Debating On Getting Cards Slabbed

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

Originally Posted by dougscats

There are many very good reasons to keep cards ungraded, such as expense, storage and portability, to name a couple. I personally also like to be able to touch a card.

Old cards ordinarily convey a sense of their antiquity, and sometimes even the past owners who have prized them. Given, I’m a romantic, but some cards can make you wonder and imagine. What a treasure they can be!

I have maybe a dozen different collections, and I keep them in binders, in collector pages.
I can’t tell you what a pleasure it is to easily flip through a collection and spend a minute or more on it, and then put the book back on the shelf.

I do have a few boxes of graded cards, some of my most valuable. But these cards never get looked at.

I should add that for protection of the cards, for inserting and taking them out of the pockets, I customize penny-sleeves to carry the cards in and out.

You complete me!

[cardsagain74]

As usual, the difference in preferences here is always interesting.

I prefer having anything worth around $1000 or more slabbed (and, any cards worth hundreds that are a strong ex-mt or above.) In addition to the added value, I just can't trust the flimsyness of toploaders and especially card savers to protect them.

And I know this goes against much popular opinion, but I don't trust anything to binders. Not only do cards slip out easier than any other "holder", but that bendy turning of page to page irks me more than I enjoy the display advantage.

This being said, I have still never sent anything in to get graded! This weekend I'm finally going to get a few cards ready and figure it out. Been putting it off for way too long

[tiger8mush]

binders (sorry for the old pics, i need to update!) are an option ... the beauty of collecting is there is no wrong way. Do what makes you feel best!

[conor912]

Originally Posted by tiger8mush

binders (sorry for the old pics, i need to update!) are an option ... the beauty of collecting is there is no wrong way. Do what makes you feel best!

I like your style, Rob!

[Casey2296]

I'm a little strange when it comes to slabs, I agree that high dollar cards should be slabbed for protection and insurance purposes, it's just where the hobby has gone. If my kids gonna inherit a 100k collection it should be catalogued with prices paid, any notes about individual cards, etc. so he has a baseline of information to make his choices intelligently about the collection. I also have a portion of cards I collected as a kid that will never be slabbed so I can still take them out and go down memory lane occasionally.

When it comes to the actual slab I prefer all my 50's and 60's Topps in PSA flips with a NM 7 grade. I do have 6's and 8's but prefer 7's by a wide margin. There are exceptions of course like 52 Jackie that looks so much better with an SGC black apron.

For me, pre-war and 51 bowmans look best in an SGC green label flip. The black apron always presents the card better and the green label compliments the size and delicacy of a pre war card.

My issue with the new SGC label on pre war is that it overpowers the card itself. The number grade is literally 1/3 the size of a T206 or similar pre-war card. The label is bright, ugly, and obtrusive. Just look at any newly stabbed T206, say a Wajo portrait, it just doesn't look right. Pre-war cards have a nuance, so should the label. I spoke to Brian over at SGC and asked him if he could slab some pre-war for me in the green label. Unfortunately no was the answer.

So here I sit with 25k of unslabbed cards, all dressed up with nowhere to go. I've actually completed full orders at both companies with these cards but can't pull the trigger for the above reasons. If PSA offered a black apron option they would put SGC out of business when it comes to pre-war.

I'm just hoping the new grading company offers a well designed label and a black apron option. And soon.