1920 W516 George Kelly

It happened again.

I was talking to a local baseball card store owner a few weeks ago and I was explaining my preference for poor old baseball cards. The man said he was reluctant in buying poor cards because there's no market.

It's not like someone comes in every day asking for a ripped Mickey Mantle or a heavily creased Willie Mays.

But there's something I've noticed lately. The value of poor old baseball cards is going up, up, up.

A few years ago, this Highpockets Kelly would have fetched about $5 in this condition. I paid $15.

A few years ago, I could find a ripped or heavily creased T206 for under $10. Today, you'd need to spend about $12-14 for the worst of the worst.

Yesterday, I bid on a lot of 12 1933 Goudeys. Each had a hole near the top where it was obviously pinned to a corkboard. These cards were in bad shape, and that's something coming from me. I was outbid at $52.09.

Time after time I'm seeing these cards selling for higher and higher prices. I find that to be both sad and exciting. Sad that it stretches my wallet and exciting that these old gems are being appreciated.

I guess I'm not the only one out there collecting poor old baseball cards.