I've been gathering up Members Only parallels from 2014 Topps Stadium Club pretty much since the product released. I've mentioned more than once that I can usually only grab semi-stars and commons from this set, as the print run on these was rumored to be less than 10 copies of each card. Well, a while back the Bryce Harper card from the set popped up on eBay with a $0.01 starting price and free shipping (from Canada).
If I recall correctly, I put in a bid that was around the price of a blaster box, fully expecting to be outbid at some point before the auction ended. After 7 total bids, the auction closed with me winning for a whopping $0.72 (with free shipping). That was pretty exciting, but I wondered if the seller would even send the card. I also felt a little guilty about winning such a scarce card of a legitimate superstar.
To ease my guilty feelings, I checked out the seller's other auctions to see if there was anything I could pick up to at least cover the shipping cost. They had quite a few Buy It Now listings that I added to my cart, including this Expos sticker from Panini.
I just grabbed an assortment of random stuff that interested me. The seller didn't have much that I really 'need,' so I went after names I recognize and shiny/die-cut stuff. Apparently I hit the Bowman Platinum pretty hard, with that Segura up there and the die-cut Vogelbach and Goldschmidt inserts. I also snagged a Topps Chrome insert of Johnny Cueto, a Phillie Phanatic from Opening Day, and a base card of R.A. Dickey.
These extra cards probably covered at least the cost of shipping plus eBay fees with a couple of dollars left over, so I can sleep a little easier. I was honestly kind of surprised that the seller shipped the Bryce Harper card. I guess I've spent too much time on the Blowout forums lately, where there are new threads every day about deals gone wrong. I probably couldn't have found much fault with the seller if they had merely cancelled the sale, but I am glad to add the Harper as the centerpiece of my 2014 Topps Stadium Club Members Only collection.
I love those auctions where you end up with an insane purchase for a great price.
ReplyDeleteI do too! I still can't believe I won this card, especially since there were clearly other people bidding on it.
DeleteI got a pair of Chucks that way - seller listed them as BIN for 1 cent instead of an auction starting at that.
ReplyDelete