What are experiences on finding collectors/dealers willing to "downgrade" cards?

[familytoad]

Originally Posted by Smarti5051

I think the situation has derailed a bit by the idea that I am chasing a case or I need to readjust my collecting goals if I cannot afford the condition I want. I am not a slave to the grade. I have one PSA 10 in my collection, and that is a Kobe card I pulled from a pack 25 years ago that I included with a bunch of similar cards from the same era last year. I intentionally exclude considering PSA 10 from my searches because I don't value the premium for the "perfect" card that looks to my old eyes like a run-of-the-mill PSA 8-9.

With regards to my specific collecting goals, I have chosen the "Top 200 Sportscards of All Time" on the PSA Set Registry. When I die, my goal is to have all 200 displayed in 4 x 50-count wall displays. To be clear, these cases will not be filled with PSA 7-9 vintage cards. If I die with an average above PSA 4, it will be a major accomplishment. I could make my life easier if I ignored the registry, but I don't trust myself to not get duped buying a raw card, and since I am displaying them, having them all in the same TPG holder helps the OCD.

In my quest for the Top 200, I am closer to the starting line than the finish line. When I started, it was "centered PSA 4 or better." However, the crazy market now has me looking at centered PSA 1s where the player's image is somewhat visible. It is alot easier to stomach a $300-500 PSA 1 than drop $2500-5000 for a PSA 4-5 right now and allow me to make some progress towards my goal.

Even with the enjoyment a "poor" condition card may give me in the short term, it would be nice to know an avenue exists in the future to potentially trade up to a more eye appealing version of the same card if my circumstances allow it.

Someone above scoffed at the idea of taxes being a consideration to avoid selling vs trading. I am not sure why. Just by way of example, my wife bought me a centered PSA 5 1933 Goudey Ruth #144 (my original dream card) when my daughter was born almost 17 years ago. I believe the cost was $2500. Hypothetically (truly hypothetical because this specific card will be in my collection until death), if I saw a beautiful "better" Ruth for $100,000 that I wanted to replace it with, I would sell my PSA 5 for let's just say $50,000. Then, I could use the proceeds to buy the $100,000 version. Well, in that scenario, I sell for $50,000 and immediately have a taxable gain of at least $48,000 (assuming my accountant feels comfortable we could defend the cost basis without any documentation). Even at 28% federal + 11% state income tax, that is close to $20,000 in tax liability from one sale. That means, I "net" $30,000 and pull $70,000 out of my savings to acquire the Ruth. By contrast, if (as I inquired) it was somewhat commonplace to offer a combination of downgrade + cash to improve the same PC card, I would have the new card in collection and $20,000 more in the bank - and the seller would be content receiving the same consideration. The only loser would be Uncle Sam and California, but they have plenty of wins against me over the years.

I am sorry my original question triggered so many ancillary concerns, but at base I was just curious if collectors/dealers were generally receptive to trade+cash requests to upgrade condition (regardless of whether the card is graded).

I just think you mentioned death too many times.
Hopefully that is a very long time away for you so that you can achieve your goal, but with lots of life left to enjoy it!

And the key word is to enjoy it. Unfortunately the prices of really great cards that we want to have and enjoy are to the point of a being serious purchase, so I sure hope we are enjoying the gathering of our collections along the way. If you never reach the 200 card goal, please enjoy the increments. 100 great cards is great too!

For those who are gathering only to make more money on them, we’re in different places. Sure, I’m glad I could sell my cards for at least what I paid for them and probably much more. But then I wouldn’t have the cards to enjoy.

[familytoad]

I forgot to say…I enjoy lower grade cards. PSA 10 no, but the old SGC 10 is great for me!

[BobC]

Originally Posted by familytoad

I forgot to say…I enjoy lower grade cards. PSA 10 no, but the old SGC 10 is great for me!

+1

I'm definitely with you Brian.

And that's actually one of the good things, I think, about collecting pre-war cards. You're not normally going to finds tons of graded 7s-8s-9s out there, if any in those conditions even exist. I'm happy to simply find certain cards in many cases, let alone worry what grade they got.

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by familytoad

I forgot to say…I enjoy lower grade cards. PSA 10 no, but the old SGC 10 is great for me!

+1 Most of my Tobacco cards are beaters and I like it that way.