Is it still possible to build a pre-war collection while avoiding TPGs altogether?

[glynparson]

They were slabbing cards and putting in packs back around 2000. You are late to the game sir. I also do not see PSA as price manipulation, shilling yes, simply slab bing not even close. Psa advertising crazy prices for their cards is just good business, after all that's what they are a business. To answer the original question it depends, not if you want certain cards or issues but if you just wanted nicer raw and were not overly focused yes you could still build a decent raw collection. I do feel there would be more altered cards in the average nice raw card collection than would be in holders. I know I have seen collections of many people over the years that ripped grading. All too frequently there collections were not as high end as they thought and very often had a number of trimmed or worse cards in the collection.

[Centauri]

I recently switched from coins to cardboard after not touching baseball cards for 15 years or so. Grading is essential in the coin hobby because counterfeiting and alterations are prevalent. Certain coins like a bust dollar will have 10 fakes for every real one. Old baseball cards are also easy enough to fake.

At least out here in Utah, there really is no way to build a quality prewar collection without buying on-line - and that makes the slab a necessity. You can't hold the card in your hand, and difficult to judge just from a photo. If you really don't like it, buy the card and remove from the holder.

[h2oya311]

The other grading company mentioned in the article, ASA, was run by Alan Hager, who was known for slabbing his own cards.

While I don't think this is still an issue, with respect to PSA, other conflicts of interest definitely still persist. Simply look at the thread related to Small Traditions or any number of other threads on the topic.

Here's my sole ASA graded card example, which, although overgraded, is 100% authentic!! You certainly don't see many ASA holders out there any more!!

[MattyC]

You don't see many Joe D Batting Pose Zeenuts around either-- awesome card!

[Bosox Blair]

Originally Posted by glynparson

I do feel there would be more altered cards in the average nice raw card collection than would be in holders. I know I have seen collections of many people over the years that ripped grading. All too frequently there collections were not as high end as they thought and very often had a number of trimmed or worse cards in the collection.

Absolutely +1.

Cheers,
Blair

[ls7plus]

Originally Posted by glynparson

They were slabbing cards and putting in packs back around 2000. You are late to the game sir. I also do not see PSA as price manipulation, shilling yes, simply slab bing not even close. Psa advertising crazy prices for their cards is just good business, after all that's what they are a business. To answer the original question it depends, not if you want certain cards or issues but if you just wanted nicer raw and were not overly focused yes you could still build a decent raw collection. I do feel there would be more altered cards in the average nice raw card collection than would be in holders. I know I have seen collections of many people over the years that ripped grading. All too frequently there collections were not as high end as they thought and very often had a number of trimmed or worse cards in the collection.

This is right on, and was indeed a common scenario in the early to mid '90's. As Tony Galovich used to say as a sales pitch in his mailings,a card buyer spent 400% of high book and got the card of his dreams (before grading began to police putting cards through a paper press, slightly enlarging them, and then trimming them down to proper size)! However, when the hobby learned to examine the edges under magnification, this process became readily detectable, and a number of dealers (not Galovich) specializing in such shenanigans were forced out of business. I remember going to the regional shows at Rosemont in the Chicago area in the 1990's, and many dealers were looking at the edges of raw cards with a high-powered loupe before they would even offer to buy them, just as I was when purchasing raw after grading had come in. If you weren't careful, you could easily get a trimmed card that was properly sized, and appeared NMt-Mt or better. It did indeed turn out that a number of these "dream cards," which were gem mint to the naked eye, had been altered and rendered ungradeable, beyond "authentic."

IMHO, stick with graded cards for more expensive purchases. Anywhere there is money to be made without a lot of work, there will be a scam artist lurking in the shadows.

Highest regards,

Larry