I have always liked star wars cards from the days of my youth. Where are good sources for buying unopened packs/boxes. I would also be interested in buying any sets that are in decent raw shape (would grade out around an 8). Would anyone be willing to share what they think on average the prices of boxes go for?
Thanks for any info.
Jay
Packers Fan for Life Collecting: Brett Favre Master Set Favre Ticket Stubs Favre TD Reciever Autos Football HOF Player/etc. Auto Set Football HOF Rc's
With Ebay, prices vary widely for boxes. But in general: Series One $450 Series Two $200 Series Three $175-$200 Series Four $150 Series Five $125-150
There are a lot of factors to consider. Are the packs actually unopened? Did the gum in the pack ruin every sticker and any of the cards? If you find a good clean well stored box with the gum not attached to the sticker, you have found quite a gem!
If you are looking for PSA9's or better, boxes are the way to go. If you are willing to stick with PSA 8's you can support that habit much more frugally by buying sets and lots and picking out the best ones. You may also get lucky once in a while doing that.
If you are considering starting a set and need a bulk lot to get you going please let me know. I have a large supply of PSA 8's that look more like 9's or 10's and several ungraded sets that I think fit what you are looking for.
Welcome to the boards! Best regards greg gregmo32@aol.com
I am buying and trading for RC's of Wilt Chamberlain, George Mikan, Bill Russell, Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, and Bob Cousy! Don't waste your time and fees listing on ebay before getting in touch me by PM or at gregmo32@aol.com !
Thanks for all the info. I really appreciate it. I have to look through my sets at home and see how my old cards hold up to inspection. Generally most of my cards that I have, have been handled the same over the years. Almost all that I have had graded have been 8's or better. I just wish I would have picked up some more of those sets back in the early 90's.
Packers Fan for Life Collecting: Brett Favre Master Set Favre Ticket Stubs Favre TD Reciever Autos Football HOF Player/etc. Auto Set Football HOF Rc's
Hard to say from a scan (hell, it's hard to tell what it will get even with 10x magnification), but those both look great! Where did you get them? I have a few 9's that look like those, and they sure are tough with them. I assume there is nothing wrong with the backs and no roller marks? There are no 10's on the black border stickers as of yet (last time I looked anyway). Great stickers! They for sale?
I am buying and trading for RC's of Wilt Chamberlain, George Mikan, Bill Russell, Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, and Bob Cousy! Don't waste your time and fees listing on ebay before getting in touch me by PM or at gregmo32@aol.com !
No roller marks and the backs are white as snow. Actually all of the series 2 sticker set is basically in the same condition. Amazingly, I bought them raw.
-Scott
My sets: 1977 Topps Star Wars - "Space Swashbucklers"
I am buying and trading for RC's of Wilt Chamberlain, George Mikan, Bill Russell, Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, and Bob Cousy! Don't waste your time and fees listing on ebay before getting in touch me by PM or at gregmo32@aol.com !
Man, these cards bring back memories. I remember collecting and trading these with the neighborhood kids. Some of the card numbers are burned in my memory, I could still probably tell you the card number on 25% of them just by looking at the picture.
Good luck on the PSA sets, it sounds like a lot of fun and something I may try someday.
Gregmo, I've noticed you've been downgrading the 10's in your Star Wars set, if you're looking to sell off some of your 10's, I'd be very interested in some of them. Please let me know and thanks much.
While I don't entirely disagree with your assessment, let me respond for the sake of arguement. Of couse many will say "buy the card and not the holder", i.e. even though the cards may be PSA graded you should still be careful to look at each card before you buy it to make sure that you agree with PSA's assessment. I would have to agree with that somewhat; and I'll tell you from experience that I have seen SGC cards that I felt were overgraded as well.
But my actual point relates to my personal Star Wars card collection, mostly PSA graded. On rare occassions I do buy PSA graded cards pre-slabbed, generally as fillers or in situations where I just can't find the card elsewhere. Mainly though, I search out raw cards that I like... that I know are in the condition that I want, and that I will be proud to have in my personal collection. Those are the cards that I submit, and that I keep. I don't send in junk cards, so even my "extras" that I may sell off are very very decent cards.
I like your first idea, to stop buying from dealers who do mass-submissions hoping to make a buck on the occassional over-graded 10. Instead, only buy from collectors that take the care to submit choice cards, and personally guarantee your satisfaction (as I would) regardless of what PSA says about the cards. That, or limit your collection to cards that you have submitted yourself.
I think the competition may be dragging on you do. While I admit that it's somewhat of a dissappointment to see another collector with a higher rated set that you know is of inferior quality to your lower rated set - keep in mind that it's about the cards and not the set registry rating. If you keep plugging away, you will either eventually be so happy with your set you won't want to upgrade it regardless of how it affects the registry - or you will end up #1 anyway.
PSA isn't perfect, but they have done a good job for me - grading only cards I already know are of top-notch quality. When you buy dealer submissions on eBay, even if they are graded 9's and 10's, I guess you can't expect them to be the same hand-picked quality you would get from a serious collector of the specific set you are collecting. Nothing against PSASTOCK of course, if they are following the rules and just getting "lucky".
Bottom line, I'd be REALLY sad to see you stop using PSA. I think we all would.
I do have those (4) OPC Star War cards already graded as 8,9,9,10. If you only want a couple of bucks each though, and don't mind that I would be sending them in only as possible upgrades - I would surely buy them from you. Let me know your price, and I'll get you a PayPal.
I've been asked in the past about why I'm not so serious about the Topps Star Wars set, yet I spend thousands upon thousands on the other versions (OPC, U.K., Mexican, Scanlens, etc.). Well, in truth a big part of it is just what you have been talking about - the Topps cards are common enough that dealers send them in by the thousands and tons of overgraded cards end up on the market. It bums me out to the point where I just keep my Topps cards raw. You should try working on some of the rarer sets; I think you will find that you really really enjoy them.... and since the secondary market for them is thin (and the supply of mint cards extremely low), not too many dealers try to make a buck off them with mass submissions.
FYI, the SGC cases do look good... but honestly I find them a bit cumbersome and distracting. The PSA cases are smaller and clear - and what you really see is the card and only the card. Here you go:
Sorry that I still have not gotten back to you on the UK cards. I have been swamped at work and at home and have not had much chance to deal with my cards of late. I am hoping that the $5 special will last into December as I want to send a submission in, including some UK's.
By the way, I love your icon - I am a fan of the book and the movie. What do you think it would cost to buy the rights to produce card sets for classic movies like that? How cool would that be?!
Peace, greg
I am buying and trading for RC's of Wilt Chamberlain, George Mikan, Bill Russell, Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, and Bob Cousy! Don't waste your time and fees listing on ebay before getting in touch me by PM or at gregmo32@aol.com !
No hurry on the trades, collecting Star Wars cards is a long-term project..... I'd be interested to see how you do though. I've actually been working more on my OPC set lately than any other. I think I sent in around 200 cards under this month's $5 special, including about 60 OPC and also a dozen each U.K. and Swedish... plus a couple really nice stickers from the U.S. Topps set.
I also sent my first lots of '67 Wacky Package die-cuts, some OPC/Scanlens Raiders of the Lost Ark, Primrose/Leaf Star Trek, '76 King Kong, and a few '65 James Bond cards. It'll be fun to see the grades come in.... depending on how they come back, I may get more serious about a few of those sets.
Yeah, it would be really cool to make some nice retro-looking sets from movies like Clockwork Orange.... if they were done in limited editions, randomized in packs, and had a cool retro look I think they could be something I'd really like and maybe even PSA grading worthy. But I do like to keep my collecting to older sets....
I just got back some fabulous cards: 1977 Wonder Bread Star Wars
#1 PSA Mint 9 $72.50 (multiples) Luke Skywalker (15) #1 PSA NM-MT 8 $10.00 (multiples) (55) #2 PSA NM-MT 8 $7.50 (multiples) Ben (OBI-WAN) Kenobi (16) #3 PSA NM-MT 8 $7.50 (multiples) Princess Leia Organa (6) #4 PSA Mint 9 $35.00 (multiples) Han Solo (5) #4 PSA NM-MT 8 $7.50 (multiples) (4)
I am editing this note, just to let everyone know that these cards are no longer available. Someone bought the entire lot. Just wanted to make this update: 5:10pm EST
Well, my Star Wars submission didnt go as well as expected. I took the 12 best of the best cards out of a series 5 box I opened. I was truly believing easy 9s and 10s. Well, out of 12, three came back PSA 9 and the rest came back PSA 8s. Any idea what the average 8s and 9s sell for? Thanks Barry
If anyone has any lots of 1977 Star Wars commons laying around that they want to get rid of, please let me know. I have been building some sets of ungraded cards and stickers, all conditions really, and am always looking to pick up more. Maybe we could work something out! gregmo32@aol.com or PM me. Thanks!
I am buying and trading for RC's of Wilt Chamberlain, George Mikan, Bill Russell, Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, and Bob Cousy! Don't waste your time and fees listing on ebay before getting in touch me by PM or at gregmo32@aol.com !
I am thinking about starting a Star Wars collection myself and would like to maybe purchase a series 1 or 2 wax box. I have a couple of questions and if anybody could give me some insight it would be appreciated. First, does anyone know a trusted source for unopened boxes and second, what would be a fair price for a series 1 or 2 box? Thanks in advance.
Mark
1981-82 Topps Basketball PSA 9 or 10 1992-93 Topps Basketball PSA 9 or 10 1976 Topps Baseball PSA 9 or 10 1981 Topps Los Angeles Dodgers PSA 9 or 10 1982 Topps Los Angeles Dodgers PSA 9 or 10 1986 Topps Los Angeles Dodgers PSA 9 or 10 1975 Topps Wacky Packages Series 15 PSA 9 or 10
I am switching to SGC. I will be sending in my 5 free gradings to bring my set to 100%. Then, I will begin dismantling it. I am currently preparing a submission for SGC.
Scott
My sets: 1977 Topps Star Wars - "Space Swashbucklers"
Will you be crossing it over (your Star Wars set) or selling it off piece by piece? I'm interested in a few cards if you sell them, especially your PSA 9 of #1.
Would you have any interest (Scott) in the SGC graded #207 error (rare, since they don't grade that card any more) that I put a scan of in the thread above?
Hi guys. I think I need to clarify what I meant by "dismantle". What I really mean is break the set down out of its PSA form and transition it into SGC form. Most of the cards I have listed on my registry will remain in my "starting line up". A couple of exceptions are the PSA 10 #6 and #7. I had some doubles of those that didn't get 10s, but are better cards. They will take over as starters. I am going to save those current 10s that I have of #6 and #7 until the market value of those reaches their true potential. Right now, the current "market rate" on those is ridiculously low. For example, the PSA 10 #7 that was on ebay last week, I would have hit the BIN on it for $410 in a second..., but the centering was that of a marginal 9, as it was off top to bottom and a little to the left. My price for a true, true gem mint #7 would probably even go higher. Although, I would have to see it in person because what PSA calls a gem mint, is not what I call a gem mint. PSA will holder blurry cards with washed out colors in Gem Mint 10 holders. I would hate to throw down the cash on something like that and have it look worse than a PSA 8.
Paul: I do have a double of #1 in PSA 9. However, I am not ready to part with it because the market just isn't there for it yet either. Also, I have been speaking to SGC, and they assured me that they do grade the C-3po error card. I have a few really nice samples that I will be submitting.
Here is a link to the SGC thread that I started "across the street":
Scott, In a sense I hate to see you go, because I love your appreciation for these little chunks of art. But... I do understand and have thought of doing the same... I do hope you will stay on the message boards here, and in touch in general... Peace-- greg
I am buying and trading for RC's of Wilt Chamberlain, George Mikan, Bill Russell, Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, and Bob Cousy! Don't waste your time and fees listing on ebay before getting in touch me by PM or at gregmo32@aol.com !
Yes, I will stay on the boards, as well as the SGC boards (of which I just opened an account on). I will probably still submit my doubles to PSA, as I know alot of people would be interested buying/trading in that format. I might also sell raw cards that I come across that would be 9s. I may even have some SGC doubles come back as well.
Unfortunately, wax boxes have nearly doubled in price over the last 6 months, so I don't know how much more wax I'll be opening.
Scott
My sets: 1977 Topps Star Wars - "Space Swashbucklers"
I just bought some low pop PSA 10 Star Wars cards. Here is what I just bought and a breakdown of the POP:
#144 As of 1/30/07 it is the only PSA 10 in existence. $90 #165 As of 1/30/07 it is 1 of only 2 PSA 10s in existence. In addition, there are only 2 PSA 9s. $80 #173 As of 1/30/07 it is 1 of only 2 PSA 10s in existence. $80
I thought the prices were a little high, but these seem to be tough cards to grade out. What do you guys think?
I have only broken down about 5 star wars wax boxes. They were series 2-5. The only one I had luck with was the series 2. I was able to submit about 50 cards from that wax box. I think I got about 4 PSA 10s and the rest 9s with only a couple of 8s. That was from just one box, but on the other hand, out of 4 wax boxes from series 3-5, I only submitted about 15 cards total. That was a very bad breakdown. How much should I be able to pick up Raiders of the Lost Ark boxes for? I wish I would have bought some Empire wax boxes when they were at $60 for series 1, which was not that long ago.
The Raiders boxes you see in my picture are OPC, and I paid about $20 each for them. I thought that was very fair. I love OPC cards, but they aren't collected as heavily as the Topps cards (even though they are rarer in most cases) so they go for decent prices - you would probably have to pay more for Topps Raider's cards.
Just FYI, if you are buying boxes of ESB you might want to pay special attention to S3 boxes. Both S1 and S2 were sold in rack packs (and S1 in cello packs as well, I believe) but not S3 - so they are probably harder to find in raw/mint quantity.
<< <i> I just bought some low pop PSA 10 Star Wars cards. Here is what I just bought and a breakdown of the POP: >>
John:
It is too hard to say without looking at the cards. Buying PSA 10 Star Wars is a crap shoot with probably a 33% chance of winning at best. SEVERAL of my PSA 10s are not as good as my 9s and they do not get the starting nod for my starting line up in my set. Look over the cards real close, if they are actually 9s, ask for a refund. compare them with other samples that you have. They should be crisper and more vibrant than any other sample, if they aren't, send them back.
I don't trust the grades of star wars cards in PSA holders, that is why I am going to be getting my cards in SGC holders. I think the majority of the PSA graded star wars line is mis-graded. Later on, I will post some scans to illustrate several of my weak 10s. These cards are second stringers in my set.
On the flip side, the cards you bought might be electric and nearly glow in the dark yellow. #144 and #165 have always seemed to have kind of a poor quality photograph in the first place. So those may be impossible to find crystal clear.
Scott
My sets: 1977 Topps Star Wars - "Space Swashbucklers"
Here is a sample of the poor PSA 10 quality that I am talking about. Look at how blurry the 10 is. There is no way that card will dethrone the 9 for the starting position in my set.
My sets: 1977 Topps Star Wars - "Space Swashbucklers"
It looks like centering was the main factor for the grade differences on those. It'd be really hard to tell that they are out of focus, unless they had several of the same card to compare. While I agree that focus should be considered (I also have a problem with them not looking at fading as part of the grading process), the card should only be downgraded if better examples within the set exist (i.e. if all cards made were out of focus, then it's the standard and not a default). But how could they really know that, especially when they first started grading the set?
I don't disagree with you 100%, but PSA are only people doing their best.... you have to give them some credit.
Just remember, in SGC holders they will still be the same cards. Only with lesser grades (theoretically) and of lower overall "market value".... is that really better? We wouldn't complain at all if you changed your mind and stayed with PSA
Just stopping by to say Hi to everyone. In relation to where this thread has gone:
The biggest lesson that I have learned collecting Star Wars cards is that you need to collect a set you are happy with. PSA is not always "correct" in their grades, just accept that. They make mistakes with both under and over grading, but if you do your best to only submit the finest cards that you would like to keep in your collection, you will not have huge disappointments. I have been burned too many times buying cards on eBay and will rarely buy graded star wars cards at this point. Having said that, trading cards with people has worked out well. I have had many transactions with Paul and Greg and they have all been excellent. I hope they feel the same way about the cards I have given them in return, but I know they care about their cards and I have no problem trading with them because they aren't doing mass submissions for profit. They are submitting cards that they have hand picked and want to have in their collections.
I will eventually finish the Topps Star Wars card set, but it may take many many years. The cards are special to me because they are the first cards I collected as a kid, but the expense of unopened boxes and the risk of buying PSA 9s that are not aesthetically pleasing to me has put me off. I would rather not collect them at all then build a set I am unhappy with. Thus, I have been more interested in collecting some of the other late 70s sets like Battlestar Galactica, Close Encounters and other less popular Star Wars stuff.
I too feel the frustration of seeing cards inferior to my own with higher grades, but my cards are not a commodity to me. I am collecting them to keep, the grade should be secondary (and I am going to keep repeating this to myself until I believe it). One big thing to keep in mind (this is directed mostly to Scott) the difference between a perfectly centered 9 and a 10 is COMPLETELY subjective. For example, in the S3 cards you show (#188) I would prefer to have the lower one. The 9 is offcenter (something that bothers me), has jagged edges (also something I dislike), but the image is definitely sharper than the 10. I do agree that the 10 should be a 9 because it is not a "perfect" card, but that is just my opinion. I don't really think the card was overgraded, it was just the discretion of the grader.
Scott, if you like the SGC holders more than the psa holders, that would seem like a good reason to switch. I prefer the psa holders and like the ability to trade with others that have the psa holder so I hope you reconsider the decision to not use psa any longer.
I am pretty new to the Non sports card arena, but I have been buying cards for about 25 years. My main set that I collect is 1955 Topps Baseball. I am putting together a PSA 8 set. It is listed under my registry. They are really beautiful cards. Let's take a common PSA 8 low number card to use in this example. This example would NOT pertain to a low population card. The SMR value of a common low number PSA 8 is $85. A "solid" 8 should go for something around that price. Many times you can pick them up for about $60. If you have an 8 that just looks awesome, it could pull $150. With that being said, the market finds a way to pay for quality and not pay for bad quality. If I was going to buy a card, sight unseen, PSA or any other graded card for that matter , I would not pay as much for it as I would a card with a good scan. I generally follow the rule of buy the card not the holder, but I do still like PSA the best. They are the most popular, most consistent in the market, and bring the most consistent prices. Just my 2 cents.
Comments
Thanks for any info.
Jay
Collecting:
Brett Favre Master Set
Favre Ticket Stubs
Favre TD Reciever Autos
Football HOF Player/etc. Auto Set
Football HOF Rc's
Series One $450
Series Two $200
Series Three $175-$200
Series Four $150
Series Five $125-150
There are a lot of factors to consider. Are the packs actually unopened? Did the gum in the pack ruin every sticker and any of the cards?
If you find a good clean well stored box with the gum not attached to the sticker, you have found quite a gem!
If you are looking for PSA9's or better, boxes are the way to go. If you are willing to stick with PSA 8's you can support that habit much more frugally by buying sets and lots and picking out the best ones. You may also get lucky once in a while doing that.
If you are considering starting a set and need a bulk lot to get you going please let me know. I have a large supply of PSA 8's that look more like 9's or 10's and several ungraded sets that I think fit what you are looking for.
Welcome to the boards!
Best regards
greg
gregmo32@aol.com
Don't waste your time and fees listing on ebay before getting in touch me by PM or at gregmo32@aol.com !
Thanks for all the info. I really appreciate it. I have to look through my sets at home and see how my old cards hold up to inspection. Generally most of my cards that I have, have been handled the same over the years. Almost all that I have had graded have been 8's or better. I just wish I would have picked up some more of those sets back in the early 90's.
Collecting:
Brett Favre Master Set
Favre Ticket Stubs
Favre TD Reciever Autos
Football HOF Player/etc. Auto Set
Football HOF Rc's
1977 Topps Star Wars - "Space Swashbucklers"
1977 Topps Star Wars - "Space Swashbucklers"
Don't waste your time and fees listing on ebay before getting in touch me by PM or at gregmo32@aol.com !
No roller marks and the backs are white as snow. Actually all of the series 2 sticker set is basically in the same condition. Amazingly, I bought them raw.
-Scott
1977 Topps Star Wars - "Space Swashbucklers"
1977 Topps Star Wars - "Space Swashbucklers"
Don't waste your time and fees listing on ebay before getting in touch me by PM or at gregmo32@aol.com !
Good luck on the PSA sets, it sounds like a lot of fun and something I may try someday.
<< <i>it sounds like a lot of fun and something I may try someday >>
Blackborder, I tell you what, get some 9s and 10s of these and you will immediately be hooked! Even the "commons" are fun to look at.
-Scott
1977 Topps Star Wars - "Space Swashbucklers"
One of my submission highlights.
-Scott
1977 Topps Star Wars - "Space Swashbucklers"
captfisch
P.S. Same for the stickers.
1977 Topps Star Wars - "Space Swashbucklers"
PSA 10 Series One Star Wars Sticker
www.jamesbondcards.com
www.vintagestarwarscards.com
paul@disc-or-die.com
transparentpunk@hotmail.com
All right!
1977 Topps Star Wars - "Space Swashbucklers"
www.jamesbondcards.com
www.vintagestarwarscards.com
paul@disc-or-die.com
transparentpunk@hotmail.com
1977 Topps Star Wars - "Space Swashbucklers"
While I don't entirely disagree with your assessment, let me respond for the sake of arguement. Of couse many will say "buy the card and not the holder", i.e. even though the cards may be PSA graded you should still be careful to look at each card before you buy it to make sure that you agree with PSA's assessment. I would have to agree with that somewhat; and I'll tell you from experience that I have seen SGC cards that I felt were overgraded as well.
But my actual point relates to my personal Star Wars card collection, mostly PSA graded. On rare occassions I do buy PSA graded cards pre-slabbed, generally as fillers or in situations where I just can't find the card elsewhere. Mainly though, I search out raw cards that I like... that I know are in the condition that I want, and that I will be proud to have in my personal collection. Those are the cards that I submit, and that I keep. I don't send in junk cards, so even my "extras" that I may sell off are very very decent cards.
I like your first idea, to stop buying from dealers who do mass-submissions hoping to make a buck on the occassional over-graded 10. Instead, only buy from collectors that take the care to submit choice cards, and personally guarantee your satisfaction (as I would) regardless of what PSA says about the cards. That, or limit your collection to cards that you have submitted yourself.
I think the competition may be dragging on you do. While I admit that it's somewhat of a dissappointment to see another collector with a higher rated set that you know is of inferior quality to your lower rated set - keep in mind that it's about the cards and not the set registry rating. If you keep plugging away, you will either eventually be so happy with your set you won't want to upgrade it regardless of how it affects the registry - or you will end up #1 anyway.
PSA isn't perfect, but they have done a good job for me - grading only cards I already know are of top-notch quality. When you buy dealer submissions on eBay, even if they are graded 9's and 10's, I guess you can't expect them to be the same hand-picked quality you would get from a serious collector of the specific set you are collecting. Nothing against PSASTOCK of course, if they are following the rules and just getting "lucky".
Bottom line, I'd be REALLY sad to see you stop using PSA. I think we all would.
Paul
www.jamesbondcards.com
www.vintagestarwarscards.com
paul@disc-or-die.com
transparentpunk@hotmail.com
<< <i>I called PSA customer support about the strange patterns of contiguos blocks of 10s with the PSASTOCK cards. >>
I'm not familiar with what psastaock cards are. Is that PSA overgrading cards they own or something else?
1977 Topps Star Wars - "Space Swashbucklers"
I do have those (4) OPC Star War cards already graded as 8,9,9,10. If you only want a couple of bucks each though, and don't mind that I would be sending them in only as possible upgrades - I would surely buy them from you. Let me know your price, and I'll get you a PayPal.
I've been asked in the past about why I'm not so serious about the Topps Star Wars set, yet I spend thousands upon thousands on the other versions (OPC, U.K., Mexican, Scanlens, etc.). Well, in truth a big part of it is just what you have been talking about - the Topps cards are common enough that dealers send them in by the thousands and tons of overgraded cards end up on the market. It bums me out to the point where I just keep my Topps cards raw. You should try working on some of the rarer sets; I think you will find that you really really enjoy them.... and since the secondary market for them is thin (and the supply of mint cards extremely low), not too many dealers try to make a buck off them with mass submissions.
FYI, the SGC cases do look good... but honestly I find them a bit cumbersome and distracting. The PSA cases are smaller and clear - and what you really see is the card and only the card. Here you go:
www.jamesbondcards.com
www.vintagestarwarscards.com
paul@disc-or-die.com
transparentpunk@hotmail.com
Sorry that I still have not gotten back to you on the UK cards. I have been swamped at work and at home and have not had much chance to deal with my cards of late. I am hoping that the $5 special will last into December as I want to send a submission in, including some UK's.
By the way, I love your icon - I am a fan of the book and the movie. What do you think it would cost to buy the rights to produce card sets for classic movies like that? How cool would that be?!
Peace,
greg
Don't waste your time and fees listing on ebay before getting in touch me by PM or at gregmo32@aol.com !
No hurry on the trades, collecting Star Wars cards is a long-term project..... I'd be interested to see how you do though. I've actually been working more on my OPC set lately than any other. I think I sent in around 200 cards under this month's $5 special, including about 60 OPC and also a dozen each U.K. and Swedish... plus a couple really nice stickers from the U.S. Topps set.
I also sent my first lots of '67 Wacky Package die-cuts, some OPC/Scanlens Raiders of the Lost Ark, Primrose/Leaf Star Trek, '76 King Kong, and a few '65 James Bond cards. It'll be fun to see the grades come in.... depending on how they come back, I may get more serious about a few of those sets.
Yeah, it would be really cool to make some nice retro-looking sets from movies like Clockwork Orange.... if they were done in limited editions, randomized in packs, and had a cool retro look I think they could be something I'd really like and maybe even PSA grading worthy. But I do like to keep my collecting to older sets....
Paul H.
www.jamesbondcards.com
www.vintagestarwarscards.com
paul@disc-or-die.com
transparentpunk@hotmail.com
It's not mine, just in case someone was looking for them.
* C. PASCUAL BASIC #3
* T. PEREZ BASIC #4 100%
* L. TIANT BASIC #1
* DRYSDALE BASIC #4 100%
* MAGIC MASTER #4/BASIC #3
* PALMEIRO MASTER/BASIC #1
* '65 DISNEYLAND #2
* '78 ELVIS PRESLEY #6
* '78 THREE'S COMPANY #1
WaltDisneyBoards
#1 PSA Mint 9 $72.50 (multiples) Luke Skywalker (15)
#1 PSA NM-MT 8 $10.00 (multiples) (55)
#2 PSA NM-MT 8 $7.50 (multiples) Ben (OBI-WAN) Kenobi (16)
#3 PSA NM-MT 8 $7.50 (multiples) Princess Leia Organa (6)
#4 PSA Mint 9 $35.00 (multiples) Han Solo (5)
#4 PSA NM-MT 8 $7.50 (multiples) (4)
I am editing this note, just to let everyone know that these cards are no longer available.
Someone bought the entire lot.
Just wanted to make this update: 5:10pm EST
Bobs Neat Stuff Store
eBay Trading Assistant
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Thanks
Barry
gregmo32@aol.com or PM me.
Thanks!
Don't waste your time and fees listing on ebay before getting in touch me by PM or at gregmo32@aol.com !
I am thinking about starting a Star Wars collection myself and would like to maybe purchase a series 1 or 2 wax box. I have a couple of questions and if anybody could give me some insight it would be appreciated. First, does anyone know a trusted source for unopened boxes and second, what would be a fair price for a series 1 or 2 box? Thanks in advance.
Mark
1992-93 Topps Basketball PSA 9 or 10
1976 Topps Baseball PSA 9 or 10
1981 Topps Los Angeles Dodgers PSA 9 or 10
1982 Topps Los Angeles Dodgers PSA 9 or 10
1986 Topps Los Angeles Dodgers PSA 9 or 10
1975 Topps Wacky Packages Series 15 PSA 9 or 10
Scott
1977 Topps Star Wars - "Space Swashbucklers"
Will you be crossing it over (your Star Wars set) or selling it off piece by piece? I'm interested in a few cards if you sell them, especially your PSA 9 of #1.
Paul H.
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paul@disc-or-die.com
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Paul H.
www.jamesbondcards.com
www.vintagestarwarscards.com
paul@disc-or-die.com
transparentpunk@hotmail.com
Paul:
I do have a double of #1 in PSA 9. However, I am not ready to part with it because the market just isn't there for it yet either. Also, I have been speaking to SGC, and they assured me that they do grade the C-3po error card. I have a few really nice samples that I will be submitting.
Here is a link to the SGC thread that I started "across the street":
LINK
1977 Topps Star Wars - "Space Swashbucklers"
In a sense I hate to see you go, because I love your appreciation for these little chunks of art. But... I do understand and have thought of doing the same...
I do hope you will stay on the message boards here, and in touch in general...
Peace--
greg
Don't waste your time and fees listing on ebay before getting in touch me by PM or at gregmo32@aol.com !
Yes, I will stay on the boards, as well as the SGC boards (of which I just opened an account on). I will probably still submit my doubles to PSA, as I know alot of people would be interested buying/trading in that format. I might also sell raw cards that I come across that would be 9s. I may even have some SGC doubles come back as well.
Unfortunately, wax boxes have nearly doubled in price over the last 6 months, so I don't know how much more wax I'll be opening.
Scott
1977 Topps Star Wars - "Space Swashbucklers"
#144 As of 1/30/07 it is the only PSA 10 in existence. $90
#165 As of 1/30/07 it is 1 of only 2 PSA 10s in existence. In addition, there are only 2 PSA 9s. $80
#173 As of 1/30/07 it is 1 of only 2 PSA 10s in existence. $80
I thought the prices were a little high, but these seem to be tough cards to grade out. What do you guys think?
Here's some wax that I'm itchin' to break down.... I love those PSA 10s, but I like the wax boxes a lot too.... tough call.
Paul H.
www.jamesbondcards.com
www.vintagestarwarscards.com
paul@disc-or-die.com
transparentpunk@hotmail.com
The Raiders boxes you see in my picture are OPC, and I paid about $20 each for them. I thought that was very fair. I love OPC cards, but they aren't collected as heavily as the Topps cards (even though they are rarer in most cases) so they go for decent prices - you would probably have to pay more for Topps Raider's cards.
Just FYI, if you are buying boxes of ESB you might want to pay special attention to S3 boxes. Both S1 and S2 were sold in rack packs (and S1 in cello packs as well, I believe) but not S3 - so they are probably harder to find in raw/mint quantity.
Paul H.
www.jamesbondcards.com
www.vintagestarwarscards.com
paul@disc-or-die.com
transparentpunk@hotmail.com
<< <i> I just bought some low pop PSA 10 Star Wars cards. Here is what I just bought and a breakdown of the POP: >>
John:
It is too hard to say without looking at the cards. Buying PSA 10 Star Wars is a crap shoot with probably a 33% chance of winning at best. SEVERAL of my PSA 10s are not as good as my 9s and they do not get the starting nod for my starting line up in my set. Look over the cards real close, if they are actually 9s, ask for a refund. compare them with other samples that you have. They should be crisper and more vibrant than any other sample, if they aren't, send them back.
I don't trust the grades of star wars cards in PSA holders, that is why I am going to be getting my cards in SGC holders. I think the majority of the PSA graded star wars line is mis-graded. Later on, I will post some scans to illustrate several of my weak 10s. These cards are second stringers in my set.
On the flip side, the cards you bought might be electric and nearly glow in the dark yellow. #144 and #165 have always seemed to have kind of a poor quality photograph in the first place. So those may be impossible to find crystal clear.
Scott
1977 Topps Star Wars - "Space Swashbucklers"
1977 Topps Star Wars - "Space Swashbucklers"
1977 Topps Star Wars - "Space Swashbucklers"
I don't disagree with you 100%, but PSA are only people doing their best.... you have to give them some credit.
Just remember, in SGC holders they will still be the same cards. Only with lesser grades (theoretically) and of lower overall "market value".... is that really better? We wouldn't complain at all if you changed your mind and stayed with PSA
Paul H.
www.jamesbondcards.com
www.vintagestarwarscards.com
paul@disc-or-die.com
transparentpunk@hotmail.com
The biggest lesson that I have learned collecting Star Wars cards is that you need to collect a set you are happy with. PSA is not always "correct" in their grades, just accept that. They make mistakes with both under and over grading, but if you do your best to only submit the finest cards that you would like to keep in your collection, you will not have huge disappointments. I have been burned too many times buying cards on eBay and will rarely buy graded star wars cards at this point. Having said that, trading cards with people has worked out well. I have had many transactions with Paul and Greg and they have all been excellent. I hope they feel the same way about the cards I have given them in return, but I know they care about their cards and I have no problem trading with them because they aren't doing mass submissions for profit. They are submitting cards that they have hand picked and want to have in their collections.
I will eventually finish the Topps Star Wars card set, but it may take many many years. The cards are special to me because they are the first cards I collected as a kid, but the expense of unopened boxes and the risk of buying PSA 9s that are not aesthetically pleasing to me has put me off. I would rather not collect them at all then build a set I am unhappy with. Thus, I have been more interested in collecting some of the other late 70s sets like Battlestar Galactica, Close Encounters and other less popular Star Wars stuff.
I too feel the frustration of seeing cards inferior to my own with higher grades, but my cards are not a commodity to me. I am collecting them to keep, the grade should be secondary (and I am going to keep repeating this to myself until I believe it). One big thing to keep in mind (this is directed mostly to Scott) the difference between a perfectly centered 9 and a 10 is COMPLETELY subjective. For example, in the S3 cards you show (#188) I would prefer to have the lower one. The 9 is offcenter (something that bothers me), has jagged edges (also something I dislike), but the image is definitely sharper than the 10. I do agree that the 10 should be a 9 because it is not a "perfect" card, but that is just my opinion. I don't really think the card was overgraded, it was just the discretion of the grader.
Scott, if you like the SGC holders more than the psa holders, that would seem like a good reason to switch. I prefer the psa holders and like the ability to trade with others that have the psa holder so I hope you reconsider the decision to not use psa any longer.
Sean Williams
PSA 9 - Jagged right edge -0.2, off center -0.2, print defect in the last letter of "Starship" -0.2. Grade of 9.4 or PSA 9.
PSA 10 - Out of focus -0.2. Grade of 9.8 or PSA 10.
It's obviously subjective, but I could see that (above scenario) being the case....
Paul H.
www.jamesbondcards.com
www.vintagestarwarscards.com
paul@disc-or-die.com
transparentpunk@hotmail.com