Question for those who collect PSA sets or player sets...

bbfirebird

I'm new to the PSA thing, and I'm sorry if any of my questions are obvious, or even offensive (I definitely don't mean it). But for those of you that collect entire player sets, or complete sets in PSA, why is it important to you to have a graded set instead of a "raw" set? How much money do you have invested in your collection? And finally, by reading these boards for a while, it seems that sometimes there are PSA 10s that should really be 9s, or 8s that people think should be 9s, etc etc. In other words, the consequences of the human factor of grading. What do you think about this, and does it affect your outlook on graded cards at all?

I've considered collecting a PSA set of Jose Canseco (my childhood hero). So far I have all of his rookie cards in PSA 10. But even on ebay, cards that are essentially worthless (less than $1 raw), are listed at $10, $15, $20 or even more. A few months ago I lost an auction of a 91 Stadium Club PSA 10 Canseco, that ended up selling for something like $28. Considering there are literally hundreds of cards I'd be buying, thats quite a bit of money, and I don't know if I can justify spending that much cash on cards that really will probably never apreciate in value. It'd be a different thing to collect PSA 52 Topps or something, but Cansecos? Anyone else who collects PSA sets of a similiar player who really never gets any credit or appreciation or star status? What do you think about spending that much money on your collection?

Thanks for your time guys.

mikeschmidt

As a general comment, your note about a PSA graded set compared to a raw one can apply to any set, from any era. A NM/MT T-206 card that is raw is just as nice as one that is professionally graded PSA 8 or SGC 88. There are some differences in potential value in a sale situation, but absent that, it is simply a plastic holder with a third-party opinion on the grade.

With regards to your second point, nearly all here will say time and again to "Collcet the card, not the holder". If you see a card in a GEM MINT holder that lacks eye-appeal, simply do not purchase it. As long as I am buying a card and not a PSA certification number, I don't worry about this much, as I use my eye to dictate whether or not to purchase.

You are right with most modern cards that they are essentially worthless in raw condition. If you are happy with a raw run of cards, so be it. Simply shy away from graded collecting. That said, many modern cards are deceptively difficult in top grade. Not that they aren't out there, they are just difficult. For example, I had to sort through many hundreds of 1988 Donruss Mike Schmidt cards until I found one that was gem mint. There will never be a shortage of 1988 Donruss cards. But, the fact of the matter is that they were produced and cut in such a way that over 95% of examples will have a slightly soft corner, keeping it from GEM MINT. There are still many GEM MINT examples, but just a mere fraction of all that is out there.

If you don't like buying on Ebay, you can always submit yourself. But as a submitter, you will quickly find that many cards you feel are MINT or GEM MINT do not get such worthy accolades from PSA.

~ms

mkg809

There are many of us who collect PSA graded cards of players whose cards will never be worth the grading fees. I have mine slabbed not only for the registry but for the protection it provides.
Plus it gives me something to blow my money on instead of the wife and kids!

TheVon

I agree with both the previous posts.

I'd just like to add that I collect graded player sets, as opposed to raw, because I like the protection a slab offers, I like the look of a card in a slab, I like that I can take it out and look at it without fear of damaging the card, I like scanning them onto PSA's website so I can look at them wherever there's an internet connection, and I like to see how my collection compares to others and share with my co-collectors. Some people like to have their cards graded because the cert #'s help them with insurance claims if they're lost or stolen too, I think.

As far as money goes, I am 99% sure that between all the money spent on raw cards, grading fees, and costs for graded cards, I've spent WAY more than my collection is worth, but I don't care because it's been a lot of fun and for the most part I've stayed within my budget. If you hate paying $28 for a PSA 10 card that's worthless raw, I'd submit your own raw cards to PSA when they run a $5 special, but like mikeschmidt said, be prepared for some lower than expected grades. I will say though, that for me that's part of the fun . . . buying raw and submitting the best of the bunch. It also helps hone your assessment skills of card conditions. Plus, there's nothing quite like the feeling of seeing your grades "pop" once PSA is done with your submission!

One thing that I've learned about player collecting vs. collecting a popular set is that if you really want to shoot for 100% completion you'll probably have to do a lot of submitting to PSA, especially if you're not collecting a Hall of Fame player.

Good luck to you, whatever you decide to do!

GDM67

<< <i>I agree with both the previous posts.

I'd just like to add that I collect graded player sets, as opposed to raw, because I like the protection a slab offers, I like the look of a card in a slab, I like that I can take it out and look at it without fear of damaging the card, I like scanning them onto PSA's website so I can look at them wherever there's an internet connection, and I like to see how my collection compares to others and share with my co-collectors.
>>

I also agree with all of the above posts, especially the quote I excerpted from The Von. Those are big reasons for me collecting PSA cards, too.

All of the guys who I am working on PSA sets of are players who I previously collected raw, as well. For me, it's simply an issue of getting top quality cards, in an attractive and safe holder. The registry and all the other ancillary benefits are simply icing on the cake.

joemaggio

I prefer slabbed vintage cards for a couple reasons:

1) most cards bought through the mail (or eBay) are overgraded by the seller.
2) I'm confident that the vast majority of slabbed cards are unaltered - that is, the seller (or any previous owner) hasn't trimmed or recolored them in any way.

I'd hate to drop big money on a raw star card from the 70's or earlier and then find out that it's not really the Near Mint the seller said it was or worse yet, find out later that it's been trimmed or cut from a sheet or even just plain counterfeited.

perkdog

<< <i>I prefer slabbed vintage cards for a couple reasons:

1) most cards bought through the mail (or eBay) are overgraded by the seller.
2) I'm confident that the vast majority of slabbed cards are unaltered - that is, the seller (or any previous owner) hasn't trimmed or recolored them in any way.

I'd hate to drop big money on a raw star card from the 70's or earlier and then find out that it's not really the Near Mint the seller said it was or worse yet, find out later that it's been trimmed or cut from a sheet or even just plain counterfeited. >>





I agree 100%

2dueces

I like paying $100's for a $.10 common or $300 for a checklist. Makes me feel all warm inside.
Also the the non collecting public looks at you different when you tell them you spent
$1000.00 on a 1961 Baseball card with a player no one has ever heard of encased in plastic.
Besides, you can say you have a better PSA collection than 8 billion people in China.
Hope tihs helps.

sonoranmonsoon

I collect PSA cards rather than raw for one imortant reason. As I get older, I have to consider how my wife or daughter can dispose of my collection in the very unlikely event that I might die someday. They are less likely to get screwed by a dealer who tries to beat them down on raw grades, if the cards are in a graded PSA holder.