Baseball/Sports Cards appraisal?

[davsel]

My father-in-law recently passed away and left behind several hundred sports cards. Appear to be from the 80's - 90's - couple of medium sized moving boxes full.
I don't know anything about collecting cards.
Any ideas on figuring out what they are worth?
Would like to sell them.

[kidicarus13]

Like guns, if you take them to get them appraised at a dealer, they will low-ball you in hopes of stealing them. Generally, pre-1981 is better than post-1981 due to numbers produced. Today's cards of any value have been graded by a professional grading company and permanently sealed in heavy platic cases. Grading costs money of course, adding to the sports card scam IMO. Good luck.

[feal]

i bought ~160,000 off craigslist a couple of months back for 90$, spent the next 3 months going through them for fun and kept a couple of thousand - then sold them to a buyer on craigslist for 250. i think he was offering ~5$ per 10,000. if you are just looking to unload them i can get you his info. i think 80-90s card have the least value now because they made so many of them - 89 ken griffey jrs are ~30 on ebay now........

[Sawin]

I'd venture to guess If he has a couple medium sized moving boxes full, you're looking at 10,000+ cards. I have a few thousand cards and don't come close to filling a medium size moving box...that is unless he has them in a bunch of bulky binders/cases or something.

As kidicarus13 alluded via his picture, Beckett is going to be a better resource and more effective than trying to get the whole lot of them appraised. Scan through the lot of them and pull out any that you think are special... players you've heard of, know are in the Hall of Fame, hold records, etc... and then look them up in Beckett. Most of them are probably worthless or only a penny or two, but you might find a gem in there.

[beast556]

99% of cards from the80's/90's are worthless. I have a few binders and boxes of sets, looked them up last time we moved and there not worth anything. I put them back in storage and maybe they will be worth something when my kids unpack them when im gone.

[mpatch]

99% of cards from the80's/90's are worthless. I have a few binders and boxes of sets, looked them up last time we moved and there not worth anything. I put them back in storage and maybe they will be worth something when my kids unpack them when im gone.

There are only a few that I think are still worth something. Griffy Jr rookie, think it was one of the Ripkens that had fuck face written on the bottom of his bat that if it's not blacked out is worth some $$ and worth even more if it's scribbled out or something like that. Going off memory there are some error cards that still have some value.
I gave the last of my cards away years ago.

[colorider]

Ironic timing of this post. Yesterday I had a customer who is a collector of many things. He happens to own 2 Michael Jordan rookie cards. One is signed. Google the value of these things.

[mpatch]

Ironic timing of this post. Yesterday I had a customer who is a collector of many things. He happens to own 2 Michael Jordan rookie cards. One is signed. Google the value of these things.

Possibly worth couple of grand or a lot more depending on condition as long as they're not reprints. Check ebay completed auctions.

Those high value cards are like stamps and coins, they need to be professionally graded to know what they're worth.

[colorider]

Pro graded as mint. 10. Authenticated and in plastic cases. This guy is no hobby collector. It’s his life and income. And his dad was a collector as well and he owned his dads collection. Think mint condition baseball cards from the old days. All the greats. It’s AMAZING. All I will say is his basement is mind blowing with what he has. Should be in a vault or a museum. It doesn’t end with sports cards. Music, movies, actors, actresses, you name it. Signed pictures dating all the way back to the original Superman!!!!!! From black and white films all the way to a freaking signed bowling ball from the cast of Big Lobowski.
This guy’s dad worked at panoflex, or panovision, or whatever the old time movie production company was. Then at 14, my customer started warming with his dad. Amazing stories.

[MrPrena]

There are only a few that I think are still worth something. Griffy Jr rookie, think it was one of the Ripkens that had fuck face written on the bottom of his bat that if it's not blacked out is worth some $$ and worth even more if it's scribbled out or something like that. Going off memory there are some error cards that still have some value.
I gave the last of my cards away years ago.

Memories....

Griffey Jr 1989 upper deck #1 card can worth a lot if it is 9.5 or higher grade.

The bill Ripken white out F-face, scribble, black box are out there. F face error us of course most popular.

Dont forget Dale Murphy 89 upper deck reverse negative.


As people mentioned, majority of 80s and 90s cards are worth less than a paper it was printed on.

I got lucky and sold off about 80% my cards on year 1997 to a card shop that was located near Smoky Hill High School. At least I got about 25% of what I've probably invested.
I am going to keep rest as a great memory. Elementary school recess. Middle (jrhs) lunch time card trading (also buy sell).
Still gives me smiles thinking about it.