Card Collecting: Slabbed, Raw, or Mixed?

DeutscherGeist

If you have one of your favorite cards raw, do you also purchase the same one slabbed by PSA, BGS, or other company?

Its nice and organized to collect cards slabbed by PSA and keep them stacked together in an archival storage box by year, name or team order depending on preference. What if some of your collection happens to be in BGS holders, do you cross them to PSA so that they can be stacked and organized together, or does one simply create a BGS collection of cards by date, name, or team depending on personal preference?

For example, I do have the 1989 UD Jim Abbott rookie card that I simply like. It is raw and in a card saver. I am thinking about keeping various cards of his in album sheets so I can enjoy flipping through them and appreciating the collection and memories it invokes. However, I also want a GEM MINT condition card, so I am on the hunt for a reasonably priced one in PSA 10. If I find one in a BGS slab, I would still get it if the price is right, but then keep pursuing one in PSA 10.

I collect players that I like, even if they were not on the Yankees, and I am seeing my collection evolve into players that I like in raw form, in PSA holders, in AGS holders, BGS holders, in penny sleeves kept in a 200 or 400 ct boxes, card savers and eventually in album sheets.

I got my raw cards from shows and traditional sports card shops many years ago. I buy almost exclusively online and do not consider buying raw since I cannot really be sure that I will be happy with the condition. I am mainly just collecting slabbed right now.

I know some have kept their childhood collection separate from the rest because that represents a different kind of value, sentimental value, to be exact, and do not mix it with the rest of the collection no matter if its slabbed or raw. I like that idea too.

I know some of you are set builders and store them in slabs, card savers, albums, or penny sleeves in a box. Maybe you get the most valuable cards graded in the set and not the rest, which will cause a bit of difficulty storing them together or perhaps resign to leave them separate.

pab1969

I prefer both. My premiere set, 1961 Topps baseball, I have one set in all PSA and another all raw. I like that graded cards protect the card but nothing beats the feel or smell of raw vintage cardboard in your hand. I purchase both varieties from time to time. I too have a few binders of cards of sentimental value that I had since childhood. Lately I have been downsizing and selling off most of my excess raw cards and sets. I was one who loved putting complete raw sets together and spending time at shows with my checklist in hand trying to acquire the scarce cards I needed in the best condition possible. I found great enjoyment with the never ending task of upgrading my raw cards for a better condition one. As for the graded cards, I would love to one day be able to display each card for easy viewing. Maybe in a room with custom shelving where I can fully appreciate them. In numbered order of course. But for now, they sit in a cardboard box.

jay0791

At this point I only buy PSA cards. If it is under $10 than it most likely stays raw.
I do not intentionally ever look for BGS or SGC but if its is not on the psa registry then I might

prgsdw

I buy both. For my Dallas Cowboys sets, I buy predominantly PSA graded, though I have a number of the cards duplicated as ungraded as well. For most everything else, it's ungraded. I enjoy going through an album and looking at the items. As a matter of fact, I was just doing that earlier today with my 1935 Diamond football matchbook near set (93/96) that I have in Card Saver III's, inside a perfect fit sleeve in a 4 pocket Ultra-Pro platinum page in a binder.

Steve

ahopkins

I go for the trifecta (if possible): raw, slabbed, and unopened.

DeutscherGeist

prgsdw,

Thank you for contributing on this thread. Just so I understand, you have football cards in Card Saver IIIs that are inserted further in a 4 pocket Ultra-Pro Platinum page? I am not familiar with Card Saver IIIs, they must be smaller than Card Saver IIs, correct?

I do have 1980s baseball cards in penny sleeves which I then inserted into 9 pocket album pages. It fits nicely and the card is better protected and less chance for it to slip out. Also, the air exposure is limited since the combination of the penny sleeve and album page pocket seal it up nicely. The very top of the card (the top edge) will have the most air exposure, but that is countered by the longer lip of the penny sleeve with the added pressure of album pages compressing on one another. The reason I bring up exposure to air is because even if the cards are in a smoke free and pet free environment, there is a danger of yellowing. Having it sealed prevents that.

ahopkins,

Thanks for participating on this thread. The trifecta? Nice word for this context. I do have the 1989 UD Jim Abbott in raw and in a factory sealed 1989 UD Update set. There are at least two different ways to go about raw: have them in the album, and have them in a stack of in Card Saver IIs. Those are two different way of enjoying raw cards. For cards that I especially like, I have multiples of them. At a certain point, I think if these cards really take a leap in value, it will be worthwhile grading them and selling some. I mean, is it really that much more satisfying to have 25 X 1988 Fleer Tom Glavine instead of being content with just 10? Downsizing or clearing up the collection is part of the collecting experience.

brad31

I buy graded now but my pre graded collection is and will remain raw. I just prefer to buy more cards than to pay grading fees.

Kep13

I buy raw collections with the intention of grading the PSA candidates of stars/rookies...rookies/stars that have issues, I just keep them in the collection....maybe some day I will sell them, but as I doubt they will ever make their way to PSA, they don't typically see the light of day too often

1951WheatiesPremium

I buy mostly raw vintage (pre-1970) and graded modern and thoroughly enjoy having the raw items graded from time to time. My collection is - and I suppose always will be - a pretty good mix of each.

I have some sets I have been working on as well as singles.

DMasci

I buy a few raw cards these days with the intention of having them graded later. Most all of my star cards I bought back in the day have been graded by BGS/BVG. I have recently started with PSA which is my new preference. I have bought a few cards graded PSA that I had already graded by Beckett and have sold or am selling the BGS cards.

Right now I'm just working on a PSA football HOF set and almost all my cards fit into that category with the exception of some future HOFers. My only real player collection is Jim Brown.

craig44

I never submit, but I buy lots of graded. 90% PSA. I also like to have raw copies that I put in binders for easy viewing.

I have just started attempting to take good photos of my rare graded so I can enjoy them on my phone wherever I am. I should get a quality scanner so I can get the best quality.

2dueces

Depends. 60’s football set are mostly raw in binders with the exception of star cards. Modern football which I’ve just now gotten back to collecting both raw and slabbed.
T206’s 99% graded with the the exception of my collection of FF Baker back stamps. For those unfamiliar he was a kid in the 1910’s who stamped his T206’s. Cool project.
Basketball mixed lot.

prgsdw

@DeutscherGeist said:
prgsdw,

Thank you for contributing on this thread. Just so I understand, you have football cards in Card Saver IIIs that are inserted further in a 4 pocket Ultra-Pro Platinum page? I am not familiar with Card Saver IIIs, they must be smaller than Card Saver IIs, correct?

The 1935 Diamond matchbooks are taller than a normal card, so I use the Card Saver III's for those. They are "tall boy" card savers. Here's a scan of one of the pages from my 1935 Diamond football matchcover set. This page features Dutch Clark's HOF rookie cover:

You can see the card saver III is placed inside the PSA Perfect fit sleeve, with the tear off flap facing forward. I then insert the card into the pocket and fold the flap forward to attach the sleeve to the page so that they can't slide out.

I do the same thing with the 1960's sets I'm working on but with Card Saver I's. Here's a page from my 1969 Topps set:

Same approach there with Card Saver 1 inside a PSA perfect fit sleeve attached to a 4 pocket page. Hope that helps!

Steve

miller777

It does depend on the era for me. I have four basically complete 60's sets, all raw. For my 68 set, I lack one card, yep #177. I have bid on dozens and dozens of raw and graded cards, but seemed to always be short on the bid. I really want it raw to match my other cards in the set (EX). I do purchased lots of raw and graded. I also collect Baseball HOF stars in PSA 6-10. But PSA sets, it seems, is just to pricey. I just cant see paying the prices that no name players may cost due to scarcity, yet I see and appreciate the time and effort it takes to complete that huge task. Different stroke for different folks.