Buying cards raw or graded

[Fred]

Do you collect only graded or raw cards?

Kind of hard to believe anybody is in either camp, 100% these days.

What percentage of cards do you purchase raw/graded?

How comfortable are you buying raw cards? I'm comfortable with it, especially when in person. On my part, there is a little hesitancy to purchase raw on line.

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by Fred

Do you collect only graded or raw cards?

Kind of hard to believe anybody is in either camp, 100% these days.

What percentage of cards do you purchase raw/graded?

How comfortable are you buying raw cards? I'm comfortable with it, especially when in person. On my part, there is a little hesitancy to purchase raw on line.

99.99% of my cards are ungraded. That .01% are oddball slabs. Pretty much if I am getting something graded it is to sell.

I don't think percentage wise there is any difference between graded and ungraded cards being altered. Just very few care once they are in a slab.

[G1911]

Everything outside my trade bait box is raw.

A significant number of my purchases are graded cards (50% or so of those over $100), because so many people grade everything. I pay a small percentage less for a graded card than I do the same card raw. It’s then cracked out and the slip thrown in the garbage.

[bmattioli]

Total Raw and no card store case..

[butchie_t]

99% ungraded and maybe 1% graded.

If the price is right I will by graded and set them free to roam wildly raw and unencumbered.

Butch

[perezfan]

95% raw / 5% graded. I have bought a few "already graded" cards just because they were nicer or cost less than their comparable raw counterparts at the time.

[raulus]

I'm a total set registry bootlick. So almost everything I own is graded.

Usually the only time I buy raw is if it's impossible to find graded, and I need it to fill a hole in one of my sets. And then I immediately turn around and get it graded.

I suppose there is one exception to the rule - stuff that the graders won't grade, either because it's too big, or because they don't recognize it yet. So I probably have one or two score of ungraded pieces. But it's definitely in the minority.

[garymc]

I love my cards raw and in albums......