Changing collecting habits or thinking about getting out altogether?

[jchcollins]

Compared to most on this board, I would imagine I'm pretty small-time, and mostly postwar. The cards I do have slabbed (only a couple dozen probably) are mostly PSA 3 - 6 range cards for 1950's and 60's - and I have serious doubts that anything was trimmed or otherwise altered. If so, I'll just say that someone has way too much time on their hands for cards that are generally considered to be worth somewhere between $50 and $500 apiece on the open market.

I plan to continue to plug along, mainly because for me it's more about the history of the game and nostalgia evoked by the cards than it is condition, but I can tell you that I will certainly give more consideration to raw and SGC graded cards now above PSA as a first choice. I do still like the idea of buying some form of graded off of eBay to ensure that an "EX" card doesn't have a big fat hidden crease, but if you buy from reputable sources with good return policies, I think raw is again an option as well.