Set Registry -- opinions please

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Posted By: B Hodes

I was thinking of registering T202s on PSAs site (and perhaps later on SGC site when they offer this)since I have some T202s graded by each company. I don't know much about the set registry thing accept that it seems to be free (although it might lead one to incur grading fees in the future). What does everybody (especially those who are already registering sets) think ?

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Posted By: Tom Lawrie

Since neither company will allow you to put the other company's cards on their web-site, I think that it doesn't make a whole lot of sense in your case. But even if you pick just one, what happens if one of them ends up folding or merging with another company in a few years? At that point, do you break out your cards and send them to the registry 'du jour'?

But here are my main reasons for disliking the card registries:

1. It has the potential to drive up prices to ridiculous levels for nice cards. The coin hobby market is driven to a considerable degree by the two main registries, which has resulted in prices being completely out of whack for graded coins, especially nice ones. If you think high-grade cards are expensive now, just wait to see what happens if the registries take over.

2. Every time that people submit vintage cards for grading, there is the potential for damage to the cards (in packing, mailing, grading, returning, etc.), and collectors who already know the quality of their collections will needlessly submit cards just to get on the registry. Seems silly to subject expensive, vintage cards to a grading process that potentially can cause damage just to feed some ego.

3. Mediocre population reports will become even more worthless as individuals resubmit cards over and over just to try and top someone else on the registry. (My E93 set is best. No mine is better. No way, I just resubmitted my last card and got a 7. Well, I just resubmitted the whole set and I'm bound to move up on a few cards to top you, so take that you #2 E93 set collector, you...)

4. Have you ever been able to read the Collector's Universe web site (where they discuss set registries ad nauseum) and not had the urge to strangle one of those morons? Personally, I can't decide whether to puke or to scream after reading the inane congratulatory posts. You want to be part of that?

Just my opinion,
Tom

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Posted By: Scott M

The set registry is a good marketing ploy for the card grading companies. Its also a way for them to make some of their clients feel important. But the bragging rights will continue to increase in costs - I've seen some high grade 55 commons sell for ludicrous prices on ebay - and not 10's or 9's - rather 8's on the basis that the PSA pop report says there is only 3 or 4 of them available.

But then again if someone has lots of money and thats how they want to spend it then more power to them. Unfortunately I believe there are folks that don't realize that the PSA pop report is only a subset (and I believe small subset) of the card population at large.

Set regisries are a great idea - just get rid of the number thing. Any set you put together is an accomplishment.

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Posted By: jeff

I was considering buying some 1977 vending boxes to break up, so I checked out what graded '9s' were going for.

PSA 9 commons (1977 Topps commons!!!) regularly hit $15 a piece. 1977!!! I'm not taking a moral stance on that, but that is weird.

you can have a mangled t206 hall of famer for that

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Posted By: Jeff Obermeyer

I've never really understood the whole point of a set registry, at least not from the point of view of the collector. To me it appears to be nothing more than ego gratification - "my set is better than yours", or "my set is the best!".

The problem of course is that you're limiting yourself to only cards graded by that particular company. Also, just because you have the best set of PSA graded cards for a particular issue... it's certainly possible that someone else out there has a set as nice or nicer that isn't graded and/or registered. In the case of PSA, all that you can say is "I've got the top condition set of all the cards from this issue graded by PSA". Big deal.

It's a great marketing ploy by PSA - it not only gets them more submissions (cards have to be graded by them to be "registered"), but also increases the prices on the secondary market for the higher condition graded cards which will also lead to more submissions.

While I don't really understand the appeal, I say that if it makes you happy then go for it. I'm certainly not going to tell anyone else how to collect. If you enjoy working on your registered set(s), more power to you.

Jeff Obermeyer
(not to be confused with the poster who goes by "jeff")

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Posted By: Julie Vognar

I wouldn't get my whole set registered-=or graded. there are about 15 different things that can be wrong with a T202; do you really trust PSA to find them all? SGC is different; if you're into grading cards, I'd go that way. But I guess they don't have the set registry yet.

I guess GAI is O.K. too.

It's fun looking at Halley's set!

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Posted By: Brian C Daniels

if you have any concerns for alimony or tax issues or debt it will not be a wise move to advertise your wealth! ( Except with us on this board of course ; ) )
I have heard a tale or two about confiscation ala liens ala a collector or two some of us know.......I know your an attorney but still..."selah"

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Posted By: B Hodes

Thanks for the insights!
I too am not necessarily a fan of the Registry and was not really into the Pride/boasting aspect of the Registy when I thought about posting. Nope what I was thinking was that by having my name (and some portion of my T202s) out there I might get contacted by others with nice T202s so that I could buy or trade them. As it is now T202s are not even listed on PSA's Registry! Also, more of the T202s I have are SGC than PSA and I don't believe I would be prohitted from also registering on SGC when its registry comes on line.

As to BCD's comments, believe me I thought of that too (even though I am single) and would have to do quite alot of thinking before I listed a lot of T202s on the Registry. (my understanding is that you only need to list a few to be regsitered, so there is nothing compelling me to list all of the T202s I have graded by PSA -- which isn't that big a number anyway!)

I would still appreciate hearing from someone who has actually used the registry.

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Posted By: Julie Vognar

Just ask any branch of state or national governenmnt. If they burn up or get stolen, my loss.

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Posted By: David Vargha

While certainly some see it as an avenue to boast about their collection or as a point of pride, most people on it use it to catalogue their cards and meet other like-minded collectors. I have had people contact me with cards I have needed and have sold to others in the same situation.

Obviously if you are not a fan of PSA or graded cards in general, then you probably won't participate in it. I do find it amusing that people who say they don't care about the composition of their collection (SGC, PSA, unslabbed or . . . ) then feign being upset about the fact that only PSA cards can be listed on the PSA Set REgistry.

DavidVargha@hotmail.com