High grade cards in the 70's-mid 80's.
 

I have very fond memories from this time period for myself from early teens buying my 1st T206 continuing into the early 80's ...my college years with Goudey cards.So when the veteran collectors talk here on the forum of the gold old days it brings back many pleasant memories.
So this will be my 1st question of a few directed to the those who collected during the days before auction houses and graded cards.This question arose as I looked over the new REA catalog.Just an amazing amount of high grade prewar cards....not to mention postwar 50's.
The question is during the said time period did the collectors have the opportunity to buy cards like those at shows or through the mail.This may seem like a silly question but where did all these high condition cards come from?Did the advent of big money bring them out of collections?I know there have been and continue to be "finds" to add to the numbers.Also what was the collectors mindset towards cards such as these when come upon?
I look forward to going back in time with your input.
Scott

I remember clearly having a T206 Chesbro in true, solid, Ex-Mt condition in the mid 80's. Fuzzy corners. Needed cash and went to some big shows in the DC area. Silver Spring and Tyson's. Went to all the big dealers there. Constantly was told "that's the nicest Chesbro I've ever seen".

I guess that was right before trimming became the norm.

I started collecting prewar in the mid '80's and dont recall cards as sharp as I see slabbed these days. I picked up my first exmt from Lew's mailer and couldn't believe how sharp the Sweeney was. That was probably late eighties and at that point had seen maybe a handfull in better condition. Can't explain why there are more now other than the exposure that the web has provided. I guess they were around back then, just not in my line of sight.

Goudeys
 

I use to buy my Ruth and Gehrig Goudeys from Bob Bostoff in the late 80's to early 90's at the Nassau Coliseum and Hofstra shows. There was someone with him at one show that had most of the Ruth and Gehrig cards that looked like they just came off the printing presses.

Could it be that the stuff we have seen the last 100 years are in the condition they are in because of the fact that they were circulated? The mint cards that have surfaced the last 20 to 30 years are in the shape they are in because they have been left untouched for generations and just now brought to the public due to such high value? I mean, how long have top loaders and plastic sleeves been used to protect cards? It just amazes me that so many people had the foresight to put these things up and leave them alone for so long.

i began collecting at shows and antique markets
 

in 1979 and i remember seeing high grade cards from the beginning. In fact i remember some gorgeous t206 cards. Some make it sound like these cards are everywhere in high grade today, I don't see that.

Agreed; my experience with the T51 college series set (same timeframe, lighter cardstock) is that cards come in all conditions, but the ones in the top conditions are rare (and still are). That's why the ones in EX-MT and above garner such high premiums over the VG cards.

I thought I was doomed to a mid-grade set of T51s until Kit Young posted a complete set from VG-EX to NM on eBay and I snatched it up. These cards look amazing, and only one from the grouping was considered trimmed by PSA. It was a high-grade set that a single collector had accumulated over time and was new to market. So while not exactly the same, many parallels.

The really great condition cards were always out there. I wasn't picky at all about condition, and a couple of my T206s bought back then did pretty well when I got them graded. (80-84) Prewar cards in great condition weren't exactly easy, but were there to be had. cards from the late 40's and newer? Really nice ones were everywhere, but there weren't as many people who obsessed over condition. Grading has created a big divide between "nice" cards, those that are ex today, and the really nice cards, todays 8-10s. Pretty much everything between say a 6 and 10 today was ex-mt from most dealers. (or MT from the very lax graders among them)

Steve B

Good point. We are more exposed to the higher grade cards, but they are still far from the majority.

I see highly grade cards here and on EBay all the time, but it's because they stand out. They aren't the norm but when you do see them you remember it. We don't remember the gobs and gobs of middle to lower grade cards because they don't set off our radar.