REA Winnings..... And losings.

[RGold]

Originally Posted by MattyC

Ten year old prices can sure be fun to look at. When it comes to 2014 prices, though, they really aren't too helpful. I suppose bread was much cheaper ten years ago than it is today; if I refuse to buy bread today though, I might wind up starving

I was the winner of that Mantle you referenced. For me, it's really not about the sticker grade with certain cards; I believe that with some cards you can throw the numerical grade out the window; I believe that rarity in terms of eye appeal completely trumps technical assessments based on arbitrarily written grading guidelines.

I can see how viewing pricing through the prism of grades and VCP grids can make one wonder how a card with a lower grade can command far more than a higher grade. The key to processing those seemingly anomalous data points is to put focus on the cards themselves and not the holders and grades. With 1952 Mantles, a study of all past sales bears out that perfect centering and a clean blue background is much rarer than a corner that merits a grade of 6 or 7. And if one is seeking such a centered and clean-surfaced example, precious few come up for sale-- hence the competition for it and the price.

The REA example was quite nice; exhibits the usual tilt but very bright and clean in other respects. I trust the owner is very happy

Oops. Sorry. If you're happy, I'm happy for you. Glad to see it was a bonafide sale. And, not one of those cards where the buyer was someone that was "guaranteed" a bump in grade. Enjoy it.