New to the Forum and Vintage - any advice?

[ALR-bishop]

"It takes a big man to crack a card from it's holder, and it takes a bigger man to laugh at that guy"

I don't think Jack Handy ever said this, but it is the kind of thing he might have said....if he had ever thought about it.

Doug has a bumper sticker "All Cards Deserve Their Freedom" And, I don't know who posted under my name in that thread

[rauchand]

I'm going to stick with PSA graded. I just don't trust sellers on Ebay. Picked up the Mantle 67 last night PSA 7. Still going after the Aaron, Mays, Maris, Kaline, and Rose. Then I'll move onto the next set.

[Brianruns10]

Originally Posted by rauchand

I'm going to stick with PSA graded. I just don't trust sellers on Ebay. Picked up the Mantle 67 last night PSA 7. Still going after the Aaron, Mays, Maris, Kaline, and Rose. Then I'll move onto the next set.

I agree. While I buy the card, not the plastic, it is far too difficult to safely judge a raw card on an ebay auction, especially if it's a star card. But dealers in quality vintage are tough to come by in my area, and quality shows are few, or far away, so ebay is really my best, and often only source for vintage stock. PSA is insurance for me.

Apart from that, I'm all about centering and eye appeal, and honestly, if i was offered a choice between an off center PSA 8 and a centered PSA 6, each for the same price, I'd take the PSA 6 in a heartbeat.

[ALR-bishop]

If you check out some of the threads on pre war ( for instance the current Fake Packs thread), you may find that putting your trust in PSA, or any grading company, does not eliminate your risk

[Brianruns10]

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

If check out some of the threads on pre war ( for instance the current Fake Packs thread), you may find that putting your trust in PSA, or any grading company, does not eliminate your risk

No, but what it comes down to is common sense. For my '52 Topps set, if we're talking common cards, I think it's pretty safe bet. I haven't seen a fake common yet...too much trouble, not enough return on the money.

Now if we're talking a major card, that's a little different, and in those cases, I still like to buy PSA, but I buy from sellers I trust....Heritage Auctions, Memory Lane, ebay sellers like Probstein and Texasholdem.

If I see a card I like, but it's being sold by a guy with no experience in vintage, or who deals only in new junk and NASCAR, I avoid like the plague. Those are the guys who get scammed into buying faked slabbed '52 Mantles, then try to pawn them off on unscrupulous ebayers.

[MattyC]

Hi,

From your post, I would imagine our collecting interests have some overlap (most of my cards are viewable in my sigline).

As many have said: first and foremost, buy what you like. This will assure happiness, which is what a collection is supposed to give you.

Beyond that, patience is critical to making wise purchases and finding specimens at the high end of their assigned grade. As the old axion goes: buy the card, not the holder.

Be sure to scrutinize scans and in effect grade the graders, by choosing which cards you go after. Not all cards within the same grade level are equal, and a TPG label has been known to blind a man.

With rare exception, another example of a card always pops up; this is almost certain with Post War.

If anything about the card irks you, simply pass; guaranteed over time you will find the one that pleases you in every way, including price.

Sidenote: I suppose this last bit above can also be said of women.

Back to cards: it is also helpful to browse one grade below the grade you are after-- there is nothing like finding a card in a GRADE X-1 holder that deserves to be in a GRADE X holder. Such an undergraded card represents real value, and if you ever want to sell it could even bump.

Best of luck!

One other thing I can almost assure you of: just as now you are selling some modern to move into post-war vintage, a few years from now you'll probably part with a big chunk of your 50s-70s to move into PreWar. Trust me, it happens.

All roads lead to Ruth.