General Forum

2003 Topps Chrome Andre Johnson Black Refractor #235 /100.  I have only seen it sale for a reasonable price once and didn't get it.  Have been kicking myself ever since.

Besides a few obvious ones. 

I just picked multiples up some of the biggest names in the skate boarding world RC 

Last night at a  auction.

All I can say is woot woot

Oh, another that's been a thorn in my side. I decided to get all the 2020 Topps On-Demand MLB The Show autographs well after the set had been released. I have them all except Amir Garrett. We're nearly 2 years after the set went up for sale on Topps' website, and I've still yet to see the Garrett for sale since I've started looking for it. I saw it under a sold auction once when I first started looking. Nothing since.

For the modern part of my PC, I tend to grab the Topps SSP's of Juan Soto relatively quickly because, as far as I've seen, they are up anywhere from $70-$100+ more than what I paid the year prior. These get squirreled away in collections and there really isn't a lot to go around. (My PC is Topps Flagship/Opening Day/Chrome - any set that apes the flagship design - Nationals team sets, so typically Soto is the subject of the "pricey" SP/SSP variants).

I stopped collecting much from 2015-2019ish, missing Soto's rookie year and now dealing with the insane price of his SP and SSP cards from 2018. Unless I hit it big somehow, I won't ever be getting those. 

1996-97 Topps Chrome Kobe Bryant rookie card. In 1997 I went with a friend to a card shop and we each got one pack which I paid for. (Well my mom did, we were in 6th grade at the time) he got the Kobe. He told me he would trade it to me but it was lost in a house fire. 

Later I bought what was advertised as a complete set of 96-96 Chrome, but the seller stole all but two of the rookie cards. I still lack the majority of them and I never got any of my money back. Unfortunately it was the days before PayPal. It was the most expensive deal I had ever done and it contributed to my frustrations with the NBA and why I walked away from the sport in 2006 and contributed to why I have a limit on what I will spend.

On eBay in 2011 or so I was doing some research and saw a huge lot of Star NBA cards. Must have been 250 to 300 cards. The buy it now was $150 but I didn't have that available. That's one of two eBay auctions I saw doing research and didn't have enough to buy that haunts me, the other is a 1/1 autograph of Janet Guthrie that was only $14 but I didn't even have that to spend. 

Great question!  My biggest regret is not grabbing 2004-05 Panini Sports Megacracks Lionel Messi ROOKIE RC #71 when it was less than $100.  It is so far out of my range now that it will never happen. 

T206 Ty Cobb RC...raw/not graded.  Had it in my hand with the intentions of buying, but then the guy started to tell me his price and then based it on what he thought it would grade for compared to those he had seen on eBay.  What he was overlooking was that the back would have gotten nailed for MC. After explaining this to him he wasnt getting how that impacts the value of the card.  The gap on what he wanted and what I was willing to pay was to far apart   As a Tigers fan I really wanted to add it to my collection. I still made out okay with the 1952 Bowman Mantle and a 1968 Ryan rookie that I did purchase from him.

1953 Topps Satchel Paige #220, St. Louis Browns.  I had a chance to buy one, 6-7 years ago for $200.  Ungraded, but my guess is that it was a 5, maybe 6.  I just couldn't justify spending that much on a set I wasn't collecting when I still needed so many 1965's, or 66's. (I don't remember which set I was working on at that time.)  Big regret. 
Also really regret not spending $35 and getting Ted Williams' auto back in the early 90's? when he was in St. Louis for a card show. I got home and immediately wished I had spent the money.  Approximately 30+ years later I'm still kicking myself for missing that opportunity.

If I do build any sets, I would tend to look for ones that are of historical baseball or maybe something with the history of the US.  I was able to find one of those Upper Deck sets that were 300 or so cards back about 2 years ago for a very good price of the sealed set.  I added it to my watch list and was preparing to make my bid, but got distracted somehow.  Totally blanked that I wanted it until after the auction ended a few days later.  Man, did I drop the ball on that one.   I now can't find the set for even three times that price now.  I would have to fork over sooo much if I actually wanted to get it again.  I felt so silly as it was completely my fault.  I'm still kicking myself about it.

I'm so sorry. My 1953 Paige (SGC 40--bought years ago for $175 ish) might just be the pride of my collection. Now they're selling for like $1250 and I'm seriously considering selling it and buying a PSA 2 or so for about $400 less and using the difference for...anything. The selling fees would hurt though...And I do love that card. 
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