Should a Authentication Company start grading World Series Programs

[Hankphenom]

"I'm for less slabbing in the hobby, not more."

My sentiments exactly. When you buy anything slabbed, you've bought yourself a slab, not a card, autograph, pin, whatever. If you buy a graded slab, you've bought a grade. There are other ways to authenticate items, and this is one of the worst ways anybody could have come up with. As for programs, aren't comic books slabbed routinely, so why not, even if you can't read them? But now this brings us closer to the heart of the matter, which is that slabbing classic antiques is inherently ridiculous, including baseball cards. But hey, go ahead and slab yourselves silly if you want to, I won't be joining in the "fun."
Hank Thomas

[barrysloate]

Hank- one difference regarding comic books is they were made with poor quality acidic paper. Those really shouldn't be handled as over time they will begin to deteriorate. World Series programs, however, were usually made with good quality paper. No reason why one can't handle them carefully and not compromise their condition.

[Hankphenom]

Originally Posted by barrysloate

Hank- one difference regarding comic books is they were made with poor quality acidic paper. Those really shouldn't be handled as over time they will begin to deteriorate. World Series programs, however, were usually made with good quality paper. No reason why one can't handle them carefully and not compromise their condition.

Good point, Barry. I'm certainly not opposed to protecting and careful handling of my collectibles, and you can do that without entombing them for eternity. My main point is that comics were made to be read, and to eliminate that possibility for the sake of slabbing seems contrary to my idea of enjoying collectibles. Is it enough just to OWN old things, now, without any meaningful interaction with them? Buy them, put them in storage, and call yourself a collector? Get the highest graded, and without knowing the first thing about your stuff, you're the best collector? What a concept! I just don't see where it ends. Take bobbin' head dolls, a very active area of our hobby. There you have all the ingredients for slabbing to take over: issues of damage and restoration, a serious need for protection, etc. Everybody OK with getting all your bobbin heads slabbed in a sealed cylinder? And to those whose only interest in the hobby is money and investment, I say: please go find something else to corrupt.

[jbsports33]

Photos are okay, but you start getting into the paper type stuff I really do not think it would be a good idea. There is a company that does magazines, so if you really wanted to they may be able to work with you on the WS programs

Jimmy

[barrysloate]

It's probably an excellent idea to slab the great comic book rarities- I wouldn't want to be handling a Superman #1 or any other six figure item, but if I bought a comic for $25 or $50 I would want to be able to read it.

I guess with any area of collecting the more valuable an item, the less you want to handle it. If you dog ear a $25 comic, you're out five bucks. If you read Superman #1 in the bath tub and it slips and falls in...OOPS!

[RichardSimon]

Originally Posted by barrysloate

It's probably an excellent idea to slab the great comic book rarities- I wouldn't want to be handling a Superman #1 or any other six figure item, but if I bought a comic for $25 or $50 I would want to be able to read it.

I guess with any area of collecting the more valuable an item, the less you want to handle it. If you dog ear a $25 comic, you're out five bucks. If you read Superman #1 in the bath tub and it slips and falls in...OOPS!

Barry - After reading your post, I had a visual of a collector reading a rare comic book in the bathtub and it is troubling me to no end. What a sight. Thanks a lot for the post .

[Bridwell]

Slabbing a program or booklet is silly because nobody can see what's on the pages inside once it's entombed. It would protect it, but it would be hard to resell later because I'm not sure anyone would invest in an expensive program without being able to view the inside pages.

Having said this, I don't collect World Series Programs because I can't tell the originals from the fakes. I would have to rely on the reputation of the auction house or seller. So I see your dilemma.

[Ladder7]

Slabbing would preserve what you have for long-term, safe storage and add legitimacy to our memorabilia when leaving it to an heir who may be ignorant of its' significance.

After all. How many self-professed baseball fans have we all met that had ever heard of Harry Wright, Cap Anson, Alexander Cartwright, Elysian Fields, Royal Rooters and the countless other legends in our collections? Steve