Looking for some advice on grading packs
Sidepocket1
Posts: 77 ✭✭✭
I received great advice here on selling some graded cards, so I thought I'd take advantage of the tremendous amount of knowledge and experience here and ask for some more advice.
I've got quite a few unopened wax and cello packs from prior group breaks on the PSA board. I know they would certainly be questioned for authenticity if I leave them raw, but at $20 a pack to get them graded I'd love some thoughts on what to do. I'm not really looking to sell, I just want to preserve them should I decide to sell in the future. Some packs certainly make sense to get graded, others are probably borderline. Most are in great shape, some have a little corner wear. I'm not really sure how PSA grades a pack, but I think most would grade 7, 8 or 9. Below is a list of the years/sports.
Thanks for any thoughts, I really appreciate it!
Baseball
1975 Topps Mini
1977 Topps Wax
1977 Topps Wax
1977 Topps Cello
1978 Topps Wax
1978 Topps Wax
1978 Topps Wax
1978 Topps Wax
1978 Topps Cello
1979 Topps Wax
1979 Topps Wax
1979 Topps Wax
1979 Topps Wax
1979 Topps Wax
1979 Topps Cello
1980 Topps Wax
1980 Topps Wax
Football
1981 Topps
1981 Topps
1981 Topps
1981 Topps
1981 Topps
1981 Topps
1981 Topps
1981 1979 wrapper
1981 1979 wrapper
1984 Topps
1986 Topps
1986 Topps
1986 Topps
1986 Topps
1986 Topps
1986 Topps
1987 Topps
1988 Topps
Basketball
78/79 Topps
78/79 Topps
78/79 Topps
79/80 Topps
80/81 Topps
81/82 Topps
Hockey
80/81 Topps
81/82 Topps
84/85 OPC
85/86 OPC
Comments
Pack grading fee for anything 1980 or earlier is now $40 a pack minimum.
I would grade all of the baseball packs listed and the 81, 84 and 86 football packs. I'm not too well versed in value for the other sports.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
Dang Tim that would be like $1200 for grading! Ouch!
These are the current pack grading fees:
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
Last month they were 16 per pack, that is a crazy increase.
Collecting:
post world war II HOF rookie
76 topps gem mint 10 commons 9 stars
Arenado purple refractors(Rockies) Red (Cardinals)
successful deals with Keevan, Grote15, 1954, mbogoman
The 85/86 OPC Hockey pack prices have really climbed quickly - if you think you’ll get an 8 or a 9, that $250 limit is in reach. Wax is tough to get a 9, so probably plan on an 8 at best (or at least that’s the advice I’ve seen here before).
Jim
wow--thankful all mine were graded years ago. that's a lot of dough and all they are doing is getting their piece of the pie. There is no other justification for such a large increase
For basketball I’d grade the 1980 and just open the rest and hope for some good cards. 78 and 79 were a stretch when they were 16 per.
Join the Rookie stars on top PSA registry today:
1980-1989 Cello Packs - Rookies
wow, yeah...I had to go look at my copy of my submission form I sent in back in April to see if I chose the wrong category, but sure enough the 1972 to current category was $16 a pack...all of the packs on that sub were pre-1980, so pretty fortunate I subbed them before this ultra-hefty price increase...I have to believe the number of late 70's packs that get submitted will drop....$16 a pack to $40 a pack is "wow", crazy....150% increase...would be curious to know the rationale behind such a massive increase
Because They Can!!!
YeeHah!
Neil
I looked on BBCE for his authentication service. I didn’t see individual packs. Does he authentic packs? Question, if he does, are you giving up any premium when you sell an authenticated pack vs a PSA graded pack?
BBCE is like a “subcontractor” for PSA pack grading. You send to PSA and they send to Steve to validate that the pack is unopened. I don’t really know who grades the packs, but you can’t go straight to BBCE for pack authentication / grading. Unfortunate for those of us that participate in the BBCE breaks here - if you wanted your packs graded and slabbed, it would be great to just say “slab ‘em while you got ‘em” but BBCE sends to us, we send to PSA, PSA sends to BBCE, BBCE sends to PSA, and PSA returns to us.
Jim
Thanks. I have seen BBCE shrink wrapped rack packs. I assumed that was their authentication.
Just rack packs. I believe it is part of their contract with PSA not to authenticate anything PSA will grade.
psa has a $1000 pack grading fee now for $25K packs !
Wow that is a huge increase. I was kicking myselft for not submitting at the end of 2019 when it was $14 per pack. I remember i first submitted packs in january 2007 just after they started grading packs and they had a special for $10 per pack and I submitted about 40. I should have submitted about 200 but didn't know for sure if it was worth submitting late 1970's and early 1980's packs at that time for $10. Big mistake.
Wow. Did not know about the increase until I read this. I just had a submission emerge after 5 weeks from the received package but not entered limbo that contained 1971 basketball, 1975 mini, 1977 and 1978 baseball packs. I consider myself very lucky to have missed the increase.
No, Steve cannot authenticate cello or wax packs individually due to his contractual agreement with PSA (you must submit those packs to PSA directly). He does authenticate rack packs, wax trays and boxes.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
My feelings are that price increases should be announced...people are eventually going to find out...why not make an announcement each time you have a price increase?
Same here...I had no idea of the increases. I just had a submission in May and was still at $16 a pack. Thankfully I got mine in before the increase!
Unfortunately I didn't and I have over 30 packs to grade...