What's the range for the term "low pop"?

digicat

Is it relative to the total number of a particular card graded, or a flat number?


Would a PSA 10 with a pop of 5 be "low pop" if there are only 6 graded examples of that card?

Would a PSA 10 with a pop of 50 be "low pop" if there are 6000 graded examples of that card?

RipublicaninMass

I think it is relative, and possibly "unpossible" to determine. If the POP is 1/8 in psa 10, and 7 are registered in set on the registry is that low? Technically there is only 1 for sale.
Some of the LOW pop's in my set the 55 topps baseball have 35 psa 8's. They are probably 20 people in the registry with the 8's locked up in there, and about 10 more trying to do the set in PSA 8. So some cards there could be only 5 or 10 to pick from with 20 or so people bidding. Does that make any sense?

sagard

lowpop: 1. A card that sells for a premium to it's peers in a given set due to there being more demand for that card in a given grade than current supply.

storm888

"lowpop: 1. A card that sells for a premium to it's peers in a given set
due to there being more demand for that card in a given grade than
current supply."

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I think that is about it, in practice.

But, "low pop" is not meant to be a "relative" designation.

A card is "low pop," IF few are graded. Low pop is not, on its
face, meant to describe a card that has limited availability due
to most of the graded examples being currently owned; "few
available," or "scarce in the market," better describe that
circumstance.

Even a common card in a 10 slab is "low pop," if few are
graded 10. Many folks do not like that use of the term,
but it is accurate.

digicat

<< <i>lowpop: 1. A card that sells for a premium to it's peers in a given set due to there being more demand for that card in a given grade than current supply. >>



It seems that this is more of a definition of "supply and demand" rather than "low pop."

storm888

"It seems that this is more of a definition of "supply and demand" rather than "low pop." "

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Correct.

It is a practical misuse of the term, but one that many prefer.

"Few at that grade," is what low-pop is meant to designate,
in the context of supply at a certain grade.

In the context of total cards graded, having only a few graded -
in whatever grade - could be said to justify the use of the term
(low pop) to describe the population/supply of those cards.

PuertoRicanFogBank

The whole "pop" thing is soooooo Guy LaFleur.

itzagoner

low pop = the dividing line between mass hysteria and ambivalence

SDavid

I think how you define 'low' is relative to the set. For heavily graded sets like '61 Topps, 'low pops' will have greater numbers than, say, '66 Topps. IOW, a '61 common psa 8 with a pop of 28 is going to generate much more demand than a '66 common with the same population. At least that's been my experience.

rbdjr1

<< <i>low pop = the dividing line between mass hysteria and ambivalence >>

storm888

I think how you define 'low' is relative to the set. For heavily graded sets like '61 Topps, 'low pops' will have greater numbers than, say, '66 Topps. IOW, a '61 common psa 8 with a pop of 28 is going to generate much more demand than a '66 common with the same population. At least that's been my experience.

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The demand will be greater, but the "population"
is equal to the number of cards graded @Xgrade.

"Hard to find" and "scarce" are, obviously, not necessarily the
same as "low pop," for our purposes.

The POP-Report ONLY cites the total number graded.
Where those graded cards are - or how hard they
are to find - is not addressed.

SDavid

The demand will be greater, but the "population"
is equal to the number of cards graded @Xgrade.

yup. and what determines whether those population numbers are 'low' or 'high' at that grade usually depends on how they compare to other cards' pops in the same set or group.

the word low has no association with any specific number range. low doesn't mean 'a few.' low sperm count, low income, etc. all reflect vastly different values; how they stack up to the members of the group they're being compared to is what matters. if most cards in the '61 topps set have a pop around 80 at the 8 or above level, then most collectors of that set would consider a card with a pop of 25 in that grade range to be a 'low pop.'

rbdjr1

Here's a good example of a LoPop and "supply and demand".

I just won a 1976 O-Pee-Chee # 431 Dick Ruthven PSA 9 tonite, with a population of 1/1. The only graded PSA example, period! I'd say "pretty darn scarce"!

Yet, it only cost me: $ 9.99! Pretty cheap considering this is a pretty tough card to locate, in fact, may even be considered rare yet I was the only bidder. Nobody cared to even watch this item! Yikes!

So the "supply and demand" theory, is "right on" !!!

Low Pop, "be d@mmed"!

rd

TONIGHT'S NEWBIE!

Also won this 1/1 for $ 9.99