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Buying the card and not the holder....
Gemyanks10
Posts: 1,164 ✭✭✭
Anyone else see cards they need come up for sale, but choose to pass waiting on a better example to eventually get listed? PSA 10’s I’m referring too. Lately, there’s a bunch of cards for my player sets that have come up for sale, but either they are a tad off centered, or some other minor imperfection and while the POP report on these cards doesn’t necessarily indicate that they are rare, they aren’t listed that often. I guess impatience may be playing a part as I’d like to start completing some sets, but I want them to be “of quality” instead of settling if that makes sense. Anyone else holding out on needing a couple cards to finish a long project, but are afraid to settle as a nicer example may surface eventually?
Always looking for OPC "tape intact" baseball wax boxes, and 1984 OPC baseball PSA 10's for my set. Please PM or email me if you have any available.
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I probably pass on 90% of the cards available in the grade I want. To me, the whole point of working on these sets for years is to end up with something I can be happy with and proud of. Rushing through it serves no purpose to me, but everyone has their own style and priorities.
There is so much inconsistency between cards of the same grade you have to be picky. I’d also strongly suggest understanding proper border width / sizing for high value cards. Know the issue well.
I recently landed a PSA 9 of 1 of the 4 items I needed to “complete” the Hannah master set. When I got it in hand, the foil sticker had been damaged by the rails in the PSA holder. I contemplated keeping it, since I’ve been working on the master set for 5 years plus there’s only one more PSA 9 and no 10’s. But ultimately I wasn’t happy at all with the sticker so I returned it.
Yaz Master Set
#1 Gino Cappelletti master set
#1 John Hannah master set
Also collecting Andre Tippett, Patriots Greats' RCs, 1964 Venezuelan Topps, 1974 Topps Red Sox
Wow! Good for you Dan for not settling. Hopefully the other 9 comes up for sale soon so you can have a shot at it.
Thanks, good luck in your hunts too. Stay strong! Lol
Yaz Master Set
#1 Gino Cappelletti master set
#1 John Hannah master set
Also collecting Andre Tippett, Patriots Greats' RCs, 1964 Venezuelan Topps, 1974 Topps Red Sox
I’m trying haha. A lot of this stuff is 80’s baseball that was produced into the tens of millions, but due to poor packaging and lack of proper cutting, it’s still difficult to find nice examples. I’m sure it’ll happen eventually.
This may sound silly but I would buy the next ‘cheap’ 10 and also keep looking. If the card sees a price spike, you’ve got one. And can sell it at higher price to help afford the 10 you want.
Curious about the rare, mysterious and beautiful 1951 Wheaties Premium Photos?
https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/987963/1951-wheaties-premium-photos-set-registry#latest
This. Except higher than 90%.
Arthur
You're used to chasing true rarities though. For instance, I've been looking for well-centered 1970 Topps Jabbar for what seems like an eternity. The card is the GDMF bane of my existence. I don't even really care what grade it's in -- 4, 5, 6, 7 -- I just want that 45/55 centering or better all the way around. Grabbing one that close to it is just a waste of time and money.
If there's one thing I've learned in the last 5 years, it's this: if you really, really want a card, wait for the one you can hang your hat on (I'm stealing that phrase from a buddy). Basically, wait for the example that you can put in your collection and say "I'm done. I never have to worry about upgrading this. This card is completely checked off."
It takes a LOT of patience and a LOT of searching but the feeling you get when you obtain one is so much better than just a regular pickup. It truly is a beautiful thing.
Arthur
Absolutely. Right now I'm working on the 48 leaf boxing set. My overall average grade is about a 5. I need about 9 more cards. These cards are tough to find in good shape. They are often miscut and poorly centered. I've been working on this set for about 5 years now. I've passed on tons of cards in the 6 and 7 range because I wasn't happy with them. And I definitely can see being picky when you are buying a 10. You gotta be happy with your purchase in all aspects.
Yeppers, I feel your frustration. As I collect HOF Baseball and some Basketball stars I often find a 6 or 7 that looks better than a pricier 7. I'm all about finding centered samples myself. Most of this stuff has been grabbed up many years ago and it slowly gets released when a death in the family occurs. Patience and persistence is the game here. I've been collecting a long time and my 1960 sets are finally coming together, but I still need a bunch of the main stars and semi-stars. It used to be easier to find 75 Topps minis that had decent centering, but now, most of what I see are leftovers and poor condition examples. Oh well, we keep chuggin' along. I need to go to the National and just except to pay 3-4 times the value of them to get my sets finished up.
To be honest, no direction, but...
1966-69 Topps EX+
1975 minis NrMt Kelloggs PSA 9
All Topps Heritage-Master Sets
Great luck in your pursuits and hope you can land the cards you need in the condition you want. That’s a great point about leftovers and lower condition for the grade cards. I’ve thought to myself in the past that certain cards that are on my want list may have to be bought in person just so I can examine it in hand as opposed to having to rely on shady eBay scans. That’s another whole issue altogether. If I can’t see a clear scan, I usually pass even if the card may be worthy of the grade. This beats buying the card, being unhappy and wasting money as I have done that in the past missing corner or surface imperfections due to not seeing it in the fuzzy scan. I’m hoping to make next years National in AC my first one ever...