Downgrading collection - WWYD?
rcmb3220
Posts: 1,108 ✭✭✭✭
I’m in the process of downgrading my collection – which mostly consists of 70s and 80s PSA HOF baseball rookies, key rookies from the Pistons bad boy era part 1, key rookies from the 84 Tigers, Barry Sanders rookies and Billy Sims cards from the 1981 Topps set – his rookie year. All nice cards, nothing too valuable. The card I mention below is the highest value one I own.
To keep this short(er), the reason why has to do with the fact I barely look at cards after mail day. And I don’t see much point in collecting cards that cost more than they need to for enjoyment and way less than they need to for an investment portfolio.
My current cards are all earmarked for downgrading or keeping. Except one.
My 1989 Fleer FF Bill Ripken PSA 10. In 1989 this card had everything a 13 year old card collector could want. 1) it was a baseball card and 2) it not only had a swear word on it, it had the swear word on it. I was never able to get one back then.
Fast forward to 2014 when I got back into collecting after 20+ years away. I won an auction for a 3 box rack case of 89 Fleer from Kruk Cards and got 6 of these cards. I kept the best one for grading and got a 10.
So the question is, would you downgrade this card? It would be an easy no if I had gotten this from a pack back in 1989. It would be an easy yes if I had bought it graded as an adult. Thoughts?
Comments
Heck no
Billy would say F no.
Haha!!
So we are looking at about a $100 card. I say unless you are in need of the cash, keep the card because of the story behind it. You can get another, even in lower grade, but it will never be THAT exact same card. That way you can get it out and look at it from time to time and always have the memory.
Keep it.
Not knowing more than what you said in the thread, it is hard to determine what is best for you. It kind of sounds like you have lost interest in collecting for the fun of it, although some of your items would indicate otherwise (Billy Sims - I loved that RC of his when it was new). Aside from authenticating a card that might otherwise be counterfeit and would easily fool someone, I don't equate grading to anything fun in collecting. I equate it to value and investment. People get cards graded for a boost in value, otherwise a nice raw mint Ripken error card is just as good as a 10 to someone in it for the enjoyment of the cards themselves.
That being said, you probably can guess where I stand with graded cards and also considering the novelty of that card has long worn off with me, I would sell it and buy cards I like for the fun of it.
I'd say keep it if you get a thrill from the fact that you pulled it from a pack yourself and subbed it yourself. I have a box of 540 cards from a 1984 Donruss wax box bust. I'd be lucky to get $20 for the cards, but to me they are worth more because the remind me of the thrill I got when I pulled the Mattingly and Carter from the packs.
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