Donnie, I think it really depends on the individual collector. Some people want to be able to hold their cards--all of them--or put them in neat little stacks. Some want all their cards graded by the same company for uniformity of presentation. I guess my answer would be that you'll find out what you prefer as you go. Remember, any card you get you can always sell. You might change your mind on how you want to collect the set after you've been doing it a while. I started out wanting to do the entire set in a SGC 40, as I'd seen a few other forum members doing it. But I discovered I like my cards to be a little cleaner. Instead of a SGC 40, which equates to a PSA 3, I am working on getting PSA 4 or 5, or their SGC equivalent. Now, it will take me longer to finish the set because the card cost will obviously go up substantially, but hey, I'm in no rush to finish. The chase is as much fun as getting the cards. 
I love being able to hold these cards. There's nothing like feeling a 100 year old card. The texture of the card as it has evolved over the century since it came off the press. The little wrinkles, corner wear, the little dings in the edges. They all tell a story. It's only somewhat recently that people have started obsessing over card condition (I guess you could say the hobby started becoming more condition-centric with the introduction of PSA and ASA). But while I love holding the cards, there's not a chance I'm going to hold an $800-1,000 card in my bare hands. One of my more expensive cards is a modern one, a 2009 Bowman Chrome Mike Trout base auto. I've scanned it a few times in the last month, and even ungraded it's been going for $800 +. Graded 9.5 it's been at $1,200. I get super nervous whenever it's out of its one touch magnet case. And if my Walter Johnson T206 (my first really valuable pre-ward card) were not slabbed, I'd be a nervous wreck handling it. So having it slabbed is the way to go. And now that I have my safe deposit box, that's where it will be going.
You can sit down and plan out how you're going to put together your collection, but don't be surprised if your plan changes once you've started getting some cards in. That's a good thing! Don't be worried about that. Some things you just can't know about until you've actually done it. If you ever do decide to do somewhat of an about face, go for it. And if you have questions, or just want some feedback, ask us!
Remember, even the most seasoned card collector on this forum, whomever that might be...they were in the same position you are now once.
Have fun, learn as much as you can about the set you're collecting (heck, learn about all the pre-war releases if you want to have a diverse collection). There are no rules. Your collection will be unique. And I for one look forward to seeing your collection grow!
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Originally Posted by Mountaineer1999
I was going to ask that question Bill.... what does everyone prefer, the slabbed cards or the raw cards that you can feel? Some of the same wonderment rushed though my head when I held the raw LUMLEY. Where had this little creased card traveled these last 100 years. Who was the first owner...
I have ordered a few slabbed cards and a couple more raw ones so I'll know this week which I like best but would love to hear others opinions.
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Building these sets: T206, 1953 Bowman Color, 1975 Topps.
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