Grading Alternatives - Frustration

[irv]

Originally Posted by cardsagain74

My "can't live with them, can't live without them issue" revolves a lot more around having your best cards slabbed in something sturdier than a top loader (especially for '52 to '56 Topps, since the top loaders won't work well with those if you also use a penny sleeve, screwdown holders aren't a very good idea, and one touches don't fit them).

It makes me feel like the only way to put my cadillac cards away safely enough for the long term is to get them graded. I REALLY wish there was a convenient way to slab like the big 3 graders do (on your own)

I'm in the same boat!

I've debated now for 3 yrs about getting my "Cadillac" 52 Topps cards graded but just can't pull the trigger due to a variety of reasons.

Currently, all mine reside in Vintage card sleeves and vintage card top loaders, which, as you may not know, work great for 52 Topps cards. (Ultra Pro 2 5/8 x 3 3/4)

Those are all I buy and use now. I put everything into them, including smaller cards. Just easier that way, imo.

[cardsagain74]

Originally Posted by irv

Currently, all mine reside in Vintage card sleeves and vintage card top loaders, which, as you may not know, work great for 52 Topps cards. (Ultra Pro 2 5/8 x 3 3/4)

I use the slightly larger ultra pro sleeves (something like 2 3/4 x 3 15/16) for '52 through '56 Topps since I don't like the entire upper edge protruding out of anything. But those don't fit right in top loaders.

So I've resorted to using card savers w/ that size penny sleeve for those years, and top loaders/standard sleeves for '57 and newer. Still not the end solution I want at all, especially for the bigger cards.

[G1911]

When I was using holders for my cards, I used the larger 52-56 size penny sleeves from UltraPro with the larger size CardSaver II's for those years. Standard size penny sleeve + top loader for 1957-on and the smaller-size Bowman issues. I was never happy with the options I found for 1948-1952 Bowman's, as a standard sleeve and top loader are way too big, and the smaller options are/were for tobacco size cards.


My cards are low grade (don't have to worry about investments, dropping a card, or card doctoring scandals that way), so I gave up on managing the holders and now they all sit raw in shoeboxes.