Am I misunderstanding?

[iwantitiwinit]

Don't buy raw cards.

[BruceinGa]

Originally Posted by iwantitiwinit

Don't buy raw cards.

+1

[wdwfan]

I don't deal with the whole 'graded' thing and will only buy raw. Unless of course, it's a big name RC like Clemente or Koufax or something. I might consider buying raw then. But otherwise, it's raw for me.

Never bought graded, never sold graded. Don't want anything to do with graded.

Originally Posted by iwantitiwinit

Don't buy raw cards.

[ls7plus]

Originally Posted by wdwfan

I don't deal with the whole 'graded' thing and will only buy raw. Unless of course, it's a big name RC like Clemente or Koufax or something. I might consider buying raw then. But otherwise, it's raw for me.

Never bought graded, never sold graded. Don't want anything to do with graded.

Unless you have the opportunity to examine raw cards in person and a loupe to carefully examine the cards, especially the edges (scrupulously avoiding those with razor sharp edges or corners pinched at the top, indicating the card has been put through a paper mill/press, enlarged and then cut back to size with corner defects removed to simulate a NrMt or better appearance), buying raw cards, notably expensive ones, is indeed a practice to be avoided, especially if the card's retention or appreciation of value means anything to you. The card doctors are still out there, even with graded cards (I recently saw a 1907 Wolverine News Ty Cobb rookie--with significant surface markings to establish there was no doubt whatsoever that it was the same card-- go from SGC poor to SGC Ex when someone was able to remove some light writing from the low end of the card without SGC detecting it), but buying graded does offer some significant assurance of authenticity and thus acceptance in the marketplace.

Just some words to the wise,

Larry

[savedfrommyspokes]

Originally Posted by iwantitiwinit

Don't buy raw cards.

Between a quarter to a third of the PSA 5 and 6 52 Topps cards I possess have some sort of small crease, albeit "just" a wrinkle.

I get when buying raw lots singles on ebay that even the most reputable sellers may miss one small crease or wrinkle out of a large number of cards. It happens.

But what I do not understand are how some of these ebay sellers can continue to sell raw EX cards which consistently have small creases/wrinkles and not get dinged via feedback and lose business......unless now a days most buyers simply just accept EX as the new VG-EX.

I have bought a fair number of raw lots advertised as "EX or better" and "crease free" only to receive a lot where the majority of cards come with small creases/wrinkles. Typically the seller in a case like this gets defensive, makes some excuses and says in so many words "tough". My next response is will you be providing the return label or is ebay. I can never seem to decide if describing a crease riddled lot/single card as EX is just the seller being oblivious or it is intentional.


End rant.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by iwantitiwinit

Don't buy raw cards.

LOL....Ex cards shouldn't have a crease.

[rhettyeakley]

Originally Posted by iwantitiwinit

Don't buy raw cards.

Good luck with this, my collection wouldn't be 1/100th what it is today if I lived by these words.

You have gotten some good advice here. The one thing I would add is to just simply point out that (in regards to Pre-WW2 cards) EX is actually a pretty high grade.

I personally tend to think of an 5 (EX) pre-war card the same way I think of a 7 to 7.5 (NM to NM+) post-war vintage card. It in many cases is about as nice of a card as one can possibly expect to find for some issues-- even more true when you take out the Goudey, Play Ball and a few other sets that have survived in better condition than the norm for the era.

[Touch'EmAll]

Have fun with the raw cards, if you like. However, life as we know it today in this hobby often deals with graded cards. Anything you might call close to "investment" type, you might want to consider purchasing graded. Its no fun to pony up for a nice raw card, then someday later realize its not quite what you thought.

[Stampsfan]

A card with a crease just isn't very Excellent...