Mid-Grade Collectors

[jgannon]

I think grading has become a fetish with modern collectors. I like a card in good condition, but so many collectors buy grades, not cards. Who cares? If you want to make money off of people who care about grades, it serves a purpose, I guess. You look at some of those cards in this thread that don't grade high, and to me, they're everything I would ever want in a baseball card. I don't think of them as "mid-grade". I think of them as good baseball cards.

[Tere1071]

I know what you mean. Last night I had hoped to pick up a few PSA 6 commons for my 53 Bowman color from the PWCC auction. The bids on those cards quickly ended that hope! However, there's a dealer on eBay, grpoch, that's selling a number of cards that are in decent, ungraded condition at a heck of a lot less money. I picked up a Billy Pierce that's in excellent condition for a fraction that the one sold for last night.

[jgannon]

Originally Posted by Tere1071

I know what you mean. Last night I had hoped to pick up a few PSA 6 commons for my 53 Bowman color from the PWCC auction. The bids on those cards quickly ended that hope! However, there's a dealer on eBay, grpoch, that's selling a number of cards that are in decent, ungraded condition at a heck of a lot less money. I picked up a Billy Pierce that's in excellent condition for a fraction that the one sold for last night.

Yeah, good for you! I'll tell you the truth, I don't like slabs. To me, they're sterile prisons for the card. That's just my opinion of course. I could see putting a T206 Wagner in one, but to me, they overtake the card. I do put my cards in toploaders and also in sleeves. But with the topholder, it's almost like holding the card itself. You can go through them the way you do with cards.

[Tere1071]

Originally Posted by jgannon

Yeah, good for you! I'll tell you the truth, I don't like slabs. To me, they're sterile prisons for the card. That's just my opinion of course. I could see putting a T206 Wagner in one, but to me, they overtake the card. I do put my cards in toploaders and also in sleeves. But with the topholder, it's almost like holding the card itself. You can go through them the way you do with cards.

I prefer raw cards as well, but on the 53 Bowmans with the exception of the Reese and Campanella, I purchased the more expensive cards in slabs due to counterfeiting or doctoring cards. I posted a few of them on this page if you scroll up a bit. Eventually, I would like to trade my slabbed cards for their raw equivalents, but the non-slabbed cards would have to be in equal condition. If I had the money or could trade I wouldn't mind going for something that was raw that would be better than what I have slabbed.

[TexasDan]

Ignatius - I like your 56 collection. I am slowly working on a 56 HoF run myself. I have decided to pick up graded cards for this project.

[Exhibitman]

In the current price bubble even our stuff is going crazy. I saw a 1957 Topps Bill Russell in a PSA 1.5 holder sell for $3199 the other night. My VG Aaron RC is worth more than I got for a NM one I sold several years ago.

[jchcollins]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

I saw a 1957 Topps Bill Russell in a PSA 1.5 holder sell for $3199 the other night.

I had no idea that Russell card was even in that ballpark. I know a '56 Topps Jackie Robinson in lower grade used to be something you could pickup for less than $100, recently a PSA 2 sold for more than $300.

[IgnatiusJReilly]

Originally Posted by TexasDan

Ignatius - I like your 56 collection. I am slowly working on a 56 HoF run myself. I have decided to pick up graded cards for this project.

Thanks! Enjoy putting together your 56 HOF run. I started my set in 2006 and “completed” it in 2017. Been doing small upgrades ever since and have really enjoyed it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jgannon]

Originally Posted by Tere1071

I prefer raw cards as well, but on the 53 Bowmans with the exception of the Reese and Campanella, I purchased the more expensive cards in slabs due to counterfeiting or doctoring cards. I posted a few of them on this page if you scroll up a bit. Eventually, I would like to trade my slabbed cards for their raw equivalents, but the non-slabbed cards would have to be in equal condition. If I had the money or could trade I wouldn't mind going for something that was raw that would be better than what I have slabbed.

Yeah, I can understand the concern about counterfeiting and doctoring. It's sad that things have gotten to that. You can always take your slabbed cards out of the slabs too!

[Tere1071]

Originally Posted by jgannon

Yeah, I can understand the concern about counterfeiting and doctoring. It's sad that things have gotten to that. You can always take your slabbed cards out of the slabs too!

I've seen where people break them out of their holders. These days it seems that many collectors trust graded over non-graded cards and that's why I thought about trading my slabs for their raw equivalent, it might be a win/win of sorts. I guess the only complications would be that I would want to see the card I'm trading for in person and I wouldn't want to swap with a dealer who would want to trade to their advantage.

I saw your posting about taking some of your doubles to trade to a young collector who coldly turned them away. When I was 12 back in 1973 I put an ad in a local paper looking to trade cards. An adult by the name of Tom Tankersley responded and he brought over some 1957s. He allowed me to get the better end of the deal, for him it was important to get younger people involved in the hobby. That day some of the cards I remember getting were the Amoros, Kluszweski, Erskine, Robin Roberts, and Burdette. The Burdette had a crease and the others were probably in VG/EX condition, but it didn't matter- I got some really cool older cards. When it becomes a commodity the fun and wonderment disappear.

[jgannon]

Originally Posted by Tere1071

I've seen where people break them out of their holders. These days it seems that many collectors trust graded over non-graded cards and that's why I thought about trading my slabs for their raw equivalent, it might be a win/win of sorts. I guess the only complications would be that I would want to see the card I'm trading for in person and I wouldn't want to swap with a dealer who would want to trade to their advantage.

I saw your posting about taking some of your doubles to trade to a young collector who coldly turned them away. When I was 12 back in 1973 I put an ad in a local paper looking to trade cards. An adult by the name of Tom Tankersley responded and he brought over some 1957s. He allowed me to get the better end of the deal, for him it was important to get younger people involved in the hobby. That day some of the cards I remember getting were the Amoros, Kluszweski, Erskine, Robin Roberts, and Burdette. The Burdette had a crease and the others were probably in VG/EX condition, but it didn't matter- I got some really cool older cards. When it becomes a commodity the fun and wonderment disappear.

That's a great story. And we remember their names. I have a similar story. I had put an ad in the local Pennysaver, and a Mr Siebert called, and one, weeknight, this would be the early 70's, on a school night after dinner, we drove over to Snowball Dr. and met with him. I would have been probably 14 or so.

Mr. Siebert had a very large collection of 1930's and 1940's cards, and he told us he had another buyer who was very interested in them, but he told me he would set some aside for me. I had a good knowledge of the history of the game and the older players, and I remember him saying, "I have an idea what you like."

So a week or so went by and he called again and told us to come over. And I remember him saying he made quite a bit of money on the cards he sold, but he set aside for me some 1939 and 1940 Play Ball cards of DiMaggio, Hubbell, Williams, Mel Ott, Lefty Gomez, George Selkirk and several more. There was also a 1934 Goudey Jimmy Foxx. He let me have them for, as I remember it, $20. I still have those cards, and I will never forget that man.

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

Originally Posted by jgannon

Yeah, good for you! I'll tell you the truth, I don't like slabs. To me, they're sterile prisons for the card. That's just my opinion of course. I could see putting a T206 Wagner in one, but to me, they overtake the card. I do put my cards in toploaders and also in sleeves. But with the topholder, it's almost like holding the card itself. You can go through them the way you do with cards.

I posted in this thread way back and thought I was done, but I enjoy it so darn much! You guys are like my brothers from another mother! I don't really like slabs either, and I wonder how many collectors truly do? In no way am I trying to down how someone else collects. If someone likes collecting them, more power to them. No judgment from me whatsoever.

I am a bit frustrated though. At times I rant and rave about slabs, and I know I greatly prefer ungraded cards. Yet, many times when it comes that magical experience I like to call "buying time," I don't always find just a ton of ungraded options that I really feel good about. I have cracked slabs in my time but not lately. So, yes, I do have some lower to mid grade cards in a binder as part of sets, and I love them. I love handling them, smelling them, reading them, shuffling them, etc. But I also have a box with several slabs in them, and this is where most of the "value" of my collection rests.

I guess it doesn't have to be all one way or the other. Perhaps a little of both isn't the worst thing in the world. When buying a graded card, I still try and do my due diligence just as I would when buying an ungraded card. I believe in some cases, slabs have made us lazy in that we as collectors sometimes think we don't have to know as much about the cards we buy because the TPGer has done that work for us. As we all know, there are altered cards in TPGer slabs. I don't blindly accept their opinions. Plus, I want to do that work. That is collecting.

[jgannon]

Originally Posted by vintagebaseballcardguy

I posted in this thread way back and thought I was done, but I enjoy it so darn much! You guys are like my brothers from another mother! I don't really like slabs either, and I wonder how many collectors truly do? In no way am I trying to down how someone else collects. If someone likes collecting them, more power to them. No judgment from me whatsoever.

I am a bit frustrated though. At times I rant and rave about slabs, and I know I greatly prefer ungraded cards. Yet, many times when it comes that magical experience I like to call "buying time," I don't always find just a ton of ungraded options that I really feel good about. I have cracked slabs in my time but not lately. So, yes, I do have some lower to mid grade cards in a binder as part of sets, and I love them. I love handling them, smelling them, reading them, shuffling them, etc. But I also have a box with several slabs in them, and this is where most of the "value" of my collection rests.

I guess it doesn't have to be all one way or the other. Perhaps a little of both isn't the worst thing in the world. When buying a graded card, I still try and do my due diligence just as I would when buying an ungraded card. I believe in some cases, slabs have made us lazy in that we as collectors sometimes think we don't have to know as much about the cards we buy because the TPGer has done that work for us. As we all know, there are altered cards in TPGer slabs. I don't blindly accept their opinions. Plus, I want to do that work. That is collecting.

Hey Robert -

Yeah, my whole thing about slabs, is that to me, it represents where the hobby got too cutthroat and mercenary. People concentrating more on the the resale value of the card, the card as an "investment", that kind of stuff. But there are also collector's who truly like that presentation, and like you say, if that's how they like to collect, it's cool. And with some cards also, it might be a good idea to buy a graded card to be on the safe side.

You know, I didn't really realize that this thread is over 2 years old! I'm going to go back and read the thread.

I had a huge collection of cards that I foolishly gave away. Mostly 60s and 70s stuff, with some 50s thrown in as well. Also had some football, basketball, and hockey. It really started to bother me a few years ago, and I got back into collecting last year, saying to myself, "Well, I'll never get the cards I had back at the price I got them at, but there's no reason why I can't buy a card I NEVER had!!" So, I bought a 1960 Topps Roger Maris. And that opened the floodgates, and I have since been acquiring many of the old cards I had, as well as ones I never did. I have a lot of them sitting on top of my piano, along with some family pictures and mementos. I love just going over there and looking at everything, putting a different card on top of the pile for a while, adding new cards, etc.

You know, when we talk about condition, I have a funny story. My cousin's son, was enthusiastic about cards, and he told me that a friend of his was really into it, and might like to buy some of the things I had. So, I went over with some doubles I had. I remember having a 1972 Nolan Ryan, but can't remember the other cards. At any rate, the kid gets over there (I was in my 30s at the time) and this kid, cold as ice, starts looking at the cards, and doesn't want one of them. I thought these were like mint cards, and he's pointing out so-called blemishes, and the centering - things that I never considered or noticed. These were good cards! It was a revelation to me that anyone would look at them like he was!

So, he left, and later on, my cousin's son went out, and I was just talking with my cousin and her husband for awhile. When I left, I just left all the cards for my cousin's son.