Why Do Collectors Grade Modern Cards?

PSARich

Please know I am not trying to be critical, but I am curious as to why so many modern cards get graded. I personally don't send anything in for grading beyond 1975. I understand that there are certain rookies whose value certainly increases when slabbed in a "9", and certain autographed cards or memorabilia cards would benefit for being encapsulated, but beyond that I don't see the value. Is it that the set registry has had such an impact that commons get graded just for that purpose? To me almost all modern cards are in great shape right out of the pact that rariety of commons should not be an issue. A mint modern common card is not worth the $5 it takes to get graded from my viewpoint. The set registry has certainly drawn attention to the rariety of many common older cards in graded NM-Mint or Mint condition that was not obvious before. This is varified by the price that some of them bring on ebay or other auctions. My goodness, one can buy graded mint "9" cards of many older HOFers for far less than some low population commons. I just don't see this happening to modern cards as most of them come out of the pack in great shape and stay that way. I need a better perspective on the grading of modern cards so please chime in and give me your rationale if you are a modern card grading proponent. Thanks!

KOBEcollector

Is it that the set registry has had such an impact that commons get graded just for that purpose?

BINGO !

mikeschmidt

PSARich:

Because, for some collectors, that is how they like to collect.

When you start of saying "not trying to be critical" and then launch into exactly how you would criticize those whom do what you are asking why they do...it is what I would call conducive to a friendly atmosphere.

I have some modern stuff graded, I have much more modern stuff raw. Everyone collectors in their own way. Some collect sets, some collect autographs, some collect teams, player cards, inserts, etc. At the end of the day - there are just a bunch of collectors who collect in a different way than you do.

If you have a different viewpoint, fine.

~ms

SDavid

Go on ebay tonight, buy some raw modern rookies valued between $50-$150, and then inspect the cards when they arrive. When you see how many cards you get with deep scratches, bent corners, etc., you'll understand why collectors pay a premium for modern graded cards. And that premium is why a lot of collectors/dealers grade their nicer modern cards when they acquire them. It's that simple.

Also, if you're worried about trim jobs, recoloring, etc, most of those dealers operate in the modern market where there's a whole lot less risk involved.

CreeperKat

I am a team (Angels) collector in which I am trying to achieve PSA 8 or better for all regular Topps cards. My collection/project has modern COMMON cards which are graded. Believe it or not, centering and corners are still an issue with modern cards. Granted, not as difficult as vintage but it not as simple as buying a box and every card is a PSA 9 NQ or better.

I think you need to look at from a hobby perspective and not an investment. Too many people think, why spend $5+ dollars to get a modern card graded but collectors spend money in all different aspect of the hobby. I often wonder why someone would spend $15 on a rookie prospect card in hopes that he will be the next big thing when most of the time he will not be or spending $5 per card to get all the serial numbers (ie, 1 / 50, 2 / 50, 3 / 50 ,etc) for a star player or spending $100 on a box just hoping to get a "money card" with no intention of building the set. If you ever meet these collectors and hear their stories and passion for the hobby, you can't help but to be excited and cheer them on.

Always remember, it is a hobby where there are many different collectors and collection habits. To me, it is a way to learn more about the history of the sport whether is be baseball, football, basketball. I like hearing interesting stories or speculations as to why an item is rare or unique. I have also become friends and developed relationships with other collectors even though we have different goals.

transparent

In my opinion, the bottom line is that people grade modern for the same reason that they grade vintage. MINT cards are rare, and when you have one it's important to highlight that fact. As has been said above, if you don't grade modern you might be very surprised at how tought it is to get a PSA 10 from some sets. I have personally opened many boxes of modern cards, and found only 1 or 2 (or NONE) cards per box worth grading (from hundreds of pack fresh cards, costing hundreds of dollars). I'll admit that some modern sets have good quality control and high grade cards are easy to find, but that's the exception and not the rule.

Now, you may be correct in thinking that it's harder to get high grade vintage cards... but it's still tough to get high grade modern for a lot of sets as well.

Paul H.

fiveniner

<< <i>Go on ebay tonight, buy some raw modern rookies valued between $50-$150, and then inspect the cards when they arrive. When you see how many cards you get with deep scratches, bent corners, etc., you'll understand why collectors pay a premium for modern graded cards. And that premium is why a lot of collectors/dealers grade their nicer modern cards when they acquire them. It's that simple.

Also, if you're worried about trim jobs, recoloring, etc, most of those dealers operate in the modern market where there's a whole lot less risk involved. >>




I agree S David.I do not buy to many cards after 1979.However the few times I needed a Star card for one reason or another I have bought raw only to be dissapointed majority of the time.With some of the humangus prices collectors are paying for these newer issues its better to go Graded and be safe however only on Large Ticket cards.

mcastaldi

PSArich> "I just don't see this happening to modern cards as most of them come out of the pack in great shape and stay that way. "

This is an extremely general statement for a huge variety of issues - and is highly dependent on your definition of "in great shape". Perhaps you should open a box of 1981 Donruss and see how many "minties" you pull out of there. Or pop the $100 for a wax box of 1985 Leaf praying that those black borders aren't chipped and some of the cards are centered. In both of these cases, the cards were issued only in wax - no vending, no rack. I mean I can't even imagine how many off-centered cards Frank Smith has pulled from the countless number of unopened boxes of 1978-1981 Topps he's gone through.

Myself, I collect 1978-1985 Cubs, White Sox, & Bears - because those are the cards that bring back some of my most cherished memories.

It all comes down to collecting what you like - how you like it. But I can assure you, whether you do it raw or graded, if you try to put together any complete Topps set from 1975-1987 with each card in true by-the-letter PSA9-standard mint condition, it's a maddeningly difficult job.

Mike

Boopotts

<< <i>PSArich> "I just don't see this happening to modern cards as most of them come out of the pack in great shape and stay that way. "

This is an extremely general statement for a huge variety of issues - and is highly dependent on your definition of "in great shape". Perhaps you should open a box of 1981 Donruss and see how many "minties" you pull out of there. Or pop the $100 for a wax box of 1985 Leaf praying that those black borders aren't chipped and some of the cards are centered. In both of these cases, the cards were issued only in wax - no vending, no rack. I mean I can't even imagine how many off-centered cards Frank Smith has pulled from the countless number of unopened boxes of 1978-1981 Topps he's gone through.

Myself, I collect 1978-1985 Cubs, White Sox, & Bears - because those are the cards that bring back some of my most cherished memories.

It all comes down to collecting what you like - how you like it. But I can assure you, whether you do it raw or graded, if you try to put together any complete Topps set from 1975-1987 with each card in true by-the-letter PSA9-standard mint condition, it's a maddeningly difficult job.

Mike >>




Bang on. Anyone who says 'modern cards basically came out of the pack in great shape' obviously hasn't bought any modern cards. Go try and find some Pacific Crown Royales without reverse chipping, for instance. Or 1986 Topps with no flaws (you'll get around five cards per three box rack case). The fact is that there are quite a few post 1980 issues which are highly condition sensitive, and finding these cards in mint cond. is both exciting and a challenge.

Plus, for many collectors the set registry is the only way they can let other like minded collectors see just how much time and care they've put into assembling their set(s). That's a powerful incentive as well.

jradke4

PSArich> "I just don't see this happening to modern cards as most of them come out of the pack in great shape and stay that way. "
Then go bust some 85 Topps FB, 86 Topps BB or FB, 86-87 Fleer BKB (to name a few) and send them in and see how many 9's you get. Dont prescreen them just send in a whole wad of them straight out of the packs. I think you would be surprised by what you find.

To echo other posters. I collect mainly Favre cards and auto FB HOFer's (some smaller FB insert sets as well) in PSA. Mainly because of the set registry but also for the long term protection of the cards and investment I have put into my collection. At the same time I have and will, go through all my modern cards (sorry I was born in 1973 so I have mainly modern cards) and some of my "vintage" cards to pull key cards for grading. This will serve as my way to assertain the overall condition of many of my sets.

PSARich

Thanks to all for your input. I agree with those who mentioned condition sensative issues as being a challenge, probably far more than I realize since I pretty much limit my collecting to baseball. The concern about trimmed and altered cards is also a valid issue that grading can help minimize. It appears it is far more prevalent than I would have thought. The goals and passion of the collector are obviously paramount in the grading of or the buying of graded modern cards, as supported by many responses. In considering the responses I realize that I am a collector who considers the investment potential to a high degree whereas many find great satisfaction in acquiring the cards they want or need for reasons beyond investment. It also appears that many modern issues are far more difficult to get mint out of the pack than I imagined. I had always believed that as time passes, more and more highly graded modern cards join the population, when compared to vintage....but perhaps I'm wrong in that regard. Anyway, I enjoyed reading the thoughts of modern graded card collectors. We all collect based on our passion and interest, so best of luck in your collecting endeavors to all of you. As for me, I just can't pull myself away from vintage.

67standup

I grade them solely for the label, especially since I like to display my collection.

bri2327

Rich, good question, and it certainly wasnt presented with any level of conceit.

If you are a collector that collects purely for investment or monetary reasons than it is difficult to understand the reasoning behind grading modern. I think you know this and understand and appreciate the difference between a collector of that sort and a collector who collects for fun or any reason other than investment purposes.

There are many modern sets that are extremely tough in high grade. One which I know well is the 86 topps. Although I havnt had any graded, I have opened dozens upon dozens of cases of this issue. I feel at this point I dont need PSA to tell me what a mint or gem mint card is from this issue. Of the 100,000+ cards I have opened from the 86 set there are maybe 500 I have saved and felt worthy of a superb card. I wont grade them because number one, I have no plans or interest on a registry set for that issue, and secondly, as I mentioned, I know a primo example from that set on my own. It doesnt make sense or financial worth for me to grade them. Now, if I were to suddenly have interest in going for the registry in this set we would be talking about $2500+ in grading fees being laid out. I am certain that if i did grade them it would turn a profit or give me an elite set. The satisfaction of making money off your ability to find a tough card or assemble a tough issue is more than enough for many collectors.

In the end though, there will always be issues like the one I mentioned. Cards that are TOUGH but will continue to rise in populations. As long as there is product to be discovered this is a given. This is why PSA has us all by the ball$ with the registry. Pure marketing genius on their part, and pure love ( or pure vain ) on our part.

PSARich

Thanks bri2327. I wasn't trying to be critical of modern card collectors, only trying to gain a new perspective .... other than from my own experiences. I appreciated the feedback and comments from everyone and did get some thoughts I hadn't considered.

CreeperKat

Rich,

I think your topic question is a good one and also a common one in the hobby. It also shows why these forums can be informative where we can discuss things like this.

TurbosHockey

All I know is that I collect OPC hockey from the Mid 80's and back, and let me tell you, not all carda are in great shape when they come out f the pack. I recently purchased 4 GAI 1979 OPC packs and was elated when I saw that 15 of th 44 are worthy of sending into PSA.

Wabittwax

The perfect analogy for why somebody would spend $5 to grade a 25 cent card is why would somebody buy a pack of cards at Wal Mart for $3 which contains 4 cards that wouldn't sell for 10 cents on Ebay. True collectors will collect for the enjoyment regardless of price. The true passionate collectors on the registry, generally at some point, will throw all common sense right out the window on certain cards. I personally would rather spend $5 on grading a 2004 Topps common card than spend $5 opening a modern pack.

ssgunnip

Guys,

Don't waste your time explaining this to PSARich. I won a 1987 Gary Zimmerman PSA 9 for my NFL Decade of the 90's set on Ebay a few months ago. I get an email from this guy that basically called me an idiot for paying whatever I paid. He wanted to know why I paid so much and I went back and forth with him (why I wasted my time with no obligation, I don't know?) about it until he finally gave up.

I have posted here recently that price is driven by supply and demand. If I want to pay $2000 for a 1986 PSA 10 Bruce Smith, that is what it is worth to me. Sorry about the tangent, but this guy is just being critical of something he doesn't belive in. He thinks we are ignorant/idiots, and he wants to patronize us for his own amuzement IMHO.

Just my 2 cents.

daywalker2029

not that i post on here that much but i collect 1990 leaf- i like that set for 1 b/c it was the first cards i was buying when i first got into the hobby and secondly its more affordable for me to collect modern then vintage - no way i can afford $3k for a 56 mantle in 8 - plus its just fun to collect stuff that i was buying when i was younger - im also workign on 1992 donruss DK and elite and 1985-1988 mets teams sets - i see what ur saying about the value not being worth it - but just to buy a common in (9) or (10) isnt too expensive either - im a little over 80% on 1990 leaf and for the most part (10) sell for about $10 and (9) go for $5 - so buildign the set over time is realitively cheap

jimq112

Rich, I don't really care about modern cards, but to do an all time packers set I needed an ahman green rookie. I'm not a big SPAuthentic collector and didn't want to spend $100 on that card, so I bought a mint one on ebay and I'll get it graded. I bought the cheapest "mint" one I could get. I figure it'll get a 5 or 6, I'm ok with that. It'll be my only graded card newer than 1981.

Here's what the seller thought was mint, it came fresh from a pack. Look at the top left corner. I'm happy, I paid $10 for it. It'll be in a holder and I can't accidently make it worse.

This is a 1998 premium product, straight from the pack to hard plastic like all cards are these days. It reinforces what everybody else is saying about pack fresh and ebay.

PSARich

I am now convinced that almost all modern cards are not in great shape right out of the pact, at least IMHO.