Collector Alert: A Danger Lurks in the Pokémon and Baseball Card Markets

Hi Folks,
   Like anywhere else that you find a surging market where both price and demand are exceeding the imagination, "bad fruit" always begins to develop.

   Let me give you an example: Why has identity theft become so popular? It is because stealing someones identity and using their cards and finances is very lucrative for folks who have no conscience or don't fear life staring at bars. But take one thief down, 10 more pop up. "Lucrative" was the main concept here.

   Back to our friendly Pokémon market and Baseball Card markets. Let's look at a few examples of Scams I stopped before passing them on to our buyers. Fortunately, I've been around the block enough times to sense a fake and protect our customers, who put their faith in us when confidently purchasing through CardboardandCoins.com

   Let me first say here that I did have a bad experience myself when I first started buying Pokémon cards some years back when they really started to take off. I did not start truly selling them until about 2 years ago, but my experience 4 years ago made me tighten down and study real vs. fake. My bad experience came from buying the cards in a discount store. What should have tipped me off was that there was a coveted Charizard Ex card in each pack. Being new to that market and knowing the value of Ex cards, I figured I struck gold, and sold an Ex card through an online Auction site. When the buyer came back and accused me of selling counterfeit cards, I was stunned, and then anger set in. I spoke to a local dealer and showed him a similar card to the one I sold and he shook his head and said it was a good copy, but it was fake. After immediately refunding the buyer and thoroughly apologizing, I confronted the store in which I had been purchasing the cards and what would you expect the owner would say? "I'm sorry, sir....I don't know. We buy them from a guy. I'm not a collector, I don't know". Pikachu would fall over on his fuzzy face if he heard that excuse!

   Fast forward to the present day, as much as I make the seller assure me the cards they sell are not Proxies, which is literally another name for counterfeit, if you ask me, it still goes on. I received a Mega Charizard Ex 107/106 from the XY Flashfire Set...or at least I thought I did. It was a laminated card that looked and felt like a driver's license. When I asked the seller what the heck is going on, they were quick to say they don't know, and they claimed that their 10 year old traded for and got the card. It makes me wonder why they advertised it as "Pack Fresh" if they themselves did not pull it out of a pack. Pack as in "Pack of Lies", maybe?

This is not isolated to Pokémon cards.

   I had purchased a pricey 1954 Topps Harvey Kuenn Rookie Card via a Sports site hosting the goods of many different collectors. The card was graded a 9 Mint by an obscure Grading Company, but the price was good and I took a shot. Upon receiving the card, it looked great. But something was bothering me, and I decided I had to pop open the slab holding the card. Sure enough, when I opened it up, it was a color printout of the card and not the actual baseball card. After calming down from a moment or two of rage, I advised the customer service of the website regarding the ramifications of such fraud by a vendor on their site, and that since this transaction crossed state lines, I would be notifying the local field office of the FBI. I was absolutely serious, but apparently, that was enough to get my refund. You can't make this stuff up!

   Recently, from a popular Auction site, I purchased an unopened pack of 1975 Topps Baseball Mini cards. When I received the pack and opened it up, I noticed the cards kept going from forward facing to backward facing, which is not how the printing and packaging was done during that era. Aside from that, plus the fact there was not one semi-star, plus two of the middle cards had bad corners, I knew this was pre-searched and re-packed. A simple notice sent to the seller advising them of the fallout from their actions resulted in a full refund and I was told to keep the cards. Keep them? That’s odd? I don't like being on the side of benefiting from a crime, so I refused and sent them back. Albeit, some expensive commons were probably in there, but I have to abide by the same rules and expectations I have for others.

   Now, the moral of this is that I am fortunate enough with 30 years of collecting baseball cards and sports cards to know when something is fishy. Many of you who are new collectors might not be at that point yet. So what can you do? If you have a question, just contact us via our website, www.CardboardandCoins.com. Seriously. Although we cannot take the risk of telling you if something is real or fake sight unseen, we can certainly tell you what to look for and what to check. What's the cost? Absolutely nothing. Look, I have had a lot of great mentors in my many years in the hobby as a collector and a vendor. If I can help some of you out and save you some headaches and hassles, then I've paid something back from the love bestowed upon me when I had questions about decisions on what to buy and needed honest guidance.

Think of it as having an Uncle in the business!!
Heck, just call me Uncle!


Have a Great Week, from Rob & your friends at CardboardandCoins.com

CardboardandCoins.com - From Baseball Cards
to Wheat Cents, and everything in-between.

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Growing...Cardboard & Coins...Pains!

Hi Folks,
    Happy Love Day to you! We're sorry for all of the changes, and I intend to write everyone back. We've had a mega spike in traffic and sales, far and away more than our current Internet Host could handle, so we had to make a switch on the fly. I'm an undercover Network Engineer geek, so I have taken control of this craziness and moved us to a new and stable host.

   We really appreciate your business, and we love your feedback about how our Free Shipping on EVERY U.S. Order is unique and nobody else offers such a deal. It's because we intend to stay here for quite some time. Heck, I've been collecting since I was a pre-teen, over 30 years ago. I didn't sink all of my allowances into Baseball Cards, Coins, Comics, etc for nothing !!

   As a token of our appreciation, please take 15% off your next order along with free shipping by using 15FREE at checkout! It's our way of spreading the love on love day!

Stick with us....more inventory, more contests, more fun...
and more cardboard and coins....are on the way!

Have a great day!
Regards,
Rob and Your friends at CardboardandCoins.com

CardboardandCoins.com - From Baseball Cards
to Wheat Cents, and everything in-between.
* * * * * * * * * * *
FREE U.S. Shipping Always
NO Minimum Order Size
www.CardboardandCoins.com

5 Oddball Collectibles Walk into a Bar...

Hi Folks,
   Happy Wednesday to you!

   It has been a crazy week in terms of some finds we've added to the website (http://www.CardboardandCoins.com).

   In order to truly relay this to you, I'll continue from the subject line forward: 5 Oddball Collectibles Walk into a Bar...A basketball card, a football card, 2 baseball cards, and a Wheat Cent. Each "bar patron" to be described below.

Jordan, Bo, Jefferies, Rocket, and the 1915 Cent...

   A Very Rare Low-POP 1993 Stadium Club Michael Jordan Card. What makes it so special? It is the coveted "MEMBERS ONLY" version. I saw this when visiting some of our partner card-shops, and I knew the variation and the price right away. I made an sweet deal for a less than market price, and in keeping with our mission, I have passed the savings on forward with a still lower than market price. The Rare Jordan Card can be seen or purchased here: https://www.cardboardandcoins.com/products/1993-stadium-club-michael-jordan-hof-members-only-super-rare-low-pop


   Now walking in the bar is Mr. Bo Jackson, wearing his MINOR LEAGUE Memphis Chicks Uniform. Yep, you heard that right...in 1986, before he wore Royals Blue, Bo played with the Chicks. This low-production and very Rare, "Silver Edition" Bo Rookie Card from Time Out Sports can be seen and purchased here: https://www.cardboardandcoins.com/products/1986-memphis-chicks-bo-jackson-rookie-card-card-28-mlb-royals-minor-league-team


   Next comes Gregg Jefferies. Who? Gregg Jefferies was a top prospect for the Mets in the mid-to-late 80's. Gregg comes to us on a 1988 STAR Blue card, which reads "Greg", not "Gregg". Issue #1 is the missing "g" error. Now, when you flip it over to see his stats....nope....it's a blank back card. You have to see this one, folks. It's a hot one! Here is the link: https://www.cardboardandcoins.com/products/1988-star-cards-greg-jefferies-missing-2nd-g-in-1st-name-and-blank-back-card-mets-rookie


   Bring in the Rocket. Raghib "Rocket" Ismail was a lightning fast player for the Raiders in the early 90's. His 1993 Topps Rookie card does garner some attention, but the very rare and coveted version is the Topps Gold version, now conveniently placed on our website for your review and/or purchase, at: https://www.cardboardandcoins.com/products/1993-topps-gold-395-rocket-raghib-ismail-rookie-card-toronto-cfl-raiders-nfl


   The final member of our Bar Room Bash is a rare Semi-Key Date 1915 Lincoln Wheat Cent . In 1915, Babe Ruth was just a Rookie, and the World was involved in a major World War, with only a couple of years until the United States stepped into the fight. In Philadelphia in 1914, 75 Million Pennies were minted, but in 1915, it dipped to merely 29 Million. In 1916, the figure jumped to 131 Million, so you can see just how rare a 1915 Penny actually is. Check out this piece of American History right here: https://www.cardboardandcoins.com/products/rare-1915-lincoln-wheat-cent-world-war-i-reduced-production-awesome-wheat-lines


   Incidentally, once inside the collectibles bar, they ran into a 1972 Topps Tom Seaver In Action Card, and the back of this card has the data for Willie Mays instead of Tom Seaver...ERROR CARD. Oddball indeed, and not listed yet. Want to discuss this card before I list it? Use the form here to request images and further info: https://www.cardboardandcoins.com/pages/contact-us


   On that topic, if you are a Seaver Fan, Met's Fan, or Baseball Fan, check out this HIGH GRADE PSA 8 NM-MT 1972 Topps #445 Tom Seaver card we just added: https://www.cardboardandcoins.com/products/1972-topps-445-tom-seaver-tom-terrific-hof-pitcher-new-york-mets-psa-8-nm-mt


Please keep in that these cards are just the tip of the iceberg in our inventory.
We have it all under one roof; Baseball Cards, All Major Sports Cards, Pokemon
Cards, Comic Books, and Plenty of U.S. Coins.
The Best Part? Every U.S. order SHIPS FREE!

Have a Great Week, from your friends at CardboardandCoins.com

CardboardandCoins.com - From Baseball Cards
to Wheat Cents, and everything in-between.
* * * * * * * * * * *
FREE U.S. Shipping Always
NO Minimum Order Size
www.CardboardandCoins.com

A Message; Collectors of Baseball Cards, Pokémon Cards, Coins & Comics

Hi Folks,
   The Holiday season is right upon us, and I hope you've been enjoying yourselves, or at the very minimum, coping well with the crowds on the roads and in the malls.

   This is a special message for each collector of Baseball Cards/Sports Cards, Pokémon Cards, Coins, and Comic Books.

   To our friends who collect Baseball Cards and Sports Cards, hello my people! May your 2017 be bright, may the paint on your cards be glossy and shiny. May your Chrome cards be void of finger-prints. May all 4 of your corners be sharp, May 2017 be centered, with solid borders all around. May all of your grades contain the word "Mint". Just "Mint", with perhaps a Gem included, as well. May you stock up on the right prospect rookie card, but most of all, may your year be full of Joy!

   To the Pokémon Card collecting segment of our customers, who adore those glistening Ex Cards. I hope 2017 brings you nothing but Rare and Uncommon success, possibly even Ultra Rare. May your booster packs bring you many a Charizard, and may your decks be full of Secret Rares! Most importantly, I wish you a 2017 filled with Happiness!

  Are you one of our Coin collecting customers? Then I hope 2017 brings you pockets full of wonders, with shiny new undiscovered errors, and silver Washington Quarters. May the joy of Doubled-die errors fill your collection, and may you come across a 1914-d Lincoln Wheat Cent and a 1922 with truly no "d"! May you continue your numismatic ventures in 2017, and may it always bring a smile to your face.

   For those of you who are Comic Book collecting customers of ours, then I wish 2017 brings you only 1st Print issues in Mint condition, loads of vintage Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, Avengers, Superman, and other such great titles you so desire. May you have a close encounter with Action Comics #1, one that allows you to display it as your own! I hope that 2017 brings you crisp white pages, a glossy cover, and a wealthy story Stan Lee would be proud of!

   We love all of our customers and we thank you for making 2016 special. I am glad to hear from many of you regarding the quality of the items you received, and we aim to top that (somehow!) in 2017. I've said it before and I'll say it again; when you are visiting CardboardandCoins.com, we welcome you to relax and just be yourself. You're family, and you're always at home with Cardboard and Coins.

Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year 2017 to all of you!
Your friends at CardboardandCoins.com

CardboardandCoins.com - From Baseball Cards
to Wheat Cents, and everything in-between.
* * * * * * * * * * *
FREE U.S. Shipping Always
NO Minimum Order Size
http://www.CardboardandCoins.com

The Worst Advice About Baseball Cards I've Ever Received

Hi Friends and Fellow Collectors,

   They say it's good to dwell on the positive things in life, but sometimes, it's healthy to hop over to the dark-side for a bit and reflect on some of the wacky (but with good intentions) advice I've received over the years regarding baseball cards, from buying, collecting, investing, and selling. I'll share some of these events chronologically so you can appreciate the time and setting in which I was the recipient of these tidbits of advice.

   Well, about 30 years ago, my aunt and uncle used to come over to my house a couple of times per week, and they brought up the idea that I was spending too much time organizing my cards, building sets and preparing for and selling at card shows. They started hinting about how it might be best for me to start tapering down my collecting habit, since it might be hindering my schoolwork, and really, where was I going in life by collecting and selling baseball cards? Why was that bad advice? What a 15-year old should not do is talk back, so I decided to keep on with the cards, since I was carrying a 90 average and I always finished my schoolwork before working on my cards. Yakkity Yak, don't talk back! So, the breaking news on that advice they gave me is that the college degree looks great on the wall and I am proud of it, but that baseball card "habit" of mine has been working out pretty darn good. It's slightly evident to them and I make sure to slip a baseball card in their birthday cards and their anniversary card every single year. You see that? Baseball cards do bring smiles!

   During the years of 1986-1991, an era that some folks in the business refer to as the over-production or "junk" years, I had conflicting advice from some fellow collectors. I was warned by some as if I was to avoid the bubonic plague to not throw a single penny into cards until the printing press slowed down. Of course, I did not heed that advice. Good thing, because if you do a quick eBay search for 1987 Topps Baseball cards and select only "sold items" and eliminate Tiffany cards from the search, you will see some pretty high selling prices for cards that folks wanted to wallpaper their homes with. That is selling prices as both graded and ungraded. I'm stocked to teeth and now the waiting and patience is starting to have a value attached to it. Listen to your little voice inside.

   During that same time, I did take bad advice two times, and paid the price for it. The first time, I was advised by two collectors who followed the Minor Leagues very closely via publications that they ordered in those pre-Internet Stone Age times. They told me to put everything behind the 1988 Topps Mike Campbell cards. There was one bulk vendor, and I bought $100 worth, a lot of money for a 16 year old in 1988 dollars. Needless to say, Campbell flopped and I phased out those two woodpeckers from my circle!

   The second time, I had my eyes on a promising rookie coming up through the Yankees organization, by the name of Derek Jeter. I had as much info as I could find by making calls, but I needed to get in touch with actual die-hard followers of the Yankees, since I am a die-hard follower of the Met's only! I made contact with a friend of a friend, and this fella was like a book of everything Yankees. I quizzed him on the most obscure stuff I could find at the Library (do those still exist?). He knew his stuff cold, and knew all of the upcoming prospects. Bingo! I was now 21 and had a little bit more money to play with, and I was going to plunk down $750 as an investment. He was so dead-set against Jeter, saying he was injury prone, and was going to choke when he hit the Majors, and he set out some really reasonable arguments against Jeter. He seemed valid and I took his advice. Fast forward all of these years, and I am still quite upset with myself for that bad advice, because I was going to be spreading my purchases across the Rookie Cards of Jeter from all of the main card companies, and I had a guy who had 25 of the SP Jeter cards. Yes, 25, and they were going at $8 per card (slightly jacked up New York City pricing). Oddly, I lost Mr. Yankee Advice's phone number. It's still a mystery today as to how I could have lost it .

   So, as you can see, I dodged some bullets, but got caught between the eyes with some others. I remember a friend in the business warning me not long ago about mixing in (selling) Pokemon Cards and Coins, in addition to the cards. He failed to realize that many folks collect a couple or all of these items simultaneously, and if you can be the person helping them get everything they need in one shot, they'll come back again and send their friends, as well.

   Overall, as I said in the beginning, all of this advice was done with good intentions, but still, that was just some of the worst advice I've ever received about baseball cards.

   Ummm....anybody want to buy some 1988 Topps Mike Campbell Rookies?
Many thanks and Regards,
Your friends at CardboardandCoins.com

CardboardandCoins.com - From Baseball Cards
to Wheat Cents, and everything in-between.
* * * * * * * * * * *
FREE U.S. Shipping Always
  NO Minimum Order Size
www.CardboardandCoins.com