Raw Cards

hobart4281

Hello All,

I have been visiting these boards for awhile now-thought it was time to seek the advice of those in the know. I collect football cards, mostly vintage & mostly Cowboys. I have not had a whole lot of luck finding strong raw cards to submit for grading. I have only had 25 submissions got mostly 8s & 9s but it takes me forever to find cards worth sending in. What is the best strategy-if there is one-for locating decent raw cards? Thanks in advance.

Brian

wolfbear

1. - go to card shows and spend hours and hours looking through thousands and thousands of raw cards.

2. - search eBay checking each and every listing to see if you can find some wheat among the chaff.

3. - open a card store and hope that someone will walk in and sell you their dear old grandpa's collection.

4. - locate a time maching and learn how to use it.

Actually if you're finding enough raw cards
to be getting 8's and 9's on 25 submissions then you should be telling us how you're doing it.

Boopotts

1) Everything Wolfbear said.

2) It really depends on what you want. If you're looking for pre-1980 stuff then forget it. The way most guys get stuff from the 1970's is to wildly overpay for unopened material. If that doesn't grab you then I'd write off the idea of finding 1970's cards.

Don't even think about buying raw 1960's and 1950's on Ebay. For every PSA 8 you get you'll be stuck with 20 ex-mint cards. For late 1980's and 1990's stuff you're better off just buying unopened--most of it is cheap--and doing it that way. If you have access to a regular card show, like me, you can find stuff from time to time, but even then it gets harder every year to find anything worth submitting.

shouldabeena10

Hey Brian,

If you're collecting mostly Cowboys cards ... you should already be used to disappointment.

Welcome to the boards, and Hail to the Redskins!

Mike

ctsoxfan

Wolfbear and boopotts have said it all, but I would add that you are not the only one doing what you are doing. Now, unlike several years ago, everyone is privy to grading cards - and if you expect to find vintage (or even semi-vintage) 8's, 9's or 10's out there raw, you should probably start buying scratch-off lottery tickets instead.

Or, if you do find a dealer with sharp raw, expect to pay and also bear the risk. In other words, you might pay PSA 8 prices for a dealers raw PSA 7 quality card, because he has overgraded it, or will tell you that he doesn't want to "leave money on the table".

And, most shows you go to are already picked clean by other dealers pre-show trading, or pre-show sales to certain customers who can survey the goods before the doors open.

hobart4281

All-

Thanks for the reply posts. I have been following the prescribed path - so to speak. I'll keep chuggin' along.
Mike -You're right. With the Cowboys, it has been one ongoing disappointment for way too long now...I see a light at the end of the tunnel but I'm afraid it's a freight train getting ready to crush my hopes again!!!

Brian

SDavid

I see a light at the end of the tunnel but I'm afraid it's a freight train getting ready to crush my hopes again!!!

That's allright. After it hits us, it's bound to hit Washington again. At most it will just take one more week.