Baseball Cards Price

Someone please help with trading card values... i am desperate?

i have many trading cards i am trying to sell to make some quick cash, but i am confused as to what the value may be. I have over 1500 baseball, hockey, and some football cards. But i have some very good cards which i think could bring me some money. 1975 topps jean ratelle. 1974 topps john bucyk. mats Sundin rookie card. joe thornton rookie card. sergei fedorov rookie card. 1971 assists leader card featuring bobby orr, jean ratelle, and phil esposito. 1990 gordie howe hall of famer. 1970 john unitas. sammy sosa rookie card. those are just a few that i think are worth a decent amount. i also have mark mcgwire rookie card and other big names like mike schmidt, pete rose, mario lemieux, reggie jackson, tom seaver, bobby orr, jim rice, carlton fisk, johnny bench, dave winfield, thurman munson, hank aaron, george brett, tommy john, patrick roy, and more. all of these cards are in great condition and are not the newer cards that everyone can get. they are old cards from the seventies and 80's. some are even from the 60's. they used to be my fathers. I am not willing to pay for a card value site or book which is why i am asking for help. if i sold all of those big name cards plus my other 1500 cards, what value could i expect to get? please help guys and thanx. sorry this was so long

Public Comments

1. I have 20 years experience collecting and over ten years selling. I have bought and sold collections large and small. I've never bought one where I didn't see the cards first. I've never done an appraisal for cash, because no one wants to pay for it. An accurate one takes time, and my time is valuable. I have given numerous 'ballpark estimates' free of charge. But I've never done one of those without actually seeing the collection. You are asking for a free estimate without us seeing exactly what you have. That can't be done off of a very vague list like yours. So, my answer is going to be a very vague ballpark estimate. Big names like Schmidt, Rose, Jackson, Lemieux, Seaver, Orr, Aaron, etc, are worth several thousands of dollars, if they are all rookie cards in excellent or better condition. But, cards of major stars go down in value every year following their rookie issue. A 1985 Rose is worth 10 cents, his 1963 Rookie, many hundreds of dollars. There's a huge difference. So, we could be talking a few thousand for what you have, or less than a hundred. The 1970 Unitas in excellent sells for about $5. A McGwire in near mint for $7. The best Thornton, Sosa and Fedorov rookies go for about $2 each, the cheap brand rookies under $1. If you had the best of all three, you're looking at a real market selling price of those five cards of $18. A dealer won't even give you $5...he has to make a profit, and while $13 profit on something that cost $5 SOUNDS great, it really isn't. First, that $18 will be a net $15 after fees. If I have to spend two hours on eBay listing, answering emails, packing, going to the PO, follow-up afterward with the buyers, to make $10...that's less than minimum wage. It's not worth it. You're going to do even worse on cards that aren't star rookie cards. That's just how it works. Now, if you had one item that was really rare, that a dealer knew he had a buyer for, you might get 80% of that one card as an offer for the entire package. The dealer knows he can get full 'book' for that rare card, and he's made his money off the deal...the rest he can take his time piecing out, or just wholesale it to another dealer cheap, and it's pure profit. But if you don't have the rare item, no $100+ rookies, you're going to be offered pennies on the dollar.
2. Baseball cards are worth whatever someone will pay you for them. Don't settle for selling to card dealers or to someone who will give you less than what you want for them. Be patient, be assertive, and stand up for your right to get top dollar for your cards. You are worth it. Baseball cards are the wave of the future. Let's face it, and embrace it.