I do not like or have graded cards

[Snapolit1]

You are entitled to your view and enjoy. I don't share any of that. I think vintage cards in holders (particularly SGC ones) look real neat, and I can show them off to people without worrying about someone doing something stupid or having dirty hands. And if it's a valuable card I have piece of mind that its secure.
Everyone has their views on this. I have no reason to hold a Babe Ruth or Lou Gehrig card in my fingers. They were long dead when I was born so I'm not reliving anything by touching them with my fingers. If I want to relive my childhood I'll buy a few packs of 2017 cards. Which I've done.

[kmac32]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

You are entitled to your view and enjoy. I don't share any of that. I think vintage cards in holders (particularly SGC ones) look real neat, and I can show them off to people without worrying about someone doing something stupid or having dirty hands. And if it's a valuable card I have piece of mind that its secure.
Everyone has their views on this. I have no reason to hold a Babe Ruth or Lou Gehrig card in my fingers. They were long dead when I was born so I'm not reliving anything by touching them with my fingers. If I want to relive my childhood I'll buy a few packs of 2017 cards. Which I've done.

5++++

[icollectDCsports]

I strongly prefer the look of raw cards, but I understand the benefits of grading and purchasing graded for some (but not all) cards and certain other memorabilia. However, in my opinion some folks are too quick to submit something to be slabbed without thinking through the need to do so for a particular item. If they like the way it looks and prefer it that way, fine, but it doesn't always make sense to grade some items when various other holders will protect items just as adequately. The answer to the grading question is, obviously, up to each collector to decide for themselves. I just fear a situation where collectors feel they must grade everything, just as a matter of course.

[Cliff Bowman]

I break out most cards that are graded, but there are some that it would be foolish for me to break out, such as my PSA 8 1968 Kahn's Ron Santo Red Stripe. Whenever I buy a 1952 Topps high number that is PSA 3 or 4, a Topps Venezuelan PSA 1 or 2, or a Pro's Pizza PSA 1 or 2, I break it out immediately.

[frankbmd]

Originally Posted by Cliff Bowman

........................... a Pro's Pizza PSA 1 or 2, I break it out immediately.

Who wouldn’t? Their pepperoni is “to die for”.

[OsFan]

Now I’m hungry.

[MikeGarcia]

Originally Posted by OsFan

Now I’m hungry.

..Yo Quiero Taco Bell

..

[ALR-bishop]

I agree with you because I am strictly a collector and baseball cards are just a hobby for me. If I was primarily a seller or even a collector/seller, or used baseball cards as an investment, grading would a fact of life

[JeremyW]

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

I agree with you because I am strictly a collector and baseball cards are just a hobby for me. If I was primarily a seller or even a collector/seller, or used baseball cards as an investment, grading would a fact of life

I agree with this statement. If you are strictly a collector, graded cards can be a pain in the ass. If you are anything other than that, they're the only way to go.

[yanksfan09]

I own a mix of both. For expensive/valuable cards I like the protection of a slab.

For lower dollar cards, especially if I have a lot of certain type like a set, they can get awfully bulky if all graded. In these cases I prefer most raw, sometimes may just get the stars graded.

To each his own, there's no right or wrong way. Do whatever makes you comfortable and happy.

[Jayworld]

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

I agree with you because I am strictly a collector and baseball cards are just a hobby for me. If I was primarily a seller or even a collector/seller, or used baseball cards as an investment, grading would a fact of life

I totally agree with the OP and this quote. Baseball cards have always been a hobby for me and never an investment. I see over and over on the forum the term "buy the card, not the holder" (my paraphrase), but when you buy a graded card, you DO buy the holder. If you have two identical pre-war cards, and one is in a holder, you are going to pay more for the graded card. I've never seen (at least on this forum) an exception to that.

I do understand the argument of having grading to cut down on the proliferation of counterfeits, peace of mind for the purchaser, etc. But it seems to me (in my opinion) that the only ones getting rich from graded and encapsulated cards are the companies that perform the service. Plus, there is still a lot of counterfeit cards, trimmed cards, etc. according to many more knowledgeable than me on this forum, and they still get graded....

I have been collecting for 42 years and own zero graded cards. I have purchased 2 graded cards in the past, two 1967 Japanese Kabaya-Leaf cards, only because 99% of the K-L cards are graded, and I quickly broke them out of the plastic and threw the plastic and PSA info in the trash. All my cards are in Ultra Pro platinum sheets, and I enjoy looking through my collection that way. Is my collection valuable? No, but then, I've never had the disposable income to afford the valuable cards, but hey, that's okay. Baseball cards are for kids, whether 7 or 70....

[steve B]

I have both, for a lot of what I collect grading simply isn't practical. But over the years I've picked up a few nicer cards that I've sent in, and a handful that I've bought graded. Usually because they were good deals either way, or looked a lot nicer than the grade, or even a couple that were issued graded.

I don't really get the hate for grading, it's a tool like any other. Other hobbies have done it for longer, and nearly all have some system for either grading or authentication. Some have had at least authentication since the 1860's.

I don't see much need to grade cards with obvious problems, unless the confidence that it's what it appears to be has value. So I have graded a few that are in lesser condition.

It's fine to try to retain the "purity" of being just a collector, but somewhere along the line you or a family member will become a seller.
And I haven't met many collectors who largely ignore condition when buying.

Yes, grading has made cards a bit of a commodity, and that has raised prices since some people who don't want to spend the time or effort to do their own authenticating and grading can now spend a bit more comfortably.
But that same rise in prices has made more cards available for all of us, and it could be argued that the concentration on the top grades has actually lowered or restrained prices for those of us that collect mid grade or less.

Steve B

[silvor]

Originally Posted by Jayworld

I do understand the argument of having grading to cut down on the proliferation of counterfeits, peace of mind for the purchaser, etc.

This and...

I remember going to a card shop in 1989 with my friend to sell his Montana rookie. The shop owner smelled my friend needed the money so he helped him out taking that "below average, low grade, no one will ever buy this" Montana off his hands. Doing him a favor you know. Of course the next time we went in, there it was, with a MINT sticker on it.

[drcy]

The problem isn't the grading system, but how seriously the grading system is taken.

[orly57]

Originally Posted by drcy

The problem isn't the grading system, but how seriously the grading system is taken.

I've never heard it stated that way, and I love it.

[conor912]

Originally Posted by drcy

The problem isn't the grading system, but how seriously the grading system is taken.

Dead on.

[Gnep31]

As primarily a set collector I have no interest in graded cards. I do understand the other viewpoint as well and when making a serious investment a professionally authenticated card(s) makes sense.

When looking at the forums I do find it frustrating to weed through all the graded stuff which I am not interested in. Has there ever been any suggestions or thoughts about separating out graded and raw cards in the forums?

[Leon]

Originally Posted by Gnep31

As primarily a set collector I have no interest in graded cards. I do understand the other viewpoint as well and when making a serious investment a professionally authenticated card(s) makes sense.

When looking at the forums I do find it frustrating to weed through all the graded stuff which I am not interested in. Has there ever been any suggestions or thoughts about separating out graded and raw cards in the forums?

What does that even mean? Does it mean a Net54baseball-Graded and Net54baseball-Ungraded site? From what I have seen in the BST areas is that members are quite explicit about graded or not.

[pokerplyr80]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

You are entitled to your view and enjoy. I don't share any of that. I think vintage cards in holders (particularly SGC ones) look real neat, and I can show them off to people without worrying about someone doing something stupid or having dirty hands. And if it's a valuable card I have piece of mind that its secure.
Everyone has their views on this. I have no reason to hold a Babe Ruth or Lou Gehrig card in my fingers. They were long dead when I was born so I'm not reliving anything by touching them with my fingers. If I want to relive my childhood I'll buy a few packs of 2017 cards. Which I've done.

Once in a while I like to relive my childhood by opening a pack or box from that era. I opened a box of 89 upper deck a while back. Didn't pull a griffey, but it was a lot of fun.

I completely agree on the graded card issue. There's nothing wrong with owning and collecting raw cards, but for cards worth more than a few hundred dollars I prefer the peace of mind that comes with knowing my card is basically safe in the holder.

[ronniehatesjazz]

I agree with a little of what everyone has said here. I personally love sgc slabs for prewar. That being said I have a few raw matty’s In basic screw downs that look incredible as is. I think it really comes down to taste up until a certain figure. I think it’s foolish to purchase anything north of $1k raw. If you wanna crack after buying then that’s your prerogative but given the shadiness in the hobby I think it’s best to buy the slabs for any nominal large purchase. In an extreme example can you imagine someone forking over $100k on a raw Wagner? Why take chances in such situations.

[ls7plus]

Originally Posted by ronniehatesjazz

I agree with a little of what everyone has said here. I personally love sgc slabs for prewar. That being said I have a few raw matty’s In basic screw downs that look incredible as is. I think it really comes down to taste up until a certain figure. I think it’s foolish to purchase anything north of $1k raw. If you wanna crack after buying then that’s your prerogative but given the shadiness in the hobby I think it’s best to buy the slabs for any nominal large purchase. In an extreme example can you imagine someone forking over $100k on a raw Wagner? Why take chances in such situations.

+1, but I would lower the threshold to $500.00. There's still a lot of scammers out there (as there is wherever it is perceived there is quick, nearly effortless money to be made), and although the grading companies don't catch all of the scammers' machinations, my opinion is that they do catch most of it. So marketability is a prime concern, and if you're interested in value appreciation, grading IMHO is definitely the way to go. If you're buying raw, you'd better have knowledge and experience as to the tricks of the scammers' trade, such as putting the cards through a paper mill/press (or just the corners) to make them slightly larger, then trimming them back to size with the appearance of NrMt-Mt corners (you will need to examine the edges under magnification to ascertain whether this has been done, and know what the edges are supposed to look like as cut from the factories); coloring added to the card to conceal wear (such as black ink or even crayon on what appear to be very nice examples of '71 Topps baseball cards), which you will need magnification or even a black light to detect; etc, etc.

And many counterfeits are also still being made. At the 2009 National in Cleveland, a dealer had what was presented to be an example of a 1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth on display. I politely asked if I might examine the card with my 16X loupe, and was not surprised to see the irregular, random dot pattern that is produced by taking a picture of a real card, re-screening it, and printing the card from there. Real halftone printing of vintage cards leaves a linear, regular dot pattern in comparison.

I presently collect a certain set with many short-prints in it, some of which are tremendously tough to obtain, and of necessity, buy most of these raw, usually on ebay. But I check them when I receive them to ascertain they are not counterfeit.

Summing up, it is both safer and better for marketability and value appreciation to buy graded cards past a certain value point.

Just my $2.50 worth,

Larry

[rocketman]

I recently completed 520 t206 set. Minus the big 4, a complete set. 80% of the cards are in PSA/SCG holders.

I absolutely would prefer to crack them all and put the cards is a nice binder. Easy to look at and show off.

I never will of course because I want to maintain the value, but I would love them in a binder.