PSA Set Registry - Is it worth it?

[STL1944]

Question from a newish collector...

I have been gradually putting together a 1953 Bowman Color set (I think it is a stunning set!). I have 130/160 cards of which 75 are PSA graded. When I look at the official PSA set registry, if I stretch it a little bit, I could complete the set and be in the top 20 (18 or so).

My question for the group is... is being #18 on the set registry worth it? Outside of "my set is nicer than your set" are any other advantages of going all in and building a PSA registry set?

Thoughts from the group?

[pokerplyr80]

I think it's nice to have all cards in the same holder for display and storage reasons. The registry is free and the psa cards will hold their value better. If I was going to build a set again it would be all psa for sure.

[swarmee]

Not if that's all you plan to do: complete one set. However, once you upload everything, you can continue to track the value with their SMR values that are part of your set registry.

You can also upload images of all your cards into an online album, so if people want to see your collection, you can forward them a link like this:
http://www.psacard.com/PSASetRegistr...x?setid=178133

It's up to you, but to me it's worth it.

[wilkiebaby11]

#18 wont get you anything.

If you are a PSA member, you can get free grading submissions if your sets are the best (maybe even go up to top 3 in the more popular sets). But I think that's the only thing you get outside of bragging rights.

[STL1944]

Great thoughts. Thank you all for your continued education

[MetsBaseball1973]

Registry is a good organizer tool as said earlier.

Competitive component is misleading to me because I have browsed sets there that have lots of cards graded in past grading eras, which would definitely not get the same grades if submitted today.

I love 1970's sets, and some guys have for example a #20 rank set with much nicer and more centered cards than a guy with a #10 ranked set.

For ranking you can just buy an ugly OC PSA 9 with a fish eyeball on it, and not care at all if it has great eye appeal or centering.

[Peter_Spaeth]

If you plan to sell the complete set that's one thing, yes a homogenous set will be better, but if you just like the set and are collecting it for that reason, once you start focusing on completing it in a certain grade blah blah you are going to end up spending more money than necessary and at the end you may not be sure why you did it.

[brian1961]

Jim---

Depends upon what your ultimate objectives are. As the one comment curtly implied, being the #18th best among all PSA registrants for the 1953 Bowman baseball set will not get you extra money should you sell, or any genuine privileges from PSA itself, or even a lot of extra congratulations.

Put it this way, mate, you have genuine good taste. The '53 Bowman baseball set was a landmark set. Stunning indeed. I think the pond of frogs that have completed or are working on completing the set is pretty sizable. You would have every right to be justifiably proud of your achievement. Sure, seventeen other chaps have a better set.

So what?

The key is that this is a set that struck your fancy, and you are doggedly pursuing them with the necessary tenacity towards completion. Is it worth it? If this pursuit is fulfilling to you, you better believe it is worth it. While I have not always gone with PSA, for several reasons, PSA is the best when it comes to selling and getting top dollar for what you have.

The 1953 Bowmans are breathtaking; don't let anyone rob you of your joy. Sure, you can upgrade until ..... Again, so what? It's about your personal satisfaction and gratification in the journey of putting the set together. Use it as a springboard to researching what actually was occurring in Major League Baseball that year, or in 1952, for which the 1953 set celebrates.

After all is done, you could start another set, or a player run, or a theme, or an era of Type cards.

It's your collecting life. Few will encourage you or compliment you. For so many of us, we could never even contemplate doing what you are doing. So for some, they won't say anything, perhaps out of jealousy. I'm out of the ball game, so to speak. Still, I think what you're doing is terrific, and I have a lot of respect for you. THAT IS ONE GREAT SET.

So, ask yourself, "Have I had fun collecting these? Has it been worth it, personally, to put this set together?"

If you're telling yourself "yes" on both questions, you're on the right road, mate. Keep having fun.

---Brian Powell

[STL1944]

Brian,


What a well written post. Thank you for your thoughts.

Interestingly, I restarted collecting again 2 1/2 years ago as an outlet when my wife started having health problems. I rediscovered baseball cards as something I could do late at night or in the "in-between" times.

I was blown away when I started looking at the '53 Bowmans. The Warren Spahn card just pops with color. The best looking ever Stan Musial card. Of course the first ever "action" card of Pee We Reese. Fantastic.

Of course I thought "with only 160 cards (not including the B&W), how hard could it be to complete a set." 2 1/2 half years later I still have a ways to go (Mantle, Ford, Feller, Berra, etc.).

The journey is fun... I am leaning towards getting everything in PSA holders as it seems to make things easier with consistency. I appreciate all your alls thoughts and education.

[DBesse27]

I like the registry a lot and the competition has little to do with why I like it. I think it's a great organizational tool and also great for displaying your collection. It's nice to have a webpage that has a complete checklist, showing the cards you have and those you don't, showing photos of all your cards, notes you've written about your collecting journey, and population data.

[1952boyntoncollector]

Originally Posted by DBesse27

I like the registry a lot and the competition has little to do with why I like it. I think it's a great organizational tool and also great for displaying your collection. It's nice to have a webpage that has a complete checklist, showing the cards you have and those you don't, showing photos of all your cards, notes you've written about your collecting journey, and population data.

Auctions houses when they sell sets to say what # sets are on the registry if they are high grade...another thing that is good about the registry is you can see who you may be competeing with on some cards...i know i lost a card on ebay then i noticed someone upgraded their set above me and added that same card....now i know that guy isnt going to be going after the same card anymore etc.

[Bestdj777]

I like the registry myself and don't see much hem with recording your cards if you already have them graded. I'll rarely send anything in for grading, but what I do have in PSA holders already goes into my set. Like others, I like to use it to inventory and organize my cards.

[steve B]

I haven't done PSA, but I do have the few cards I've had or bought graded by SGC on their registry. Mostly prewar, so all sets I'll never finish and probably won't even get all that close on a couple.

The registry is a nice easy way to have them online, And eventually I'll probably be able to use it as a checklist of sorts since I could look at it with a laptop or maybe the phone.

I would say that since I'm so far from complete there's no competition element, but oddly I found myself comparing that cards I had to other sets in the same range. I was around 60th on the T206 list. with only a few percent complete. (I'm a lot closer, but have only graded a few) When I added the blankbacks and brought the average under a 50 I have to admit a bit of a letdown.
Ha! Just checked the new site and they must have removed a few sets as it's just barely in the top 50 and at only 8% complete.
Haven't tried posting a link before, not sure if it will work. http://www.sgccard.com/usersetcompos...usersetid=4378

Overall I'd say that if you think it's fun, or useful, you might as well put the set in the registry.
If you don't enjoy it you can always delete it or just ignore it.

Steve B

[KCRfan1]

Originally Posted by STL1944

Brian,


What a well written post. Thank you for your thoughts.

Interestingly, I restarted collecting again 2 1/2 years ago as an outlet when my wife started having health problems. I rediscovered baseball cards as something I could do late at night or in the "in-between" times.

I was blown away when I started looking at the '53 Bowmans. The Warren Spahn card just pops with color. The best looking ever Stan Musial card. Of course the first ever "action" card of Pee We Reese. Fantastic.

Of course I thought "with only 160 cards (not including the B&W), how hard could it be to complete a set." 2 1/2 half years later I still have a ways to go (Mantle, Ford, Feller, Berra, etc.).

The journey is fun... I am leaning towards getting everything in PSA holders as it seems to make things easier with consistency. I appreciate all your alls thoughts and education.

Hoping that your wife is in good health now.

[brian1961]

Hoping that your wife is in good health now.[/QUOTE]

Thank you, Lou. You're a real friend to be so thoughtful. It was my mother-in-law that passed away in the middle of January. She was a great lady, very sweet and special.

To bring this around to something the lads will love, way back in '88, my wife and I and infant son had to be away from home for a day. We were staying with other relatives. Anyway, that just happened to be the night a Mr. Mint auction ended. That's when The Mint Man ruled the hobby and had the choicest of gems to be had.

Anyway, Alan's auction had to be postponed a day, due to technical difficulties with his many auction phone lines. Oh, was he ever ticked off about that. Alan re-scheduled his auction to end the following night. His auctions always ended at 10:00 on the dot. Well, I could not be home on auction night, and among Alan Rosen's delectable items there was what I believed to be a once in a lifetime Mickey Mantle regional, in the finest conceivable condition.

Chance of a lifetime.

Anyway, my mother and father-in-law lived within a Mantle home run from where we were staying the night. I pleaded with my dear mother-in-law to use their phone to make a bunch of long distance calls. This is when Ma Bell ruled the roost, and everyone paid them well for it. Mom graciously said yes, and I of course assured her every penny would be paid back.

Long to short, God helped me win the card! I was on cloud 9, so overjoyed was I. In retrospect, it WAS the chance of a lifetime. When the hefty Bell phone bill came, I paid her back, gladly.

So, while all the company was here, and funeral service, and so on, late that Sunday night the memory of her kindly allowing me the use of their phone, while the house was empty, flashed through my mind. Brought a big smile to my face, then a wistful expression, and a couple tears of humble gratitude as I reflected on her love and compassion for her son-in-law on that night long ago.

Have a great day, guys. Be safe. ---Brian Powell

[brian1961]

Jim----

In the discussion on whether or not it is worth it to have your cards graded and registered in the PSA Set Registry, there are some basic issues that must be kept in mind. Bro, I apologize if this comes off as if I'm talking down to you. It surprises me sometimes what we collectors perhaps take for granted today, as opposed to what we endured or put up with in the earlier years of the hobby. First is the plain and simple truth it was a wise decision itself to go through the cumbersome process of getting your cards graded by a reputable third party authenticator, such as PSA, SGC, and Beckett.

Down through the years, cards were handled in all sorts of ways, usually causing condition degradation. Once the adult card hobby took off, beginning about 1969, more than a few of the attempts to house and store treasured cards wound up backfiring, causing, again, condition degradation. And a lot of pain!

It wasn't until third party authenticators began grading and, to the point, properly encapsulating the cards that they remained in the condition which they were graded. You can now relax and hold that card without fear and trepidation, admire it, read the backside, and of course let SOMEONE ELSE hold it as well, without your heart being in your throat!

Once graded in that elegant holder, the card is so displayable! Having said that, you must guard against your cards being hit by direct sunlight, or overexposed to florescent lighting. That is so important. Also, display and storage in cool temperature, with stable humidity levels, is also paramount. That can be a bother, but you still have to work a bit to ensure your treasured cards stay in the same nice condition PSA graded them.

Lastly, this is a challenge to describe, but there's something extra meaningful about that swell card in a hefty graded card case. The card's importance is instantly magnified. With the protection comes the added weight of the holder, and the feel of that in your hand is wondrous.

'Nuf said. ---Brian Powell

[steve B]

I believe the slabs are polycarbonate, which blocks most if not all UV. Some shows a bit of transmission of longer wavelengths, but most blocks the shorter wavelengths.

I'll have to try an experiment sometime. I'm not sure I have a UV reactive card that's slabbed.

Steve B

[begsu1013]

not sure if it's mentioned, but it's also nice to have your cards registered so that you know if someone tries to continuously register the same cert that there might be a problem.

same goes as if you purchase a card and try to add it to your registry/inventory and it doesn't get released because another participant has the "same card/cert", ie fake holders and flips.

been on both sides of this fence and can honestly say it's a good safeguard to have in place.

and on another note, you also have that degree of registry cheaters who simply add other's certs just to move up the ranks...so whether you actually register and add a set, it helps protect valid set builders from these guys simply by just adding your cards solely to the "my inventory" part.

[1952boyntoncollector]

Originally Posted by begsu1013

not sure if it's mentioned, but it's also nice to have your cards registered so that you know if someone tries to continuously register the same cert that there might be a problem.

same goes as if you purchase a card and try to add it to your registry/inventory and it doesn't get released because another participant has the "same card/cert", ie fake holders and flips.

been on both sides of this fence and can honestly say it's a good safeguard to have in place.

and on another note, you also have that degree of registry cheaters who simply add other's certs just to move up the ranks...so whether you actually register and add a set, it helps protect valid set builders from these guys simply by just adding your cards solely to the "my inventory" part.

sounds like you are in favor of an owner registry....not worried about competing with sets..just having cards registered to guard against multiple copy fake cert numbers.....

[begsu1013]

bzzzzz. bzzzz. flies are back...again.

i actually do have several sets, however the initial competitional joy resided w/ time and as others have mentioned, some of the earlier cards graded would never receive that grade today. also w/ the crack and resub game so rampant, the pop reports are not really to be taken too seriously.

and already have an "owners registry". i own the cards i have registered on the psa site. as stated, i already get initial warning signs if something's up.

but please entertain us w/ your notion of creating an entirely separate "owners registry" (again), the marketing campaign in place to have people register to your site, your master plan to have it enforced for people to remove their cards, your grand idea of what to do when 2 people try and register the same card, then go reserve the name at your secretary of states office, copyright it w/ the us patents office, cash in your 401K, grab a second mortgage, pawn the title to your honda hatchback and then sit back and reap the rewards!

please lay out your whimsical idea in great depth for me....

now's your chance.

explore the space!

[jayandbutton]

Originally Posted by wilkiebaby11

#18 wont get you anything.

If you are a PSA member, you can get free grading submissions if your sets are the best (maybe even go up to top 3 in the more popular sets). But I think that's the only thing you get outside of bragging rights.

i am top ranked in a couple of sets and in the top three in others but never was told about anything being free. kindly enlighten us all how that happens. sure news to me. pm is jeswartz@cpp.edu

[swarmee]

https://www.psacard.com/PSASetRegistry/benefits
They just sent out an email that said they were going to start rewarding set registries even more. But for most people, that would mean reduced grading fees for commons. However, one PSA message board member just posted that even with a prospective order of 5,000 cards, PSA wouldn't budge from their $8/card bulk price right now.

[Estwd]

I am building the Ted Williams master set with PSA, but had no idea the link thingy was a feature.

How do I do it?

Thanks!

ESTWD

Originally Posted by swarmee

Not if that's all you plan to do: complete one set. However, once you upload everything, you can continue to track the value with their SMR values that are part of your set registry.

You can also upload images of all your cards into an online album, so if people want to see your collection, you can forward them a link like this:
http://www.psacard.com/PSASetRegistr...x?setid=178133

It's up to you, but to me it's worth it.

[swarmee]

[/url]https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/baseball/player-sets/ted-williams-master-set/publishedset/256017[/url] is your link to your registry. They can see the pictures on the left side. If you want to create an Album, you need to go into the set and follow the instructions.

Just take off the [/url] tags on the outside. Had to keep them to show you the whole link.