How I've missed the Blog Bat Around. Now it's back and here's the information on how to participate.Gellman issues this statement.
Remember those days on Nickelodeon where they would hold contests for their version of a kids' ultimate shopping spree? They would let the winner loose in a Toys R Us for however long and let them keep what they could fit in the cart, right? Well, if you were given $50,000 and 15 minutes on ebay, what cards/memorabilia would you buy with the money? Break it down card by card, and give us a price and a reason for what you are buying. Not everyone would go out there and buy a Joe Jackson cracker jack, but some people would. So, with that, what would you spend the mother lode on? Happy buying.
OK, I'm armed with $50,000 that I have to spend on cards and memorabilia in 15 minutes on eBay. This is every collector's wet dream. What will I possibly purchase with essentially "found" money?
I need a quick game plan. I only have 15 minutes to blow $50,000 on sports stuff. I need to be precise and quick. Any lost time might result in losing something and leaving virtual money unspent. I want to maximize my money and try to squeeze every last cent out of this in only 15 minutes. I will not choose anything on auction. The majority of auctions will not close within the time allotted and the pricing can be controlled with "Buy It Now" items. If there is a "Best Offer" option, I am choosing to ignore that. There is no guarantee that a buyer would respond within the parameters. Checking mail will only slow my progress.
I will comment on exactly what my thinking is when I click on the fake "Buy It Now" button.
All right. Take a deep breath and exhale. Let's do this!
1909 T206 – Billy Sullivan (Piedmont) EX - $69.95
I always get beat out of auctions for original T206 cards. No more! I will add Billy Sullivan to my cart.
1909 T206 – Frank Smith (Piedmont) (Chicago, Boston) EX - $337.49
Sweet! The Frank Smith Chicago/Boston variation! CLICK!
1909 T206 – Lee Tannehill (Sweet Caporal) EX - $85.00
Something without a Piedmont back? Sold!
1919 W514 – Chick Gandil - $860.00
I could run out of time by searching for T206 White Sox cards all day. Searching for specific players, I see this Chick Gandil card. It's so rare to find vintage cards of banned players who aren't named Jackson or Rose.
1940 Playball #225 – Joe Jackson NM - $4,000.00
Speaking of Jackson... I've admired this card for a long time. It is now in my shopping cart.
1931 W517 #45 – Ted Lyons EX - $110.00
Number 16 is retired by the Sox. Gots ta have a Ted Lyons card!
1978 TCMA Knoxville Know Sox Team Set - $189.00
Now is the time to go after that Harold Baines minor league card! The team set is slightly cheaper than the single graded card. More = better in this case.
1990 Topps #414 – Frank Thomas NNO - $549.99
I've never known anyone to have this. I've never seen this in person. It will be mine.
1906 Fan Craze – Nick Altrock - $125.00
The pitcher who got mobbed by fans after a beautiful pitching performance in the 1906 World Series against the Cubs. I'm a big fan of Fan Craze. The card set, not actual "fan craze". That's scary.
1983 Appleton Foxes – John Cangelosi - $12.99
An overpriced card with my money, now it is mine. The only one I've seen on eBay.
1941 Double Play #71/72 – Solters/Rigney - $20.00
A search for 1941 Goudey. No Sox Goudey cards, but a few Double Play cards of Sox. I really want a Double Play card and this one is reasonably priced.
1913 T200 Fatima – Chicago Americans VG/EX - $749.99
You never hear of the 1913 White Sox, but now I'll have a team card. I am a vintage junkie!
1917 Boston Store – Ray Schalk - $247.50
An early card of Hall of Fame catcher Ray Schalk. Put it in the cart!
1922 W501 #47 – Harry Hooper VG/EX - $249.99
This was the outfielder that showed up instead of Babe Ruth. It's simplifying, but I don't have time to justify my thoughts and elaborate.
1929 R316 Kashin – Red Faber NM - $150.00
Oooo, Red Faber! And a set I'm not familiar with. Sold!
1933 Goudey #43 – Lew Fonseca EX/MT - $49.99
I have to have a card from this iconic set!
1952 Bowman #5 – Minnie Minoso NM/MT - $119.95
Searching or 1952 Minoso, I run across several cards. All of which I don't have.
1952 Star Cal Decals Type 1 #73E – Orestes Minoso - $99.99
This isn't seen very often. In my cart it goes!
1952 Red Man with tabs #15AL – Minnie Minoso - $50.00
A Red Man card with the tabs? It will bring my tab White Sox set closer to completion.
1952 Topps #195 – Orestes Minoso EX/MT - $75.00
And where would my head be, if I didn't include 1952 Topps?
2007 Bowman’s Best #56 – Josh Fields (1/1) - $60.00
The total is not going down quick enough. I need to step up the money by searching for 1 of 1s. I have a soft spot for Josh.
2009 Topps Sketch Card – Carlos Quentin (1/1) - $69.95
This looks unique. I hope Quentin comes back to form. Maybe obtaining this rare card will help!
2008 Sweet Spot Signatures #S2-CF – Carlton Fisk (1/1) - $139.99
A 1 of 1 Fisk? YES!! 1 of 1s aren't enough. I'm running out of time. Time for the big guns!
1916 Famous & Barr – Charles Comiskey EX/NM - $950.00
Charles Comiskey leaning against a railing in Comiskey Park. Cool!
2009 SP Legendary Cuts Auto – Bill Veeck (05/14) - $225.00
Veeck as in "wreck"! Beautiful signature and a Sox logo.
1907 Geo. W Hull Postcards – Fielder Jones - $300.00
I've heard about these postcards and I've always thought Fielder Jones was a cool name.
1948 Leaf #59 – Luke Appling NM/MT - $550.00
How could I forget about Appling? Problem solved!
2001 SP Legendary Cuts – Joe Jackson Bat Relic - $399.95
I'll add the first Shoeless Joe relic I ever saw. Cool! Hope it's not Black Betsy!
1922 E121 American Caramel – Kid Gleason - $255.00
Gotta have the manager of the 1919 American League Champions.
1915 Cracker Jack #61 – Ray Schalk - $459.99
Another Schalk! Cracker Jack! Awesome!
2005 White Sox Team autographed ball - $495.95
Let's add some actual memorabilia. This looks like a good start.
Old Comiskey Park set of 4 stadium seats (autographed by Carlton Fisk and Ozzie Guillen) - $1,800.00
This is just so cool!!!
1917 Official World Series program - $750.00
Interesting! This is a must have. It will go well with my 2005 WS program.
1917 World Series ticket Game #3 - $2,395.00
Why not spring for a ticket too! I love ChiSox history!
1919 World Series program – $2999.99
This is definitely something I have to have!
1959 World Series Game #1 ticket - $400.00
11-0 victory? Yup!
1959 World Series program - $129.00
It's a matched set.
2005 World Series Game #4 ticket - $150.00
I have so wanted this since October 26, 2005!
1911 T205 – Patsy Dougherty EX - $625.00
I almost forgot about T205s! I like these better than T206s!
1911 T201 – Payne, Walsh NM - $495.00
Interesting. Vintage is always good!
1911 Turkey Red #125 – Ed Walsh - $450.00
Ed Walsh. Nope, I don't have an Ed Walsh or a Turkey Red.
1957 Swift Meats #7 – Nellie Fox - $600.00
The pieces card. I will never assemble this.
1954 Wilson Franks – Nellie Fox - $595.00
It's in my header. I have to buy it.
1954 Dixie Lids – Minnie Minoso - $500.00
A rare Dixie Lid of Minoso. Got it!
1950 Fishers Bread Label – Chico Carrasquel - $375.00
Never heard of the set. Gotta have Chico!
1993 Finest Refractor #102 – Frank Thomas - $411.00
These are always so expensive. It is so mine!
1915 Cracker Jack #175 – Joe Benz - $300.00
I ALWAYS GET OUTBID ON JOE BENZ ITEMS! NO MORE!!
2008 Upper Deck Documentary Gold White Sox 163 card set - $274.99
It may be a crock of a set, but this looks so cool.
2008 Razor #108 – Gordon Beckham auto (1/5) - $175.00
A Bacon minor league auto? Let's add some cheese to that Bacon!
1988 Topps Cloth – Pat Keedy - $49.95
I passed on this card before and someone else bought it. Can't find the Karkovice from this issue. Half a team set is better than none at all.
2009 Sweet Spot Signature – Michael Jordan (8/23) - $524.95
An MJ auto on a White Sox card? It is so in the cart!
1912 T207 Broad Leaf Cigarettes – George Weaver - $1,750.00
Buck, where have you been my whole life? I finally found your grave and now I find this!
2008 Donruss Legends Of The Game Relics #LGC-2 – Pete Rose, Joe Jackson - $299.00
Another card I've secretly wanted. Not so secretly, I guess. It was a Card Spotlight.
2008 Premier Trios #PTP-TKB – Jim Thome, Paul Konerko, Mark Buehrle (7/15) - $119.99
Buehrle and Konerko have rings with the Sox. I was hoping that Thome would too. CLICK TO BUY!
1983 All-Star Game AL Team autographed ball - $7,649.99
The last All-Star Game in old Comiskey. The entire AL team autographed this? NICE!!
Harold Baines Game Worn White Sox nineties home white jersey - $795.00
I would have preferred the black alternate jersey, but what are you gonna do?
2005 White Sox World Series team photo autographed by 29 players - $1,499.00
This will go nicely with my autographed ball from earlier in the shopping spree.
2005 World Series Game One 8 foot banner - $579.95
And this will too. I could make a shrine of some type.
1954 Red Heart – Billy Pierce - $1,100.00
I lost out on this in a bidding war. Who's winning it now? I got how much left? Crap! Better start thinking more outside the box.
1887 Allen & Ginter N28 – Charles Comiskey - $999.99
If I own one vintage Allen & Ginter, it should be this one.
1887 N173 Old Judge Cabinet – Kid Gleason - $2,200.00
OK, this is just too coincidental. Nice card!
1900 Wills Cigarettes #33 Baseball America VG-EX - $199.95
It has nothing to do with the Sox or any of my favorite players, but this just looks so damn cool!
1907 Geo. W. Hull Postcards – Doc White - $249.99
Not much time left. I saw a couple of other 1907 postcards. I'm gonna snap them up!
1907 Geo. W. Hull Postcards – Eddie Hahn - $199.99
Ditto.
1908 E102 – Patsy Dougherty VG-EX - $525.00
Another Patsy Dougherty. I can live with that.
1909 T206 – Chick Gandil (Hindu) - $5,500.00
This should finish off my spree. I wish this were real money.
1933 Tattoo Orbit – Lewis Fonseca - $275.00
Just enough to go back and get this Tattoo Orbit card.
Grand total = $49,999.40
I have 60 cents left over. I don't think that's too bad. If eBay didn't banish cards for under a dollar for "Buy It Now", I would be able to pick up a Jason Frasor card for 60 cents, or something like that. Since everything is a dollar or more, I technically have nothing left.
What have I learned from this experience?
Trying to spend $50,000 in 15 minutes is really hard when you don't collect the Yankees! If I had more time, I would have made hundreds of smaller purchases, but being on the clock is a little frazzling, even with a good game plan.
I figured going vintage would eat the money up rather quick. I was wrong. One of one cards didn't chip away as much as I would have originally thought. Even Joe Jackson couldn't take the majority of my money. I would really hate to be a Rays fan trying to do this. It might be next to impossible.
I tried to stick to cards, but as the time was running out, I had to resort to other avenues. I would be happy to have any of the items from the fake shopping spree in my collection. They wouldn't necessarily be the first items I would go to though.
It might have been a slow week for cards and memorabilia on eBay. Maybe not. It's nice to know that if I ever get this chance for real, I could do it and come out with some really cool items. If I was thinking straight, I probably would have searched for the Ping Bodie Cracker Jack card. Maybe next time.
7 comments:
You did better than me... I followed similar rules, mainly avoided cards and still left over $8,000 in imaginary money on the table because I ran out of time.
I am tired just reading about your spree. I better get in shape before I do mine this week.
Steve, your shopping was edge of your seat awesome! as a rays fan-if I had 50,000 to burn I wouldn't even look at Rays stuff, it would be strictly vintage-maybe some that I could trade for Rays hits later. My first stop would be 1887 Ginter. Get that Comiskey plus King Kelly and Lajoie too! Fun post!
I could have gone the buy big and sell later method, but I really wanted to see if I could do it within my own collecting habits. I did stray a tiny bit out of collecting limitations, but I still kept with the general theme of those guidelines.
The Baseball America card was something that I just couldn't pass up. It looked too cool.
I almost picked up cards of Cap Anson, King Kelly, Babe Ruth, Nap LaJoie, Addie Joss and others of that era, but those would have been time running out choices.
I am really looking forward to reading how everyone did!
And yes, it went pretty much as fast as it reads, which is why I didn't think of Ping Bodie or silk cards. I was disappointed that no cards of Dummy Hoy were on eBay when I did the spree.
That was FANTASTIC. Good job spending all that money in 15 minutes. My PC has a habit of slowing to a crawl whenever there is a time limit involved so I cheated and took my sweet time.
Wow. If you really kept it to 15 mins (I abolished that rule in my spree), you reeled in one wail of a haul, especially with all of the vintage stuff!
I think that if I strayed from what I really knew, then it definitely would have gone over the 15 minutes.
There's a good lesson here about knowing the history of your team. If you ever get the chance to do this for real, you will clean up! :)
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