[ritehook]

Woman finds 139-year-old baseball card in box of antiques

By 'Duk
The strange story goes like this: Last summer, Bernice Gallego pulled an old baseball card from a box of antiques. She figured it might be worth something to someone, so she listed it on eBay.
The starting bid was $10.
But after getting a flurry of inquiries about whether the card was authentic or not, Gallego started to suspect she was holding something a little more valuable and immediately ended the auction.
Turns out her hunch was correct. She did have something more valuable. The card she found was made in 1869 and featured the "Red Stocking B.B. Club of Cincinnati," the sport's first professional team. It's considered one of the first baseball cards ever produced and its actual value could be worth more than $100,000 when she puts it back on eBay (with a higher starting price, of course).
Of course, the news that she had found a rare piece of early baseball history came as a shock to the 72-year-old Fresno, Calif., resident who said she's never been to a baseball game. Her tale, from unwitting discovery to learning about the card's history, is wonderfully captured by our old pal Mike Osegueda of the Fresno Bee. Click here to read it.
From the Fresno Bee:

"When I came to meet her and she took it out of a sandwich Baggie and she was smoking a cigarette, I almost fainted," (collector Rick) Mirigian says.
"They've uncovered a piece of history that few people will ever be able to imagine or comprehend. And it comes out of Fresno," he says. "That card is history. It's like unearthing a Mona Lisa or a Picasso."

Gallego said she doesn't know exactly where the box of antiques came from since she and her husband are collectors and frequently buy lots from different estates around California. She does have a history of being lucky, though, having once won $250,000 on a slot machine.
(And with that, I'm off to see what I can find in my basement.)
For another baseball card story, check out our interview with Scott Mortimer, the guy who's trying to get every card in the 1983 Fleer set autographed.

[MJFtheGenius]

never been to a ball game?

what a joke

[Tsoprano]

unfukkingreal.com

[ritehook]

Over 100 grand - that would be about right.,

I've sold old items on ebay now and again - and old sports photos, even of amateurs - will bring more than of most old military photos, scenic ones, old landmarks, things like that.

A photo card of the original pro baseball team is easily worth 100 K

You can always tell when you have something good, but undervalued, on ebay. Shortly after you list it you'll get emails from prospective buyers offereing you a lot more than your opening bid, if you'll end the auiction early and sell it to them.

I had a couple of items like that - most recently (about 5 months ago) an unused pair of camouflage pants from WW II, Pacific Theatre. Started the bidding at $10, it sold for almost $300. (Had belonged to an uncle of a neighbor, who never made it into combat before war ended.)

Sports memmorabilia - esp of baseball players - usually brings good prices. All major spots tho. I once sold a 1954 poster featuring basketball greats of the 1st half of the 20th century - including a player named John Wooten, with a drawing of him - for over $100

[smitch124]

Its Fresno, I'm surprised about the plastic bag.

[bigboydan]

Good thing she put it on ebay and didn't just have a garage sale instead.

[Masu485]

she also won $250 000 on a slot machine????????? that makes me furious!! and now i'm even more furious cause i have no right to even be furious in the first place!!

[Dark Horse]

"When I came to meet her and she took it out of a sandwich Baggie and she was smoking a cigarette, I almost fainted," (collector Rick) Mirigian says.
"They've uncovered a piece of history that few people will ever be able to imagine or comprehend. And it comes out of Fresno," he says. "That card is history. It's like unearthing a Mona Lisa or a Picasso."

Mona Lisa

Anybody know how much really old books go for? 1800's and maybe older.

[pavyracer]

This story is fake. Why?

Grandma knows how to scan a baseball card on a scanner, post it on ebay but doesn't know how to google the name of the team on the baseball card?

[bigboydan]

This story is fake. Why?

Grandma knows how to scan a baseball card on a scanner, post it on ebay but doesn't know how to google the name of the team on the baseball card?

It's not fake Mr.Pavy. As you can see in the pic below, it was PSA graded.

[ritehook]

Mona Lisa

Anybody know how much really old books go for? 1800's and maybe older.

It's like asking how much an old painting goes for.

Depends of the author and the content. Many old books aren't worth much. Some newer ones would be worth a lot more.

Like: an original copy, esp signed, of Gone With the Wind. Worth a lot more than an 1850 book on a dull subject or a a bad novel, by an unknown writer.

Old family Bibles, even a few hunded years old,aren't worth much. Too many around.

Check the ABE Books site for your titles. The prices of the antiquarian books will range from a small amount up to thousands, and of course some are of auction quality.

Much depends on condition, also.

[pavyracer]

It's not fake Mr.Pavy. As you can see in the pic below, it was PSA graded.

BBD,

The way the plot evolved is fake, not the story. This is a huge marketing scheme to bump up the price of the card. They have used this old lady as a pion. Someone planted the card in her house. Then she "found it" and made up the ebay story to provide suspense. The only ones profiting from this story are the auction company. This is a perfect marketing scheme. Using an old lady to bump up the sale price. Who would say no to a grandma?

[Poker_Beast]

Lucky old lady!

Fuk, wish I could find a $100k

[Masu485]

fukk that bitch. this proves some people are just lucky and some aren't. good thing after good thing can happen to some people vice versa for others

[DrStale]

First-class post it is surely. My girlfriend has been awaiting for this tips.

This is someones first post...in a thread almost 3 years old

[Dirty Sanchez]

This is someones first post...in a thread almost 3 years old

Something is fishy...I posted a response and it disappeared...along with the guys response. If you go to my page it shows I posted something and yet it's not there....someone is up to something

[Hoja Verdes]

I found an autographed Mike Schmidt card he signed for me at a bb card show in the early 90's. Sat in my moms attic until last week. I'm guessing its worth about fifty bucks.

[Dirty Sanchez]

I found an autographed Mike Schmidt card he signed for me at a bb card show in the early 90's. Sat in my moms attic until last week. I'm guessing its worth about fifty bucks.

Problem is Mike Schmidt was always a good guy about signing things, especially at Spring Training....value of his stuff isn't that good because there's a ton of his stuff out there signed