What is the most valuable vintage sportscard collection worth

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Posted By: Al Crisafulli

Yep. I do. I also like raw.

I can see a value in doing a graded set, and I can see a value in keeping a set raw. I have both.

There are, in my opinion, a few primary reasons why people who have sets graded with PSA choose to keep them that way:

1) They like them, OR
2) They think that the PSA slab makes the card more liquid, OR
3) They appreciate the third-party condition assessment, and want to stick with the market leader, OR
4) They realize that if they crossed their PSA sets, a large portion of the grades would drop and they would be out a lot of money.

At the same time, there are, in my opinion, a few primary reasons why people who HATE grading prefer to keep their sets raw:

1) They like them OR
2) They think that the slab takes all the fun and passion out of the hobby, and turns a great hobby into a commodities exchange, OR
3) The fact that a "3" can have sharp corners and a clean surface, and another "3" can look like it got hit by a truck is awfully frustrating OR
4) They realize that if they put their cards in holders, many of their "Near Mint" cards would find themselves in EX holders, and they would be out a lot of money.

Personally, I could not care less who has the most valuable collection, and I even regret making my prior post about the SGC guy. The reality is that it really doesn't matter - I learned a long time ago that there's always someone out there who is richer, bigger, stronger, faster, better. Rather than looking around, I prefer to look forward.

For the record, I have seen Jim Crandell's card collection. It is assembled and displayed with a passion and a love for the hobby that is matched by very few people that I've run across in the hobby. There are items in it that would shock you if you heard what they were, and I think those items speak volumes about his love for this hobby - but Jim's collection is Jim's business, and it's not my place to discuss it here or anywhere else. However, I will beg to differ with anyone who insinuates that Jim is not as passionate about collecting as anyone else, and I will be right.

At the same time, I have seen many others who collect pre-war beaters - or modern ones, for that matter - who know as much and care as much about the hobby as anyone. Regardless of what anyone says, there are tons of high-grade raw cards out there, and raw collections sell for top dollar all the time. In terms of the liquidity of the rare prewar stuff, all you had to do was take a look at Tik & Tik or Scott Brockelman's tables in Chicago to see exactly how strong the market is for that type of stuff.

What this discussion ALWAYS comes down to, in my opinion, is the part of human nature that causes people to think that THEIR way is the RIGHT way. It is so strong in this hobby that it creates enemies of people, it gets people kicked off message boards, and it causes arguments that will never, ever end.

Ask Charlie Merkel and Keith Olbermann which of their collections are more valuable. I'll bet that both of them have the same response: "Who cares?"

-Al