1950's Topps/Bowman question
 

when it comes to topps/bowman cards from the 1950's,

has anyone here ever attempted to just collect cards that were low grade/beaters, instead of chasing high grade cards?

I ask, because, yes of course it would be great to collect only psa 8 or psa 9 cards from the 1950's, but for many of us, financially that isnt possible, so I was wondering if just focusing on low grade beaters/fillers would be the way to go for those that are collecting as a collector and not as an investor? more of a quantity vs quality (trying to get as many of the 1950's cards as possible in lower grade)

Lots of people do.

Check out picturesofcardboard on Instagram for some really rough ones.

Tons of us do. I have most all Topps/Bowman cards from 1948-1975, plus lots of other sets, I don't even use penny sleeves for. Shoeboxes full of old cards, to handle and collect without panicking over a wrinkle or a bent corner. It's a lot of fun. Still not always cheap, but a lot cheaper and a lot more to collect that way.

Same here. I have complete runs of Bowman and Topps sets, and everything pre-1975 is probably VG at best including my raw 1952 Topps Mantle that I have in a top loader.

I usually don't go for true beaters, but here is a thread from a few years back on midgrade / still presentable cards (with issues) that got a lot of traction -

https://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=255366

Yes, certainly to the overall question. My objective with vintage is eye appeal. If I can get lower grade cards for a bargain that still meet my objectives with eye appeal, I'm all about that.

As I get older, I increasingly think this is the way. I could even be persuaded to approach the large 60s sets in this fashion. I'm 51. There's no way in the world I will ever be able to build 50s and 60s sets in high grade, and I honestly don't have the urge to do so. I'm happy to just have a copy of a given card. I don't want true beaters, but lower grade cards are fine with me. If it comes down to not having a set/card at all or having it in lower grade, I'd rather have a lower grade copy than none at all. For whatever reason, I never follow through and actually do this. I guess part of that is due to the fact that I'm spending less on the hobby overall than I once did. Another roadblock for me with collecting lower grade sets is I never seem to come across lower grade cards in quantity at a reasonable price. They must be out there somewhere, but I rarely see them. Many who sell lower grade cards want so much for them that it doesn't always make sense to go that route because better condition cards could be had for not that much more, and I end up right back where I started by not acting.

I have a near complete run of Topps and Bowman sets from 1948-2025 (no 52 Topps High #'s). I'm working on 1939-1941 Play Ball sets.

I've never bought a card with a high grade. I buy almost everything raw. I do have standards, though.

No writing on the card, soft corners are okay but not rounded, centering shouldn't distract from the rest of the set. Any creases should be light.

Almost all my prewar cards would be graded a 1 or Auth, but I'm fine with that. I doubt much in my 1948-1956 collection would get higher than a 4 if I ever graded (which I won't)

I have everything in binders and I look at them frequently. I collect for fun, not profit. Everything I have goes to my non-collecting son so he can sell it when I'm gone. Whatever he gets is free money to him, so he's under strict instructions to waste that money on something fun.

All of the beautiful cards on Net54 can seriously skew your perspective of what is "normal". I still buy the best card I can afford, but given that my collection goals are lofty (for me), that means I own tons of low grade cards. Enjoy what you have with all of your heart and dont let comparison be the thief.

The only problem I see for me is, even though Im collecting these as a collector, someday whoever inherits these will have to sell them and consignment sites like dcsports dont take un graded raw cards, probstein123, I believe prefers graded cards (giving low priority to listing raw cards) and correct me if im wrong but I believe greg morris cards only wants/consigns high grade vintage (hes probably not interested in listing low grade vintage) and taking them to a LCS to sell will only get pennies on the dollar, as their are alot of scumbags in our hobby that will prey on those (whoever inherits our collections) that know nothing about our hobby just to make a few dollars.

so, that would be the only sticking point for me at this point.

Cards worth over a few bucks each sell in all different conditions on COMC. In fact, that's a great place for you to start after you buy some lots on eBay to start filling in.

But there are always local auction houses who will sell off complete low grade sets from the 50s and 60s, even some online auction houses that will.

There are plenty of auction houses like Sterling Sports Auctions who would help retrieve solid value for such cards.

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Im looking not so much as auction houses in the future, but instead the easier possible method for those that are left with selling them, which to me would be a consigner like probstein. where they can just be boxed up, shipped out and then just wait for the check to come in!

In that sense, graded cards would be the easiest, however, with there being approx 3,100 topps cards from 1951-1959, has anyone ever attempted trying to get a complete (or as near complete as possible) run of 1951-1959 topps all graded! I cant imagine the cost of that and also all the storage space needed to store 3,100 slabs! would be cool I think.

collect
 

a VG ( or slightly worse ) card has always been perfectly fine with me

Yes, multiple people have done that. Although that's pretty much the opposite of what you claim you want to do.

For those that collect raw cards, is it necessary to put them in a penny sleeve? (If they are in low grade condition, do penny sleeves even matter? (Do they keep them from sticking together and blocking together like some of the cards from the 90’s?)

For those that put them in top loaders, do you notice the top loaders turn yellow after awhile?

It's not necessary to keep vintage cards in penny sleeves. As G1911 said, you can just keep them loose in boxes. All of my dad's collection (mostly 1970-75), with the exception of one binder, has been kept in boxes for the last half century and the cards are fine. (Not just low grade - my dad's 1974 Topps set is high grade. You just have to handle the cards deliberately.)

1990s cards stick together because of UV coating. Cards made of cardboard are fine.

And actually being able to touch your cards is a big part of the pleasure of collecting.

Vintage card storage
 

Your post reminded me of an experience of mine with plastic sheets back in the stone age of the hobby. At that time, the horrors of PVC had yet to be revealed, and it did not occur to me to consider how twenty years of storage might affect old pasteboard as I began to put together my fondly remembered card sets. I ordered a large lot of Johnston Cookie cards from a very reputable dealer and when I anxiously opened the shipping carton, was immediately struck by the repulsive odor of the waxy PVC sheets the cards had been encased in for who knows how long. Of course, the cards too, although mostly in excellent condition otherwise, all reeked of the PVC stench. I thought of returning them to the dealer, but understood that he was an old timer in the hobby and quite likely had an olfactory disfunction, so did not notice the problem with his cards. So, the upshot of that experience was that I became very cautious about ordering cards and after receiving them stored them in high quality sleeves - mostly mylar - where they remain to this day, some fifty years later. I have never felt the need to use top loaders, as I wanted to be able to actually feel the cards when looking at them. But, I learned of another drawback to soft plastic when after a few years of storage, some of my sets had developed a noticeable curvature from being stored upright in their boxes. My solution to that was to make sure that the sets were all packed tightly enough so as not to lean even slightly in the box. As well, preferably stacked sidewise, instead of endwise to avoid bending in any direction.:)