What was your WORST card purcchase?

[TC84]

I'm leaving out worst trade so a fight won't break out.... whether it was online or in person I was wondering what yall's worst card purchase has been. We've all made horrible buys. What's yours?

Mine was back around 2011, when Beckett started allowing people to sell cards. I was putting together the '96 Playoff Prime X's and O's set. I needed Marvin Harrison among others, but really wanted that card so I could move on. It's BV was around $15, but most of them on ebay were double that. So I found one on Beckett for $20 and went ahead and bought it. When it got to me I couldn't believe the condition! ALL of the edges were white, and there was a huge crease down the middle. I was so mad! Instead of trying to contact the person that sold it to me online, in my state, I immediately wrote a colorful note saying I wanted my money back. I put the note and card in an envelope and sent it back. I never got my money back... that was the first and only time I bought a card on Beckett.

 

[SymphonicMetal]

Single card? That'll be tough. Like everyone else in the junk wax era I made a lot of horrific purchases of unopened material but 1) luckily I had a two decade head start on cards which cushioned the financial blow and 2) I learned before most collectors that buying new unopened CRAP was not the way to go. I have not bought a new pack or box since 1992 and saved myself a ton of money.

I was talking to my brother recently about never having bought a card for more than $100 so I cannot think of a single card purchase like that. Howeveeeeeer I can think of a trade I made in 1989 or 1990 that was a disaster but luckily I had dozens of the cards I traded away to soften that blow as well. I traded a Marino RC, an Elway RC a Montana RC and a Rice RC straight up for ............THE SHORT PRINTED REFRIGERATOR PERRY FROM 1989 PRO SET! Good job bright boy!!!! LMAO!!!

In my defense that Perry is the only one I have come across in 35 years............but still.

 

[katester44]

Every blaster of Topps flagship/update for the past couple years!

Single card - bought up a bunch of Lindros cards when he was drafted and ended up with the Flyers. On the plus side, they make great coasters!

 

[TC84]

Single card? That'll be tough. Like everyone else in the junk wax era I made a lot of horrific purchases of unopened material but 1) luckily I had a two decade head start on cards which cushioned the financial blow and 2) I learned before most collectors that buying new unopened CRAP was not the way to go. I have not bought a new pack or box since 1992 and saved myself a ton of money.

I was talking to my brother recently about never having bought a card for more than $100 so I cannot think of a single card purchase like that. Howeveeeeeer I can think of a trade I made in 1989 or 1990 that was a disaster but luckily I had dozens of the cards I traded away to soften that blow as well. I traded a Marino RC, an Elway RC a Montana RC and a Rice RC straight up for ............THE SHORT PRINTED REFRIGERATOR PERRY FROM 1989 PRO SET! Good job bright boy!!!! LMAO!!!

In my defense that Perry is the only one I have come across in 35 years............but still.

Man! I think that would haunt me forever!
Is this the card you traded for?

 

[SymphonicMetal]

Man! I think that would haunt me forever!
Is this the card you traded for?
View attachment 113325

I cannot see a picture but that indeed is the card!

Talk about the Mel Gibson "GIVE ME BACK MY TWO BUCKS!"...... How about "GIVE ME BACK MY MARINO, ELWAY, MONTANA AND RICE RCS!!"

 

[TC84]

I cannot see a picture but that indeed is the card!

Talk about the Mel Gibson "GIVE ME BACK MY TWO BUCKS!"...... How about "GIVE ME BACK MY MARINO, ELWAY, MONTANA AND RICE RCS!!"

Ya, the rectangle on the far left with the B in the middle is where a picture of the card would be if they uploaded one.
That trade was about $450 - $15, in today's money... I'm so sorry! But like you said, at least you have multiple of the RCs you traded away! Similarily, in 2017 I had 3 Mahomes RCs. I traded a Playoff RC for a Terrelle Pryor Auto Rookie... the Mahomes books for $300 now and I think the Pryor books for $8. Hindsight.....

 

[SymphonicMetal]

Ya, the rectangle on the far left with the B in the middle is where a picture of the card would be if they uploaded one.
That trade was about $450 - $15, in today's money... I'm so sorry! But like you said, at least you have multiple of the RCs you traded away! Similarily, in 2017 I had 3 Mahomes RCs. I traded a Playoff RC for a Terrelle Pryor Auto Rookie... the Mahomes books for $300 now and I think the Pryor books for $8. Hind

Terrelle Pryor for Patrick Mahomes?? That is like the coach of Michigan having Freshamn Drew "The Phenom" Henson split time at QB with a Senior named Tom Brady.

Not to make you feel worse but a former President is wondering if you were on somehting when you made that trade.

 

[TC84]

Terrelle Pryor for Patrick Mahomes?? That is like the coach of Michigan having Freshamn Drew "The Phenom" Henson split time at QB with a Senior named Tom Brady.

Not to make you feel worse but a former President is wondering if you were on somehting when you made that trade.

What in the world is he saying?? I doubt he even knows...
Anywho... ya I drank ALOT back then. No Beckett. Cards had just come out. I had 2 other Mahomes RCs. And I was on a kick of collecting guys named Terrell or close to it. I even got a Ferrell Edmunds auto cuz it was close to Terrell... I blame Jack Daniels and Sam Adams. Its really their fault!

 

[SymphonicMetal]

What in the world is he saying?? I doubt he even knows...
Anywho... ya I drank ALOT back then. No Beckett. Cards had just come out. I had 2 other Mahomes RCs. And I was on a kick of collecting guys named Terrell or close to it. I even got a Ferrell Edmunds auto cuz it was close to Terrell... I blame Jack Daniels and Sam Adams. Its really their fault!

Don't forget the Bears traded up to leapfrog the Chiefs and drafted the immortal Mitch Trabisky instead of Mahomes so you are not alone.

 

[TC84]

Don't forget the Bears traded up to leapfrog the Chiefs and drafted the immortal Mitch Trabisky instead of Mahomes so you are not alone.

There were other cards involved. It wasn't a 1 for 1... but those are the ones us 3 remember. lol

 

[Kirbyfan34]

Single card? That'll be tough. Like everyone else in the junk wax era I made a lot of horrific purchases of unopened material but 1) luckily I had a two decade head start on cards which cushioned the financial blow and 2) I learned before most collectors that buying new unopened CRAP was not the way to go. I have not bought a new pack or box since 1992 and saved myself a ton of money.

I was talking to my brother recently about never having bought a card for more than $100 so I cannot think of a single card purchase like that. Howeveeeeeer I can think of a trade I made in 1989 or 1990 that was a disaster but luckily I had dozens of the cards I traded away to soften that blow as well. I traded a Marino RC, an Elway RC a Montana RC and a Rice RC straight up for ............THE SHORT PRINTED REFRIGERATOR PERRY FROM 1989 PRO SET! Good job bright boy!!!! LMAO!!!

In my defense that Perry is the only one I have come across in 35 years............but still.

Maybe if you grade it and it's a 10, that would lessen the blow a bit???

 

[SymphonicMetal]

Maybe if you grade it and it's a 10, that would lessen the blow a bit???

That would help for sure. Luckily I was well stocked (to say the least) with football cards from those years so it didn't hurt that badly.

The funny thing is that the Perry is only $15. In 35 years I have never come across one outside of that trade! I'll bet I could ask for one in the Football Wants Room and no one will have one. Same with the 1990 Pro Set Eric Dickerson All Pro card. I bought a collection that had 3 or 4 of those but have never seen one outside of that I think it books for $20 and I'm not letting any of mine go for that.

 

[ripahl]

1) Most breaks I get in
honorable mention: some wander Franco auto I bought 1 week before the news broke $50.
could make the list, but I threw them away... some 500 Benetendi RC cards between 2016 and 2018

 

[dragonslayer913]

Every blaster of Topps flagship/update for the past couple years!

Single card - bought up a bunch of Lindros cards when he was drafted and ended up with the Flyers. On the plus side, they make great coasters!

.....And coasters probably worth more money sigh!!

 

[TC84]

1) Most breaks I get in
honorable mention: some wander Franco auto I bought 1 week before the news broke $50.
could make the list, but I threw them away... some 500 Benetendi RC cards between 2016 and 2018

I've never done good in breaks either! Stopped doing them after #4 or 5 cuz i was just wasting money...

 

[SymphonicMetal]

Every blaster of Topps flagship/update for the past couple years!

Single card - bought up a bunch of Lindros cards when he was drafted and ended up with the Flyers. On the plus side, they make great coasters!

The Eric Lindros craze fits into my junk wax buying mistakes as he was the most hyped pospect I'd ever seen in hockey much like LBJ and Shaq in basketball. I bought a ton of 90-91 Score hockey because of him. At least he made the HOF and was only a disppointment because of concussion issues.