Mid-Grade Collectors

[cardsagain74]

In addition to grade 3-5 usually looking pretty good, it often seems like there's less demand for post-war vintage in that range (compared to the many current "gotta have the card" collectors who want to spend as little as possible and thus keep a fairly high floor for the lowest grades' prices).

And naturally the scarcity and higher-end luxury feel to grade 6-7 and above often makes those a totally different ballpark than mid-grade.

So I've always felt that grade 3-5 is clearly the best combo of value and visual appeal. You'd think there would be a lot more others out there who feel the same as many of us here, but the market doesn't really dictate that. Making it the range that I usually focus on for my '50s and '60s collection.

[Natswin2019]

I'm glad this thread got bumped to the top because you guys are my kind of collectors. I like low grade cards for many of the reasons that you guys have already said. I like how it gives them a certain character and makes them feel more real. I usually don't mind if there's a visible crease or 2, if they are off center or have bad corners. The only things that bother me are paper loss, lots of writing or if part of the card are missing. I'm also a big fan of how it allows me to afford more cards in the set that I'm building or more of the random cards that I think are cool.

[jayshum]

Originally Posted by Natswin2019

I'm glad this thread got bumped to the top because you guys are my kind of collectors. I like low grade cards for many of the reasons that you guys have already said. I like how it gives them a certain character and makes them feel more real. I usually don't mind if there's a visible crease or 2, if they are off center or has bad corners. The only things that bother me are paper loss, lots of writing or if part of the card are missing. I'm also a big fan of how it allows me to afford more cards in the set that I'm building or more of the random cards that I think are cool and to pick up.

I look for the same type of cards as you. It's all about how the card looks, and there are plenty of lower grade cards that look just fine when they are in a binder. I'm fine with some minor creases as long as they don't have a major impact on how the card looks. I also try to avoid paper loss and writing as well as tears and pinholes. There is no way I would have nearly as much in my collection otherwise.

[CobbSpikedMe]

I understand the feeling of not wanting writing on a card in your set, but I love cards like this. I just imagine the kid drawing all over the card back in the 60's and think they are awesome. I'd have a better copy for my set, but definitely like having these in my collection all the same.


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[Tere1071]

My war crimes against cards:

In 1970 I collected the Odd Rods stickers along with my baseball cards. I stuck the Odd Rods on a box and when they began to come off I glued them to my baseball cards.

Also, my grandmother decided to separate mine and my brother's 1970s by writing "Santa Claus" on the fronts of his cards. He was going through an identity crisis as a 5-year-old at the time, calling himself Santa.

For 1971 I discovered the magic of push pins and I put several of my 71 Topps on the wall by pushing the pin through the dot on the front of the card.

Finally, in 1976, I wanted to display some of my Clemente cards in frames on the wall of my bedroom. Lacking plastic sheets I taped them to the backing of the frames. Needless to say, when I finally decided to remove the cards, it damaged the backs. I had to replace them all.

Just wondering, did any of my former cards end up in anyone's collections?

[mortimer brewster]

I have been collecting since 1978 and have always liked cards in ex-mt or better condition.

Card prices for cards in NM condition (pre 1980) are bordering on the ridiculous.

I attempted to buy a 1975 common in a Greg Morris auction several weeks ago. It was NM with a big print dot. I was willing to pay 2.00. The darn thing sold for 11.50. A bidding war for Larrin freaking Lagrow.

I've come to the conclusion that even tho I don't collect graded cards I am still bidding against investors who are buying cards to grade.

For this reason, mid grade is the way to go. As long as the card has decent centering with honest wear, that's good enough for me.

[jchcollins]

Originally Posted by Tere1071

Also, my grandmother decided to separate mine and my brother's 1970s by writing "Santa Claus" on the fronts of his cards. He was going through an identity crisis as a 5-year-old at the time, calling himself Santa.

That's the best anecdote I've heard in quite some time...

[jchcollins]

I have mentioned it before, perhaps even somewhere back in the history of this very thread - but to me the tradeoff between midgrade or lower and true high grade cards also comes back to my eventual disappointment with true high grade cards. Whether subconsciously or not, if I buy a vintage card in a PSA 7 or 8, I'm going to expect it to be virtually perfect. The problem there of course is "virtually perfect" cards are 10's, not 7's. I've fallen into that trap again at least once even as recently as this spring - that PSA 7 which was so nice looking actually had an edge ding I'm not happy with, or that SGC 88 which looked great online has dull color in real life. The truth is I would not be unhappy with either card if they had been in the 5 - 6 range and I had paid correspondingly lower for them. But when I pay for higher, I apparently get the problem of unrealistic expectation onset - even though I've known how to properly grade for decades.

[STM56]

Originally Posted by Tere1071

My war crimes against cards:

In 1970 I collected the Odd Rods stickers along with my baseball cards. I stuck the Odd Rods on a box and when they began to come off I glued them to my baseball cards.

Also, my grandmother decided to separate mine and my brother's 1970s by writing "Santa Claus" on the fronts of his cards. He was going through an identity crisis as a 5-year-old at the time, calling himself Santa.

For 1971 I discovered the magic of push pins and I put several of my 71 Topps on the wall by pushing the pin through the dot on the front of the card.

Finally, in 1976, I wanted to display some of my Clemente cards in frames on the wall of my bedroom. Lacking plastic sheets I taped them to the backing of the frames. Needless to say, when I finally decided to remove the cards, it damaged the backs. I had to replace them all.

Just wondering, did any of my former cards end up in anyone's collections?

Along these lines recently I had a conversation with a childhood friend about our card collections. We both have our original cards from the 60’s/70’s. I told him that I had sent some of my cards in for grading and he got interested and asked a few questions about the process. I asked him about the condition of his cards and he indicated that they were in pretty good shape. After a few more minutes he said “at some point I decided I needed to be able to identify my cards in case they got stolen or mixed up with somebody else’s cards so I took a hole punch and punched holes in the top left corner of my cards”. I think my reply was “Ouch that’s not good”.

[MikeGarcia]

Originally Posted by STM56

Along these lines recently I had a conversation with a childhood friend about our card collections. We both have our original cards from the 60’s/70’s. I told him that I had sent some of my cards in for grading and he got interested and asked a few questions about the process. I asked him about the condition of his cards and he indicated that they were in pretty good shape. After a few more minutes he said “at some point I decided I needed to be able to identify my cards in case they got stolen or mixed up with somebody else’s cards so I took a hole punch and punched holes in the top left corner of my cards”. I think my reply was “Ouch that’s not good”.

..

[Natswin2019]

Originally Posted by jayshum

I look for the same type of cards as you. It's all about how the card looks, and there are plenty of lower grade cards that look just fine when they are in a binder. I'm fine with some minor creases as long as they don't have a major impact on how the card looks. I also try to avoid paper loss and writing as well as tears and pinholes. There is no way I would have nearly as much in my collection otherwise.

Exactly my thinking. Why pay 500$ for a perfect card when I can get the same card for 20$ and the only difference is that the corners are a bit dinged up. I still get the same amount of enjoyment out of the card and can get several more cards with the money I saved.

[jgannon]

I think grading has become a fetish with modern collectors. I like a card in good condition, but so many collectors buy grades, not cards. Who cares? If you want to make money off of people who care about grades, it serves a purpose, I guess. You look at some of those cards in this thread that don't grade high, and to me, they're everything I would ever want in a baseball card. I don't think of them as "mid-grade". I think of them as good baseball cards.

[Tere1071]

I know what you mean. Last night I had hoped to pick up a few PSA 6 commons for my 53 Bowman color from the PWCC auction. The bids on those cards quickly ended that hope! However, there's a dealer on eBay, grpoch, that's selling a number of cards that are in decent, ungraded condition at a heck of a lot less money. I picked up a Billy Pierce that's in excellent condition for a fraction that the one sold for last night.

[jgannon]

Originally Posted by Tere1071

I know what you mean. Last night I had hoped to pick up a few PSA 6 commons for my 53 Bowman color from the PWCC auction. The bids on those cards quickly ended that hope! However, there's a dealer on eBay, grpoch, that's selling a number of cards that are in decent, ungraded condition at a heck of a lot less money. I picked up a Billy Pierce that's in excellent condition for a fraction that the one sold for last night.

Yeah, good for you! I'll tell you the truth, I don't like slabs. To me, they're sterile prisons for the card. That's just my opinion of course. I could see putting a T206 Wagner in one, but to me, they overtake the card. I do put my cards in toploaders and also in sleeves. But with the topholder, it's almost like holding the card itself. You can go through them the way you do with cards.