The greatest collection of 80-90s basketball strolled into my shop over the weekend

[armyml]

My buddy and I opened a physical location in Indiana after doing the online thing for 6 months or so. We have been open a month but we get our fair share of people looking to sell their cards. Always the same story most of the time. Junk wax. Well this time a gentleman in his 60's strolls in and starts asking questions.
"Well I collected mid 80s-late 2000s, I ripped wax chasing inserts and rare pull cards." So I ask him which sport, expecting baseball. He says basketball and my ears up.
Sure enough he has brought them with in his truck, so after a few trips in and out, one box, and about 5 completely full binders later I get a feel for what this guy has. Long story short...a complete gold mine and a collectors dream.
-Jordans...man so many Jordans. BESIDES an entirely full binder of MINT condition base cards, he has the usual suspect high end inserts. BMOC Z-Peat, Rave Review, Bowmans refractors, Triumvirate, 2 scoring kings, exclamation points w/sleeve, beam teams, fleer sticker etc etc. The thing is that as soon as he ripped back in the day he would put the cards into screw downs and protect the screw downs so these cards are all IMMACULATE. I couldn't believe the condition of these cards for the years he has.
20210501_120544 by mark liddell, on Flickr
20210501_120551 by mark liddell, on Flickr
20210501_114239 by mark liddell, on Flickr
20210501_112702 by mark liddell, on Flickr
-Insert SETS. Dude has most of the amazing insert sets from the 90s and multiples of. Didnt get a lot of good pictures but I can if people are interested. I just took a few pics.
20210501_174601 by mark liddell, on Flickr
20210501_174609 by mark liddell, on Flickr
20210501_174508 by mark liddell, on Flickr
20210501_174513 by mark liddell, on Flickr
-Shaq Rookies. Pages and pages of mint condition Shaq Rookies
20210501_180107 by mark liddell, on Flickr
20210501_180134 by mark liddell, on Flickr
20210501_180229 by mark liddell, on Flickr
20210501_180249 by mark liddell, on Flickr
20210501_180149 by mark liddell, on Flickr
20210501_180058 by mark liddell, on Flickr
20210501_180130 by mark liddell, on Flickr
-Just epic 90s and 2000s cards. Didnt get pics but I saw a Kobe Topps Chrome Rookie, a FEW Lebron rookies but nothing major, serial numbered Tmacs, Vinces, Penny Hardaway...you name it.
20210501_174956 by mark liddell, on Flickr

Guy is looking to sell and have a nice retirement. Our shop is going to help him grade the heavy hitters, and move the lower/mid tier cards raw to fund the grading costs on the big boys. Basically, if there are some super collectors here looking for some rare 90s cards in good condition let me know who you collect and I can check to see if the guy has the cards and wants to move them. It won't happen instantly since the guy is out at the shop in Indiana. My buddy lives out there so he is local, but I am out in Chicago. I can put a list together of wants and send it off and maybe here somethin back that week. Either way the cards will move, but I wanted to give some of the collectors a shot at them here before we sell locally and on Ebay. Such a beautiful collection, I wish I could afford to buy it all for myself. We are going to grade the BMOC first and moving it out of a screwdown into a top loader was so nerve wracking.

[rustywest]

.................

[Deadpools Head]

Whoa! Such Jordan-Y and Shaq-y goodness. I have that beam team ‘92-‘93 Mike and Shaq that I pulled from different boxes and different shops back in the summer of ‘93 when I was 12. They both were previously shitty days that were immediately cheered up by those pulls. Over time I’ve collated a full set of the first Stadium Club Beam Team set ungraded. A few years back I bought the Member’s Only version of Mike and Shaq beam team (The Mike is BGS 9 with 10 centering subgrade but I’m having a hard time moving it. I have most of the other Inserts too but unfortunately waited to long to get the BMOC Jordan. Which is just an AMAZING card!

[armyml]

Originally Posted by Deadpools Head

Whoa! Such Jordan-Y and Shaq-y goodness. I have that beam team ‘92-‘93 Mike and Shaq that I pulled from different boxes and different shops back in the summer of ‘93 when I was 12. They both were previously shitty days that were immediately cheered up by those pulls. Over time I’ve collated a full set of the first Stadium Club Beam Team set ungraded. A few years back I bought the Member’s Only version of Mike and Shaq beam team (The Mike is BGS 9 with 10 centering subgrade but I’m having a hard time moving it. I have most of the other Inserts too but unfortunately waited to long to get the BMOC Jordan. Which is just an AMAZING card!

I can't explain how nervous I was moving that BMOC out of the screw down. He wants to send that one and the Rave Review out for grading first. This guy took such good care of his cards from the second he ripped them.

[Archangel1775]

Had me worried when you said screw downs. The ones I was thinking were the 4 screw ones. Nice !

[Deadpools Head]

Originally Posted by armyml

I can't explain how nervous I was moving that BMOC out of the screw down. He wants to send that one and the Rave Review out for grading first. This guy took such good care of his cards from the second he ripped them.

Did you get that “shake”? I’ve gotten it a few times when I’ve pulled Jordan Autos, Jordan Auto/jerseys or Auto Patches. My Lebron Autos and Kobe Autos. It’s that “OH MY GOD WHAT DID I JUST PULL! NOW DONT RUIN IT” mix of wonderment/excitement/anxiety haha.

[discodanman45]

How many Shaq rookies will be graded in the next year? They seem to be multiplying like gremlins. Don't get your Shaq rookies wet or you might end up with a thousand of them.

[pokemaniac]

Kudos for helping the guy out. Really cool collection.

[armyml]

Originally Posted by discodanman45

How many Shaq rookies will be graded in the next year? They seem to be multiplying like gremlins. Don't get your Shaq rookies wet or you might end up with a thousand of them.

Probably not TOO many due to the grading situations right now in the market. I can definitely see more showing up though. I didn't follow his market too big but I can see there is definitely some nice value in PSA 10s. With 10s in the 4-600 range we probably won't see a lotta people sending in on the Super Express $300 dollar level but I can see it being worth if it ever goes back to $100/card.

[armyml]

Originally Posted by pokemaniac

Kudos for helping the guy out. Really cool collection.

SUPER nice guy. We are going to take a % of sale on the graded stuff, but are going to walk him through and do the BMOC free of charge. That way he can get a feel for the process before he trusts us with 6 figures worth of cards. I feel bad for his kids. He was going to leave everything to his kids, but his wife convinced him its time for the two of them to take that money and enjoy life while they can. I dont blame her honestly. If my dad handed down a collection like this to me I would probably pass out and wet myself, in no particular order.

[KhalDrogo]

Interested in the BMOC, RR, 93 SK, and Exclamation Points once they come back from PSA.

[Woodsy074]

The BMOC and 93 Scoring Kings MJ are on my must haves. Love when this stuff just pops up. I wish I was that lucky....

[armyml]

Originally Posted by KhalDrogo

Interested in the BMOC, RR, 93 SK, and Exclamation Points once they come back from PSA.

I got you Khal. Definitely doing the BMOC first here in the next week or two. From there he is going to decide what he wants to do based off the process, but my guess is he is going to want to keep grading after he sees the value in that BMOC Z-Peat, especially if it gems. I just want to get these beautiful cards in the hands of the right collectors, and want to make sure this guy doesn't get stiffed. I am so glad he walked into our shop(my buddy and I) instead of a less then stellar one that would try to rip this dude off. He has absolute TREASURES in his binders and screw downs and I want this guy to be happy with what he gets for everything and these cards get to the right people.

[armyml]

Originally Posted by Woodsy074

The BMOC and 93 Scoring Kings MJ are on my must haves. Love when this stuff just pops up. I wish I was that lucky....

He actually has 2 scoring kings. I would ask if he wants to sell one raw, but looking now I had no idea the 10s go for so much...sweet jesus.

[Dame]

Fleer All defense and Skybox Larger than Life if available.

[pejc300]

These are the things we dream of.

[duron]

Love it, must be a great feeling opening up a physical shop with a buddy. Hope you guys do well for a long time.

I have 8 of those Jordans myself including a PSA 9 Rave Review, but have never considered selling it up until a few weeks ago when a copy went for 10k. I wonder if I'd be a moron to not sell right now (or soon).

[alphaomegas]

Jordan kings nice but back of card rough corner. Condition is everything but as a collector its awesome but value umm depends on grade. I've sent a bunch into psa which I believe a lot of people have done as most have been mass produced.

[soey10]

That is an amazing collection, I am sure having a physical location it must get tiring letting people know that their junk wax era cards are practically worthless, but on the flip side it must be an amazing feeling letting someone like this know that everything they collected years ago is worth a truckload of money.

[armyml]

Originally Posted by duron

Love it, must be a great feeling opening up a physical shop with a buddy. Hope you guys do well for a long time.

I have 8 of those Jordans myself including a PSA 9 Rave Review, but have never considered selling it up until a few weeks ago when a copy went for 10k. I wonder if I'd be a moron to not sell right now (or soon).

It really is a great feeling and I appreciate the kind words! Culmination of a lifelong dream. Both of us have grinded hard at careers and now that we are in our late 30s its time to do something we enjoy. We still have the full time careers though. Shop is doing great but no use getting rid of two sources of income until you have to.

[fastnbulbous]

Jordan Scoring Kings is such a great card, iconic.

I remember at the time the Power in the Key was also quite popular and in series 2 ultra packs, just as "rare" (1 per box /36 packs were the rare cards back then) but it seems to be a bit forgotten now.



https://www.psacard.com/auctionprice...summary/307871

https://www.psacard.com/auctionprice...summary/307699

[jayjones82]

I miss the 90's...such awesome-looking sets!

[dkcardman]

I love threads like this. There are so many similar collections collecting dust in people houses. This also gives me so much regret for selling my childhood collection...

[armyml]

Originally Posted by dkcardman

I love threads like this. There are so many similar collections collecting dust in people houses. This also gives me so much regret for selling my childhood collection...

It was so great sitting there chatting with the guy. He stayed for 4-5 hours and chatted with my business partner and I about the hobby and how it used to be. Reminiscing about ripping things like Fleer Metal and Topps Chrome for $40/box. I've still got my childhood card collection..but unfortunately I chose to collect Chris Webber and Larry Johnson instead of MJ. Although C-Webb might make the hall. LJ too based on college accolades but I'm not holding my breath on that one.