curious.
- Thread starter
- #503
RustyGreerFan
Active member
Right - it totally depends on the player collectors. Juan Gone goes for $75, for example. Remember that for some of these player collectors there are not many issues left for them to buy because they are near 100%. Topps Tek provides them with an opportunity to add a unique card to their collection, and so it's a pleasure for them to do it even if it means dropping some cash on it.
There are still plenty of players that sell at auction for less than $10, so there's still fun to be had in going for your goal. Also, be careful in thinking these prices are way inflated beyond BV. BV has been wrong on Diffractors for quite some time.
Here are some prices off the top of my head - some of these are repeats from what I've said before:
Griffeys actually sell for less than $40 and sometimes right at $30.
Piazza and Bagwell $50
Jeter $75, but could sell for more
Ripken - not sure, but a PSA 10 sold for "just" $75.
McGwire $65
All it takes are two buyers to send the price up into the $15-$25 range like with Buhner, Edgar Martinez, Brad Fullmer, David Justice, etc.
Part of the fun of Diffractors is that they're a treasure hunt. There are many times during the year when a seller doesn't know what they have and you can get it on the cheap on any site. It happens enough that everyone can get a deal if they keep at it.
Also don't get discouraged because there can be fluctuations. This thread certainly hasn't helped the prices of Diffractors :mrgreen: I remember when I first started paying attention to Diffractors I was able to snag a Buhner on ebay at auction for just a few dollars. Recently one sold at auction for like $18-$22.
rinkrat38
Member
Started collecting '98 Teks in 2000. Initially was only collecting the Red Sox players, particularly Pedro Martinez, but accumulated so many of the other players I soon started collecting the whole set. Even back then, the Teks (including diffractors) were consigned to dealers' junk boxes. Finished the set of 8100 in 2004/2005 along with Carl (togaman) and Larry Carpenter (captainj) from Riverside, Cal. Believe there were two others who completed the set before us, Bobby Strausser (rls1965) from Baltimore and a couple from Chicago were supposedly the first before I even started. Two other guys still at it, closing in on the 8100. I picked up diffractors in large misc lots of Teks, or from player collectors who gave up and sold, and in boxes, and held on to them. I had been very aggressive buying/selling/trading/contacting player collectors to finish the 8100 base set. Nothing like that with the diffractors. Up until this year, they were generally available at Beckett BV or less on eBay and other sites.
Unless as Carl said Topps has held back a manufacturer's set in their vaults, I can't see how anyone could ever finish the set. I'm around 2725 of 8100 and I don't think anyone else is within shouting distance of that. If I got to 3000 in a couple of years, I would be doing great. Wish I knew for sure what the print run of Tek diffractors really is, and whether the distribution is even among the 90 players. I estimate that I have a copy of about 80% or more of the diffractor patterns I see on eBay. Shouldn't be that high. I've been collecting Pedro Martinez '98 Tek diffractors since 2000. I have 36 different patterns, and I haven't seen a Pedro diffractor on eBay or any of the other sites in years. Never got one in a box.
MansGame
Active member
Thanks for sharing, that's great. So you're near your second 8,100 set? That's crazy.... An you are near 3,000 different diffractors?! Wow
I don't believe Richard is working on a second regular 8100 1998 Topps TEK card... 3,000 Diffractors is probably 2739 more than the person with the second most 1998 TEK diffractors...Me....lol ..If I thought I had any chance or the time and resources to complete all 8100 1998 TEK Diffractors I would be going for that as well. But Im not getting any younger and just cant envision that task being achieved. The individual player collector make it too difficult and once they get buried in collectors binder they likely wont be seen again. But who knows? I cheer Richard for making a run and hope to be part of those who help him with that chase in the upcoming years. If we are still around after Dec 21, 2012
PadresFan86
New member
PadresFan86
New member
What's the price on the Caminiti diffractors? Pm me
George_Calfas
Well-known member
Found a few......looking for Lankford
Pudge #33
Pedro #23
Mondesi #53
Alomar #68
Galarraga #45
Edmonds #39
Grieve #51
Pudge #33
Pedro #23
Mondesi #53
Alomar #68
Galarraga #45
Edmonds #39
Grieve #51
PadresFan86
New member
It's a diffractor! Only the second time I picked up a "steal" for trade bait. I feel kind of bad for picking it up since I know several people would of loved it in their PC but I couldn't walk away from it for 10 bucks. I did trade it for a nice PC item I thought I'd never have.
MansGame
Active member
It's a diffractor! Only the second time I picked up a "steal" for trade bait. I feel kind of bad for picking it up since I know several people would of loved it in their PC but I couldn't walk away from it for 10 bucks. I did trade it for a nice PC item I thought I'd never have.
Niceeeeee... where the F did you get it for a steal? Had to be in person...
PadresFan86
New member
Someone listed it for 9.99 bin
Sent from my HUAWEI-M920 using Sports Cards by Freedom Card Board.com
Sent from my HUAWEI-M920 using Sports Cards by Freedom Card Board.com
MansGame
Active member
Wow, congrats... way to go.
Im curious why you considered that Juan Gonzalez Diffractor card a steal. Juan Gonzalez is now considered a $1.25 common. With a 5x Beckett multiplier that would make Gonzalez diffractor $ 6.25..Just because some guy lists common Diffractors on EBAY for inflated ridiculous prices like $ 20 to $30 trying to hook a fish that does not set the market value for those as those cards never sell. He just keeps relisting the same diffractors over and over. Still its a nice card but I think you overpaid if you bought it for $ 10.
Just curious since you quote Diffractor prices as if they were fact . I see the common diffractors go for $5-6 or less quite frequently. There are a couple Griffey and Bonds fanatics who get into bidding wars but those arent the real value of the diffractors and Im sure Richard Roth would agree with me How many 1998 Topps TEK diffractors cards do you have in your own collection. Just curious
PadresFan86
New member
The last two Juan Gonzalez diffractors went for over 50 bucks on Ebay. I would say 10 bucks is a steal unless you go by Beckett's outdated values. Value is determined by what someone will pay for it ala Ebay's completed sales not Beckett.
Sent from my HUAWEI-M920 using Sports Cards by Freedom Card Board.com
Sent from my HUAWEI-M920 using Sports Cards by Freedom Card Board.com
Im always highly suspicious when cards sell at prices way over what is considered market in BUY IT NOW auctions. Recent sales of 1998 TEK Diffractors are around $ 5 so when cards of commons like Juan Gonzalez sell at $50 or more that seems a bit odd. Matters not to me. Im not actively pursuing 1998 TEK diffractors anyway.. I have 261+ diffractors which just makes them more valuable if I were an seller of diffractors which I am not. One day I will finish my 90 card 98 TEK set # 2 of Diffractors (16 to go but only one in past year). But I don't expect it to be anytime soon
- Thread starter
- #520
RustyGreerFan
Active member
I know it's hard to believe, but it's true. Player collectors go wild for these things. Remember, all it takes are two player collectors to set a market on ebay.
I have been tracking Diffractors for about two years now. I used a couple of free trials on Worthpoint to research Diffractor prices. Nosterbor can vouch that Juan Gonzalez Diffractors sell for $75. I've personally sold a Bagwell on a $50 BIN and it sold in a few hours.
I have 29 Diffractors in my personal collection. That may be laughable compared to your collection, but that's pretty good for only having been in the game for a couple of years twelve years after their release and only buying/trading online. Also, I have very few commons: 6 Buhners, 6 Griffeys, 2 Chippers, 4 Jeters, 3 Franks, 2 Mussinas, 1 Juan, 1 Piazza, 1 Sandy Alomar, 1 Salmon, 1 Sheffield, and 1 Burks.
