Just Collect, Inc. is the nation's top buyer of vintage sports cards, non-sports cards and related trading cards, having bought and sold in excess of $15 million worth of material in the last decade. Our definition of vintage material is cards and memorabilia produced prior to 1975, but we also buy and sell specific modern material from the 1980’s to date. We would like to purchase entire collections, complete sets, partial sets, unopened cases and boxes, uncut sheets, rookie cards, star cards and high condition vintage commons. If you are considering selling a portion of your collection or your collection in its entirety, Just Collect, Inc. should be your answer. Just Collect, Inc. pays higher prices than other auction houses and dealers, and takes great pride in providing the best possible customer service in the hobby!
Just Collect, Inc. provides free market-value appraisals of your vintage collectibles. Our evaluation of your collection is done on a piece-by-piece basis whenever possible. This evaluation is not based on published market guides or educated guesses. This is done by identifying and assigning a condition to each card and researching the real current market value for each example. Once your entire collection has been appraised, we will make you a cash offer on the spot. The appraisal process is absolutely free and is usually completed within 48 hours.
As early as the 19th Century, non-sports cards were issued as premiums for a variety of products promoting tobacco, and later candy and chewing gum, breakfast cereals, snack chips, soft drinks and even restaurants and odd-ball food and meat issues. Some are extremely rare and very highly sought after. Unfortunately, some are very common and hold little value. 19th Century tobacco companies issued premiums of stage actors, actresses, models, animals and historical sites among a litany of other subjects.
Early in the 20th Century, tobacco companies turned their non-sports focus to more in the direction of animals, flags, historical figures and national customs.
In the late 1930’s, non-sport cards seemed to change. Comic book and fictional characters were taking hold. Radio serials were spawning a new generation of fictional heroes and the card manufactures were quick to utilize many of these as premiums to hawk their products. It wasn’t long before Mickey Mouse, Superman, The Lone Ranger, and many others became cardboard fixtures.
Propaganda also found its way into the non-sports card arena. During World War II, Gum, Inc. (later Bowman) would roll out Horrors of War. Still one of the most popular non-sports issues ever, this set featured many cards and depictions that are a far cry from what would be considered politically correct given today’s climate.
The 1950’s gave new hope to the post-war generation and non-sports cards seemed to exemplify this hope. Through the 1950’s and into the 1960’s, space and astronaut cards, movie stars and teen heartthrobs, music and television stars, and even entire movies and television series became fixtures of the card manufacturers.
The value of vintage non-sports cards is determined by several factors including when the card(s) was issued, the set it was issued in, and the condition of the card(s). Typically, mainstream issues are the most valuable, and cards depicting popular comic, television or movie, or musical stars tend to be most popular. However, cards from rarer regional sets or from issues with extremely limited availability may have increased value. Cards in better condition will obviously hold more value than those in lesser condition.
From Presidents to cartoons characters, from war heroes to mythical legends, card manufacturers found a way to represent all of these characters and more on their cardboard canvases. From some of the most simplistic renderings to the most intricate and ornately designed images, artists and manufacturers plied their wares to a myriad of issues. These are a few of the vintage non-sports sets that are high on our WANTED LIST:
We are looking to buy these sets in most conditions, ranging from Very Good (VG) to Mint! Even if you don’t have complete sets, we are also buying partial sets, singles and high condition commons. The singles with the most value will be the first and last card of each set, along with any checklists or high number cards. Additionally, there are three cards in the non-sports arena that hold tremendous value, that we buy in any condition: 1932 U.S. Caramel Presidents #24 William McKinley, 1952 Topps Look 'N See #82 Rembrandt, and 1959 Fleer The 3 Stooges #1 Curly.
A few of the key non-sports cards issued during and since the 1960’s include:
Just Collect, Inc. is looking to buy these cards and many others issued over the past century or so. Obviously, the more extensive the collection and the better the condition, the more valuable the collection will be. When you are ready to sell your collection, have any questions about your collection or if you just want an appraisal, please, give us a call!
We are also are interested in buying many types of vintage non-sports memorabilia. Specific advertising pieces, display boxes, uncut sheets, and unopened product (cases, boxes, and wax packs) are of significant interest to us. Other rarer items, including original artwork, signed artwork, pre-production proofs, and other pertinent items associated with many of the non-sports issues are at the top of our want list. So, whether you are looking to sell just a portion of your collection or the whole thing, contact us today to find out what it's worth!
Selling your non sport cards to Just Collect is surprisingly easy, but does require a little effort on your part. You will need to send us a brief, but detailed list of what is in your collection, letting us know the approximate years of issue and an estimate of the quantities of cards that comprise the collection. In addition, it would be in your best interest to highlight any complete sets or identify specific high value or high name recognition people/characters (i.e. 1959 Three Stooges #1 Curly).
The next step will then be to send us a few high resolution scans or images of the best cards in your collection to assist with the preliminary evaluation (our customer service representative can assist you with identifying these cards if you are unsure). For example, if you have a 1958 Topps Zorro set, send us images of the front and backs of the first and last card of the set. Also include a few scans or images of a random sampling of a few other cards from the set that will provide a representative idea of the balance of the set’s condition. This will help us to better determine the condition of the cards when our vintage card specialist reviews the list and images.
An appointment will be scheduled to value your collection, also known as the appraisal. This can be done at our office which is located in Somerset, NJ. In some circumstances, we can travel to see collections that are too large to transport. Additionally, we have two remote New Jersey locations for after-hour and weekend appointments. These New Jersey locations are located in Bridgewater and Hoboken. After your appraisal is complete, we can make you a cash offer on the entire collection. If you are meeting us in person, this offer will be made and payment can be in the form of a company check or cash upon previous arrangement. If you drop off or mail in your collection, the appraisal will be completed within 48 hours. If we agree to terms, we will mail you a company check the following business day or return the collection to you at our expense. Email info@justcollect.com to get the ball rolling!
Selling to Just Collect is hassle-free, saves you time, and nets you more money. You could try to sell your cards on your own, lug them to conventions or card shops looking for a better deal. Many have visited with us and thinking they can do better, they have gone that route only to come back stating that our offer was far and above the best that they received and reduced all of the extra effort.
Do you have the hours to set aside to prepare your cards for listing to eBay? Are you prepared to pay eBay and PayPal fees? Are you ready to answer countless questions and endure the possibility of negative feedback and the inevitable returns? You are probably not an expert in the field, so you run the risk of not listing the items properly, which in turn can result in lower realized sale prices or even more serious consequences. Remember, just because you list them, they are not guaranteed to sell! You could consign your items to a large auction house, but you typically won't get paid until after the auction ends and the auction house has been paid and that payment has cleared.
Most auction houses have several months of lead time for their auction and an additional length of time before they pay their consigners. Subtract 15-20% from the final sales price for the Buyer’s Premium and deduct what the auction house charges you as a Seller’s Premium (typically 10-15%) and you could watch upwards of 35% of the final price vanish from your items’ value and that’s if they even accept your items for consignment. Just Collect, Inc. eliminates all of that stress with a cash offer NOW and we’ve made the process as simple as possible. You can read some of what people are saying about Just Collect, Inc. in our customer testimonials.
If you are interested in selling your basketball trading cards and/or any trading cards or sports memorabilia, contact Just Collect today to schedule a free appraisal. Our reliable industry experts can help determine what you have, how much it is worth and make you cash offer within 48 hours! Our main office is located Somerset, NJ, about five minutes from the Rutgers Campus in New Brunswick. Is your collection too large to bring to us, or too valuable to send through the mail? We can travel to you! You can reach us at 732-828-2261 Monday-Friday, from 8AM - 6PM. You can also send us an email at info@justcollect.com.