Blunders and Wonders in Collecting

[ajquigs]

Biggest blunder is willfully ignoring the value difference between PSA and SGC. Even though I knew better, I was able to justify some good sized SGC BIN purchases based on the market for PSAs in the same grade. I'm happy with the SGCs I have in my collection and it doesn't keep me up at night, but there were a couple of definite overpays (20% or more). I still like buying SGCs, but I'm more rational about it now.

Wonders are limited. I had some good luck pulling singles from sets that I had since I was a kid ... a 1978 Murray rookie (PSA 8.5) and a 1979 Rose (PSA 9) each sold in the $150 range. Those plus some PSA 9 Ripken and PSA 8 Rickey rookies gave me a chance to have some fun on COMC picking up ungraded 50's and 60's cards that I like way more than the cards I sold. Backfilling the sets with a decent looking card cost only a few bucks each, so I was happy with that deal all the way around.