Looking for some thoughts on collecting cards by condition
 

I've found for a while that, while I appreciate the beauty of a perfect 9 on a vintage card, there's something of an appeal to cards that have been through the mill (or the bicycle spoke). I feel like they carry more of their history when they show some wear. Of course, cards with massive creases across the players' faces aren't ideal, but all else equal I'd rather a well-loved card than a perfect one, especially given the difference in cost. Thoughts? Am I just a weirdo?

The reason I don't agree is because you don't know how those creases got there. You could come up with a story of how those creases got there, which lead lead to more fun, but it greatly diminishes the presentability and therefore value of the card.

Now, if I had those cards from when they were pack fresh they would have great sentimental value to them, each crease and marking telling a story. Although a person wanting to purchase those cards would not have the same attachment to those cards. Nor would I blame them.

It could also depend on the provenance and story behind the card. For example if a card was creased from being signed by Mickey Mantle in person, and that story was passed down would be one thing. But if the card was merely stepped on by a younger brother would not be as intriguing.

I think condition is just one part of the equation for a collection, for some its the most important for others the least important, no right or wrong just up to each collector.


I find that for me on pre WW2 I prefer a solid VG- SGC 40.

On newer cards my sweet spot is EX-MT- SGC 80/PSA 6.

When I get cards that grade well above these I tend to sell the higher grade and downgrade and use the additional cash to add to my collection.

If they are lower than I hold till I can find and/or afford to get to upgrade to my sweet spot condition then sell off the filler.

A lot of the fun for me, as a younger collector, is pretending that I'm holding the cards my dad or grandad might have held (my grandmother threw the real ones out, obviously, in the 70s). I like to imagine that the corner dings and the creases are a result of frantic schoolboy flipping and trading. I guess that's the nostalgic part of collecting for me. While it would definitely be cool to know "mickey mantle creased this card while signing it," there's a certain simple mystique to the golden age of baseball, and by just holding the cards, I can feel connected to it, just like any kid would have felt way back when. Maybe part of it is just the age factor.

Mr. Rudy- something I might consider in the future would be to have a few beaters for handling and "playing". And the rest of my collection for aesthetics and appeal.

I'd rather a well-loved card than a perfect one

Abraham Rudy, couldn't agree more! I'm putting the T206 set together, and don't get me wrong, I appreciate a nice clean card just as much as anyone. But a card with a stamp on it, or some writing, or clipped corners, or some scrapbook residue just has so much more history! Maybe I'm a weirdo too...

Love beaters...affordable, historical, easily handled and I do not have to worry about knocking $1000 off the value when I put it in a holder to display and accidentally ding a corner!

Joshua

I like both sorts of cards for different reasons.

I like some beaters because either they have some obvious history. Like the ones I had that had been heavily used for flipping. Some of them were waxed to make them heavier. And worn nearly round.
Other beaters I like because things have changed and it's become unlikely I could afford a nice one- or in some cases even a replacement. Like the red Cobb T206 with a Carolina brights back.

But I also like some of the higher graded cards. Some of the T206s I've had for years and a few from Ebay were really nice. A handful of them graded well enough that they're as nice as it gets for that front/back combo. And that's pretty cool too.

I guess when it comes to cards I'm just "easy":o

Steve B

Price is probably what got me into beaters, but yes there's definitely something to be said for not having to worry about handling.

Having finished my Monster, at least as far as I am apt to be able to take it (520), I am in the process of upgrading. I am trying to get all the cards with chunks missing, trims, creases across the face, etc upgraded, but I think a T206 looks best with some wear...I think about a 2.5 is the perfect grade for most T206s.

No, there are a lot of us, here on Net54 and elsewhere. In fact, there is a whole organization of collectors who collect off-grade cards - OBC. There was a recent thread about OBC. I like to think there is plenty of room in the hobby for collectors of any stripe.

OBC has its own (tounge-in-cheek) grading system: The Tipton Grading Scale. Several years ago I was at Cooperstown, and had the Tipton grading guidelines placed into the Hall of Fame library. Here is a link to the guidelines:
For example, here is a GGS-8 card I recently acquired:

As the label indicates, Guru (Larry Tipton) acquired these cards at the last National, no doubt at great expense. I have a theory (undocumented) that the "Sewer Find" cards came from Ed Norton's personal collection.

that was great! those 'grades' gave me a good laugh! and behind every good joke is a kernel of truth.