The Grading Pyramid

[rdixon1208]

This is a really good thread. I'm a low grade collector myself, and when I first started collecting I would use VCP to tell me what a T206 McGraw in a SGC 20 holder should cost. While I'm not knocking the service (I think it's great actually), you really lose accuracy with lower grade cards using average prices or lowest prices paid.

In fact, in my first year or so of collecting, I had a collection of cards (all lower grade) that I had really gotten a great deal on. I had gotten almost all of them for less than the average price paid for the same card/grade. One day I was looking through my collection and I realized that most of my cards were also in less than average condition for the grade.

I guess that's when I realized that all SGC 20's weren't the same. The cool thing is...what bothers me may not bother you and vice versa (sp?). I don't like creases on the face for the most part, but I don't mind paper loss on the front or back of a card if it's in a part of the card that I don't feel like matters as much.

These days I try to really just buy the cards that I like regardless of the grade. That being said, since I don't generally want to spend the money to buy a higher graded card, I just take my time and find a lower graded one that I'm cool with.