Would you or wouldn't you????
mccardguy1
Posts: 1,507 ✭✭✭
So the question is this......
You are working on a set and you need one of the keys to the set and know you are going to have to spend $400.00 to get it in a grade such as a PSA 5 and you find one that is a PSA 5 MK. The reason for the MK designation is a very small ball point ink uniform number on the back that was obviously written by the original owner of the card and when I say small, it is small and does not take away from the attractiveness of the back of the card. The card itself meets all the requirements of a PSA 5 and is honestly not a bad looking card. The best part is this card can be had for about $150 to $200 cheaper than a similar grade would cost.
Do you buy the card because the mark is small and on the back or would the fact that the there is any kind of mark on it but the crap out of you and you would pass on it? I am struggling with how I am feeling about this one and leaning in one direction but wanted to ask others your thoughts.
so...what say you?
Comments
small ink on the back...I would go with the PSA 5 MK and use the saved money for something else in the set
Michael
Why do you collect? If for enjoyment, then I'd buy it, as long as it won't bother you. If for investment potential, then pass on it.
It sounds like the card is remarkable, cheap and right up your alley and the only catch is an (mk). Buy the coin, not the holder and if it bothers you as the set comes to completion, then pay a lot more for an “upgrade”.
In the end its up to you, but I buy Joe Louis cards regardless of condition or miscuts or ink or whatever. I just like to collect Joe Louis cards.
You guys are awesome. I wasn't sure I would get many answers but 15 minutes later you all confirmed what I was feeling.
I am collecting the set for my own happiness and of course I do want some resale value down the road when my wife needs to get rid of it. But in the end this is for me and I guess if I am happy with it that's all that counts. I can always upgrade somewhere down the line as someone mentioned.
I have pondering this purchase for two weeks and just now hit the buy it now.
Thanks for the advice everyone!!
If you’re in it for the Registry you should know up front that 5 (MK) = 3. Qualifiers are accounted for when the calculation is done and it’s a -2 until you get to 3 and under.
If it’s for you, decide what’s best for you. It sounds like there plenty available and I’d say wait for the right copy in the grade you want. Qualifier cards are often priced similar to how they ‘count’ so a 5 (MK) will often be priced as a higher end 3.
Depending on the card, qualifiers can limit resale so if you think it’s a card that was a requested qualifier (ex. 8 (OC) where without the qualifier it may get a 6:5 or 7) that could be a potential good value play but a marked card will always be marked so if the card is abundant I would say hold off. You may ‘save’ up front but marked cards can often ‘lose’ on the back end.
Curious about the rare, mysterious and beautiful 1951 Wheaties Premium Photos?
https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/987963/1951-wheaties-premium-photos-set-registry#latest
Clarification: a PSA 3 with a qualifier still counts as a PSA 1. It’s still a 2 point deduction until you’re UNDER PSA 3 (2.5 or lower).
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No problem.
-Someone
I wouldn't. I would always look at that mark and obsess over it no matter how small. I would rather wait for one without a qualifier to come up even if I have to pay a little more. If you buy the one with the qualifier I will guarantee you that within a year you will eventually buy another one without a qualifier to replace it.
Actually a 3 only gets a 1 point deduction:
9Q = -2
8Q = -2
7Q = -2
6Q = -2
5Q = -2
4Q = -2
3Q = -1
2Q = -1
1Q & 1.5Q = no deduction
Source: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/rules
I just collect, and don't worry about all that stuff. I find that if you obsess over all that stuff, it ruins the hobby.
I think if you're struggling over this, you're not going to be happy with the card. Big discounts can be very expensive.
I agree. I would also pass.
I would save and get the 5 with no qualifier. If you buy the cheaper one, the MK is always going to bug you and the small mark is going to start to look large to you over time.
I'd buy a clean 5 (no qualifier). I've never regretted going after better cards, even when it's slowed me down in completing sets.
Nobody looks at the back anyway. If it doesn't bother you, save the money.
Play by the new tenets.
Buy the 5mk, crack it, conserve it, regrade it, then sell it without mentioning a thing.
Sounds above board, right?
The sad thing is that this probably could be easily done and the pen mark is so small I could easily use a soft art eraser and take my time removing it and I am confident there would be no way to really see the "conservation". But honestly, I have better things to do than to play that game especially since it takes like three years to get your cards back from the grading companies now (tongue firmly planted in cheek).
If you feel you can live with the mark then go for it. Since joining these forums the "buy the card not the holder" mantra has really resonated with me. I recently sent 2 48 leaf Jack Dempsey cards out for grading. They came back as a 2.5 and a 3. I posted a thread here about which one to keep. It was fairly evenly split. In the end I decided to keep the 2.5, it has printers marks which is what knocked it down, but it just looks better to me. And I'm ok with it.
I had a great week. I just managed to win two auctions for two rare Joe Louis cards. One is out of focus, and one is miscut. I had to fight like an animal to get them. Took some serious sniper fire, but escaped with both, thank goodness.
You can always upgrade, then sell the MK off...….problem solved.
cracking out a card and reselling it without mentioning the reason it received the lower grade is just plain
immoral in my book. You can join all the other dirt bags that sell cards with negative qualifiers stating full SMR and the population of a straight grade.
Buy the 5MK. enjoy card. You can always upgrade.
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Sorry, no marks for me.
Yes. This is exactly what I meant. If you figure just a 10% haircut for buying a mistake, it can still be expensive. Note that I have no objections to how you (or anyone) wishes to collect, but if you have to ask, you're just not going to be happy with the mark. Better to save your money for the one you really want.
No doubt cracking the card and not mentioning the reason for the lower grade or even reconditioning the card with no disclosure to a potential buyer would be a dirt bag move and not something I will do. I have been in the hobby since I was nine years old and am now in my 50's and never did this for the money making factor but for my own happiness. I despise those who give a card a little shave or ironing.
Actually, I was asking not for myself but to see what others would do in this situation. Truth be told I already bought the card before I posted this and while I wrestled with the decision briefly, I had to take a real look at why I am still collecting. This hobby has always been for my own pleasure and making a few bucks off of it was just a side benefit so buying this card with the MK designation wasnt much of a decision for me. I have always been a huge fan of history and cannot help but wonder about the history of the collectables we now own. The thought of some 10 year old kid who originally pulled the card out of a pack putting the players uniform number on the back of his card for some unknown reason nearly 60 years ago helps me connect to that ten year old kid in me once again. After all I remember writing on my cards so I can understand why he may have done it.
Here is the card I purchased.....Pics taken from Ebay. I will put up new pics when it arrives. I may have overpaid a little bit but I think I am good with it.
Some marks would bother me. This one doesn't. It's Clemente's number. And probably made by a kid. That, to me, is keepable. Good pickup, man. Are you happy?
Andy
I agree with you. Any other mark probably would have made me think twice but something like this or the initials of the original owner (I have owned those kinds of cards but then again I knew the original owner) didnt bother me. Am I happy? Yeah....I am. Now if I can only find the Mantle this kid used to own and buy that for a decent price!
That is a beautiful way to collect cards mccardguy1. I collect Joe Louis cards because I love Joe Louis, and what he accomplished inside and outside the ring. Whenever I buy a Joe Louis card, I feel a connection to him. It's like I'm in his corner during one of his fights. Joe Louis is my favorite athlete, and I just love to collect his cards regardless of their condition. I'm just not the type of person who loses sleep obsessing over creases or marks or whatever a card might have, because I didn't get into the hobby for that. I got into the hobby to connect with these wonderful athletes.
Then that's all that matters. I'm happy for you. Enjoy the card.
Andy
@mccardguy1
That card is a stunner! Really solid looking card with or without the mark and it’s very minor and in line with the player. I collect in a similar fashion (historical connection) and have a similar situation where the mark almost enhances the card to me - as if it’s owner was trying to pinpoint the years...
Curious about the rare, mysterious and beautiful 1951 Wheaties Premium Photos?
https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/987963/1951-wheaties-premium-photos-set-registry#latest
Sweet DeMaggio!