Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire I have a lot of Goudey 1931 baseball cards, need advice and help

I have about 30 these cards for 15 years or so and I want to sell them. I am not really a collector and from what I have found the values for the same card seems to vary a lot and not just for condition. I also have 50 or so "Indian Cards" which I understand preceded the baseball cards. In addition there is probably 20 Wild West series/picture puzzle bubble gum cards made by Gum Inc. Phila. Pa.
The condition of the majority would probably be good with some very good and a few, downright poor.
In any event,any help I can get from the collective wisdom of this fine body of people ( am I pushing this point too far?? ) would be appreciated.

This is a bad time to sell rare collectibles. Too many other people, during hard times like these, get the very same idea, which bids the prices down for all of them, i.e., the market is flooded because everyone is trying to raise cash to pay bills by selling their rare collectibles.

It may not be a great time but if I am ever going to get them sold I should do it soon. The advancing age thing you know.

What about finding a collectable card forum and asking there? See what google turns up. I would imagine somewhere there's something equivalent to fire and it's knowledge about hunting and guns.

Seek out the "experts".

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Those cards will always have a buyer somewhere. I have been in the sports card and memorabillia arena since the late 80's. I had a retail shop, online store and held auctions twice a year. With those cards, the main things to focus on to be able to grade them accurately are first and foremost are they real. Have they been altered in any way. Lazer cut edges make old cards look real sharp but are worthless if mic'd. Is the card stock of age and the correct thickness. Old cards used to get pressed and trimmed to make them look like a higher grade. Are there any pin holes either fixed or not. Are there any creases.

Once you get past those the best you can look at the centering of the card top to bottom and left to right. anything more than 60/40 centering and the card was never mint. How sharp are the conrers, and do not handle them by the corners. Look at the printing quality and how faded or crisp the ink is.

I have several cards of that era and it is quite difficult to find them in VG/EX or better. A Near Mint scrub player can bring a lot more money than a Good grade star player. A good representative card of a star player can be a few thousand dollars. A decent scrub could bring $40 or so. Most are somewhere in between.

You can send me some pics if you would like. I am not really buying now, but will not turn down a good buy. I also know several collectors in the business. The last thing you want to do is go to a card shop, if there are any left, and take the first offer. The baseball cards will have more interest and value, but the wild west cards have their place.

I hope this helps.

You can always email Keith Olberman at the TV station. He's a serious collector and buyer of Pre-1970 baseball items.