Am I Crazy?
MikeyP
Posts: 990 ✭✭✭
I have been collecting the 1978 Topps Baseball set since 2014. Actually, I have been collecting it since 1978, but those cards do not count. It was the first set that I ever collected, and I stored them in brown paper lunch bags, cigar boxes and shoe boxes. I wrapped them in rubber bands. I flipped them in my third grade classroom. I have no idea where those baseball cards are now.
I have been working on completing a mint set for six years. I insist on it being in mint condition, since it was the first baseball card set that I ever collected as a kid. I never completed it back then, so I am working on completing it now. I am keeping the stars in PSA MINT 9 holders, but I am cracking the others open, and storing them in a binder. I also added cards from unopened cello, rack and wax packs to my collection. I have 96 cards remaining to complete the set.
Am I crazy? Should I not be cracking open those PSA MINT 9 holders? I know that once completed, the set will never be worth what I paid for it, but I am enjoying the hobby regardless.
Comments
Yes that would qualify as crazy. I think there are plenty of mint raw singles in the hobby.
Where can I find those mint cards to purchase? I still have 96 cards remaining to complete my set. Can you recommend a seller? I have purchased some of my collection from New England Sports Cards as well. The remaining cards that I need are not easy to find listed in mint condition at reasonable prices.
'Nuff said. Carry on, Mikey.
Andy
Thanks, Andy.
This all comes down to money vs. happiness. Obviously you are killing off capital but if you are getting enjoyment that you feel exceeds this financial loss than go for it.
Everyone's financial circumstances are different. Using a $15 per card average it is $10,890. A $20 per card average $14,520. The value will decline probably 75 to 80 percent so a loss in the neighborhood of $8,000 to $11,000. If this is an issue don't do it. If this is a non event than go for it. I can honestly say that if something meant a lot to me and it costs me $11,000 over six years I wouldn't give two sh++'s.
Thank you, Dpeck100! You have explained it in a way that I have never considered. It is likely that it will take me ten years to complete this set. That will cost me an average of $1,089 per year, a cost that is definitely affordable. I prefer turning through my binder pages to burying my collection in stacks of plastic holders. My collection will still include a large stack of stars in holders, but that number will be nothing even remotely close to 726 holdered cards. Thanks again for the comment.
I began collecting full time in 1978. Oh, I dabbled with 76 and bought my first set made from vending boxes for $10 in 1977 but 78 was the first year where I was making money shoveling snow / cutting lawns and then burning every last cent I owned on boxes of that stuff. We used to play knock down and topsies with ours - as it sounds like you did as well. 78's hold a special place in my heart. Good to hear you are enjoying reliving those days buy assembling a NrMt/Mt set = outstanding!
I think you would be crazy if you were to tell us that you were purchasing Mint singles, cracking them, and then pitching them like we did in 3rd grade!
Good luck with completing the set and keep enjoying!
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Do what I did with my favorite set. Build one raw set in mint condition and build one graded set in PSA 9 or at least PSA 8. It will take years to complete but you will really appreciate the endeavor when complete. Good luck.
Mikey: Collect how you like. Am a big 78 fan myself. I buy whole sets and cherry pick out a couple of stars to grade. One of these days I will merge my 15 or 20 sets to make a perfect set. Until then I am happy to pile up nice cards that I have submitted. Enjoy it your way.
Bosox1976
That statement right there is the essence of collecting in my opinion. The love and passion of acquiring and preserving pieces of history, whatever it may be. We're all curators of our own personal museums and I've always believed that collecting is the greatest and most important hobby. That being said, I know you probably have these already Mikey, but if you could use these two cards, let me know. I'm not trying to turn a buck, just knowing these would be in the hands of someone that will care for them as I have over the years is enough. I pulled these out of some cellos back when I was a freshman in high school, '83, straight from pack to penny sleeves. They've always been well taken care of and carefully moved from sleeve to sleeve and holder to holder, but I only recently saw these again after being stored and carted around for the last 14 years. They may fare well if graded I think. I don't know about 10's, but I'd be surprised if they went below 7's and that's being generous, but I'm no grader, what do I know? And hey guys, if Mikey doesn't need them and any of you '78 collector's might, those that have already commented or those that may, let me know. I think there'll be a few good homes these could go to in this thread.
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Got one, two, more? Let me know!!
Thank you all for the comments. Departed, that is a very kind offer. I actually have those two cards already. They are among the stars that I mentioned previously, and they have not been removed from their PSA 9 MINT holders.
If you're keeping the bigger names in their holders I wouldn't worry about it much. Trying to resell a common PSA 9 some time down the road would be about the equivalent of taking it out of the holder and keeping it in a binder forever. And you already know that this isn't a money making adventure.
Thanks, Dane.
Not at all crazy. Sometimes easier to find strong cards in holders. We all have only so much space (especially if we live in a city). The card is the same in a holder or raw. If you plan on keeping it for a while (and it sounds like that is your plan) who knows what value a PSA holder vs a raw card vs some other company holder will have 30 years from now. In the meantime you get a lot of closet space back.
I have cracked out a lot of 1978 PSA 9s when the holder is unattractive or damaged. PSA 9 commons are really not worth much graded or ungraded so I’d rather have them in a format I enjoy.
I'd recommend using ultra pro platinum pages. They really make the cards pop.
I'd also recommend not cracking out any of the cards until you're sure that you're done acquiring cards. I've put together some raw vintage sets like 1966 or 1969 where it was sometimes cheaper to buy a PSA 6 or 7 that looked undergraded to crack out vs a raw card with similar appeal from Greg Morris or whoever. But, I learned that while I could check it off of my want list, I should hold off on cracking, because you just never know when you might come across a nice raw lot that not only fills some of your other holes, but also includes a nice raw example of the same card in the holder. It's also possible that you find a better example of the same card for less money later (graded or raw). It will be much easier to then sell the lesser card if it's still in the holder.
Thanks again for the comments. Count Douglas, I use Ultra PRO Platinum Series 9-Pocket Pages for my collection. I could not agree more about the quality.