Is it worth grading this type of stuff?
Mickey71
Posts: 4,260 ✭✭✭✭
For years I've picked up tons of cards that are NM-MT for about a buck apiece. I have a bunch of things like 1978 and 79 Bradshaw's, 1978 Stallworth rookies, 1980 and 81 Paytons, 1977 Brooks Robinson, late 70's O.J. cards and various things like that. I think one or two of the Bradshaws are mint but everything else is a strong NM-MT. the other day I picked up 5 78 Bradshaws and 9 Stallworth rookies from a vending run. Is this worth grading for $5 a card on the special or don't bother? Thanks in advance for the responses.
Mickey71
Mickey71
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No matter what condition they grade in, the cards you mention are common and easy-to-find cards...even in PSA 10 (all are in double digits). Additionally, they all come from issue for which there is still tons of unopened product still out there. So ask yourself this....if you get these cards graded, what would prompt someone to buy them from you?
When I first signed up for PSA, I sent in a 1977-78 Topps Basketball Robert Parish RC pulled directly from a box as one of my free submissions. It came back as a PSA 8, and I listed it on Ebay with an opening bid of $9.99 (SMR is $25). No bids. Did a little research and discovered that there were six or seven other PSA 8 Parish RC's also for sale at the same time. Relisted it with a starting bid of a penny, and it sold for just over 6 dollars, about 25% of SMR.
Bottom line is that modern cards (post-1975 in my book) are so common in all grades that except for high-profile rookies, they are almost never worth grading.
Hope my advice helps...
Matt
<< <i>I would advise you to save your money.
No matter what condition they grade in, the cards you mention are common and easy-to-find cards...even in PSA 10 (all are in double digits). Additionally, they all come from issue for which there is still tons of unopened product still out there. So ask yourself this....if you get these cards graded, what would prompt someone to buy them from you?
When I first signed up for PSA, I sent in a 1977-78 Topps Basketball Robert Parish RC pulled directly from a box as one of my free submissions. It came back as a PSA 8, and I listed it on Ebay with an opening bid of $9.99 (SMR is $25). No bids. Did a little research and discovered that there were six or seven other PSA 8 Parish RC's also for sale at the same time. Relisted it with a starting bid of a penny, and it sold for just over 6 dollars, about 25% of SMR.
Bottom line is that modern cards (post-1975 in my book) are so common in all grades that except for high-profile rookies, they are almost never worth grading.
Hope my advice helps...
Matt >>
This isn't entirely accurate. There are a lot of cards out there post-1975 that are worth grading which don't fall into this catagory. Certain player collectors will pay three digits for cards they need for their sets, and a lot of the more condition sensitive inserts (or otherwise hard to find) from the 1990's, or obscure food issues from the 1980's, are money in the bank if they come back as 9's or better. But, for most mainstream issues I completely agree.
Mark
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NFL HOF RC SET
<< <i>Bottom line is that modern cards (post-1975 in my book) are so common in all grades that except for high-profile rookies, they are almost never worth grading. >>
Just curious, how do you determine whether something is "worth" grading?
<< <i>
<< <i>Bottom line is that modern cards (post-1975 in my book) are so common in all grades that except for high-profile rookies, they are almost never worth grading. >>
Just curious, how do you determine whether something is "worth" grading? >>
When the graded value is worth $40+ more than the ungraded value ...lol...depends on the card.
You have to be absolutely sure that even in the worst case senario (i.e. the card gets a lower grade than you expected) you can still break even at least. Given that you can only break even on most modern cards if they come back a PSA 10, and how difficult it is to tell the difference between a PSA 10 and a PSA 9 with the naked eye, it's very easy to lose a significant amount of money sending in modern cards to be graded which come back with lower grades than you expected (and planned on when making your financial calculations).