Best card grades for the money

[jchcollins]

For my postwar vintage PC, I usually like to play from the 6 range down to as low as 1.5. We've all seen cards that look bad for the grade, and then the occasional 4 that looks like a 7, and on the other end of that scale - the 1.5 that looks at least VG.

The lower you go, the more variable range you can get in the "technical grade v. eye appeal" department, as I like to think of it. I list as high as 6, because at least with some older PSA slabs, many straight 6's are really 8 (OC)'s that the submitter didn't want a qualifier on. And they can be had for a fraction of the price of a straight 8. 7's and 8's in my experience (yes, I own a few) are great - but you generally get what you pay for in those grades. Those who pay for the grade / flip will shell out for an 8 in many cases that has worse color or something, worse eye appeal than some 6's. This doesn't pass the value sniff test to me.

As always, go for the cards that look wildly undergraded. They are there if you spend enough time looking. I have a '63 Clemente in a 4 that has pack fresh qualities. Under PSA's system a decade or more ago it would have been at least a 5; but it has one corner ding, the rest of the card is at least a nice 6, and the color is almost dripping fresh. No creases, no wrinkles, no other problems other than less than perfect centering, which doesn't bother me. I'll take that all day long for the price I paid for a PSA 4.

PS - I know dealers hate them and I get it, but I love the half grades. It's the grader's nod that, yes, that's a 5, but it's a really good looking 5. How many 5.5's look better than 6's? How many 4.5's look better than 5's? They are out there and sometimes dramatically less than the next half grade up. Remember, technical grading at it's core is NOT commenting on eye appeal. You can take advantage of the discrepancy between the two most in the middle of the scale, not usually at the high end. Sometimes more at the low end. If you care not about backs, I will be able to find you some fantastic looking PSA 1's.