Graded vs. Raw Rant.......

[JollyElm]

It's sort of the way cell phones became prominent. In the beginning, very few people had them and others couldn't care less, but then a sea change occurred and everyone on the planet now possesses one, and then gets a better one, and then upgrades that one and on and on. Graded cards used to be a fluke, and many thought it was a passing phase...but look at where we are now. That aspect of card collecting will continue to grow exponentially. That toothpaste is not only out of the tube, but it's been washed down the drain.

Harking back to the OP regarding newer cards, when I started having my own stuff graded through the group subs (all hail Bobby!!!), my cut-off year was 1972 or possibly 1973, with no thought of ever submitting anything newer, because the stuff was way too plentiful. These days? Now I'm looking to the end of the 1970's and even sent in a 1980 hockey card. Again, things have changed, and there's no going back.

But I still freakin' love the smell of old cardboard...

74. Auramatic
Having the pleasingly fragrant, musty old cardboard scent which returns you to the wonders of your card collecting childhood.

[raulus]

It's certainly an interesting philosophical debate.

I think the arguments largely break down into what you prefer, and what you can afford.

Unless you're under 20, you probably grew up with ungraded cards. So for many of us, there's an artistic and aesthetic preference for ungraded. Luckily, ungraded are typically much lower cost as well.

Some people, on the other hand, like the look and feel of the slabs. I'm certainly not going to dictate to anyone else how they should attempt to value art, so to each their own.

And for anyone who loves numbers, competing, and statistics, the grade has a way of attempting to boil all of the card's attributes into a single number. There's certainly plenty to suggest that the numbers assigned to any given card are less than objective, but at the same time it's an attempt to get there. And certainly for someone with means, it's an opportunity to then always be looking to upgrade. While there's an obvious level of competition between collectors, it's often just as much a question about competing against myself as I seek to continually improve my collection.

Does such an exercise merely result in self delusion and spending ungodly sums of money on dubious upgrades? Perhaps. Probably. Almost definitely. Guilty as charged.

[raulus]

Probably should've also mentioned that the PSA Set Registry also helps me to stay organized, keep track of what items I already have in each set, and then work to fill those gaps.

Naturally, there are other ways to track it, but PSA's approach is pretty handy and user friendly.

[gustomania]

Good point on the registry

While I don’t use it anymore, I do use the sports album and love the look I get with my PSA graded cards. This is where I struggle with raw and having a album like PSAs and showcasing them for my viewing pleasure. I’m sure their are other cool options but for me things like flicker just seem clunky and I have no desire to have cards there or anywhere like that.

[cubman1941]

[QUOTE=JollyElm;2251304]It's sort of the way cell phones became prominent. In the beginning, very few people had them and others couldn't care less, but then a sea change occurred and everyone on the planet now possesses one, and then gets a better one, and then upgrades that one and on and on. Graded cards used to be a fluke, and many thought it was a passing phase...but look at where we are now. That aspect of card collecting will continue to grow ..."


I used part of this quote because I tell people I am the only person on the planet who does not have a cell phone but back to OP -

I agree that Graded Cards are here to stay but I think it is a matter of whether or not one is collecting cards as a hobby, as an investment or a little of both. In my case it is a little of both. I am primarily a Cub collector and to that realm I view it as a hobby. I sent some of my vintage Cub cards in (thanks again to Bobby) for grading but I did this primarily to try and ensure the cards were legit. I will buy a graded card if I need it for my Cub collection and the price seems reasonable. I have a lot of non-Cub cards and, again thanks to Bobby, I sent some in to be graded. This is my investment side. I will probably never sell these cards but might trade them for Cub needs in the future but got them graded so when I am gone, my grandkids, when they sell them, will know (hopefully) they are good. I still love to open packs but haven't bought any since about 2004. My kids and grandkids buy me some packs to open every Christmas and I try to trade them. I have found the past few years trading these cards is almost impossible because people only want a PSA X or one of the stars of today that is PSA X. So my view point is that, in today's world, investment is the key and basic collecting just to collect is gone. I was in antiques for many years and got out because of this. People are no longer collecting, or, if they are, it is for a specific item. They are looking for investment possibilities. This is not a bad thing just the way the world has changed.

Graded cards are not perfect as seen in the past with trimmed, counterfeit and cards being graded with gracious grades that they do not deserve. I will stick with the raw cards. My 2 cents