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Posted By: doug

While I dont think there are very many true collectors who collect "exclusively" PSA 8 or better sportscards, there are obviously thousands of collectors who collect sportscards and when affordable would prefer to have a card graded PSA 8 or better (who wouldnt want a mint condition cracker jack cobb over a poor condition one?). Collecting only PSA 8 or better would severely limit a collectors choice of cards to collect only the 1950s sets and later because of rarity and price of PSA 8 cards. Condition is very important in card collecting for the vast majority of collectors but my budget limits me and many other collectors to pick and choose whether I buy a PSA 8 1933 Goudey or a handful of lesser condition Goudeys. Sure Id rather have all my cards in mint condition but many of the cards dont exist in PSA 8 or better or if they do they are too expensive. For example, my budget allows me to work on a 1954 Bowman set in PSA 7 or better and I prefer PSA 8 cards in that set, but Ill buy 7s if they are nice and if the price discrepancy between a PSA 7 and a PSa 8 of a card seems out of whack because of the "population report" I will gladly buy the PSA 7 if it is a good looking near mint card. However, I am working on some caramel sets and t card sets and my budget wont allow me to limit myself to PSA 8s so I will buy PSA 5s and above. I collect all types of cards and condition does matter but its not always the driving factor, condition is less important if a card is scarce or if a card is super expensive in high grade condition. You only have to look at the sale price of the most famous card in our hobby, the Wagner. Condition is less important as the rarity of the card goes up. Many collectors and investors who wouldnt normally buy a poor beat up condition card, will pay 100k for a poor condition Wagner. Same would be true if the 1952 Mantle were rare. As rarity goes up, collectors become less concerned about condition. Most of the 1950s sets can be found in PSA 8 or better and thus you have collectors with deep pockets who are able to limit themselves to PSA 8 or better in those sets.

Ive read posts by collectors who say that condition doesnt matter to them but they are in the minority and Im not sure I believe them all the time. If money were no object of course someone would rather have a mint condition Black bordered Mayo card then some beater creased and looking like it went through the washing machine. Who would want to open up a pack of 2007 topps and find that the card of their favorite player was creased? Condition is very important and drives prices in any collectible industry. Someone may enjoy their colletion of poor condition cards just as much or more as the guy with mint condition collection of cards and thats great, but the mint condition cards will always be worth more and sought after by more collectors if affordable.