How to find a rare (but not exceedingly valuable) baseball card?

June 19, 2017 7:22 AM

I have a friend whose grandfather was a highly touted baseball prospect. Got hurt or something and had their career cut short with only a few appearances in the big leagues. I'd like to buy them a baseball card. It exists. I've had an eBay alert up for a few months but it never goes off. What else can I do?

The old listings I've seen for it list it at about $100. It's a card in this series, a 1960 Darigold preimuim. Not one of the ones on this page.

I have to assume that there are people out there willing to sell this. How do I get to them? I've searched a ton of Baseball Card dealer sites, and either not found it or found references but no stock. How do I find this card?

posted by dirtdirt to Grab Bag (4 answers total)

Put word out to dealers that you're looking for it. You're in a surprisingly common situation, and most dealers have watch lists that they pass around. You'll pay a premium, but it shouldn't be too excessive.
posted by Etrigan at 7:35 AM on June 19, 2017 [4 favorites]

Yeah, you probably have a local baseball card shop, or collectibles shop that deals in cards; I'd talk to them, they can proactively FIND a seller rather than waiting for someone to list it.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 9:49 AM on June 19, 2017 [1 favorite]

search Facebook for a buying/selling vintage baseball cards group. Find the ones with the biggest memberships - and post a WTB ad.
posted by entropone at 10:17 AM on June 19, 2017 [2 favorites]

Those cards were regional? If so, you might contact dealerships in that region.

Spokane Valley Sportscards  
Sports card store in Spokane Valley, Washington
Address: 9404 E Sprague Ave, Spokane Valley, WA 99206
Hours: Open today · 10AM–6PM
Phone: [phone]
posted by zzazazz at 11:50 AM on June 19, 2017 [1 favorite]