Friday, February 4, 2011

Q&A

I got this email last weekend, and am sharing it because of what the follow-up email explained. Alana writes:

Q:

"I was viewing your website, mainly because I Googled these baseball coins to see what they are worth...Would it be possible to tell me what I may have?

Juan Marichal  Giants Pitcher   coin number 125

Thanks for any help.
"

(Not the Marichal coin, but an example from the same set)
 
A:

I wrote about the 1964 and 1971 Topps coins on my blog last October. You'll get some nice background info here.

Your coin is from 1971, and it was originally inserted into the packs with 10 cards and a stick of gum.

As for what it's worth...depending on condition, I see that Marichal coin at card shows for $3-5 depending on condition. If it has any rust on it, it'll impact the price.

(Another 1971 Topps Coin to show off)


And here's the part of the question I find to be cool:

This was a standard reply that took a moment or so to return. She replied, thanking me for getting back so quickly and telling me that she was about to visit Las Vegas with her family. While there, they were going to stop and visit the pawn shop shown in the TV show Pawn Stars and get something small pawned there just to say she did it.

As it turned out, I was the "expert" she consulted with before going, and that Marichal coin she found laying around was the little piece she decided to take with her. They may give her 50 cents for it, but that makes me feel good to know that somebody read what I'd written on the Web and thought enough to send me an email to give her an opinion. Stuff like that just makes my day.

3 comments:

  1. Cool story and hopefully it will get on Pawn Stars. I love that show.

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  2. Those 1971 Topps coins rock! That set is part of my "long range" collecting plans.

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  3. I'd love to hear how this story ends. Keep in touch with her. That show is awesome, and those guys are honest as far as I can tell.
    From one show:
    A customer walked in with a jewel-encrusted spider broach. She had found it while cleaning out a family member’s house. She was asking for $2,000 for the brooch. Rick said that he would love to pay $2,000 for it, but he “had a conscience.” He then offered $15,000 for the piece. That impressed me.

    The next time I'm in Vegas, I want to stop by there just to get their autographs.

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