What are your card must haves?

[ajjohnsonsoxfan]

A great aspect of the hobby are collector's varying attractions to a card's make-up. For me it's (in order of importance)

1. Centering
2. Registration (clarity of image, lack of print defect)
3. Corners
4. Stains
5. Paper integrity (chipping, rough edges)

Would be curious to hear opinions of others here and Add a card that typifies your choices!

Here's mine:

[cincyredlegs]

Hey AJ. Good topic. Mine would be:

Centering
Corners
Registration
Staining
Paper Loss (back)

Centering use to be down the list but in the last 5 years, it has went to the top.

[DeanH3]

My list would look just like yours AJ. centering is A1 for me.

[SMPEP]

Mine would be - do I have it or not?

If I don't already have it - who the hell cares what it looks like?

I think all of the people who worry about the condition are certifiably insane. You show me a PSA 10 and I'll show you a card that has been doctored. You show me a PSA 1 and I'll show you a card that has lived a good life and that was well loved.

Fortunately for me, the majority of card collectors care more about shallow appearances than actual substance. Of course living in LA - on a daily basis I see that this last statement applies to a whole lot more people than just card collectors! ;-)

[OsFan]

If the card doesn't have sharp corners I'm not really interested.

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by SMPEP

Mine would be - do I have it or not?

If I don't already have it - who the hell cares what it looks like?

I think all of the people who worry about the condition are certifiably insane. You show me a PSA 10 and I'll show you a card that has been doctored. You show me a PSA 1 and I'll show you a card that has lived a good life and that was well loved.

Fortunately for me, the majority of card collectors care more about shallow appearances than actual substance. Of course living in LA - on a daily basis I see that this last statement applies to a whole lot more people than just card collectors! ;-)

^^+1^^ If the card is mostly there with no paper loss on the players face and/or a huge crease through the players face I like it.

[gawaintheknight]

My approach is: is this a problem the card had when it came out of the pack? If so, I don't care so much. So gum stains, centering, print marks, etc., not usually a big deal. Creases, stains, writing, rips, etc., more of a problem.

[x2drich2000]

Originally Posted by SMPEP

Mine would be - do I have it or not?

If I don't already have it - who the hell cares what it looks like?

I think all of the people who worry about the condition are certifiably insane. You show me a PSA 10 and I'll show you a card that has been doctored. You show me a PSA 1 and I'll show you a card that has lived a good life and that was well loved.

Fortunately for me, the majority of card collectors care more about shallow appearances than actual substance. Of course living in LA - on a daily basis I see that this last statement applies to a whole lot more people than just card collectors! ;-)

+1 For a lot of the stuff I've been into lately, I'm just happy to find an example. And if it is burned, has holes, or is almost torn in half, I'll still take it.

And since everyone loves pics...

[JollyElm]

I'm sure there is a huge difference in the level of concern with regards to centering and corners based on whether you focus on pre-war or post-war cards. Since I collect the latter (and they are 'easier' to find), I look for sharp corners first, while centering (as well as other things) is less important. If I collected the older stuff, I'm sure the sharpness of the corners would drop down on my requirements list, simply because it would be much harder to find the cards I want, so I couldn't afford to be too picky.

[brianp-beme]

I like my cards well centered and with sharp corners, like my Diamond Stars Hornsby. Sometimes I am willing to accept minor defects like my Goudey Ruth.

But seriously, my lower condition collecting no-no has been damage or heavy crease through the player's face.

Brian

[irv]

Originally Posted by gawaintheknight

My approach is: is this a problem the card had when it came out of the pack? If so, I don't care so much. So gum stains, centering, print marks, etc., not usually a big deal. Creases, stains, writing, rips, etc., more of a problem.

I am mostly the same way, although lately, I try my best to pick up centered cards as much as possible.
I wasn't always this way, but from reading here, over and over again, about centered cards, I have now been converted.

I think paper loss should be ignored.

I read all the time on E-Bay, if it wasn't for the paper loss, or the creasing, or the writing, this card would be mint.

No sh*t, Sherlock.

[deeg23]

1. Centering
2. Centering
3. Centering
4. Corners
5. Edges

The first thing I always look at is centering! It does depend on the issue, as centering is tough for some, but typically, I'm moving on if it isn't centered 😊

[clydepepper]

for graded cards: EX and above...with no qualifiers.

for raw cards: EX-MT



.

[SMPEP]

Now that Hornsby is a PSA 10!!!!

That's a great card (also loved the Lelivelt - very cool card!).

[PSACJ]

AJ,

First of all, that is a tremendous PSA 4 Mantle Buddy.
Here is the way that I prefer my cards when collecting them.

1- Corners
2- Centering
3- No Paper Loss
4- Eye Appeal
5- Edges

Originally Posted by gawaintheknight

My approach is: is this a problem the card had when it came out of the pack? If so, I don't care so much. So gum stains, centering, print marks, etc., not usually a big deal. Creases, stains, writing, rips, etc., more of a problem.

I'm the same way. Of course I prefer a nicely centered card, but I'd take all the other factors that are condition related (strong corners, absence of creases, etc.) over a better centered copy with condition issues. Centering seems to the biggest factor in paying a premium for most cards, so I'm happy paying less for cards that display 70/30 centering just like the day they were cut. A tad of paperloss doesnt really bother me either, especially on 19th/early 20th century issues.

[ajquigs]

It's interesting reading the responses.
For me, I guess I care about things that are distractions.
I'm fine with cards that carry evidence of the fact that the original owner was a little kid 50, 70, or 100 years ago. In fact, I kind of like "honest wear" - along with the discount it brings.
So, generally I need centering to be decent and have no creases or wear that detract much from the image - particularly important if it touches the image of the player. Corners can be a bit rounded and the borders can be a little discolored - particularly okay if it's uniform around the card.
Here's a decent sense of my taste in pre-war.

[jbl79]

Originally Posted by ajjohnsonsoxfan

A great aspect of the hobby are collector's varying attractions to a card's make-up. For me it's (in order of importance)

1. Centering
2. Registration (clarity of image, lack of print defect)
3. Corners
4. Stains
5. Paper integrity (chipping, rough edges)

Would be curious to hear opinions of others here and Add a card that typifies your choices!

Here's mine:

Amazing 51B Mantle AJ! Higher graded ones can't beat the eye appeal, registration, and centering on that Mick!

I always try to look for cards that are centered, have great eye appeal, and a sharp clean image. I can live with slightly rounded corners since I generally buy low grade anyways. I don't mind minor paper loss on the back if the front has all those attributes. I certainly didn't mind it on the T206 Cobb

[tothrk]

Jerry, those are two nice cards.

[darwinbulldog]

Really depends on the card. Some of what I collect is plentiful modern stuff, so for that I'll just try to find a raw one on eBay that looks NM+ and if there's anything noticeably off I'll pass. Some of what I collect is unique or very nearly so, so the condition is irrelevant. (Can't find a better example if there's only one example.) For the moderately tough pre-war cards - like, say, a Kotton, it's probably like this.

1. No heavy creases
2. No paper loss
3. Player's image uninterrupted by stains or print defects
4. Clean back
5. No "poor" corners or edges
6. Centering I guess

[Rich Klein]

I'm not kidding -- I love Hobby related sports cards -- this one I'll never get

A little context - she used to be the Beckett on-line editor and I really do collect hobby people related card -- and have one of my own

There is also a Mike Jaspersen (son of Bob) in the same Allen and Ginter set and I could use one of those as well

[mechanicalman]

I'm not sure if it's a small bit of OCD, but I crave symmetry in my life, and that translates to an obsession with centering when it comes to cards (almost to a fault, at times.) After centering, I seek color/clarity. I can live with "corner touches" as I believe a 100+ year old card should have corners that look more loved than my 89 Upper Decks. I have learned to be OK with small creases that don't diminish the overall appeal. Bad backs don't distract me at all if the fronts are beautiful.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by DeanH3

My list would look just like yours AJ. centering is A1 for me.

It looks like a lot of us think the same way. Me too...except for Football Cy he hasn't been shown too recently...

[DeanH3]

Originally Posted by Leon

It looks like a lot of us think the same way. Me too...except for Football Cy he hasn't been shown too recently...

Great minds think a like!!

Sam - Spectacular cards. Love em!!

Here's one I stare at almost everyday.

[ajjohnsonsoxfan]

Damn I've been looking for a Bat On Cobb just like this one! Dean great looking card!

[MVSNYC]

Sam, beautiful cards.

For me...

1. Registration (clarity of image, lack of print defects)
2. Centering
3. Stains
4. Paper integrity (chipping, rough edges)
5. Corners

(Also, with my T206's, it's very important to me, to have bold/dark ink on the backs)

[DeanH3]

Originally Posted by ajjohnsonsoxfan

Damn I've been looking for a Bat On Cobb just like this one! Dean great looking card!

Thank you AJ!