Trends ($) for PSA 9 Commons

PSARich

We all know that the laws of supply and demand impact the buying and selling of graded cards. For instance, I have graded and sold a lot of 1974 baseball over the last 3-4 years. Three-four years ago a common PSA 9 typically sold for $25-$40 whereas these same cards now go for $10-$15 on ebay. However PSA 10s sold for $150-$200 a couple years ago but the recent ones I have sold went for $300. These were all 1/1 or 1/2.
I have recently been surprised by the values of 1961 PSA 9 commons. I just won five first series 1961 PSA 9 cards on ebay at about $65 each. Today they arrived and are simply beautiful. A year or so ago these same cards were going for $80-90 or more.
Do you think we will see such trends as more PSA 9s are graded for 1960s commons...or even 1950s? I can understand the 1970s because I believe there is a lot of vending still out there. But as for 1960s and 1950s, I am just not sure how much ungraded high condition cards are still waiting to be graded.

WinPitcher

Rich the simple answer is timing. With Ebay we basically have a card show every night in our homes. I have seen some unblievable things in the year I have been building a 65 Topps set. Depending on demand for any given auction at any given time you can have very different results. But I believe it all comes down to timing.

Each series has its own quirks I am sure. I also bet that we have yet to put a dent into the supply of Hi grade raw cards from the late 50's thru 69 (just to give a date) The stuff is out there. Near Mint and better cards will continue to be graded as long as a profit can be made for doing so.

Axtell

I'd have to apply the law of supply and demand as well.

I'd assume that in the earlier days of PSA grading, you had more people collecting a certain card(s)...as they acquire them, the number of people demanding that product goes down. In addition, as you have more and more people sending their cards in to be graded, you have more supply in the market place.

Of course there are going to be more people who haven't purchased PSA cards before; I am not suggesting the demand side of the theory is constant, but I'd have to say that the number of cards entering the (graded) marketplace are going to substanstially outnumber those buying them, therfore resulting in the lower prices you see.

Sorry, didn't mean to go off on an econ course, but I'd presume to say that the prices of cards have always balanced themselves out...we're just so new into this (PSA and ebay) that prices are still correcting themselves.

WC

I have been wondering about the economics of graded baseball cards myself. I don't have a huge collection (anymore) but I have still have a complete '57 set that I have been slowly getting graded. A few years ago - the cards were safely packed away in a closet - now - the PSA world has a new PSA 7 #1 Williams, PSA 7 # 95 Mantle and a PSA 3 #328 Robinson (Ok - I knew the brooks wouldn't grade high - but getting it into a slab adds value!!).

The point is that the volume of graded cards is going to grow as long as there is money in it. The vintage cards will probably not collapse in market value - but I can't see them keep getting these huge premiums!

....there was an article just a few months ago about the '33 Goudey Sports Kings set that was "Discovered".

Buckwheat

PSARich--I definitely agree with supply and demand on the 61's. The number of PSA 9's has exploded recently. Once a common card gets up to about 10 in pop in PSA 9, all of the major buyers are done, so it goes cheap. A card with a pop of 1-3 stilll goes for a huge premium.

Look at the price of this 1/1 PSA 9.
PSA 9 1/1 $1150

qualitycards

Buckwheat - I noticed that '61 was sold at the opening bid for $1150.
If the auction started at a buck, do you think it still would have hit that #? ...jay

Wabittwax

I agree with timing. Some nights I'll sit and make about 100 "lowball" sniper bids. I might win 2, but those 2 I know will be profitable, probably not worth the time I invested, but I enjoy it. There is no rhyme or reason why those 2 auctions went lower than they should, but good for me. On the same note, some of the auctions I lose wind up selling for insane money. I ask myself "Who's the guy paying double retail for that lot", but I'm sure he's happy or he wouldn't have bid it. It's all about being in the right place at the right time.