Ever run into a card issue that turns out to be unintentionally rare?

[RustyGreerFan]

Some player collectors might be able to answer this one.

I often find myself marveling at the thought of how many unopened boxes are out there of any given product still protecting its treasures inside. Or maybe how many cards have been lost for good to flooding or fire. Suddenly a card issue numbered to 100 could become more rare than a card issue numbered to 25.

Have you come across any particular card issue that you've found impossible to locate or just wayyyy way harder than it should have been?

I remember having a conversation with a guy that has a Rusty Greer collection that dwarfs mine a few years ago. We decided that we had NEVER seen a 1998 Zenith 5x7 Gold Impulse Rusty Greer go on Ebay. He didn't have one yet, and I only have one - got it from a guy on Beckett. These are numbered to 100, so technically there should be a bunch of them floating around out there. Makes me wonder how many are still unopened from a product that seemed to not be very popular.

 

[jaderock]

Even without the flooding/fire senario, many many cards are WAY tougher to find than the stated odds.

In football, 1997 Score Reserve Collection (has "Fuzz" front) is stated at 1:11 packs but it's been 13 years and I have yet to see one for my player collection. Another case is 2000 Absolute Playoff Fever insert (stated odds 1:49 retail packs)...to date, not a single copy has ever been seen by all the player collectors and NEVER listed anywhere that I know of!

 

[bigpapiortiz34]

Tough news about Mark Brunell's bankruptcy. I feel awful for him.

I have yet to find this card for the last 8 years anywhere...

2002 Donruss Originals Making History Materials Sammy Sosa Game Used Base

I need it as part of my Originals master set. Odd in that it is numbered to 100

 

[dale]

There are some cards which don't make it out of production, or only a handful do. For example the 2008 Topps Heritage Chrome 285 Jerry Hairston, Jr is numbered to 1959 like the rest of them, but only a few have been seen. Apparently there was a production problem of some sort and they were pulled. Of course there are issues with licensing which have gotten some cards pulled too (2001 Donruss Classics Robin Roberts and Sandy Koufax, 2008 Stadium Club Joe DiMaggio, 2006 Topps Alex Gordon, etc.,) but a few always manage to leak out.
Personally I have never seen a 2001 Donruss Classics Significant Signatures C.C. Sabathia which is listed as an SP, but I should have seen at least one in 10 years.

 

[mindbinge]

The Score stuff is crazy...i guess another aspect of this is that people probably dont list them on ebay because they think its not worth it...i am constantly trying to track down artist proof, gold zone, red zone, end zone...whatever...from the Score sets.

The retail versions of these types of products is also hard to find...I have managed to find the complete rainbow of 2010 Prestige for my Bradshaw collection including the xx/10, xx/25, xx/50 and so on but the ONLY version I can't find is the retail ORANGE version, which isn't even numbered.

 

[RustyGreerFan]

Yeah, Score is a good example. For one, it's considered lower-end, so I have this perception that there aren't a lot of dealers and case shredders opening that product. These seem to be the people that put stuff up on the market - especially when it's new. Take one of Jaderock's Brunell serial number trifectas. That seems to be way easier to do with a brand like Donruss/Panini Elite than a Score base product. High end singles are going to hit the market.

With Score being lower-end, you also have kids opening it. Cards making it into a kid's collection should have less chance of eventually making it to the market. And with retail low-end, I can just picture box after box still sitting at warehousers or stuffed in some corner at Walmarts and Targets all over the country. Some of the boxes we wouldn't pay even $10 to rip.

 

[metsfan6986]

Back in 08 when I was collecting Jose Reyes, Beckett stated he had By the Letter autos in 06 SP Authentic...I went crazzzy looking for these for months only to find out they were never even made.

 

[nevermore]

1995 Score Rules Jumbos, numbered to 3,000 yet impossible to find.

 

[mrmopar]

Sometimes, as noted, the cards are shown on checklists and in guides, but don't exist. The guides are never updated and show these prices for cards nobody has or has ever seen. One such example is a Garvey/R. Smith dual GU/AU card from a few years back. I believe I read somewhere where it was never issued due to problems. I am questioning whether or not the Garvey/K. Gibson dual AU #'d 5 exists in the 2008 Donruss. I have never seen one listed and typically at least one of the super limited cards reaches ebay.

One issue that puzzles me is the 04 UD Legends Timeless Teams base card, bronze parallel. There are 50 copies and Garvey has 4 cards in the set. There are also gold versions (#'d/5) and even 1/1s. I have one of the 1/1s, but don't expect to necessarily find the others (a typical 1/1 problem!). I have all 4 gold versions, even multiples of some versions. I have...ONE...bronze card and have never seen any of them offered on ebay, COMC, Sportslot, etc. Considering all of the junk stuff that ends up being listed, the large team and player lots, etc...I don't understand how these have not surfaced at least once or twice???

 

[mindbinge]

another funny thing is that Bradshaw's only GU card is the 08 Topps Super Bowl Jersey #'d to 40 (its actually a piece football though UER) I have one, they sell for about $40 when they show up...it's been MONTHS since I've seen one for sale...maybe even a year now... then all of the sudden last week 3 showed up on ebay from different sellers? not like they were sold and people saw how much they were bringing and threw them on there either because they were all sniped and all went for around $40 and two of them were listed and running during the same time frame.

Just kinda odd...

 

[mindbinge]

Yeah, Score is a good example. For one, it's considered lower-end, so I have this perception that there aren't a lot of dealers and case shredders opening that product. These seem to be the people that put stuff up on the market - especially when it's new. Take one of Jaderock's Brunell serial number trifectas. That seems to be way easier to do with a brand like Donruss/Panini Elite than a Score base product. High end singles are going to hit the market.

With Score being lower-end, you also have kids opening it. Cards making it into a kid's collection should have less chance of eventually making it to the market. And with retail low-end, I can just picture box after box still sitting at warehousers or stuffed in some corner at Walmarts and Targets all over the country. Some of the boxes we wouldn't pay even $10 to rip.

i guess my point was also the retail versions of even the higher end sets are hard to find...no one busts them for resale...if the companies want more retail sold and busted they are going to have to start putting some higher dollar hits in there even if they are fewer and far between...you cant find 2010 Bowman blasters anywhere right now, so it CAN be done.

 

[garyg21]

2006 Bazooka Kevin Thompson REWINDS relics... haven't seen one on ebay in 4 years.. I have offered to pay triple what it books on many trade sites and get no response. One person claimed to have had one, but that's really doesn't give me much confidence.

It's the last relic I need for the master set.

 

[AUTaxMan]

1995 Score Rules Jumbos, numbered to 3,000 yet impossible to find.

I have one of these cards - Jason Bere.

 

[RustyGreerFan]

I have one of these cards - Jason Bere.

I remember seeing some at my lcs at the time... had I only known to buy them.

 

[bigalbert]

retail parallels are sometimes the tuffest to track down. Especially lower numbered inserts that are retail only. I will overpay everytime on ebay for those.

 

[Tankp]

I happen to be lucky enough to have two rare cards. Both MJ cards. But this was only from knowing some one that was a sales man for the card company. He for some reason would run into me all the time with my sons. And he gave me those two cards. I have asked many people if they have ever seen the card. Not one person has said yes to me yet. And some have been collecting as long as I have or longer.

 

[bigwallastyle]

08 Topps Moments Pujols #12 Runs /150:

I need these Milestones:

30,38,40,42,44,45,46,47,49,50

I can't find them anywhere. I have finished the rest of the white /150 set (4 different cards in all- about 335/ 345 roughly. I can't find these and can't seem to locate anyone who has a copy already either.

Tom