Of the four major sports that have widely collected trading cards in the United States, hockey is certainly the one with the most worldwide reach. I don’t often buy or sell with those overseas because of both customs and cost concerns. However, I’ve found a new way to ship using Paypal’s “Ship Now,” opening up more to me.
Today, I received two cards from Sergey in Moscow in the mail. How does a collector in Arlington, Texas connect with one living in Moscow? That’s easy – Sports Card Forum.
I have a handful of nice Mario Lemieux cards, but not much Jaromir Jagr. I actually hit a Jagr 13-14 SP Authentic Memorable Moments autograph when I opened a box at Baseball Card Exchange, but I sold it back in the winter to help pay some bills. The collector that bought it, Filip, lives in Prague (Czech Republic). It was really nice to get a card like that into the hands of someone who truly appreciates it and didn’t just want it for monetary value.
Needless to say, I was really excited to receive my Lemieux and Jagr pieces. They actually arrived must faster than Sergey estimated. Unfortunately, his cards are still in the care of USPS here in the States. Hopefully he sees them soon!
Here are the goodies I received today:
I’m honestly not sure if I’ve ever traded, bought or sold with anyone in Russia. Off the top of my head, I know I’ve dealt with good people in Japan, China, Canada, Sweden, Latvia, Norway, Finland and the previously mentioned Czech Republic. I am really getting into the international aspect and seeing cards find good homes. If overseas collectors are going to pay the high costs of shipping, I know the cards are heading to a good home.
Speaking of overseas items, a few weeks ago I received this John Klingberg beauty and thought it would be a good time to show it off. The Stars failed to make the playoffs, but Klingberg is one of the reasons I’m already excited for next season!
Have a great evening and happy collecting!
-Bean