Buy the Card? The Slab? or The Front of the Card
 

Hi Everyone

Just curious

How do you buy your Cards Buy the Card (front and Back)?
Buy the Card (Based on Front of card and Back does not matter?
Or Buy the Slab?

For example a Card may Grade a PSA 3 but the eye appeal on the front looks better than a 3 but the back of the card may have some paper loss, spotches etc.
OR on the Flip Side the Card may Grade a PSA 3 the front is ok eye appeal perhaps a few little creases but the Back is pristine.

Your thoughts

I have a weighted priority list:

First priority: front
Second priority: back
Third priority: slab

Unless it’s a prewar HOFer, I’m probably cracking it out of the slab anyway.

Being that I'm a collector who focuses on overall condition and eye appeal, both the front and back of a card are important to me.

When purchasing a card I do my best to stray away from any creasing or paper loss, but can live with some light staining.

Front - a lot
Back - a little
Slab - little or none (99% of my cards are raw) - actually for some cards, especially Exhibits, Fine/Wide-pens. Writing on the back is a plus

I just bought this '33 Ruth Sport Kings last night, which I think perfectly shows I feel on this one. Great looking front, but a few small spots of paper loss bring the grade down to a price that's right in my range for the card. I wouldn't be able to buy this in the higher grade that the front would warrant, but I'm thrilled with it for what it is!

Hell of a looking Ruth! That's a STRONG 1.5!! Congrats!

I always buy the card first - with emphasis on the corners - front takes priority over the back - I never buy the grade on the slab....It's always about corners to me, centering next and then surface......

I've seen some many 7s that should be 6s and some even 5's, its not even funny.....

I don't think I would have this card if not for the back damage. My eyes aren't great so when I look at the front I'm happy.

Depends.

For PSA registry sets (I only have two - T206 and T3), I admit that the number on the flip is often most important; anyone on the registry who tells you otherwise is lying. Its stupid and it may result in a lesser card for more money, but that registry is a powerful bitch and can make one think less rationally.

For most everything else, its all about the front.

The exception to the aforementioned is when I am buying the card for the back. Sometimes, the rareness of the front/back is such that it doesn't matter how ugly the back (or front) is (e.g., 1916 Tango Eggs Cobb). But if I am trying to get a T206 Uzit example, the way the back looks is more important than the front, because its the back I am after.

Being more opportunistic and on a much lower budget, I tend to worry less about condition, and more about if I need the card or if it's a good deal for that example.

It depends for me. My focus being on mostly T206's the front is always the main area I look at...sometimes the back, especially if it's a rarer back...a damaged Sovereign or Old Mill will get more of my attention than a Piedmont 150 or Sweet Cap.

I bought this one b/c of the front and paid a reasonable amount due to the back damage.

I put very little emphasis on the slab, when buying...but I prefer SGC to PSA just from the asthetics.

Bill

For pre-war, mainly the front of the card with decent centering. I do not care as much about stains particularly on the reverse. Of tertiary importance, but still a consideration, is the grading company. I have a preference for some companies over others with pre-war

I don't mind a little paper loss (or glue):

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...daf73be0b1.jpg

In vintage as long as it has no paper loss or major creasing in the facial area I am good with it.

I like cards to have good registration or really bad. Hate cards with really small print offsets(blurry).

The most meaningless thing to me is centering. If it is so far off center it shows part of another card I like those even better.

What I hate the most is PSA slabs. To me personally it is beyond silly to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars for cards I can buy not is a PSA slab for pennies on the dollar.

Hopefully she doesn't yell "You're my bitch!!" at you, like Conan taught this student driver to do:

https://youtu.be/1Za8BtLgKv8

Buy the card, front being more important but back also important if it is a text based back with a write up or stats I want to read. Snap the slab from the inconsistent and corrupt firm slabbing it, throw it and the slip in the trash. Use eyes to determine condition of said card. Enjoy the card. Repeat.

Great question! I buy the front and the back, except for blank back cards. And I never buy the slab...give me a nice eye appeal 1 over a poorly centered 5 every day of the week.

My priority:

1) Front of the card (by a mile)
2) The slab (if it's slabbed, who graded it and what was the grade)
3) Card back

I will add that I buy SGC slabs 90% of the time. But if its a card produced after 1950 and its high dollar (for me over 5K) I prefer PSA. I do buy Beckett, CSG, and even KSA (for Hockey) when I just want a card that's encapsulated.

Depends on the card for me. Paper loss on the back of a T206 means less to me than paper loss on the back of a 1933 Goudey, because I collect baseball cards, not tobacco ads.

Couldn't care less what tobacco ad is on the back (blasphemy, I know), but if I can't read stats, that bothers me some.

The front is more important to me, but the back does matter. The amount of back damage I can accept depends on how rare the back is. I can put up with more back damage on an EPDG or Tolstoi than I would on a more common Piedmont.

45% - Front & back (Mostly Post-war)

45% - Front (Mostly Pre-war - I don't often mind back paper loss or even an Authentic grade if it looks nice for display)

10% - Grade (only for the 2 players I started a registry for fun for.)

Front of the card all day every day - small number "22" written in ink on the blank back of this one

C'mon, this is the easiest question ever!! How do people decide whether or not to buy a card? I outlined it for everyone...

Attachment 542834

Personally for me, if the back isn’t blank then I wouldn’t accept paper loss or anything significant on the back. Tbh I like reading the backs. I rather have a true to grade card than a great front and jacked up back.

You talk to hot girls at the gym about your baseball cards? Perhaps I’ve been wrong of taking the approach of not talking about baseball card collection to any women.

I buy cards with the sides in mind...it gives you a better idea how they will stack and bend.

Brian (Artistically stacked Goudeys no longer mine. Fingers and toes also not mine, nor is Mr. Bendy Zeenut)

A little bit more there and you will have a much different conditioned card. :eek:

Front matters a lot. Backs with printing are important. I don't care about damage to a blank back. And I don't care if the card is slabbed or not.

This kind of damage below, I don't mind too much, but have very few like it. IF a card is cheap enough, and I have a collecting niche in mind, I will sacrifice a little.
.

There seems to be a disparity on this thread between those who insist on collecting PSA slabs and those who admit it.

Buy the card not the holder on this thread.

Sell the PSA holder not the card in reality.

Front. Slab. Back.

Nice card!

I only collect Mantle cards (at least as far as vintage goes), and those cards generally fall into two categories: 1) they are common cards, in which case I’m largely just buying one to cross of my list and don’t care about back, front, or slab—as long as Mantle isn’t scribbled out on the front of the card; or 2) they are really rare or expensive and I don’t have any choice in what I buy.