My last February hauls from eBay

Saturday, 5 March 2011

In preparation for my latest foray into The Budget eBay Collector, I spent the last week of February buying like crazy on my favorite site.  Here is what I got back, including my first non-plate 1/1 (AND IT'S A GREAT ONE for me anyway).

These three 2010 Topps National Chicle Chrome Refractors #'d to 499 I got in a lot for the very nice price of $3.06 shipped.  I would've figured just the Wright would go for more than that.  I guess I was lucky that the seller didn't mention any of the players in the title.  I bought this lot for the Ubaldo, the other two are for trade (Better hurry the Wright will be snapped up approximately 3.6 seconds after publishing this post).

I got this lot of 6 2010 Topps Chrome Xfractors for about a buck a piece with a best offer feature.  I think I finally figured out the best way to scan the 2010 Chromes.  Penny sleeve in a top loader, then crop...they scanned pretty well compared to the Chicles above which I scanned card only.  In this lot I only wanted the Hawpe and trade bait, the other 5 are up for grabs and shouldn't last long given the teams involved.

 

What's this card from the overproduction era doing in my eBay buys?  Well, I tried one of those 1 random card for a penny deals and my random came up to be this 1989 Bowman Andy Hawkins, could've been worse I guess.  The best thing I remember about Hawkins was his 8 inning no hitter in 1989 in which he lost 4-0 (gotta love defense).  The Tulo is a 2007 Upper Deck Rookie of the Month insert for the rare month of Postseason.  I think it only comes around every other leap year, seriously couldn't they have put October.

 

I got this lot of 9 Tommy Helms cards in pretty good condition ranging from 1969-1977 for a VERY cheap price of 82 cents shipped.  Once again the lack of info from the seller paid off for me, because he couldn't identify the 1969 Deckle Edge or 1969 Topps All Star cards.  In an ideal world, I would feel guilty for taking advantage of this type of situation, but they have access to the same info I can get.  I just take a little time to know the products I am purchasing.  The extra 1970 Topps Helms is for trade and the card number is 159 for you set builders out there.

AND NOW FOR THE CHRISTIAN FRIEDRICH PORTION OF OUR SHOW

I picked up this Razor Letterman "I" numbered 16/20 for $7 and change.  It is the second I in Friedrich.  I always wondered if players with multiple appearances of the same letter in their name had a proportional number of letters available.

This 2008 Razor Signature Series Black parallel auto #447/1199 was included in a package for the next card down the page.  By itself, this card would've been a nice purchase as it is my first non-patch auto of Friedrich.  But with this next card, it was a great deal.

The 2009 Tristar Projections purple parallel of Christian Friedrich #'d 1/1.  Yep, I am the only person in the world with this card and I already had the base, green /50, and yellow /25 for this set.  All I need now is the orange /5 and I have a pretty cool rainbow.  The seller was asking $55 + shipping for both cards, I best offered him down to $40 bucks total for both.  It wasn't a slam dunk, out-of-site best bargain ever type of purchase, but I don't think I got a bad deal here.  And for the player super collector the time to buy a rare card is the first time you see it because you might never get it otherwise.

comments | | Read More...

More eBay Swag including the best seller I have ever dealt with

Saturday, 19 February 2011

I think it's time to show off some more buys from the World's Largest Garage Sale.  I am still prepping for the return of The Budget eBay Collector next month, so I figured I should make some buys before my $5 budget kicks in.

First up is a 2008 Bowman Chrome refractor of Todd Helton that I got for the low, low price of 20 cents shipped.  I got the package in a few days ago with the ugly stamp of Postage Due because it was too heavy.  So I had to pay another 44 cents.  Now I am going to bitch about the fact that when I mail off trade packets I get them returned by the post office if I am 20 cents short on shipping and this one goes through, but I have to pay on both ends now.  Ugh, I hate the USPS at least my branch of it.

I am not one to leave negative feedback on such a small purchase, but I did email the seller to let him know what had happened.  I didn't ask for anything, I just gave him the advice to double check his postage or he would get negatives from other buyers.  He apologized and kindly refunded my 20 cents so I got this card for 24 cents, I just hate that the money went to the USPS rather than the nice seller.

Next up, we have a 2011 Topps reprint of that classic old card, um a 2007 Topps Troy Tulowitzki.  I got it for 22 cents shipped.  Don't get me wrong I appreciate a Rockie being included in the reprint set this year (or any insert set for that matter), but why reprint a card from 4 years ago.  I suppose they could be going after that potential new customer that is currently six years old and doesn't remember this set, but damn stop the madness.

Here we have 2 parallels from 2010 Bowman.  Well one from Bowman and one from Bowman Prospects and Draft Picks and Bears, Oh My.  The EY Jr. is numbered to 520 and the Kiel Roling is numbered to 250.  My total cost for both of these fairly rare parallels, 48 cents shipped.  Hell, if I can find them all for 24 cents each I might try to get all 250 of the Roling (well maybe not).

You might remember from the Budget eBay collector that I picked up a Joe Cronin from the 2007 SP Legendary Cuts base set.  If you don't here is the link.  Well I liked the set so I have been keeping my eyes open for more of these.  I found these six in six separate auctions so now I have a starter set going on.  I really love the Phil Niekro, the color just pops in person.


Finally, the big prize but first a semi-short back story.  I am currently completing a trade with BABenny, who I'm sure you all know, for a Christian Friedrich 2008 Razor Letterman Letter D patch numbered to 20.  Well, I spotted this auction for a letter R numbered to 20 as well to go with it on the binder page.  I ended up winning it for $5.91 shipped and after paying emailed the seller to let me know if it was the R1 or R2.  Then came the bad news, he said that the card was accidentally relisted and had sold the previous week.  I was sad, but the seller gave me an option, I could get a full refund and we could go our separate ways or he could substitute another Friedrich from the same set.  Well since I only had the one D on the way and no others, what kind of supercollector would I be if I got my money back.  Hell, for six bucks even one of the non-numbered base patches would've been okay with me.  So I said that would be fine as long as it wasn't the D.  He said he had the E and would ship it right away.  On Friday the card came in the mail.

...

Wait...

for...

it...

...

Wait...

for...

it...

...

...

...

TAADAA!!

WOW!  It's the E patch numbered 3/5 and I got it for less than 6 dollars.  There are two other /5 Friedrichs (both overpriced) on eBay right now and the cheaper one is $30 shipped, so this is my best buy in a while.

I emailed the seller back and told him he could either have my first born son (well it's not that good, but if it was the 1/1 perhaps, OK still no) or I could plug his eBay sales here.  Currently he doesn't have anything else up, but this plug will stay good as long as this blog is here.

Of course this means I now have to get a second letter for the /20 page and the /5 now, but I think I will live with that problem just fine.

comments | | Read More...

Recent buys from eBay

Thursday, 10 February 2011

Since I don't have a card shop anywhere near me (closest is about 40 miles away), internet buying is my main source of purchasing.  I just thought I would show off a recent acquisitions from eBay. 

A couple of new cards for my Jamal Mashburn collection.  I got both of these surprisingly cheap.  Combined for under $3.00 total shipped in two separate auctions.  I think I paid $5 for the Topps Pristine base card around a year ago on Sportslots, so I was thrilled getting the jersey for $1.35 shipped.

A card that would've been right at home in The Budget eBay Collector.  A 2001 Topps Reserve Jeff Cirillo for 12 cents shipped.  I picked the Neifi Perez in a trade with someone, so that leave me only Todd Helton from having this team set complete.  Yeah only 3 Rockies make a team set, but for some sets it's only Todd Helton, so at least we got three here.

 

 These cards are 2004 Topps Chrome Presidential Pastime refractors.  I actually bought these for a trade with a fellow blogger, but for the life of me I can't remember which one.  I only remember seeing the set on his/her wantlists.  If you or any anyone you know of are collecting the PP refractors, I have James Madison and James Monroe up for trade.

 Finally, I picked up this 2010 Topps Peak Performance bat relic of Troy Tulowitzki.  Price = $4.99.  But that's not all I got for the $4.99, I also got these two.

 2008 Topps Update Angel Berroa (Dodgers) bat relic and a THICK 2001 Playoff Absolute Memorabilia Elpidio Guzman (Angels) bat relic serially numbered 523/700.  It is about the thickness of three normal relic cards.  (Cheesy announcer voice):  But wait, that's not all you get.
*UPDATE* Both bat cards are now with new owners.  I hope they enjoy them as much as I do the Tulo.

 The seller also threw in these two as a bonus to the lot of 3 bat cards.  A 1996 Score Ken Griffey Jr. and a 1997 Donruss Mark McGwire.  Not bad at all.  The Dodgers and Angels bat relics are up for trade (does anyone know of any Angels collectors?) as well as the Griffey and McGwire. 

comments | | Read More...