Decrease in raw dogs from 2020 to now…
 

Sorry for yet another thread, I came back to the hobby in 2020 (started collecting in the 80s). I found this forum through The Monster podcast. Those guys have been awesome and I’m happy in my short time here that I have met some awesome people.

I took a break for about 18 months (when my spreadsheet on google docs got mysteriously deleted) and dove back into finishing my basement. Basement is close to complete. I’ve been back on net54 for about a month. It appears that the amount of raw cards being offered is significantly lower than 3+ years ago. Have you all noticed this as well? I asked Waz and he quickly changed the subject to me Hal Chase Factory 42 that he wants me to trade him, so he was no help…lol

Anyway, talk soon…
Kevin

I was surprised at the amount of raw pre war stuff at the Chantilly show last week.

It makes sense, Kevin.

Pardon the obvious:
Every time a raw card gets graded, there is one less in the raw pool.
Not many graded cards get cracked out,
So as the the years go by, there are more and more graded, less raw.

For sure there are considerably fewer raw cards on the market today than when I first started looking 20 years ago. And it seems to me that there’s a much larger percentage of trimmed/altered cards in the raw cards that are out there. That makes sense too.

Myself, I like to be able to touch and handle my cards. I have a binder-full of raw cards, and it’s a pleasure to flip through, as opposed to the slabs that I keep in boxes and rarely look at.

I’m with you…I prefer the idea of being able to touch my cards if I wanted to. I really dislike the few graded ones I have. Might crack them all out at some point.

I'm too scared of ruining a raw card that might be worth 5-10k where if I put a crease in it taking it in and out of a binder/etc might make it a 1-2k card. Never mind 14CJ's, they're so thin one wrong move and you feel like an idiot.
I'm all for a binder set but prefer high dollar cards to be entombed like Tutankhamen in Egypt.

Picked up these raw dogs about a month ago. Ha.

Me and the wife have a whippet and I thought she'd enjoy them. She does.

1931 John Player Cigarettes
1936 Gallaher Dogs - Series 1
1936 Carreras LTD
1953 Candy Novelty

Well played Bio.

Agree. There is only so much handling one can do of an old valuable card in delicate condition without causing problems. Believe me I know.

This is very true but, because of the prices people are getting today for graded cards, the number of repros out there, and the decrease in set collectors, not many people are interested in raw cards anymore. I believe this holds true not only for vintage for also for the post vintage.

We don’t own these cards. We’re just holding them for awhile. If putting them in slabs preserves them for the next collector, if slabbing them shows our heirs a certain value then slabs will always have a place in history.

Thank God this isn't another Joey Chestnut thread.