1996 Fleer Metal, Cyber-Metal, Insert #4, Charles Barkley, L-525

This is one of the items that was sent, by one of the card manufacturers, in advance, as pre-production samples, to Krause Publications, in the year of issue, so that the manufacturer would be assured that the item would be included in Krause’s pricing publications (magazines and reference books).    In fact, if this item was pictured in a Krause Publications price guide, or for an article, this was probably the actual item photographed.

From 1995 through 2003, card manufacturers provided the price guide “king” with pre-production examples of their cards, including complete sets of regular-issue cards and complete sets of the extremely rare 10 to 20 card insert “chase” sets, premium cards, parallels, autograph cards, jersey cards, etc.    We have also discovered that some of the pre-production samples that we have are slightly different from the production items that followed, making these quite rare and unique.

This was a great time for innovation and the emergence of high-tech equipment.    Some of the rare premium insert cards came with fancy holograms, metallic foil, die-cuts, odd shapes, and were printed on wood, metal, plastic, fabric, etc.

After the price guides were updated each year, Krause Publications had limited use for the cards, and they were protected and stored away in boxes in a storeroom at Krause Publications in Iola, Wisconsin, for years.

Bob Lemke, editor of the massive 1848 page Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards, published annually by Krause Publications (now in it’s 20^th edition … 2011), and also the author/editor of several other Krause publications, purchased the entire collection from Krause Publications, a few years back.    We have just recently purchased the collection from Bob Lemke.    This particular item is from that massive collection.

Basketball cards are going up for sale first, in both auction and fixed price formats, however, by late August, 2012, we will have football cards and card sets starting to show up, followed by hockey cards in the fall,  and baseball cards in the spring of 2013.     With over one million cards in this collection, it will take at least months, and maybe even years, for us to get them all processed and listed for sale.     We are having some cards graded by PSA, and we are putting many cards up in their raw ‘near mint’ condition that they arrived to us in.

Payment by “PayPal” is preferred.    All items are in stock at the time you are ordering, however, most are one-of-a-kind items, and are subject to prior sale.    If you pay by “Pay-Pal, your items will be mailed out in the next few days.

These cards have been handled extremely carefully and are normally at least ‘Near Mint/Mint’, with many of the cards in ‘Mint’ and ‘Gem Mint’ condition.

We have photographed this item well, and we have listed this item with the E-Bay feature that allows you to view magnification of photographs and enlargements of photographs so that you can see and judge for yourself the condition of the item.     We have attempted to price the item as accurately as possible.

FREE SHIPPING!!!   This item is shipped, directly to your home with  FREE  shipping.    We ship mostly USPS first class parcel, or in USPS Priority Mail “Flat Rate” boxes, if possible, using electronic “Confirmation of Delivery” so the item can be tracked by USPS right to your door.   There is absolutely no additional charge to you for this service.   U.S. addresses only.     We offer a 14 day return privilege … the buyer pays for return shipping.   Florida residents pay 6.0% sales tax on taxable items unless you have a current “Florida Annual Resale Certificate for Sales Tax”.

We are selling off stuff that has been accumulated and stored up to 40 years in my Grandaddy’s old house next door.    For more “goodies” being auctioned and sold, see the items posted in the “Store Categories” listed on the left side of this page and on our e-bay store homepage.    Visit often since this liquidation will take years.   We are adding dozens of items each week.