Posted By:
Al C.risafulliTo say the low to mid-grade collector is becoming less important to the hobby, when you're on a message board full of low-to-mid-grade collectors is pretty unfair. It is also untrue. Low to mid grade cards sell with greater frequency every single day, and the pool of buyers is much, much greater in size than the pool of high-grade buyers. It is also the reason you're getting a hard time on this topic, Jim, because the likelihood that a PSA 8 T206 has been soaked off an album page is, in my opinion, pretty damn close to 100%.
That being said, it is also very unfair to continuously attack Jim for collecting PSA 8s. Jim collects high grade cards. Get over it. He knows as much about what he collects as many of the others on this board know about what they collect, and he's just as passionate. It is SO lame to continuously read the response "Oh yeah? Well you collect high-grade cards, so you don't know what you're talking about." every time Jim says something you disagree with.
It's funny how I never hear anyone getting on anyone for their collecting preferences on this board, EXCEPT those who collect high-grade cards (except Frank's inane ramblings against graded collectors, but I've learned to ignore that). Collect cards of catchers? Great. Collect Lefty O'Doul? Very cool. Collect 19th Century left-handed ballplayers? More power to you. Collect prewar rookie cards of left-handed catchers with glasses? Great. Collect high-grade cards? You are the infidel.
Makes no ssense to me.
Oh, on topic? Soaking is fine, IMO, so long as you're not soaking to press out a crease or a wrinkle. Someone asked where you draw the line? That's where I draw it. I soak to remove paper, gunk, and grime, and apply no pressure to the card except slight pressure during the process of drying a card. I've never seen a wrinkle come out as a result of the slight pressure.
-Al