Graded vs. Raw Rant.......

[mrreality68]

Graded is good for a couple of things

1. New people or inexperienced people getting into collecting and not knowledgeable on cards and afraid what they are buying is either not real or not worth as much as they thought
2. Graded cards are easier to research and compare prices for those same people (we all understand buy the card not the slab but that is not true for everyone)
3. The slabs are good for protecting the cards
4. The Higher End Cards, Rarer cards, and cards with high values tend to sell more in a slab since for example when you put on ebey, auction, etc more people will buy/bid on slabbed cards vs non slabbed card.
5. The biggest value on Raw Cards to the true collector it is the best type of cards and also Raw cards cost to much to slab (unless already slabbed and takes too long although getting better) so keeping it Raw you do not have to worry about those things.
6. Slabbing is becoming more popular as it turns more into a business vs collecting. as you can see at National Show how long lines were, or if you looking at all the grading companies and how many cards they are grading and the backlog many are experiencing and also how much people are willing to pay

[gustomania]

Thanks Jeff, great summary and i'm with you on those points.

Where i'm going with this is more on the lines of a collector viewpoint I guess, sort of ok, well I can pick up a raw Brett RC and any of his other topps base cards from 76-80 for nothing in maybe ex or nm and those are pretty easy to find with pretty low risk tbh.

When the cards are that plentiful (and to be honest in the example above nm-mt is pretty common for anything other than the RC) why pay the premium for graded.

I guess when I buy raw, I don't focus on the overall condition of say a 70's card as long as I feel its somewhere on the lines of "looks good".

Anyway, trying to see what people thoughts are on that dotted line, where is that line where finding a 1965 Gibson in EX is so tough I'm relegated to just buying the PSA 5?

Maybe there is not concrete answer, and everyone collects whatever they like but was curious what collectors on this forum think, especially those who do collect raw over graded.

[homerunhitter]

I created a thread already about this exact topic! And my takeover from all the wonderful advice I got for it. Is that as much as I love raw cards (I’m a true collector not an investor) it appears that graded cards are here to stay in fact, graded cards are transforming our hobby. I say that because as the younger collectors/generation is coming in they are being conditioned that graded cards are cool and hip! Just check out the national as an example. Tons and I mean Tons of people waking around with their pelican cases filled with graded cards. 9 out of 10 Facebook, Instagram, you tube posts are about or showcase graded cards. Graded cards are everywhere! Some will argue that we are headed into s junk down era. I believe we are not as graded cards will become the norm from here on out as newer collectors come into the hobby and us old farts exit the hobby. The tone of the hobby right now is graded is cool!

[gustomania]

Good points!

I feel like i'm headed down a different path. I collect Koufax in PSA and love that PC and wont change that collection. Thinking about going back down into my roots how I collected as a kid which is just raw (yes, I put my cards in spokes and didn't have any sleeves for them).

Hard for me to justify buying say a 77 Murphy PSA 8 or 9 when I can be happy with a NM or NMMT raw card for a fraction and if I want, throw that bad boy in my bike spokes one...….more...…...time. I joke but clearly I'm not in the majority here.

[ALBB]

I dont think Id ever pay to have late 70s/ 80s cards graded

[JollyElm]

It's sort of the way cell phones became prominent. In the beginning, very few people had them and others couldn't care less, but then a sea change occurred and everyone on the planet now possesses one, and then gets a better one, and then upgrades that one and on and on. Graded cards used to be a fluke, and many thought it was a passing phase...but look at where we are now. That aspect of card collecting will continue to grow exponentially. That toothpaste is not only out of the tube, but it's been washed down the drain.

Harking back to the OP regarding newer cards, when I started having my own stuff graded through the group subs (all hail Bobby!!!), my cut-off year was 1972 or possibly 1973, with no thought of ever submitting anything newer, because the stuff was way too plentiful. These days? Now I'm looking to the end of the 1970's and even sent in a 1980 hockey card. Again, things have changed, and there's no going back.

But I still freakin' love the smell of old cardboard...

74. Auramatic
Having the pleasingly fragrant, musty old cardboard scent which returns you to the wonders of your card collecting childhood.

[raulus]

It's certainly an interesting philosophical debate.

I think the arguments largely break down into what you prefer, and what you can afford.

Unless you're under 20, you probably grew up with ungraded cards. So for many of us, there's an artistic and aesthetic preference for ungraded. Luckily, ungraded are typically much lower cost as well.

Some people, on the other hand, like the look and feel of the slabs. I'm certainly not going to dictate to anyone else how they should attempt to value art, so to each their own.

And for anyone who loves numbers, competing, and statistics, the grade has a way of attempting to boil all of the card's attributes into a single number. There's certainly plenty to suggest that the numbers assigned to any given card are less than objective, but at the same time it's an attempt to get there. And certainly for someone with means, it's an opportunity to then always be looking to upgrade. While there's an obvious level of competition between collectors, it's often just as much a question about competing against myself as I seek to continually improve my collection.

Does such an exercise merely result in self delusion and spending ungodly sums of money on dubious upgrades? Perhaps. Probably. Almost definitely. Guilty as charged.

[raulus]

Probably should've also mentioned that the PSA Set Registry also helps me to stay organized, keep track of what items I already have in each set, and then work to fill those gaps.

Naturally, there are other ways to track it, but PSA's approach is pretty handy and user friendly.

[cubman1941]

[QUOTE=JollyElm;2251304]It's sort of the way cell phones became prominent. In the beginning, very few people had them and others couldn't care less, but then a sea change occurred and everyone on the planet now possesses one, and then gets a better one, and then upgrades that one and on and on. Graded cards used to be a fluke, and many thought it was a passing phase...but look at where we are now. That aspect of card collecting will continue to grow ..."


I used part of this quote because I tell people I am the only person on the planet who does not have a cell phone but back to OP -

I agree that Graded Cards are here to stay but I think it is a matter of whether or not one is collecting cards as a hobby, as an investment or a little of both. In my case it is a little of both. I am primarily a Cub collector and to that realm I view it as a hobby. I sent some of my vintage Cub cards in (thanks again to Bobby) for grading but I did this primarily to try and ensure the cards were legit. I will buy a graded card if I need it for my Cub collection and the price seems reasonable. I have a lot of non-Cub cards and, again thanks to Bobby, I sent some in to be graded. This is my investment side. I will probably never sell these cards but might trade them for Cub needs in the future but got them graded so when I am gone, my grandkids, when they sell them, will know (hopefully) they are good. I still love to open packs but haven't bought any since about 2004. My kids and grandkids buy me some packs to open every Christmas and I try to trade them. I have found the past few years trading these cards is almost impossible because people only want a PSA X or one of the stars of today that is PSA X. So my view point is that, in today's world, investment is the key and basic collecting just to collect is gone. I was in antiques for many years and got out because of this. People are no longer collecting, or, if they are, it is for a specific item. They are looking for investment possibilities. This is not a bad thing just the way the world has changed.

Graded cards are not perfect as seen in the past with trimmed, counterfeit and cards being graded with gracious grades that they do not deserve. I will stick with the raw cards. My 2 cents

[homerunhitter]

Agree with you! I did an experiment. I sat Down and went through a box of raw vintage cards and then I went through a box of graded vintage cards. Raw cards just pop differently. Something about actually holding a raw card beats holding the same card graded.

Some people might argue that people like graded because they want to know that their card is authentic and not fake. I get that point but does anyone want to open the can of worms of just how many FAKEe psa graded are our in the hobby. Most people want to just turn their head and pretend like there are not fake psa slabs out there. But there is!