PSA 10s of cards that book for less than $1

theplasticman

What are your feelings on price ranges for this stuff? Typically cards that are base issue and book for less than $1 is PSA 10 form for those collecting player sets or card sets.

Im seeing some pretty crazy starting bids for some modern 10 stuff.

How much does the pop report really factor into what you're willing to pay?

mikeschmidt

theplasticman:

It depends on a lot of factors. I would pay a large sum for a 1986 Topps Mike Schmidt PSA 10 card -- even though it books for de minimus (not sure if it is under $1 or not -- but I've obtained nearly 2,000 of them for less than $0.10 each, averaged). In that example, a PSA 9 is extraordinary difficult. A PSA 10 would be even much more so.

It depends on the player's popularity and how many, if any, are pursuing a graded player set. Population is a huge factor. If I say that I know six active people following Mike Schmidt graded cards -- a PSA 10 1987 Topps card with a population of 11 doesn't add much value (except, for instance, if all ten were sold on Ebay in a single transaction to a single buyer).

So, all things considered -- there are a huge number of factors. Now that I've obtained quite a few Schmidt 10s -- I'm probably more willing to pay for 10s I need than I was before. But that does not necessarily mean that they are worth more. There just seems to be fewer cards for me to chase, so I sometimes upgrade where possible.

Nonetheless, some fair-mindedness does play a factor. A PSA 10 1/1 Schmidt card just recently closed with a starting bid of $150 and a BIN of $200. It is a tougher card to find in PSA 9 -- but one must remember that it is a very thin market pursuing a card like that.

Cheers-
MS

helionaut

I collect Mark Prior and Albert Pujols. I don't have any slabbed cards, but I do scan ebay periodically for them out of curiosity for what prices might be realized if I sold them. I don't think I'd buy them. Obviously, rookie cards of either of these players are not going to book for $1, but a lot of second and third year cards do. From what I've seen, 10s go for $15-20, some a lot more, with some exceptions. There are loads of PSA 10 2002 Victory Priors, and they go for around $10, and 2002 Bowman Chrome Priors go for around $20 or so. These are the only 2 specific cards I've seen graded with any consistency.

There are lots of examples of 10s or even 9s of modern sets that go for scary dollars. A PSA 9 1993 SP George Brett sold for over $40 recently, and a PSA 10 Ryan is at $50 right now. 2001 Topps Heritage 10s of McGwire and Ripken have sold for $50 and $50 respectively. A PSA 9 2002 SP Authentic Prior sold for $42 last week, but it was called a "rookie" in the title and I guess the seller found a sucker. Topps 206, 1999 Bowman Chrome, and various Finest/Chrome Refractor and SP authentic football sets, as well as all modern star players, have great potential. 2002-03 Upper Deck Superstars I think is a great product, even if it is plentiful. Pop reports probably don't enter into it. The supply is there, it's simply a matter of grading them.

AlanAllen

I'll generally pay $20-$30 for Marcus Allen PSA 10's that I don't have. I figure after I buy a bunch of them, screen them, and submit the best, I MIGHT get a 10, and I've already spent as much as if I had bought the 10 outright. I'll pay more for early cards, condition sensitive cards, or cards that are valuable raw; and less for easy cards. I bid $40 for a 1990 Pro Set PSA 10 a while back (black borders, cheap stock), and was outbid by two people. I can buy them all day long raw for $0.10.

Joe

RayBShotz

MS - I have gobs of 86' raw. What's a PSA 9 1986 Topps Schmidt go for on ebay typically?
RayB69Topps

mikeschmidt

Ray:

Neal (1420sports) is the resident submitting expert on that issue. In fact, I think he submitted a large percentage of outstanding graded examples from that issue. I'm not sure what a PSA 9 is worth -- one has not been on Ebay in many years, but I think that most of the major players who want one have one. For what it is worth -- sometime this week, I was going to go through my 800 count box of these cards, and I am looking for the 10. I've gone through a couple hundred -- but this box of 800 I have now looks entirely factory-case fresh, and there seems to be little, if any, chipping along the black borders -- the easiest way to identify an example that has been handled.

theplasticman

thanks for the responses. I felt uncomfortable looking at certain cards with opening bids of $25 when the card books for 40 cents raw. Still strikes me funny, but I feel a bit better about taking a chance on them.

1420sports

I submitted approx 30 1986 Topps Schmidt cards and I received one 9 - which now resides within Marc's knockout collection. All of the rest were 8's, and some of them were better thatn the 9 - but what do I know? I cannot usually tell the difference between an 8 and a 9 anyway. I have no idea as to what it would go for, but Marc I appreciate the fact that Neal, 1420 and EXPERT were used synonomously!

I would get some graded though Ray. Let us know

mikeschmidt

<< <i> I have no idea as to what it would go for, but Marc I appreciate the fact that Neal, 1420 and EXPERT were used synonomously! >>



Neal:

There's a ton of experts here on the board -- yourself included, and I am just happy to sit back and learn from y'all. RobE has helped me out with some 1980 Topps questions I've had, there are a ton of others that have helped me out on sets ranging from 1955 Bowman to some of those silly Schmidt oddball sets. And some of the vintage/regional folk on these boards (Murcerfan, etc.) really make this fun. Neal -- you are an expert. You submitted 30 cards and know the 1986 Topps Schmidt grading more than anyone. Perhaps I will learn something very soon?! We shall see.

MS

helionaut

Well, looking at BV doesn't mean much. I mean, how far back do you have to go in Beckett to find commons booking for more than a dollar? Except for the really expensive recent stuff, I think you have to go back to 1973, and even then it's only the higher series that book that high. However, BV for cards 60-80 is for NM condition. Mint cards from that era brings a premium of 150% according to the magazine. Gem Mint and Pristine, terms Beckett didn't acknowledge until after they started their grading business, aren't listed, so I guess it's up to the market to decide. And the market has decided that PSA 10 and BGS 9.5 and SGC 98 mean something on the order of 5-50x book, but maybe a lot more, maybe zero. But in terms of real dollars, if a card books for 50 cents, like a 1975 Topps common, but you have a PSA 10, $300 is the average price it will fetch, or 600x NM book value. But if you have a 50 cent common from, say, 2003 SP Authentic, a PSA 10 might bring a broad range of prices, depending on exactly who it is, because that stuff is "supposed to be mint". There's no formula for these prices, it's just what the market will bear at that particular time.

boggs301012

I agree with what has been said so far. I too would pay big bucks for an 1986 Topps 10. I paid 40.00 for 500 and recieved 2 8's on the best ones I could find. I bought a rack case and could find any Boggs. But did send 2 board members A few cards to submit. An 1986 Mike Schmidt and Rickey "BE" Rickey Henderson. In the case of Wade Boggs I have to admitt dont bring very much. Especial A.S cards and lesser known issues. The 2 other Boggs PSA bidders have been MIA for awhile. I am all alone on non rookies for the most part. It is a blessing and a curse. I am going to start buying raw lots again. So I can submitt my own .12 cards Sometime you never know what a card will go far there is always what I call the new ebay member driving up the price. Or some new guy with cash.


James

GATOR5

Marc and Boggs,


We shall see what they bring soon. 50 86's just left for newport yesterday.

I will say 86's are quite tough in stars. I'm through 12 rack boxes and have 3 worthy shots at schmitty and a few for boggs. The Ryan seems to be really tough to date.

We shall see!!!!

Gator

pebblyjack

Gator

Don't forget about me if you snag any Bretts. I'm still looking for a 1986 Brett in PSA 9.

Thanks

Randy

Dhjacks

I just opened a factory set of '86s to see for myself. Man, they are really rough. Good luck to you all.

CreeperKat

Gator,

I'll take the 1986 Angels cards from your rack boxes if you don't plan on submitting them.

qmayer

Gator-

I haven't seen an 86 Ryan in 9+ condition in a long time. I'd be interested in any you can get.

Justin

RayBShotz

You guys have me tempted to break open my vending case!.... nah...my coffee table wouldn't have a pedestal then :-)
RayB69Topps

theplasticman

<< <i>You guys have me tempted to break open my vending case!.... nah...my coffee table wouldn't have a pedestal then :-)
RayB69Topps >>



LOL. Nice table there.

Im a bit more inspired now to track some of the cards down I need after reading some of the responses.

joker73

My experience with '86 Topps is that factory sets (specifically the yellow "Xmas" sets) are by far the way to go for high grade cards. I got more submission worthy cards out of one sealed set than I did out of a 20-box vending case (literally). In addition, nearly all the 9s I ended up getting came from the set (including Rose #1 and #741) - only a couple Rose #206 RBs from the vending case got 9s, the rest of the cards were terrible. Admittedly, I was primarily focused on Rose, but I also pulled out the other usual suspects (Ryan, Ripken, Schmidt, Clemens, etc.) for review as well, with literally one Ryan and one Ripken going to Newport Beach. The bottom line is that 9s are really tough, 10s next to impossible, but at least the raw material is cheap so it's a fun and affordable challenge .

Robert