I picked up a couple of Downton Abbey autograph singles from eBay recently, to add to my budding collection. I am still trying to decide whether or not I want to build the whole set. You can get most of a Master Set from one case, which is a pretty tempting proposition for me. I've never bought a case of cards before. I don't know if I'd even be able to bring myself to do it. There is decent resale value right now on eBay for most of the autographs and wardrobe cards, and plenty of demand for the sketch cards if you're lucky enough to pull one. I think the odds place sketch cards at about every other case, although that might be wrong.
I specifically targeted the Laura Carmichael as Lady Edith Crawley card, but I picked up the Zoe Boyle as Lavinia Swire card from the same seller because I could combine shipping on them. The other autograph from the set that I really want is Jim Carter as Mr. Carson. His autograph is one of the more costly ones in the set, so I am hoping to pull it from a pack.
These two cards originally showed up in these holders along with grades from some place called GMA. I didn't do much looking into the company, but one of the case had a big crack in it and I though I ought to remove the cards from their prisons. The adhesive on these things was pretty weak, so they popped apart without much resistance.
Here are the plastic prisons post-breakout. I don't have much more in the way of non-sports stuff to show off, but I can probably keep it going for another few posts. I guess I should have formalized this thing and announced a theme week or something. That would have been exciting.
After having dinged up a Killebrew rookie and a '54 Billy Pierce in attempting 'breakouts' on them I've become very shy about the whole thing. I've got a Grade 9 high number '72 All Pro Ted Hendricks in a case that seems stronger than Ft. Knox.
ReplyDeleteThose DA cards are pretty sweet, btw. And Mr Carson IS Downton Abbey as far as I'm concerned.
I normally wouldn't try to bust cards out of cases, but these ones looked flimsy enough that I thought I could get away with it. I was prepared to stop if it took too much twisting or pulling, but they peeled open right away. GMA certainly doesn't use tamper-proof cases.
ReplyDeleteMr. Carson really does make the show. You need the butler to carry a certain amount of presence, and he's got presence to spare.
Pip Pip and all that.
ReplyDeleteI forgot to tell you that I had that package sitting on the passenger seat in the car when two of the boys decided to have an impromptu car party while I was picking up their brother from preschool last week. The big one escaped from his seat and let loose the little one. I was pretty grumpy with them when I discovered they'd stepped on the mail. So, that could very well be where the dinged up plastic case came from. And now I can only check the mail after we've come home and not before we leave. Because kids. It's a good thing they're so cute.
ReplyDeleteThere was a big chunk of plastic busted off of the case. There was not a big chunk of plastic in the envelope. So, using my detective skills, I have determined that the kids probably didn't break the case, and that the case was broken before it was shipped to me. I did notice you looking at the break in the case a little bit more than I thought you would when I showed you the cards, but I didn't suspect you of any foul play at that time. I guess the case did the job well enough. I don't know that cards in top loaders or just sleeves would have survived the ordeal undamaged.
DeleteVery good, Sherlock. I'm glad I have been found innocent. *Powers of Deduction*
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