General Forum

Of all the cards in all the gin joints in all the world, why did you have to pick these two?

As many of you know, I ordered three very expensive cards last week. The cheapest, and ironically oldest, a 1919-21 Fred Merkle, arrived yesterday. It is beautiful, now labelled and on display. 

The other two, THE TWO MOST EXPENSIVE CARDS I HAVE EVER BOUGHT, are in the following situations: Nolan Ryan rookie was allegedly delivered yesterday. No it wasn't. And it hasn't been delivered today, either. The 1955 Jackie Robinson was processed through Houston on April 5th, and is apparently still there. 

I've put a trace on the Ryan and will be patient with the Robinson. But why these cards?!?!?

(For the record, I believe that, generally, the USPS is a great bargain and does great work. Just not this time.)

Sigh. 

v3

I had a card mark as delivered by USPS that wasn't delivered to me. It showed up two months later, unopened with the original tracking info.

They also delivered all of the packages a neighbor was ordering off ebay to me. Same address basically as mine but my street ends in Court and his ends in Circle. The postman taped a note in my mailbox to remind them to double check the address.

Hope you get those cards! I too appreciate the post office and the work that they do!

That's always my fear.  They sender sends the cards (or says they did) but then it gets stolen from the mail, lost or damaged.  I get mail every other month for a house with the same house number but is one block away.  I always walk over and give it to them.  But what if someone who received my package isn't as kind and keeps it.  Or the other way around, I send the item and the buyer claims to never have received it.  I still mail everything, but the thought is always there, when something takes a day or two longer than expected.  

USPS must be marking things delivered in batches as I had several eBay purchased marked delivered and then delivered the next day...so fusterating.  Hope they show up soon!

This week I had a card from Ebay. Sent via the Ebay standard envelope even though it was a non-sport auto priced over $20. I live in Silver Spring Maryland and our local Hub post office for the county is in Gaithersburg. Usually tracking at the G-burg hub isn't marked as "Out for delivery" but it was marked as that Wed night, fortunately my envelope arrived on Fri 2 days after being missmarked as beung delivered from Gaithersburg instead of the usual Silver Spring. I have heard that the Ebay standard envelope for cards that this was sent under, even though technically it should not have been, often have tracking problems. Usually USPS can't even track them.

Every thing I've ever bought with the ebay standard envelope shipping gets marked delivered a day or two before it arrives and I get nervous EVERY time.

Last two cards I got off ebay,

First posted as delivered, came the next day...

Second, came two days later....

Both had ebay tracking, not USPS....

Have a hobby box that entered the system today, initially listed as due by april 14,

Once it got into the system, says april 12....

We'll see, since it is another one with ebay tracking...

Dang, I call it the cone of uncertainty. Its when the card is in neither the seller or the buyers possession. The most traumatic time in a young (or old) cards life.

Be diligent with the post office, they are very good but have alot going on.

Best of luck

Wanted to share. The eBay standard envelope deal with tracking is not part of the USPS mode of operation but is something stand alone that they have had to wedge into the business function. Some delivery people may not be always aware or on the lookout to scan the tracking part on the standard envelopes which leads to why certain issues are popping up.

I really hope they find their way to you. I know how long you've been chasing the Ryan down. I haven't had much luck with USPS after they've marked something as Delivered. Hopefully for you, it's a much better story.