Posted By:
Al Crisafulli"I too think that high grade depends on the age of the card with the caveat that nothing under a 7 is ever high grade."
I don't think it's as black and white as that.
The set I know the most about is probably 1938 Goudey. Of all the REGISTERED, GRADED sets out there, mine is currently the #5 set. It has a GPA of less than 6. It is one of only five complete REGISTERED sets in existence. As far as I know, the first three - all with GPAs of 8 - were built ten years ago. For the issue, I would consider my set to be "high grade", since precisely zero cards have graded a 10, 16 have graded a 9, and 310 have graded an 8. Most of the cards in the set have fewer than ten total examples in 7 or higher.
What does a high-grade George C Miller set look like? Or a high-grade W502 set? Has anyone ever seen a high-grade Lections?
For me, like Mantlefan and Cmoking, it depends on the set and how I've chosen to collect it. Probably the best cross-section for me is my HOF collection. It's a type card collection. Generally, I look for the highest-grade cards for this collection that make sense for me, based on the issue and cost. For example, more recent issues I look for SGC 88 or better. The older the card gets, the more scarce the issue, or the more important the card, the lower grade I will accept. When I settle on a particular card that I want to add to my HOF collection, I look for the best-presenting card I can find that fits within my budget. So, for example, I can afford a 1991 Topps Desert Storm Eddie Murray in SGC 96. But my Goudey Ruth is an SGC 40.
One thing for sure - I am fascinated by learning about how everyone else collects. Whether they be all PSA 8 like Jim, or all raw beaters like some of the OBC guys, all prewar type cards like Leon, all cards of a particular player or team, it just shows me how diverse and interesting everyone's choices are - and I'm consistently amazed by all of them.
-Al