1976 Topps King Kong Trading Cards

NOTE: This is the BEST ADVICE that a NOVICE or someone who has NEVER BOUGHT or SOLD MOVIE/TV TIE-IN or memorabilia trading cards will EVER RECIEVE!!!! Email me. That’s the easiest way lol. Seriously, I am interested, but there are other ways. I’m divided over eBay. On one hand, you will have more potential customers seeing your product, and less knowledgeable (read: more likely to pay higher prices, ,i.e. fleecable) ones at that. I still find eBay to be a colossal pain the ass, however, and personally am only looking for a fair price, not to rip-off people who don’t really know anything about the product (and film memorabilia is a great example of rip-offs awaiting, both for buyers and sellers). I would probably avoid film memorabilia sites, where it can be difficult to research and find accurate average prices, and instead, for trading cards only, visit several baseball card sites (there are tons) and after, comic book store sites with trading card sections, to research both the price I should charge and to sell. There are a few reasons for this advice. Number one, at least in terms of pricing, baseball trading card sites are are EASILY the ABSOLUTE BEST WAY to research value. Not only are baseball card experts and enthusiasts more knowledgeable on average (yes, even about movie tie in/non-baseball trading cards) than your typical film memorabilia seller, you will also find that prices are much more uniform and less varied than memorabilia sellers are. And best of all, you will find reliable prices for a much wider array of product. Let’s say, for example, you are selling 8 different variations of Topps’ KING KONG trading cards (seem impossible? Well, you DEFINITELY need my advice then!! ) Here are the 8 types ok you are selling (and make sure you list them correctly! Correct listings are essential to a both paying for AND receiving proper value for your cards!):
You are looking to sell/buy:
A complete set of KING KONG cards, including the 55-cards and 12-stickers, all in NEAR MINT to MINT condition, cards ONLY: no plastic sheeting or casing, just the cards. This is NOT RECOMMENDED! Even in sealed packs, trading cards are subject to bumps and bruises during shipping that can EASILY cause your cards to devalue! BEST ADVICE: buy a clear HARD plastic or “jeweller” case that can hold whatever amount of cards you’re selling. They typically come in sizes that can fit anywhere from 25 to 100 cards, and since most film card sets range around 100 cards, they fit very well, are tight and will prevent all but the heaviest damage. With a 55-card set like KONG, if you can only find a case that will carry 100 cards, pack the remaining space with cotton balls to prevent the cards moving around in transit. Remember: with TRADING CARDS, MORE THAN ALMOST ANY OTHER COLLECTIBLE, even MINOR scuffling, nicks and blunted corners can DEVALUE your items! If you can only find 25-card cases, spread the set into 2 cases of 25 cards and one case of 5 cards and 12 stickers, filling the space with SOFT but PACKED cotton. It may cost a bit more for shipping, but if you’re the seller, the buyer usually pays it anyway, and you should describe how handsomely presented your set is. If you’re the seller, you should appreciate it and be willing to spend a slight bit more in shipping. After all, unless you prefer my second shipping method, this is how you will want to store and display your set anyway, and the cases are very light and don’t add much of anything to the shipping cost.
Your second option for shipping a smaller (around 100 cards or less) set like KONG is much more impressive and significantly more of an expense during shipping. The same companies that deal primarily in baseball (or what are known in the trade as “sports” cards) and are best-suited sell or preserve movie tie-in (or what are known by experts as “non-sports”) cards should also sell hard plastic “jewel” cases or this next item: soft, flexible PLASTIC SHEETS that are
designed to both store but, more more importantly, to handsomely DISPLAY both individual cards and complete sets. These sheets come in sizes much like photo paper; for most purposes, and YOURS IN THIS AND MOST CASES, you want sheets that are, if I remember my sizes, 8 1/2 by 11, or the closest to that. The sheet should contain,, again for YOUR PURPOSE HERE AND IN MOST CASES, 9 POCKETS per sheet, so each sheet can hold 9 cards or, if you wish to load 2 per pocket, thereby displaying card fronts on both sides of the clear page, 18 cards MAX. I DO NOT RECOMMEND LOADING 18 CARDS PER PAGE FOR ANY REASON–ESPECIALLY if your purpose is primarily display. Needless to say, you can’t present the backs of the cards if you load 2 per pocket. Some will argue it’s fine if all you’re doing is storing the cards. I disagree. Number one, loading 2 per pocket vastly increases your chances for card damage; and two, if all you’re doing is storing, you wouldn’t be using sheets anyway, since cases are much cheaper with more space. These sheets come in both top-loading and side-loading styles. That may seem an insignificant difference, a choice based purely on what feels more natural to you, but BELIEVE IT OR NOT, it can be IMPORTANT, for 2 reasons. #1, toploading sheets, God knows why, tend to run just a touch smaller than side loading sheets. This makes the pockets just a tad tighter. A good thing in the long run, because your cards are only open to the air from one short top-length, and a are a snugger fit. Both aspects are better for card protection. The drawback is that it means you have to be a bit more careful loading your cards, as the snugged fit and shorter opening can lead to accidental damage while loading your cards. I RECOMMEND TOP-LOADING. Sure, you have to slow down a touch and be a bit more careful while loading, but your cards are better protected. 2nd, top-loading sheets seem to be, again God knows why, made of a slightly denser, tougher plastic than side loading sheets, leading to yet another ridiculous plus/minus consideration: because the plastic is a bit tougher, the sheets can wrinkle a bit in humid conditions–not an ideal look. I still prefer the better protection. MOST IMPORTANTLY, cards kept in toploaders, because of the top-loading and snugger fit, are MUCH LESS LIKELY TO FALL OUT than sideloaders, which have a slightly looser fit and softer plastic. THIS IS IMPORTANT. Why? Because ALL SHEETS, whichever way they load, have three punched holes so they can be inserted in a 3-ring binder. If you carry a binder like I do, by the long edge and at my waist/arm length, like a book. and use sideloaders, chances are you will experience that wonderful moment when, after going through extra fuss and money to protect your cards the best you can, you watch in horror as your mind cards flutter to the floor. So I always recommend top loaders for display.
As it pertains to shipping, the only way to possibly ship trading cards in the MOST PROTECTED FASHION POSSIBLE is a plastic “jewel”case inside a shipping BOX, not an envelope. If you can’t find any available anywhere (doubtful) and you MUST ship your cards, there is only ONE OTHER WAY as protective: ALL cards IN SHEETS, 9 CARDS TO A PAGE, pages FASTENED inside a 3-RING BINDER WITH HEAVY CARDBOARD (not bendable flimsy plastic) covers, INSIDE A SHIPPING BOX. Because of much-increased weight and size, this can be cost-prohibitive. I very much recommend jewel cases, but if you have to ship in a binder, as a seller you should ADVERTISE the fact that the cards or ideally the complete set has been lovingly preserved in top-notch display fashion. Also, ONLY CHARGE THE BUYER EXACTLY WHAT THE SHIPPING COST IS. Sheets (only 10 for a small set of 99 or less) run around 25 cents each, so, for the small cost of $2-3 dollars and the price of a 3-ring binder, which you might have lying around FREE, you can make a profit just by charging an extra $5 bucks for the set. This would be within pricing charges anyway, most likely, meaning a buyer is still getting a fair price while obtaining free presentation–a HUGE plus and value to the buyer, a way to make YOUR set STAND OUT FROM OTHERS, and a cheap, quick, easy and FAIR way to charge a bit more. The seller gets a really nice package, fit for presentation, at little to no extra fair cost, and FREE shipping (another HUGE selling point), while the buyer can OFFER these great extras at little cost and a GOOD PROFIT, more than you might have normally made. I’ll show you an example.
I can list my Topps 1976 KING KONG trading cards COMPLETE SET OF 55 IN NEAR MINT condition for (as an example, not real prices):
COMPLETE Set of 55 Cards and 12 stickers in NEAR MINT condition: $35
$10 shipping (includes one jewel case)
(Say shipping was $5 and the case was $5)
Total cost: $45. Buyer gets, as a plus, to keep the jewel case as a nice presentation addition. He pays shipping, which isn’t great but normal. He pays a fair or even low market price. Buyer gets $35 he wanted, the cost of shipping covered, the cost of the case covered, and a GOOD rep as a seller. A win-win. But though it seems costlier, the seller is better off spending more to get a higher price. To wit:
KING KONG trading cards
COMPLETE SET of 55 CARDS and 12 stickers
For A LIMITED TIME ONLY
EXCLUSIVE TO THIS OFFER:
Set is presented in TOP-GRADE, sturdy PROTECTIVE PLASTIC for the VERY BEST in both PROTECTION and PRESENTATION. You can enjoy your set to the max without EVER TOUCHING IT! The BEST way to have BOTH MAXIMUM PROTECTION and MAXIMUM VEIWING PLEASURE! The cards have been arranged 9 to a sheet–NOT 18–and are in TOP-LOADING–NOT inferior side-loading pockets! These SHEETS are the MOST DURABLE AVAILABLE! And last but not least, a 3-RING HEAVYDUTY BLACK BINDER HAS BEEN INCLUDED! The BINDER has a blank uniform BLACK cover and a space to write in the name or subject of the card set! This is, without a doubt, one of the BEST OFFERS IN PROTECTED AND ATTRACTIVELY DISPLAYED trading card sets you will ever find!!
FREE SHIPPING!!!! You pay for the finished, display-quality, damage-protected COMPLETE SET ONLY!!!!
$60 FOR EVERYTHING! Compare and find out how you SAVE!!!!
Yes. this set is being sold for a very substantial increase–over 50% more. BUT, see how the numbers break down and see how BOTH BUYER AND SELLER are getting a fair, good deal!!!
Card Set: $40. Both Buyer and Seller pay and receive the a slightly higher amount as in the “cheaper” ad. That’s Ok, because as a SELLER, your price was in the lowest range for the set anyway; you are still making a great profit, and the BUYER is still getting a good deal, since the extra $5 is well-within mid-range prices;
$20 extra for deluxe set:
Buyer pays an extra $25 and Seller receives an extra $25 for:
8 plastic sheets retail to both for at least $2;
1 hard cover binder (at least $6, but FREE if Seller has one;
Shipping: $6 (FREE for Buyer, a BIG plus)
So, in the end..The SELLER receives at the LEAST his SHIPPING and EXTRAS COSTS $14 with BINDER cost, $8 if binder was free) paid for, plus $13-$19 paid for the 5-10 minutes TIME they spent preparing the shipment;
Buyer pays Shipping but doesn’t know it, since it is factored. Into Prep costs, and PRESENTATION and DAMAGE PREVENTION COSTS of $13-$19, for which he gets:
The BEST POSSIBLE PRESENTATION of his SET,
The BEST POSSIBLE PROTECTION for his SET,
The COMFORT of having his SET delivered to his DOOR with no EFFORT–PHYSICAL, GAS OR TIME COSTS,
and the COMFORT of finding a good seller he can trust and do more possible business with in the future.
The Seller receives more cash, but he does much more. He goes through the expense of acquiring the set, displaying it, protecting it and shipping it.
The seller receives less in dollar value, but a lot of physical and time bonuses. He doesn’t lift a finger on. Time or Effort, and doesn’t pay a dime for PRESENTATION or PACKAGING. The Seller makes a good 20-25% profit– not great, but not bad either—in fact, GOOD considering the only real effort.put forth was in the 5-10 minutes spent prepping the item. Granted, it may be more if Seller needed to make a special trip to the Post Office to purchase the shipping BOX (gas and time and physical walking) and to the COLLECTIBLE STORE for sheets and a binder), but these even these time and effort costs are negated if the prep items are ordered online and delivered. If the seller does it right, he’s looking at a one-time expense of effort of 10 minutes for putting the cards into the sheets, the sheets into the binder and the binder on a shipping BOX and leaving it for the postman and maybe 10 minutes to order his SHIPPING items online. Plus the SELLER gets the satisfaction of getting a decent profit wihile charging only a fair price, plus the addition of a customer who may order again or give you good word of mouth. Win win. BUYER gets the satisfaction of feeling he got a good deal–not just a definitely fair price for the set, but a limited edition either very few will ever have or an exclusive ONLY THEY will ever have, the best PROTECTION or PRESENTATION he could possibly get of an item he has a lot of affection for (TRUST ME: NO ONE OVER 18 YEARS OLD BUYS A SET OF KING KONG CARDS from the 76 version no less, without loving them)– and a buyer who has a genuine affection for the item will appreciate protection and display features MORE THAN ANY OTHER BUYER. It’s that rare deal in American commerce-no one gets screwed and everyone gets what they want. Need these lessons and you can’t go wrong. It’s when Sellers get greedy and go for a higher than fair price, while offering no amenities or sense of pride or knowledge of what they’re selling, when ALL they care about is the money and not a single bit about the buyer’s needs, that you’re in trouble. Unless you’re either Wal-Mart, and so big that the loss of a few customers due to your take-it-or-leave-it, I don’t-give-a-shit-about-you business methods doesn’t even remotely cost you anything, or you have such a monopoly on a product or service like Coca-Cola (I think it’s safe to say that, except for the spendthrifts who find buying the store brand less of a cost-saving measure and closer to obsessive-compulsion, you’re probably buying either Coke or Pepsi for your dark brown caramel-colored soda needs), you SHOULD care.
This is way too long already lol….more later

I am interested in selling a collection of King Kong Trading cards. Any suggestions on how to go about it.