[nolemmings]

Originally Posted by Bliggity

Unlike most other prewar cards where the highest-quality examples are already in TPG holders, 99% of the highest-quality examples of M101-2s are in raw collections, along with tons of examples that would probably grade in the 2-4 range. Whoever is buying these either has no knowledge or understanding of the series, or is a registry addict, or both. As BobC mentioned, if the people holding the 99% of the nice raw M101-2s start grading them, the people who are paying $12K for a PSA 1 Jackson and $10K for a PSA 1 Wagner are going to be hurting.

Agreed. I don't even understand the registry addict element either, unless the object is to just have a set registered regardless of grade. Presumably any m101-2 premium submitted will garner at least a PSA 1 so long as it is intact and not colored. I always thought that registry geeks picked up 1's only as fillers, and usually when the subject was so scarce that you buy when you can and hope to upgrade. These are simply not that scarce.

The whole thing just looks like another PSA boondoggle--although I'm sure they will keep laughing all the way to the bank. They are just now grading these and have not set realistic standards--perhaps not any known standards. As registry addicts toss hundreds/thousands of dollars in grading fees to slab these premiums, there will be the usual battles over less attractive examples that somehow find their way into a PSA 5 or 6 holder commanding large dollars while many PSA 1s look no different to the eye, and then "experts" will grapple with explaining why the "technical grade" is so disparate.

And so it goes. Just another pecker-measuring contest in the works.

Here's one of my favorites-- the light swirls in the sky to the left of his head are found on all Bresnahans, who was the first premium issued in the m101-2 set: