Just received my first slabbed card...

[ASF123]

I'm returning to collecting after a "hiatus" since about 1993 (total cliche these days, I know) and just received my first slabbed card, a PSA3 T201 Eddie Collins/Frank Baker.

It's a beautiful card and I'm very happy with it...but I just had a moment where I realized there's something profoundly unsatisfying about never being able to actually touch the card. I'm sure that's a pretty standard reaction - just thought I'd share.

[tiger8mush]

...but I just had a moment where I realized there's something profoundly unsatisfying about never being able to actually touch the card. I'm sure that's a pretty standard reaction - just thought I'd share.

Others share your feelings ...

https://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=200591

p.s. welcome back to collecting, beautiful card!

[ASF123]

Thanks! After reading a bunch of threads here I'm getting paranoid that it's fake or altered, but it looks pretty consistent with other PSA3s (maybe a bit nicer than a couple), and at least from a small photo, it looks the same as it did when the same slab sold in 2006. There are a couple of scuffs on the right edge of the slab, but that's probably nothing to worry about...right? :o

[CobbSpikedMe]

I think you're ok with that card being real. It looks good to me.

[Ricky]

Others share your feelings ...

https://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=200591

p.s. welcome back to collecting, beautiful card!

Thanks for posting that thread from 2015, fascinating and fun to see everyone's binders... I'm old school, so while I have a lot of slabbed cards, I prefer raw cards and have a lot of my vintage in binders.

[thatkidfromjerrymaguire]

I definitely prefer raw cards that I can touch and put in binders. But most cards that I pay more than $100 for I purchase graded...just increases likelihood it's authentic as well as provide additional protection.

And it does kind of bother me that the only Mays and Mantle cards that I own are graded...so I've never actually touched the actual cards...just the slabs. But it's nice to know that if I accidentally drop one while looking at it (which I've done) it won't lose tens or hundreds of dollars in value with a new corner ding, etc.

[brianp-beme]

Slabbing cards has two drawbacks: they will stack much higher, dangerously so, and are definitely not as attractive in helix form.

Brian

[ASF123]

I definitely prefer raw cards that I can touch and put in binders. But most cards that I pay more than $100 for I purchase graded...just increases likelihood it's authentic as well as provide additional protection..Yeah, that's pretty much what I'm thinking as well, although earlier this week I impulsively sprang for a raw 56T Koufax (which I may end up regretting).

Another consideration is that, although I have no desire to be a flipper, at some point I will probably want to start selling some cards on eBay as my interests become more focused. I figure it may be difficult to sell raw cards as a new seller without an established track record of credibility, so I may have to start with some graded cards if and when that time comes.