Home› Trading Cards & Memorabilia Forum
Options

Getting back into collecting and need submission advice please.

mmyncmmync Posts: 678 ✭
in Trading Cards & Memorabilia Forum
Hello, nice to meet everyone. I am just getting back into collecting after about 20 years. If I remember correctly, grading really wasnt too popular back then, and there was no ebay yet. From what I have gathered over the last couple of months is that now days people want to buy cards that are graded and having a card graded can increase it's value significantly. Ok here is my question, I have a super large collection of cards consisting of all 4 sports with probably 90% of them being baseball from the mid to late 1950's to about the mid 1990's. I am very aware of what I have and what they key cards are from each year. I have alot of higher value cards, sets, wax boxes and so on. What I need to know is what to send in and where to start. I wish I could say that money isnt an issue and just send boxes and boxes of cards, but I cant and have to be somewhat conservative at first until I start turning some of them and have more money to send in larger quantities. My main concern, which I am sure is the same as most people who get cards graded, is the ratio between the price for getting the card graded compared to how much more I will be able to sell the card for then if it where ungraded. The impression that I am getting is that the older cards may still be worth the price of grading even if they have no chance of a 9 or 10. And the newer the card the more you have to shoot for a 10. So what is a safe place to start do i not send in cards from the 80's and 90's unless I am shotting for a 10. And cards from the 70's shoot for a 8 or 9. And the 50's and 60's like 6 or 7? And what is general benchmark that people use to determine how much a card has to be worth in order to make it worth it to them to have the card graded. $75.00, $100.00, $150.00, higher, lower? One thing I have that I really have no clue on the value or scarcity of is an unopened 1959 Fleer Ted Williams pack. I know its in great condition and have to get that graded but it has been so many years since I looked at it so I cant guess how close to mint the pack is. I also have autograped cards any where from about 1951 and up but I obviously didnt get them signed myself and not sure on what do as far as those either. Thanks guys and sorry for making this so long.

Comments

  • Options
    earlycalguyearlycalguy Posts: 1,247 ✭✭
    the best bet is to look at completed listings on ebay or vintagecardprices.com and that would give you an idea of what graded cards sell for versus the expense of grading them and paying the shipping to/from. there's no general rule - it depends on the player, year and potential grade. you could have aaron cards not worth grading but have commons from the same year worth grading. and if you want your 5's to become 9's you have to submit twice but take pictures of the before pictures or no one will believe you.
  • Options
    mmyncmmync Posts: 678 ✭
    So what do you do to get the 5's into 9's?

    And do i submit certain cards to different grading companies? I will make a litte list of some cards I want to grade and would appreciate anybodys suggestions on what cards I should send to what grading company.

    1. 1994 Arod sp#15's

    2. 1986 bonds traded tiffany
    3. A ton of 86 topps traded and fleer update bonds cards'
    4 A bunch of 80's rookies like ripkens,Hendersons,clemens etc.
    5. Misc cards form the 70s
    6. 1950's-1960's
    7 My unopened 1959 fleer ted willims pack.
    8. I also have a ton of the old salada tea and topps coins and the old post and jello cutout cards.

    Thanks
  • Options
    smtjoysmtjoy Posts: 617
    Welcome to the boards!

    My advice would be to send if any of the following- Mantle, Mays, Aaron, Clemente. These sell good in almost any condition and if you get lucky and get high grade 8-9's you can make a bundle. Hard to lose money grading any of these unless they are creased or damaged. If you have coins of any of these send them in too, just watch for rust if they have any you will have a hard time getting over a 5. Do not send in your post of jello cards unless you can see the COMPLETE black line around the card, if you can't you will not get a grade but only an auth.

    After that I would toss in a couple HOFer rookie cards so you have an idea of how more modern cards are graded, look for good centering and sharp corners- Like Ryan, Ripken, Henderson, Clements, etc.

    I would order a 10 x Loupe (couple bucks well worth it) to use before you send in any 1988 and newer cards.

    Make your first sub pretty small so you can get the hang of what to look for, dont get too high expectations on the first, most of the time you get killed, I know I did. But once you get them back you will have a much better idea of what to look for and you will do much better on the next sub.
  • Options
    mmyncmmync Posts: 678 ✭
    Hey thanks alot for the tips guys. So do I send in the ripken rookies and such if they look pretty good just a little off center same with a ton of traded and update bonds rookies. they are all 8-10's for sure. Then there are the older cards from the 60's like sandy koufax, duke snider, al kaline, frank robinson, hank aaron etc...

    My big dilema, what company would you all recommend I send the following cards to that will be fair and wont F**k me for some political reasons or something.

    1) one 1994 Alex Rodriguez sp#15

    2) one 1994 Alex Rodriguez sp#15 diecut

    3) 86 bonds traded Tiffany.
  • Options
    bifff257bifff257 Posts: 751 ✭✭
    image




    << <i>Make your first sub pretty small so you can get the hang of what to look for, >>




    Excellent advice.






    << <i>My big dilema, what company would you all recommend I send the following cards to that will be fair >>




    Well being that you are posting this on the PSA boards I would recommend PSA. However, nothing wrong with SGC either.





    << <i>So do I send in the ripken rookies and such if they look pretty good just a little off center >>



    This is going to be part of the learning process, a 82 Ripken rookie that comes back off center probably is not worth the grading fees if you plan to sell.





    image
  • Options
    smtjoysmtjoy Posts: 617
    OK mmync,

    First I would use PSA for sure. You will need to join which is $100 but comes with 7 submissions. I would use these 7 subs to get a handle on how they grade.

    Do not send in any off center cards. A clements that is a 9 will come back a 9 (oc) which makes it worthless.

    Send in your 60's Aaron and Koufax, make sure to write down what you think the card will grade before sending in, then once you get it back look it over and see where the difference is.

    Scan your 60's cards and pick out the best card (a common is fine), it should have sharp corners and be well centered a card you think is a lock for a 9. This so you get an idea of how good all your other cards will grade.

    Send in your best Ripken Rookie, save the rest till you see how it does. If it comes back an 7-8 then no reason to send the others in.

    So for your free 7 submissions I would send in these cards-

    1. 60's Aaron
    2. 60's Koufax
    3. Best 60's card
    4. Best Ripken Rookie
    5. 1994 Alex Rodriguez sp#15
    6. 1994 Alex Rodriguez sp#15 diecut
    7. 86 bonds traded Tiffany.

    Order a 10x loupe and start looking over the next cards you want to send in then wait till you get this sub back then compare with what you though they would get, if you dont understand the grading then post a scan on these boards and you will get plenty of feedback in regards to why they got X grade.

    Good luck
Sign In or Register to comment.