"Pop" irritates me.....just a small rant....

[barrysloate]

What annoys me the most about it is a seller's deliberate omission of cards graded at the same or higher level by other grading companies. I believe we had this discussion a few months back (or my memory is off), but a 1914 Cracker Jack set was being auctioned as the #1 set graded by PSA. That's great, and I'm sure it was a beautiful set. But shouldn't prospective bidders be told that the finest 1914 CJ set by far was graded by SGC, and that the winner will not own the finest set but the second finest one? Information like that is often conveniently left out of auction descriptions.

[Leon]

Barry,

I would hope, but am not certain, anyone spending $500,000 on a set of baseball cards has done some homework? If they haven't then PT Barnum was certainly correct.

[baseballart]

Leon

However, you surely don't prefer "Grandpa" (as in "grandpa's attic") to "Pop"?

Max

[Leon]

Originally Posted by baseballart

Leon

However, you surely don't prefer "Grandpa" (as in "grandpa's attic") to "Pop"?

Max

I always knew my "grandpa" as "Grandpa". I think he mostly had dust in his attic.
I just can't help it but every time I hear the word "pop" in our hobby I immediately think to myself "goes the weasel". I can't explain it but I wish I didn't do it. I think it might be because I have a disdain for that part of collecting. And I also have a disdain to always have to say "it's fine to collect plastic and by the number if that is what you enjoy" But I know if I don't then someone will rant about me letting collectors collect the way they want to (which I really am all for). Somehow I think I just said a whole lot about nuthin'.

[barrysloate]

Sure Leon, in the case of a 500K set, you would at least think prospective bidders would do their homework. But I picked an extreme example. What about a T-206 common, graded pop 1 of 1 by PSA, that has a higher example graded by SGC or Beckett? Not every last card will be researched. It's just a system that depends upon a certain amount of information being omitted for it to succeed.

[Abravefan11]

Originally Posted by barrysloate

What about a T-206 common, graded pop 1 of 1 by PSA, that has a higher example graded by SGC or Beckett?

I have to laugh when I see a T206 description that states highest graded example or makes reference to the PSA Population Report. By PSA's own count they graded over 63,000 T206's without accounting for their back variation and are just listed as "Unknown."

[Leon]

Originally Posted by Abravefan11

I have to laugh when I see a T206 description that states highest graded example or makes reference to the PSA Population Report. By PSA's own count they graded over 63,000 T206's without accounting for their back variation and are just listed as "Unknown."

Can you imagine if someone asked the "pop", and you said: 63,000

[glchen]

I think for many of us who ask about "pop," it's because we grew up collecting 80s cards where there was huge oversupply. Therefore, we're much more cautious about just how many cards are out there. I think most of us know about the weaknesses of the pop reports as stated above. However, knowing the pop figures can give us a general relative # to compare other cards too. For example, if you collect a higher grade card, which has low pop, that is most likely going to be able to stand up as the pop increases as opposed to lower grade cards. You can also get a general idea of which sets are scarcer than others.

[tbob]

The flaw in the "pop" system is that certain cards are graded much more often than others so it appears that certain commons are very tough when they may not be. An example is in the C46 Imperial Tobacco card set. If you look at the number of Gandils which have been graded you would think that card is 5 or 6 times as frequently encountered as one of the commons. The truth is that not many people are collecting the whole set and/or slabbing the whole set for registry purposes. Also you have to factor in that type collectors and/or sellers are trying to get the highest grades possible so they are being re-submitted, etc.
Pop reports are useful but should be taken with a grain of salt.

[ctownboy]

When I read people on this board talking about "pop" reports, I too, think about it as a business term.

As far as the word "pop" goes, I don't think about "the weasel" but I think about soft drinks.

Growing up in a small town in southern Indiana, most everyone there called a soft drink a "coke". When going to the store or the concession stand, someone might ask you to get them a "coke" and you would then, in turn, ask, "what kind?". They might respond "Coke" or they might say, "Pepsi", "Dr. Pepper", "Mello Yellow", "Mr. Pibb", "Big Red", etc.

When I went to college at IU in Bloomington, most people there said "pop" or soft drink instead of the generic "coke".

So now, when I hear the term "pop report" I think somebody is wanting some type of detailed written report on a soft drink then I remember they are talking about cards......

David

[uffda51]

I've always associated the word "pop" with the south because my knowledge of the south as a kid came from watching The Andy Griffith show. Andy and Barney were often known to buy a bottle of "pop." My friend who grew up in Milwaukee always used the term "soda" instead of pop or soft drink. Egg creams have actual soda in them, but neither eggs nor cream. What were we talking about again?

[HBroll]

Growing up in NE Ohio, we always referred to soft drinks as "pop" too. That encompassed ANY carbonated soft drink. Like David said, you would have to ask them what kind of "pop" they wanted.

Of course in the card world, it has a totally different meaning.

[Leon]

I don't know about "pop" being used to describe a soda as everything I ever heard growing up in Texas was a "coke". Then we would always ask what kind? Personally I like Diet Dr.Pepper as my coke of choice. I always thought the usage of "pop" was for northerners.

[4815162342]

Originally Posted by Leon

I don't know about "pop" being used to describe a soda as everything I ever heard growing up in Texas was a "coke". Then we would always ask what kind? Personally I like Diet Dr.Pepper as my coke of choice. I always thought the usage of "pop" was for northerners.

Growing up in Alabama, it was "Co-cola", which was of course short for Coca-Cola.

[lharri3600]

ok leon,
be careful!

Originally Posted by Leon

I don't know about "pop" being used to describe a soda as everything I ever heard growing up in Texas was a "coke". Then we would always ask what kind? Personally I like Diet Dr.Pepper as my coke of choice. I always thought the usage of "pop" was for northerners.

[sox1903wschamp]

Originally Posted by HBroll

Growing up in NE Ohio, we always referred to soft drinks as "pop" too. That encompassed ANY carbonated soft drink.

Growing up on the East Coast (Boston), carbonated beverages were called "tonic". When I was 16, my family moved to Kansas City and I learned about "pop". Well before grading services

[jcmtiger]

Soft drinks in Michigan were always known as "Pop".

joe