Has any of you here bought someone’s entire collection?
Where did you buy it and was it worth it? Was it a fun experience or a headache going through all the treasures and trash.
I did, Bought a few collections locally. I think it’s a fun way to check each card, maybe find some hidden gems. Also looking at forgotten cards is fun when I sometimes buy collections, although this is no main reason, just an extra.
I do agree that sometimes it’s a headache but most of the times I just enjoy looking through everything. selling what I don’t need/want and keep the rest. most of the times it’s worth it, but you should try to look trough all the trash.
Bought a guys old WOTC collection a year or two ago locally. He was a pain in the ass to communicate with over the phone and supper pleasant in person. He kept trying to say his cards were mint and getting top dollar for them. They were obviously played and I straight up told him I wouldn’t give him the price he was asking.
I ended up getting 4 base 1st ed Holos, charizard, chansey, and two mewtwos. Maybe 10-12 shadowless Holos including a blastoise and venusaur. About 10-12 other 1st ed WOTC holo cards, 15 or so unlimited Holos including base charizard and 50 or 60 non holo rares or promos including a 1st ed base Dragonair. All for $1500 CAN. It ended up being one of the best if not the best single purchase I ever made and is how I got my 1st ed charizard 
4 Likes
Yes
1 Like
Did you end up grading those 1st edition base holos?
I’ve only bought a few binders and they were all on ebay. One binder I saw as it was posted and I was able to purchase it for $150. But the cards were in total worth well over $500. I would love to find a storage locker or someone’s long forgotten collection to purchase, but who wouldnt!
@kpod not yet. I’ll glade the charizard next time I submit for sure. The shadowless Venusaur is actually pretty good condition so I’ll probably grade that too. The other 1st ed Holos I might just see where the price goes before I decide.
1 Like
My first purchase that got me back into collecting about 3 years ago was at one of the local sports card shows at my local mall. One of the vendors and I got to talking about pokemon after I saw he had a binder full of WoTC holos. He mentioned that his son had a ton more back at his house so he told me to come back the next day and he would bring the rest for me to check out. I ended up purchasing everything from him for about $500 to $600. He was a very pleasant person to talk to/do business with. The entire collection netted me over 100 WotC holos and thousands in WoTC bulk. A couple charizards/blastosie, 1st ed Shining Kabutops, lugia, Ho-Oh, and a ton more. The majority of the cards were in Mint condition but I only ever got 2 of them graded, a shadowless Chansey (PSA 9) and a Unlimited Neo Holo (PSA 9).
Opting to sell the rest of the collection ungraded over getting them graded is one of my biggest collecting regrets but you live and you learn. To my defense I was in the “grading isnt worth it” boat at that time.
1 Like
I haven’t outright bought a collection before directly. However, I have gotten lucky and found mini-collections at Goodwill, thrift stores, etc. It’s always fun digging through cards knowing you could get lucky with some pulls. I sure know I have.
I’m pretty good friends with the LCS guy and have helped sort through people collections they have sold him before. It’s fun to go through and not only see what cards they had but styles of collecting, sorting, perceived specifics etc. Hate to think if there have ever been cards that were super valuable that I happened to skip over accidentally. MOre so error cards or something similar.
I buy collections as often as I can. Generally they’re people I know or used to know who have decided they’re ready to part with their old cards. Some collections are just a box/binder of old cards, and some are multiple trips to/from the car with bins and boxes and bags.
I enjoy the whole process, though. I’m comfortable negotiating, and even if the collection takes days to go through, I love every minute of it.
I’ve bought 1st edition sets of Fossil, Jungle, Gym Heroes, and Gym Challenge from one guy. Ever holo has come back a 9 or 10. I’m in line to buy all his neo sets also, very excited. Trick is to find the older fellows that took care of their collectibles.
2 Likes
Yes recently I did but while I am “complete”. I wanted a card back I sold somebody years ago. I ended up buying that whole collection. It was fun to go through. Glad I have that card back. (stadium challenge deoxys) along with a set of the sample cards .
I bought a binder full of Japanese cards from a girl locally a few years ago. Was at a yard sale and she had a whole table of English cards. I asked if she had any Japanese and she went inside and brought the binder back. She didn’t really know much about what they were worth so I made sure I offered her a fair price for what she had, and it really helped me with my binder sets early on in my collection, win-win!
Yes and I regret it. Worse condition than I expected.
Absolutely.