#2.
Several years ago, I bought a set of '55 Bowman football cards that was made up of both raw and slabbed cards. I started buying "affordable" PSA 7's and 8's, and eventually got to the point where I wanted to have one nice set on the PSA Registry. It's in the top 20, but I'm not really interested in upgrading it. Similarly, I started collecting the '55 Armour coins and ended up pursuing a raw set and a graded set when I found a seller who seemed to have plenty of each and offered them at pretty good prices. My PSA set is in the top 10, and I am actively looking for the last coin (Mantle correct, L-R) and am willing to pay up if/when I find it. Also looking for a couple of coins for the raw set. I'm tempted to liberate one of my slabbed Mantle L or R's from its slab to add to my raw set, but I suspect it's more saleable in its PSA 6 slab.
I've never sent a card in to a TPG, though I own many. I find that when I am working on older sets (for me, 1930's - 1950's), I often find nice looking, reasonably priced, slabbed cards for sale that - I assume - people were disappointed in when they sent them in for grading, or that they've upgraded. I also find that it's increasingly difficult to find a really nice star card from this era that isn't slabbed.
For me, sets that are mixed (raw and slabbed) are hard to store, display and enjoy. I've got sets in storage boxes that are about 2/3 in Card Saver 1's and 1/3 in PSA and SGC slabs (mixed). I'm happy with the cards, and I loved putting the sets together, but I rarely take them out to look at them. I found that I could put a slabbed '36 Wheaties Gehrig Series 4 in a single-pocket page and keep it in the same binder with the other cards in the set, all of which are raw except the Gehrig. Does anyone display/store mixed sets in 4-pocket pages?
I see I've wandered from the topic -- gone from the PSA Registry to the reality of collecting in a world where the TPG's have such influence. I'll shut up.
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