Debating On Getting Cards Slabbed
 

Wanted to pick everyone's collective brains. I'm mostly a collector, I wouldn't rule out selling something in the future but for now, I'm strictly collecting. I've been toying back and fourth between getting a few of my vintage cards graded. Not so much for the grade itself, but for the protection of the cards.

I do like my one touch holders, but the problem is, certain cards don't fit into the one touch holders. And I would enjoy having all my cards all being in the same style of cases. Slabbing kind of reminds me of a plastic prison, once the cards are in there, unless you crack it, the card is staying in the slab. But, correct me if I'm wrong, the protection is second to none.

Anyone want to chime in on what they recommend I do?

My $0.02:

There are more economical ways to protect your cards. Grading is expensive, and it takes a while. If protection is your goal, use card savers.

To me, grading only makes sense if you're selling, or you're planning on selling in the next couple years. Grading companies are constantly evolving and what's desired (slab-wise) today, may not be in the future (ask somebody who had GAI grade all their cards 10 years ago...). Eventually, I see grading going to an automated computer/scanner system to avoid the human element and ensure a card receives the same grade every time. That could possibly make current slabbed cards obsolete in their current state.

If you've just got a few high dollar cards to grade, sure, go ahead. But if you're talking scores and scores (I always liked that word...) of cards to grade, I don't think it makes much sense in my eyes.

If you are really OCD about it, would you be satisfied if PSA put cards from the same set different style holders? When you get something new, are you going to have it reholdered? What about if the TPG changes their label again like they tend to do every couple years? Based on those questions, what you describe, and not planning to sell, my thoughts would be $10+ per card seems expensive just to have uniform cases at least for the time being.

if you have no plans to sell anytime soon don't waste your money! NEver know how grading may evolve in the near future as well!

Card Saver Is for the cards I don't have slabbed.

Personally I have sold off almost all my slabbed cards. I found these and they are awesome. I worked with the companies owner to get these "DIY Kits" made in this size.

These are 3 1/2 X 5 1/8 toploaders so inserts can be made for most cards. The card itself is in a mylar sleeve. These are so much nicer than a regular penny sleeve and toploader sleeve.

So far I have ordered a few hundred and plan on ordering a few thousand after this Covid crap is over and Rick can get supplies.

I don't like Card Saver. I hate the look of the card floating in space. I still prefer the penny sleeve and hard plastic holder. As for grading, I don't care if the cards are from different companies, or have differing ID. I think the SGC black border is more aesthetically pleasing than the fog that PSA uses, though. My Cobb exhibit was already slabbed when I bought it, and my Speaker looked weird not being slabbed right next to it. So that's part of the reason I slabbed my Speaker exhibit.

Ben,

I really like these. I'm definitely going to consider this option, strongly. Thank you.

Earlier this year, a member sold me these for t206 size cards.

I even made them fit my W711-1 by using an exacto knife.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...2e4e3789db.jpg

The holders from TC verify and the T205 ish frames are both great options.

I use penny sleeves and toploaders, but if you only have a few cards those other options are better.

I have had a few cards graded, mostly ones in better condition, or that would be questioned if they weren't "graded" lie T206 blankbacks.
The price difference is fairly large if the card grades well, and eventually someone who may not know a lot about cards will have to sell them.

I should do some more, but SGC just feels like it's circling the drain(as much as I like them) and PSA is .... well, they're PSA and should have gone that routs years ago.

My plan is to put a few thousand cards into Ricks holders. It is a new product size for him so he is having problems getting supplies at the moment.

For selling, I agree with others that PSA is king and you can make a lot more cash using their magic plastic holders. Really hoping the new automated grading that has been shown on here takes off. I like the idea of grading to help out the collectors that don't want to have to learn every aspect of cards to not get taken advantage of. I think it is sad what grading has turned into.

I have evolved into pretty much a collector and grading is too expensive to do all my cards. Plus they take up way too much space if you have a huge collection.

Yes, and this is the reason why he should be submitting his cards now! Do you really want to submit in the future when PSA is using some computer which can detect a hundred different things?

Beep ... beep ... right corner pressed down slightly inwards by 0.4 mm .... beep beep beep ... rejected ... code 4399AVC

A lot of your cards will get rejected. You want to get all your best cards into slabs before this happens.

And you don't think if we get to that point collectors won't demand cards in the newest slabs and won't require a discount for older slabs? There are plenty of collectors now that will only buy cards in PSA's most recent slab because they feel grades in older slabs were too generous.

So what you are saying is get them graded now before they can be accurately graded.:rolleyes: Sorry couldn't resist.:D

I have my entire pre-war collection in slabs. I personally like the look and the protection, but again it is more about personal preference. Do what makes you happy!!!

Well, what's better, having a card in an older slab or a raw card that no company wants to grade?

Yes, sir! :D

Therein lies the problem... what's accurate?

The way cards were graded before the TPGs?
The way cards were first graded by TPGs?
The way cards are graded now by TPGs?
Or the way cards will surely be graded differently in the future by TPGs?

This hobby can be comical...

Just do like Ben and me, buy cheap borders that slide into penny or mylar sleeves, and do it yourself! This hobby was great 30 years ago when there was no grading, and it remains to be great in that form.

There are many very good reasons to keep cards ungraded, such as expense, storage and portability, to name a couple. I personally also like to be able to touch a card.

Old cards ordinarily convey a sense of their antiquity, and sometimes even the past owners who have prized them. Given, I’m a romantic, but some cards can make you wonder and imagine. What a treasure they can be!

I have maybe a dozen different collections, and I keep them in binders, in collector pages.
I can’t tell you what a pleasure it is to easily flip through a collection and spend a minute or more on it, and then put the book back on the shelf.

I do have a few boxes of graded cards, some of my most valuable. But these cards never get looked at.

I should add that for protection of the cards, for inserting and taking them out of the pockets, I customize penny-sleeves to carry the cards in and out.

What is comical is the current state of grading.

To be a little more specific. It would be better for cards to be more consistently graded according to existing standards.

You complete me! :D

As usual, the difference in preferences here is always interesting.

I prefer having anything worth around $1000 or more slabbed (and, any cards worth hundreds that are a strong ex-mt or above.) In addition to the added value, I just can't trust the flimsyness of toploaders and especially card savers to protect them.

And I know this goes against much popular opinion, but I don't trust anything to binders. Not only do cards slip out easier than any other "holder", but that bendy turning of page to page irks me more than I enjoy the display advantage.

This being said, I have still never sent anything in to get graded! This weekend I'm finally going to get a few cards ready and figure it out. Been putting it off for way too long

I agree with Doug
 

binders (sorry for the old pics, i need to update!) are an option ... the beauty of collecting is there is no wrong way. Do what makes you feel best!

Definitely start with good top loaders. Price out different percentages of grading, then slab what you think you want to protect the most. Wait around for good deals on bulk grading costs.
The added benefit of slabbing is that you can get an actual price tag on your collection to wrap on to your home owner's policy.

SGC had a patent out on using computer vision to automate and systematize the process of grading. Haven't seen anything new in a long time, wonder if we'll see it debut soon to help address the backlog. Of course, that opens up a whole new can of worms! Will human grades or computer grades be held in higher esteem? Will people begin to refuse to buy human graded cards and demand auto grades?

I like your style, Rob!

I'm a little strange when it comes to slabs, I agree that high dollar cards should be slabbed for protection and insurance purposes, it's just where the hobby has gone. If my kids gonna inherit a 100k collection it should be catalogued with prices paid, any notes about individual cards, etc. so he has a baseline of information to make his choices intelligently about the collection. I also have a portion of cards I collected as a kid that will never be slabbed so I can still take them out and go down memory lane occasionally.

When it comes to the actual slab I prefer all my 50's and 60's Topps in PSA flips with a NM 7 grade. I do have 6's and 8's but prefer 7's by a wide margin. There are exceptions of course like 52 Jackie that looks so much better with an SGC black apron.

For me, pre-war and 51 bowmans look best in an SGC green label flip. The black apron always presents the card better and the green label compliments the size and delicacy of a pre war card.

My issue with the new SGC label on pre war is that it overpowers the card itself. The number grade is literally 1/3 the size of a T206 or similar pre-war card. The label is bright, ugly, and obtrusive. Just look at any newly stabbed T206, say a Wajo portrait, it just doesn't look right. Pre-war cards have a nuance, so should the label. I spoke to Brian over at SGC and asked him if he could slab some pre-war for me in the green label. Unfortunately no was the answer.

So here I sit with 25k of unslabbed cards, all dressed up with nowhere to go. I've actually completed full orders at both companies with these cards but can't pull the trigger for the above reasons. If PSA offered a black apron option they would put SGC out of business when it comes to pre-war.

I'm just hoping the new grading company offers a well designed label and a black apron option. And soon.

Uh yeah, that was the point.
"Existing" standards always change, which is ridiculous.

I still like binders for my sets. Put the cards into penny sleeves and then put into 9 pocket etc high quality plastic sheets. This gives a little more protection and makes the sheets a little more firmer. High value cards probably should be graded for resell or to make it easier for others who will inherit your collection.

Thanks for everyone weighing in on this. I was wondering what people thought of cases like these

https://www.pro-mold.com/vintagecardcases.html

Really I just want something uniform for all of my vintage cards, or at least the high dollar ones I really care about. Thoughts?

I like those, and they're just what I was looking for as well. I love the varying sizes, but did they really leave out '33-34 Goudey?

I have a handful of Pro-Mold holders, and they're nice, but for some reason just didn't catch on with me. Maybe it was the cost/bulkiness.

I've tried almost every storage holder since 74, and have mostly stuck with penny sleeve/toploader as the best for protection/cost/space. But I have lots of cards, most of them lower grade and inexpensive. even toploaders seem excessive for most of them.

It does make finding the better cards easy when some are loose, others in toploaders...
It's even funnier, when you pull a card from a box thinking it's a "good" one and realize that it was when it went in the box 20+ years ago.