Are We Slaves To The Registry?

[doug.goodman]

Originally Posted by Michael B

Skewed logic. The only fact you can confirm is that PSA has graded only two copies of that particular card.

Actually, it only proves that the people who get paid for their opinions have seen at least one copy of that card, but possibly two different times.

[barrysloate]

The registry is here to stay, but like many other collectors I ignore it because it has nothing to do with the way I collect. I don't compete with others and don't really care who has the best cards. I'm interested in baseball history, not slabs.

And as Adam said, it drives up prices to ridiculous levels. It becomes a "1%" hobby, and I can't play on that level. To each his own.

[jimjim]

“Are current products dependent on manufactured scarcity to survive? What if there were no current products? Would the vintage market be adversely affected?”

I am not a big card collector but I love this discussion. I started with cards in the late 1980’s like many 40 something’s but focused on autographs when I reentered the hobby 16 years ago. When I caught the bug to buy a few of my favorite cards from the 80’s I found out about the ‘registry’. To be honest, it has kept me away from collecting cards more than a dabble here and there because I don’t like the insanity surrounding this concept. But most people love it and I understand both sides.

Regarding the first question above, I’m sure this has been discussed over and over but PSA also creates manufactured scarcity when they slap a 10 on a flip. I have always wondered if there is some unwritten rule of how many 10s a grader can give out a day. There is so much wiggle room for a grader that they really control the market. I am waiting until grading is fully computerized and PSA launches a separate registry for those cards. Then I’ll be on board.