PSA Set Registry question for everyone!!

baseballizlife1

Good afternoon,

I am getting ready to bid on a few singles I need for the registry as I watch Clemens try for number 300 and a question popped into my head!
I currently am going for 4 PSA graded sets...52 Topps BB in PSA 6, 63 Topps BB in PSA 7 or 8 and 65 Topps Football in PSA 7.
Do all of you out there find it easier to go for only one grade per set...or do you leave it open depending on the single? Say 52 Topps is your set....do you go for PSA 5 and down...or PSA 6 or PSA 7 only?? When I wander from my PSA 6 only rule I end up either spending too much for 7's...or I end up not happy with the card in the lower grade holder.
So I pose a question for all of you on the registry....when you find a set to go for...do you pick one grade and stay with it...or do you truly buy "the card, not the grade" and leave it open??

Good buying.
Brian

TWINRON

BRIAN PICK A MINIMUM GRADE FOR YOUR SET. FOR MY 52 TOPPS I AM GOING FOR PSA7 MINIMUM, BUT WITH AS MANY PSA8'S AS I CAN PURCHASE AT AN "INVESTMENT" PRICE. PSA6'S WOULD NEED TO BE UPGRADED, AND PSA9'S WOULD NOT FIT. OTHER OF MY SETS, MY MINIMUM WOULD BE PSA8, WITH AS MANY PSA9'S AS POSSIBLE, SUCH AS 51 TOPPS AND 69 TOPPS. GOOD LUCK. RON

paigowmichael

I usually go with a range of three grades. For example, I'm currently working on a 1938 Goudey set. The grade I'm generally satisfied with is a "5". So I basically look for 5s, but will go down to a 4 if it's a nice looking 4 or go up to a 6 if it's going relatively cheaply. This expands the possibilities and keeps me from spending too much more than I should.

mrc32

It all depends on what you like.

I am doing T-205s and have cards from 1-6 in my set. Mostly I am collecting 4-5 but have picked up a couple of cheap 3s that look nice and a super cheap 1. I have one 6 in my set that I went a little crazy over .

Many people will tell you buy the card not the holder. I couldn't agree more. I buy what I like and what fits in the budget.

Virtualizard

I collect mainly 60's and '70s Topps Baseball sets and a few player sets & HOF sets. Here are my standards:



Pre-war: PSA 1 & up

Post-war and 1950s: PSA 6 & up (with some exceptions for PSA 5s that present really well)

1960s: PSA 8 & up (mainly PSA 8, I don't generally search for 9s, but they are a bonus when found affordably)

1970: PSA 8 & up (I have worked on this set for a couple of years now and changed my stance on this one. I originally would accept PSA 7 and have been upgrading them since then)

1971-1975: PSA 8 & up (I don't collect the '71 set and PSA 7s would probably be acceptable to most collectors)

1976-1979: PSA 8 & up (I generally lean toward the 9's here and I currently only collect stars. Any PSA 8 card I get is always looking to be upgraded. If I was going for commons, I think I'd insist on 9's where possible)

1980-1989: PSA 9 & 10 (Again, I'd be looking to upgrade 9's to 10's here)

1990-Present: PSA 10 (A PSA 9 would be acceptable for some rarer issues)



I'd like to add that I will not buy any qualified cards for any set. It's just a personal preference.

Those are my guidelines and I'm sure others here will have something different in mind.

JEB

1420sports

My main set - Pete Rose master - is PSA 7-10. I buy what is most suited for my wallet and in most cases it is a PSA 8. If the "weight" of the card is 1 and a PSA 9 is 50 bucks whereas a PSA 8 is 5, I will buy the PSA 8.

The difference between a PSA 8 and a PSA 9 is really not that much, if any difference. I am sure I just opened a can of worms with that statement ....

Virtualizard

I forgot to mention - if I submit the card for grading myself and it doesn't meet the criteria in my previous post (something minor that I overlooked), I will include it in my set until I can find a better example. My guidelines were meant more for buying cards already in PSA holders.

JEB.

69topps8

For me, my standard is PSA 8 NQ or better for every card in the set. When I get PSA 9s or 10s on my own submissions, I gleefully add them to my set but I don't usually pursue those cards on the secondary market. There may be a few exceptions where I can get a good deal for high population 9s or if it's a favorite card that I'd like to have in mint condition. There are cases where I have both an 8 and 9 of the same card in my collection. In those cases, I feel the 8 has better eye appeal or is in better condition than the 9.