Listen, there’s new people around here all the time, and it’s important that they know about these details, including who is who in our little world. I certainly keep getting emails from people with 1 post whose mates have everything on my want list.

Yes, Elm, but think of what a fine learned piece you would be.

short answer:

https://media.tenor.com/YjPBups7H48AAAAM/6m-rain.gif

One of the biggest things about slabs isn't necessarily the money. Foremost, buying slabbed cards gives more security that you are buying what you paid for - an authentic, unaltered and somewhat accurately graded card.

Absolutely yes, there are tampered with cards in slabs - I do not deny. But I honestly feel the chances of getting what you pay for is better with slabbed cards vs. raw (thru the mail sight unseen).

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"You see, the beauty of my book is, if you don't have a coffee table, it turns into a coffee table."

Out of curiosity, how would you know if you were wrong (about either assertion)?

Especially on a forum populated by those who worship graded cards.

It probably feels that way sometimes.

But it sure seems like there’s plenty of posts that highlight the follies associated with the imperfect outcomes that come with grading.

At the same time, with the silly prices commanded by some cards simply based on the grade, it’s probably more a function of a slice of players in the market being willing to pay outrageous prices for low pop grades, regardless of the actual card quality. And that probably feels like worshipping.

All very good points indeed. And arm's length card grading by a third party would certainly have its merits. The problem though is the speed at which it's degenerated into abject folly, e.g. the $33,600 that a slabbed Topps 1975 Dave Roberts card just fetched when nigh identical Dave Roberts cards are available anywhere else for $3.36. (Try explaining that to the man-on-the street.)

Sorry, but some of us reserve the right to sneer rather than cheer.

:(

Even those of us that are into graded cards are mostly (entirely?) shocked and appalled by the craziness of the price on that card. Even as a hard core set registry goon, I wouldn't come anywhere close to paying that kind of a premium. Give me a solid PSA 9 for under 1% of that price and that's good enough for me.

What's really silly about PSA 10 graded cards versus PSA 9 graded cards is that if you showed a bunch of serious collectors ten cards broken from their slabs of which two had been graded 10 and eight had been graded 9, only 1 in 45 of those collectors would be able to pick out the two that had been graded 10. Then the other 44 would all argue about why PSA was wrong and how they were right.

Yet certain collectors/speculators are willing to pay mind boggling multiples more for the 10 graded card. They are of course buying the label not the card.

:rolleyes:

Perfectly said and I couldn’t agree more! Too much fraud and bad people in our hobby nowadays to trust anything but graded cards when it comes to resale. I personally would rather collect raw cards however as mentioned above, the trimmed, altered, fake cards have forced my hand to only buy graded. When it comes time to sell, all I need to do is box them up and send them to a consignment company to sell for me then just wait for the check to come in! Can’t really do that with raw cards. Plus with raw cards what’s to say when our families go to a LCS to sell, some greasy fat owner won’t be like “ oh yeah, these 1950s cards are worth like $2 each. I’ll give you $100 for this lot! (I feel it’s better for heirs of cards to send in graded cards to a consignment service vs trying to sell raw cards to a LCS)

Unless the price difference is insignificant or it's the only one I can get my hands on, every 10 I've ever had gets sold to those willing to pay for that slab number.

I'll keep the 8's and 9's when it comes to higher-end grades for my personal collection. I'll let those that chase the 10's pay me for that number.

Many times that pays for almost all (or all) of the cost of grading the other cards in the order.

The fact that newly graded cards have numbers on the flips that are (on average) 2 full grades below their older counterparts should render the whole misguided/corrupt process null and void.

But the sheeple are addicted to the slab and the toothpaste won't go back into the tube. :(

To Hell with card grading and all the stupid BS associated with it. I've had my say about it. To all who like to tell me to give it a rest, so be it, I will. If they're worth more graded to some people, so be it. I don't care.

Good to see you coming around to the idea of professional grading, Jim.

Nah.

I kind of doubt that, given your history. I'd say it's more likely that you will wait a few months and start another thread very similar to this one, or just find various and sundry places here and there on the threads of others to rant and rage about the evils of graded cards.

Don't get me wrong, I could care less. But let's be realistic.

A few months? I will take the under on that.

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This is a very good and observable point.

You're right. When I once again get fed up with the latest whine on this Mecca country club for card grading, I will no doubt flare up again. But until then, feel free to empty your pockets to PSA or SGC and then laugh all the way to the bank getting rich off of the baseball card "hobby".

Go cash your winning ticket. He didn’t make it past the weekend. See above.

That didn't take long.

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So are we emptying our pockets due to card grading or filling them up prior to laughing all the way to the bank due to grading? I’m confused.

Take your pick. It doesn't matter. I was off my meds when I wrote it.

LOL fair enough.