What Percentage of Vintage Cards Have Been Graded?

[OldOriole]

I'm curious as to folks input on this. I know when I frequented this board regularly 10-12 year ago many people would talk about the 'old school' collectors and the fact that many of the largest collections were composed of entirely raw cards.

As time has passed, I'm sure the percentage had gone up...but how much?

I'm also sure the percentage varies with set. For example, I imagine a much higher percentage of low condition cards from the 19th century have been graded than, say, T207's.

What do you think the percentage is for old judges? For T206's? etc.

Thanks, Dave

[egbeachley]

I'm guessing 20%

[Snapolit1]

Depends on the card. Probably a lot of Goudeys lying in shoe boxes. And Cracker Jacks. Doubt a whole lot of Ruth or Gehrig early cards are still lying around and not entombed.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by egbeachley

I'm guessing 20%

If we including all grades, I would guess far less than that, but I have no idea.

[philliesphan]

Also depends a lot on the issue.

If we're talking about Zeenuts, I'd say less than 5%

The number would be higher for T206s and Cracker Jacks, lower for Old Judges.

[Snapolit1]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

If we including all grades, I would guess far less than that, but I have no idea.

Yeah, if the question is how many grade 8s and 9s are lying around as bookmarks or in attics (naturally, what other room could they be in?). . . I'd say very few. The CJs for example are 100 years old now. That's a lot of time to be lying around. Possibly still "deserving or attention"? Sure. But unlikely to find "one of the better pasteboards extant" I would think.

[swarmee]

If you're talking pre-1930s baseball only, I would say 10% or less.
Once you add in the 30s, 40s, and 50s, it would drop even further (since your title referred to "vintage").
I'd say 10-20% still not discovered or buried in cellars and attics, awaiting their day in the sun.
Plus the vast majority of pre-1930 cards are in such bad shape (torn/cut/creased) that it's not worth grading them.

[JollyElm]

I honestly believe people always overestimate the number/percentage of cards graded. It doesn't apply so much to the pre-war side, but take me and the friends I grew up with in the 70's-80's, for example. Until right now, through Bobby's group submission, I have never had a single one of my cards graded even though I have many, many thousands of them. And not a single friend of mine has ever had anything graded either. Most still have their cards in shoeboxes and what not in the attic, basically forgotten about. So the percentage of cards graded for us is less than 1%.

My feeling is that there are untold numbers of pre-war cards still hidden away in people's homes. I believe 'regular' people, for the most part, wouldn't automatically look for a grading company when they find grandpa's stuff. Of course, with the internet being what it is these days, making information so readily available, I would definitely conclude that more and more of these same people are realizing that they need to have their cards graded. So the number of cards being graded is surely on a huge upward climb.

[buymycards]

Don't forget about the people like me who remove their prewar cards from their slabs. Some of my cards are graded, mostly SGC's. Most of the PSA and Beckett slabs are opened and the raw cards stay in my collection.