[Brianruns10]

Hey All,

I'm working on the 52 and 56 topps series. I used to be a PSA collector, mainly when I was starting out, as a way to protect me against less scrupulous sellers. It was nice to know I was getting good, authentic, unaltered cards.

But now that I'm more experienced, and have some reliable sellers I buy from, I'm getting into buying raw cards for albums. It's definitely more pleasing to see them all together, and to be able to handle the actual card.

But some cards are just hard to find in decent quality uncertified. And others I doubt I would want to buy uncertified. Your Willie Mays and Mickey Mantles, are just too risky. I'd still want that vouch safe.

But the conundrum I have is an ethical one. Is it right, do you think, to crack cards that are certified? I worry that I'm depriving someone else of a card for their registry set, and that i'm altering the population reports by removing a card from circulation, and potentially upsetting the records if I sell, and someone else gets it certified again.

And I don't know, maybe it's a bad idea to do from a value point.

What say you all? Am I overthinking? Is it okay to crack, or better to try to buy raw, if my goal is raw?