Question about Grading - 1948 Bowman - Yogi Berra
Bowman1948
Posts: 6 ✭
My wife's aunt has asked me to help sell her Bowman 1948 Yogi Berra card. She's the original owner, since getting it in a pack of chewing gum from a drug store in Washington, D.C. in 1949. Not knowing very much about grading, my questions are:
About what number will the card grade out at, do you think? And can you share why you feel that way? Many thanks in advance.
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Probably not worth grading
No way I’d sell that card. If it were my family legacy, I’d spend the $200 (these days) to get it graded as Authentic (PSA 1-2 doesn’t matter), and have a great memory and treasure to pass along.
Heck, make an ornament with the slab!
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the card has a pretty large miscut on the top which was very common on these 48 bowmans. The card would probably be authentic if they do holder it. numerically it could get a 1 with the heavy creasing. probably not worth it at the current grade unless she is looking to get it holdered to preserve it for the future
Agree with all of the above.
Currently a psa 1 (my grade) is worth about $300. That is the lowest graded you can get without it being just authentic.
However, if graded most likely a buyer would be far more experienced if looking for graded cards vs just raw.
Most likely you can find someone who just wants a real Berra RC and will pay similar money for it like it is. The grading is now expensive, and IMO doesn't give you a financial reason to grade it.
1948-76 Topps FB Sets
FB & BB HOF Player sets
1948-1993 NY Yankee Team Sets
GREAT card regardless of being in a holder or not.
With the story - I would pay your wife's Aunt the $250-$300 it is worth and keep it as a nice memory of her. Am sure hearing her tell the story of opening the pack will remain vivd and be a nice memory for you and your wife someday. Wait a little time and tell her you were the one who bought it and that it means a lot to you knowing it was hers.
Thank you everyone that replied and for your thoughtful and learned responses. You guys know grading and you clearly love cards like this one. This Berra card graded as a 1.5 with PSA. It just came back. (The grading cost was $179). I guess I was hoping the card would grade higher and be worth more. A common sentiment, I suppose. I realized it wasn't perfectly centered, and there is some creasing, but figured this would bring the grade down to somewhere in the 4 or 5 range perhaps. I've really learned a lot through this exercise. (For one I should probably have asked the question before sending the card to be graded). It's still a nice card, with sentimental value, and my wife's aunt should come out slightly ahead if she chooses to send it off to PWCC. But keeping it is an option, and possibly leaving it to one of her grandchildren. The Christmas ornament suggestion was funny. I believe the way it worked with these Bowman cards is that, in 1949, 5 cents bought a pack of gum and inside were 3 sticks of gum and 5 cards. Each card would have cost less than 1 cent. Not a bad return for a piece of cardboard my wife's aunt has held on to these last 72 years. (She's 86 now). Happy Holidays everyone!
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