Will the Graded Card Craze ever die?

Post25

I have been very frustrated these last few months with resubmitting cards and finding they get radically different grades the second time around or being told the card is trimmed and resubmitting it and it gets a grade. It seems the consensus is that PSA wants the collector to resubmit purely as a money grab.
Also, when you look at the thread about the '86 Topps Ryan PSA 10 with that ugly back it really seems there is no rhyme or reason to grading cards.
My question is, does anyone think the grading craze that has happened over the last few years will slowly fizzle out? I think grading cards has taken away from many aspects of this once pure pastime. It is now run like a fortune 500 company with profits being the only thing anyone cares about. I agree vintage items should be certified for their aunthenticity....You always hear talk of "investment"... What if people collect because they like the cards, and not because they like the dollar value associated with the cards? I know there are many collectors like myself who do it because they enjoy their hobby. I mean, just think about it, why do we see hardly anyone trade anymore? Trading is a great part of this hobby that has almost reached extinction.
Okay, enough of my rant... Would love to hear every one's feedback on this topic.

shagrotn77

the short answer is no. It's here to stay. You can't really call it a craze because it's been going strong for well over a decade now. Where collectors choose to put their money may change, but graded cards are here to stay.

WarHoundR69

The same things happen with graded coins and comic books. Read some of the posts on those forums. Same issues that we discuss and complain about. I don't see third party graded collecibles going away since the alternative is much worse.

muchuckwagon

Without eBay or the set registry, I don't think the demand for graded cards would be as strong. Buying graded cards on eBay just makes sense if you are worried about "hidden" flaws not visible in a scan. I think the lack of trust between buyer and seller will continue to fuel the demand for graded cards.

However, as production standards increase and graders improve their grading eye.....the premium for PSA 10 modern cards will continue to decline. Today, a PSA 9 cards tends to sell at the same price as a raw card (for modern products). In addition, prices on vintage continues to see some pressure as populations increase.

With this in mind, PSA and BGS will need to keep their costs down as the profit realized on graded cards is squeezed. If the $5 special is replaced with a $7 special....I think graded card volumes would decline.....just my $0.02.

gotsparks09

<< <i>the short answer is no. It's here to stay. You can't really call it a craze because it's been going strong for well over a decade now. Where collectors choose to put their money may change, but graded cards are here to stay. >>



My thoughts exactly.

larryallen73

Who knows!? I was a huge rap music fan in mid 1980's and everybody told me it was a "fad" which would go away. Looking at the Billboard charts I guess it hasn't quite gone away yet. I think card grading as an equally uncertain future.

alnavman

won't disappear, here to stay

BobaFett72

there are good and bad parts to the slabbing phenomenon, its fine for authentication purposes and preservation, but i like the touch, feel and even the smell of an old vintage card. I dont like people collecting little plastic coffins with their only concern, the number on the front.

I also think that there needs to be more consistency when it comes to these resubmissions, the trimming foolishness, one time its trimmed, the next time it isnt; it gets cracked out; now its trimmed, resubmit 8 times, then it gets magically reholdered. Where is the consistency?

bifff257

<< <i> Buying graded cards on eBay just makes sense if you are worried about "hidden" flaws not visible in a scan. >>








<< <i>I don't see third party graded collecibles going away since the alternative is much worse. >>




Total agreement, I can't imagine ebay without 3rd party auth.

NYYanks23

I wish it would, I enjoyed the hobby more before grading, but I don't think it will. First off, as mentioned most cards seem to be bought and sold on ebay. I won't spend a big amount of money on ebay for a raw card, bc you wind up with a dinged corner not visible on the scan etc., with grading I know what I'm getting. Also from the prespective of a seller, grading can turn a nice profit, if you can get a deal on a raw card, it grades well then instant profit. As long as ebay is around, grading will be here too.

RedHeart54

Grading will always be around because we are willing buyers of the service. I'm not trying to turn this into a PSA-bashing thread but it is another story whether PSA will continue to be the primary company people associate with graded cards. Even though the vast amount of the best cards the hobby has to offer have been slabbed by PSA, companies have a way of destroying themselves. Short-sighted profits vs. long term stability, scandals, poor individual managers, etc etc. If PSA wants to stay around they'll have to want to. Some of the concerns people have brought up on these boards are very real issues that PSA must publically address to ensure its stability AND the stability of the prices we have paid for our cards. (For example, another WIWAG-type of scandal could seriously hurt PSA's brand (let alone grading as a whole), alas, seriously devalue card prices. BTW, I thought PSA was going to introduce a new tamper proof holder. That announcement was what, two years ago?) Otherwise, its silence arrogantly implies that us schmucks have no where else to go. Monopoly behaviour, I suppose.