Thursday, July 24, 2014

To RIP or not to RIP ?

As you all might have read in my previous post(s) the best pull of my 2014 Allen & Ginter boxes was a RIP card, a RIP card numbered to only 5, a RIP card that is of a team whom a lot of you support !

Here it is, #3/5 Ramirez / Gonzalez Dodgers Double RIP card !



So the key questions of course is: To RIP or not to RIP this double-RIP card. Clearly, this card is worth more unripped in case I would like to sell it. I noticed the same card for $599 buy-out on eBay. However, I get a little nervous when selling high-end cards through eBay as I have no way of tracking them properly, hence the buyer can always claim they never received it and I have to refund the amount. Still, I could take this gamble....Second option is to trade although it will be so hard to find a proper trade around this with cards in return that I actually like (but do let me know if you have anything in mind). Third option is to RIP it !! I did here some stories that actually low-numbered RIP cards have crapy minis in them. But then again, if I trade it and all of a sudden it had a awesome card in it I am not sure I could cope with that :-)



What do you think I should do ? Trying to make a decision by this weekend !!

18 comments:

  1. I think it is just a matter of whether you are wanting to sell it or not. You like to put together all the pieces of the Allen & Ginter set together so selling it would give you the funds for more boxes. Maybe you could send it to a blogger that sells a lot on eBay and they could list it for you?

    Personally that card would have lasted about 3 seconds with me. I would have to know what is inside.....but that is just me.

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  2. I'm a Dodger fan, so I disqualify myself from this question.

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  3. I don't know if it is true because I never had a RIP card but I read somewhere you could see through them with a dentist's light. Not the big overhead one they try to blind you with but the little bitty one they use to dry the filings.

    Personally for that much money I would sell it (or trade it). What are the chances of getting something better inside that you actually want?

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    1. I think that was true of the early ones, but I've seen a couple of them ripped open this year and they mask them with a piece of black paper or plastic so that you can't do that one anymore. There are rumors that the rip cards containing metal minis have a significant weight to them.

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    2. Yes, there's black film to prevent the interior from being seen. The Double RIPs have a piece of black film on both sides.

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  4. Well that stinks. I wrote a thoughtful response and it was just deleted. Ha! I'll try again.

    If I collected one of those players or the Dodgers I would definitely rip the card. I don't sell my personal collection. However, in your case you don't collect either so I can see why you'd sell the card.

    Earlier this month I participated in the Crackin' Wax Ginter charity casebreak and pull a 35/50 Yoenis Cespedes rip card. The A's are my team so I ripped it. Turned out it was a stinker. Just a Chris Davis mini. On the flipside, I had a friend who pulled a 17/75 Choo. He ripped it and got a 1/1 Harper sketch card. So, you ultimately never know what you're going to pull.

    I do know that from reading this post and several of your other posts that you're not in this to make money. I don't think many of us are. I feel like you would regret not ripping the card. Sure, you can sell and use that money to buy more cards, but as you stated there could be some hassles to shipping overseas. Also, you may hit a player or team in your personal collection? Either way I'm anxious to see what you do with the card. :)

    BTW You and Crackin' Wax have inspired me to start a baseball card blog. I like how thorough your site is. I like the trade bait, wants, and trade summaries sections. It seems like you really thought this out and took time to create a fantastic blog. Hope you had a great day. I'm stuck in jury duty all day. Ha!

    Are you on twitter?


    Sincerely,

    Casey Jones

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  5. I don't know what you should do with it. I am facing a similar dilemma, and I really don't know what to do. The odds say that in ripping it you will find a cheap (relative to the selling price of this card in un-ripped condition) EXT mini and curse yourself for tearing it open, but there is also that little chance that it contains some awesome 1/1 or high-end autograph. And that's the burden of pulling a rip card.

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  6. I'm with Matt. I'd rip into it to see what I got. It would pain me too much not knowing what was in the rip card, but that is just me an my gambling ways.

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  7. Personally I hate the whole Rip Card Concept for the idea that you are making a card into a wrapper or similar package not a card. I've seen some "ripped" cards up on ebay I don't know if they actually sell or not after ripping but I've seen them listed. I would think if you are a collector of either of those guys or a Dodgers Team collector the obvious choice would be to NOT rip, but that concept is blown out of the water by ecaseyjones' earlier comment.

    I still have a 2009 A&G Garrett Adkins Rip card I got from a group break back then. Apparently that break nobody had the Rockies so the Rip card was randomly awarded and I won it. At the time the Rockies were sort of my unofficial 3rd fave team. I still sort of like them usually. (hate them for last nights win over my Nationals thus avoiding a sweep)

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  8. I'm a Padres fan, and I'm pretty sure the chances of actually pulling something that I REALLY liked are slim to none. I've never spent more than $18 on a single card, so a couple hundred dollars could buy some cool stuff for me on eBay, though it could also pay for boring stuff like bills. Since my collection isn't built on "awesome hits", I'd sell. If that's what you're into though, ripping it makes sense.

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  9. I'd sell. Just my two cents. I know you're not in the hobby to make money, but as others have pointed out, it could help you toward other collecting goals...completing this set, buying more boxes, etc. It could give you a nice slush fund for more cards that you ultimately want.

    Either way, cool pull, and nice dilemma to have.

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  10. I've pulled two rip cards and ripped them both pulling ext minis in the process. However, neither of my Rip Cards would have sold for that much. With that card I'd sell it or rip it. I wouldn't be able to sleep knowing what might be inside. If I sold it I would not want to know what came out of it.

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  11. I think you should contact your most trusted stateside blogger and see if they will sell it on eBay for you. Then take the funds and buy a few more boxes and knock out that pesky A&G set. Maybe you get another RIP card, and if you do I would surely rip into that one.

    When I open a pack of cards and get a pricey item like that I see it as a golden ticket to by more baseball cards!

    Please, keep us posted on whatever you choose to do!

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  12. They aren't Yankees or awesome pitchers, so sell it and buy cards that are Yankees or awesome pitchers.

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  13. P-town Tom has an interesting suggestion, find someone you trust in the U.S. and sell it. Though I would probably have ripped it already.

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  14. I'd look at it this way: if you need the money for anything (be it other cardboard-related projects, family stuff, etc etc), sell it. If money is not an issue, RIP away or trade it, although as you said finding what you consider equal value may be tough.

    If you do choose to sell it, I'd be more than happy to assist however I can.

    Oh, and also: WOOOOOO you pulled Dodgers! Sorry, it had to be said.

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  15. Since I collect for fun, I would RIP it.

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  16. Since it's yours not mine I'd say rip it =P
    If it was mine..I'd not rip it..

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