How do you go about hunting down rarer cards?

[TheFrenzy]

We all have those cards we are still chasing years later. We refresh eBay almost daily, we've scoured COMC, we've posted in the Blowout BST, and everyone at the local shops know what we are chasing......

.....but still those rare, but not impossibly rare, cards elude us.

Maybe they are /50. Maybe /100. Maybe there are even several hundred copies in existence. Still, none ever surface. The guy could be a total scrub who never played a down of NFL football. Still nothing.

So what's your game plan for tracking down those last remaining cards in a set or those only semi-rare cards for a player collection? What has worked? What hasn't?

[Whodey14]

Complete luck.. which apparently I don't have. I have looked on all the avenues you listed, random sites, beckett marketplace and I still have can't find some cards.

Most notably for me are 2 Ken Anderson autos. A Sweet Spot gold /100 and Banner Seasons Auto /25. I have never seen a BS /25 for sale and only a couple of the Golds. The hunt continues.

[mrdallas]

When I was collecting the Donruss Preferred Set years ago I posted the cards I had on eBay for an obscene amount of money knowing that no body would buy it. But I knew others were also collecting the set on eBay or were looking for what their cards may be worth. In my description I added I was collecting the set and I did have some dupes. Amazing how many people reached out to me through eBay messages asking which cards I had and would I be willing to trade. I did it with my baseball set too and it worked great for me. I was able to complete my baseball and football sets through member on eBay.

[49erRCCollector]

Originally Posted by Whodey14

Complete luck.

Agree.

I'm down to about 20 for my collection but it's all oddball/regional stuff of DEEP cut players.

Its hoping someone decides to post it on eBay. These aren't obvious items. I've hit a serious wall at this point. Last one was a 1998 senior bowl card I lucked into.

[MeteoriteGuy]

I also agree with complete luck. Well luck and non stop searching the major sites. Posting want adds on sites like this may also help. But it is more likely to get people to think you will pay 2x ebay though.

[Siberian13]

I can't find but one Topps Chrome Red Refractor/25 of matt Ryan other than the graded bgs 10 that is overpriced on eBay. Someone has to have one but can't find one.

[jasonm2121]

Grit baby. Searching like a machine and always keeping some funds around so there is no issue when they come up. A few times, I bought some not so needed things and then a card I have been looking for pops up a few days later. If money is no object, then just constant and steady searches, and obviously, patience.

[bojesphob]

Hundreds of saved searches that alert you when something comes up on eBay, COMC searches, sportlots.com, google image searches (yes, I actually was able to purchase some Prizm Packers cards from finding the cards in google image searches). Honestly, most of my rare purchases are completely random luck, and being asinine obsessive about refreshing searches on eBay and such LOL And, sometimes you have some great people like some here on Blowout who actually look for you, or let you know when they pull something

[Whodey14]

Originally Posted by MeteoriteGuy

I also agree with complete luck. Well luck and non stop searching the major sites. Posting want adds on sites like this may also help. But it is more likely to get people to think you will pay 2x ebay though.

This is my biggest peeve in our hobby. I am a capitalist but taking advantage of fellow collectors just because you know they are desperate is terrible.

[cking]

Originally Posted by Siberian13

I can't find but one Topps Chrome Red Refractor/25 of matt Ryan other than the graded bgs 10 that is overpriced on eBay. Someone has to have one but can't find one.

What year do you need

[Siberian13]

Originally Posted by cking

What year do you need

2008 Rookie Year but want all reds from all years. Red Topps chrome looks great with Falcons stuff

[NoleinJax]

Prayer

[Seahawks fan]

Most of the older rare cards are held up in someones collection. Best luck I have had tracking any down was to search photobucket. Once you find a card you need check the search engine on various card webpages for his handle/username on pb. I once emailed a guy who hadn't been active on blowout for 3 years but he got the message on his phone and was happy to make a deal since he had quit collecting cards.

[Tarheelsfan2012]

Luck and determination. Recent cards you stand a better chance of finding off worthpoints by locating the sellers on eBay, assuming they use the same description for all of their cards. Older cards just takes lots and lots and lots of searching and going through people's PC's, SCA's, Flickrs and buckets.

[RogerGodahell]

If you really want them and they ever pop up but are over priced you have to buy them if they aren't ridiculous. Sometimes you only get one shot.

[Hawksmack]

I've had great luck in FB groups. Landed some monsters before they've hit the bay this year.

[MFaulkCollector]

Originally Posted by Siberian13

I can't find but one Topps Chrome Red Refractor/25 of matt Ryan other than the graded bgs 10 that is overpriced on eBay. Someone has to have one but can't find one.

i can guarantee only 23 of the ryan 08 reds are out there to be purchased

[Siberian13]

Originally Posted by MFaulkCollector

i can guarantee only 23 of the ryan 08 reds are out there to be purchased

only need 1

[MFaulkCollector]

Originally Posted by Siberian13

only need 1

haha, yea i know the feeling

i waited for 4 years to find a 98 moss credentials... 55 of them exist..... nothing for 4 years until 5 surfaced this year..... no doubt the red ryan's will show up and probably more than one when you finally see it.... good luck on the hunt

[jackmac1983]

Just luck and waiting for them to surface. I snagged a PC card the other day I didn't know existed. One of My favorite sets is topps platinum. A 2014 platinum jumbo jersey 3 color auto /5 hit eBay. Got it!

[Budler]

Lot of luck and a lot of time searching.

Just find a card (1986 odd ball) that I have been looking for from the 90s when I find out it existed. Called him and he is willing to hold it for an couple of days as I'm going thought his other cards and seeing if I can find any more cards I need. Hope to finish going though his cards tonight or tomorrow. (lot of cards)

I remember using snail mail in the 80s looking for cards.

[CaptainUgly]

Originally Posted by MeteoriteGuy

I also agree with complete luck. Well luck and non stop searching the major sites. Posting want adds on sites like this may also help. But it is more likely to get people to think you will pay 2x ebay though.

Most of us would gladly pay 2x ebay for commons...it's worth it when you are down to your last 10 or 20 in a set!

[seth2720]

Originally Posted by jasonm2121

Grit baby. Searching like a machine and always keeping some funds around so there is no issue when they come up. A few times, I bought some not so needed things and then a card I have been looking for pops up a few days later. If money is no object, then just constant and steady searches, and obviously, patience.

THIS. Searching at least once a day or up to 5 times a week. A continuous search you will eventually find what you're looking for, hopefully.

[MeteoriteGuy]

Originally Posted by CaptainUgly

Most of us would gladly pay 2x ebay for commons...it's worth it when you are down to your last 10 or 20 in a set!

Sure, but of course the topic is not commons.

[seth2720]

Originally Posted by MeteoriteGuy

I also agree with complete luck. Well luck and non stop searching the major sites. Posting want adds on sites like this may also help. But it is more likely to get people to think you will pay 2x ebay though.

Plenty of times I WILL pay 2x double ebay in specific cases, like how much I want it, how much I've been looking for it, and personal value to me as I more than likely wouldn't be buying it to sell anyway. So in some cases I don't care what I pay. But, many times people don't charge me 2x ebay value because they're more interested in helping someone out. But others can get greedy about it.

Also, Google searches have helped me a lot in tracking things down. It will bring up all results for whatever I'm searching for, with the most relevant and closest matches being listed first.