Featured Finds & Favorites: Past & Present
From the Garman Collection: The Rare Home Run Derby Mickey Mantle
“Original 1959 Home Run Derby Card Set Among Hobby’s Rarest”
One of Garman’s personal favorites.
“Can you think of another time when a car salesman’s freebies would, 50 years later, be worth at least 40 times the original purchase price of the car?”
– Rich Mueller, Sports Collectors Daily
See Mickey Mantle on the Home Run Derby. “It’s a home run or nothing!”
Get Started in Collecting
The collecting hobby sometimes starts with rediscovering your old collection or the collection of a loved one. If pulling out those old cards gives you a renewed sense of excitement, perhaps that’s a sign to keep building your collection.
But a lot has changed! Runs are different, and there are so many new products out there. Some advice: pick a focus or niche and start within that. For instance, you could collect a favorite player or team, rookie cards, autographs, or sets. Cards today are designed with these niche markets in mind so you’re likely to find those special cards if you keep your focus narrow, especially at first.
If your current collection is mostly cards from the 80’s and 90’s, unfortunately you’re not sitting on a gold-mine. Supply and demand coupled with online trading mean those are not worth much. But they’re still worth looking through to get you excited about collecting and trading and may help you determine your focus for moving forward.
Not interested in holding onto your collection?
For the person who finds a collection in the attic, Craigslist or a local card shop may be the first stop because they don’t know the industry or where to turn.
Many family members have found their way to Chris Garman after trying the do-it-yourself route. Others are wary of the term “dealer,” and have found him after having been offered far less than they expected for their find. “I help point people in the right direction, to find the resources they need, and to decide the best options for authentication, valuation, preserving or selling cards.” Chris wants to honor your collection, treasure your memories, and get you a fair value.
To get started, request a free evaluation.
Do you accept consignments?
Yes, however it depends on what you are looking to consign. After reviewing what you have, Chris will make a recommendation. Certain high value cards do better when auctioned with other lots of similar cards and, often times, will get higher hammer prices when auctioned by Chris. Lower value cards don’t attract as much attention and don’t provide enough margin for the processing it takes to auction them, so in those cases you may be better off selling the cards outright.
Should I have my cards graded?
This is a great question! Getting cards graded does not always increase their value. Many cards, once graded, will return less than if they were sold raw. Grading costs money and for a lot of cards the cost isn’t worth it. Understanding what not to grade can help you manage your collection wisely. Before sending your cards out, let Chris see them as he knows how to play your cards right when it comes to grading submissions.
How do you know which cards warrant grading?
Card grading is a skill that many people don’t understand and get frustrated when the results are not what was expected. You may see a card and think it is near mint or better. When the professional grading companies see it, they will look at it and give a card with great “eye appeal” low marks due to things you may not see such as surface wrinkles, for example. Most common cards are not worth grading but some commons are very rare in high grade making those worth the trouble of grading. Major stars such as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle, Hank Aaron, or Jackie Robinson are almost always worth grading. Let Chris review your cards first so you don’t waste money on getting cards graded that you shouldn’t.
How much does it cost to get a card graded or authenticated?
There are three companies that specialize in authentication and slabbing: PSA, SGC, and Beckett. Professional authentication is recommended for higher value cards, and Chris can help sort through your collection to know what merits the process. It is common to overvalue a collection so the problem is deciding if it’s worth it. It may cost $20 to grade a card, so you have to pick your cards or know how to sell as a lot. That’s where Chris can help you determine whether authentication and “slabbing” is worth the cost.
Do you authenticate items?
Depending on your item and its condition, Chris can evaluate your item and recommend your next step. Chris will walk you through the process and advise based on the item, cost of the service, and your goal in terms of preservation, consignment, or selling the item.
The following is a list of professional grading companies. Please note that no grading company has guaranteed acceptance, and this list may not be all inclusive. If you have questions, feel free to email the details of the item and authentication to chris@garmanauctions.com.
How can you verify if a card has been authenticated?
JSA authentication can be verified at www.spenceloa.com and PSA at www.psacard.com. For SGC, go to gosgc.com
What is a raw card?
A “raw” card is one that has not been graded before and is not encapsulated in a tamper-proof protective plastic holder, also known as a “slab.” The cards Chris enjoys finding the most are raw cards that are fresh to the market that have not yet been traded or authenticated.
How do you do business with an appraiser?
We can walk you through the process. For more information see the article in Antiques Roadshow on Doing Business with Appraisers, as a guide for picking the best appraisers and/or auctioneers, for your situation.
How do you get a good photograph of an item?
Where do you get your cards graded?
We can refer you to a grading service. Refer to our list of authenticators at the bottom of this list and call or email with your questions.
What is a Beckett Value?
Beckett magazine is the trusted source for sports card values. A Beckett value, also known as “book value,” is simply a aguideline used to price raw cards. Cards may sell for more or less depending on the condition of the card or the performance of the athlete.
What's a card worth?
Ultimately, the true value of an item is defined by what the item sells for. Do you think you may have something rare and valuable but need to know more? Call or email Chris and let him guide you through the process.
Sports Authentication Resources
What We Collect
Chris is looking for vintage 70s and older, hall of famers, and all sports cards in general.
American post-1948, pre-war prior to 1948, backer cards, gum cards, unopened boxes, baseball complete sets, Mickey Mantle, and rookie cards from all sports. Chris has a selection of other sports related items like programs and tickets, original type 1 photos. Chris can also curate special interest, cultural and vintage nostalgia items.
Contact Chris with your collectibles for sale or evaluation or your most wanted items for your own private collection.