Ripping Wax for self subs vs eBay buying Slabbed

ThoseBackPages

I'd like to hear what you guys like to do when there are cards you'd like to buy already slabbed on ebay,
but they continuously go for more then you'd like to pay.
Then you get to thinking about trying some wax for a self sub.

TOTALLY bonkers nuts idea?

MULLINS5

I think with the falling PSA prices on modern cards those who sell unopened wax need to reconsider their prices.

Right now I can't think of a hockey issue where a buyer could turn a profit on an unopened box. It seems like most of every card in each series has been popped over and over. Flooded market.

If it is a player set you're building, it would be better to buy many raw singles and sets, then sift through and sub about 10 of one card. Wax packs and boxes will leave you with many left over cards not in your collection and it will be hard to recoup money.

My two cents.

ThoseBackPages

<< <i>I think with the falling PSA prices on modern cards those who sell unopened wax need to reconsider their prices.

Right now I can't think of a hockey issue where a buyer could turn a profit on an unopened box. It seems like most of every card in each series has been popped over and over. Flooded market.

If it is a player set you're building, it would be better to buy many raw singles and sets, then sift through and sub about 10 of one card. Wax packs and boxes will leave you with many left over cards not in your collection and it will be hard to recoup money.

My two cents. >>



very true points, but no fun in that! lol

MULLINS5

<< <i>

<< <i>I think with the falling PSA prices on modern cards those who sell unopened wax need to reconsider their prices.

Right now I can't think of a hockey issue where a buyer could turn a profit on an unopened box. It seems like most of every card in each series has been popped over and over. Flooded market.

If it is a player set you're building, it would be better to buy many raw singles and sets, then sift through and sub about 10 of one card. Wax packs and boxes will leave you with many left over cards not in your collection and it will be hard to recoup money.

My two cents. >>



very true points, but no fun in that! lol >>



The purpose, for me, in buying unopened wax would be to collect unopened wax. For others it is to rip. Investment...eh not too great.

It's like paying big money to have an athlete sign an item for you at a show. You are, in part, paying for the experience in meeting the person...investment in re-selling the item...eh not too great.

johnny1976

For me I buy cards already graded. It saves me the time and effort to send in cards. Is there a lot of high BINS on ebay? We could all agree on that, but sooner or later the card that you are looking for will come up for auction and you will get it at a great price. Also if you take the time to go through the BIN you can find some really good deals. With this economy I have seen some 9's and 10's go for a little more than the costs of shipping and grading the card yourself.

SidePocket

Depends on what year you're talking about.

MULLINS5

<< <i>Depends on what year you're talking about. >>



Not arguing, but give me a year/issue where an unopened box (at current prices) is a solid investment.

fattymacs

Buy the cards already slabbed, the few gems you find in unopened wax aren't usually what you want.

This is coming from a rip-a-holic, I deal with disappointment well and just love the rush from ripping.

Ripper's remorse is another hurdle to consider as well, leave that stuff unopened for us addicts to take care of.

ThoseBackPages

Great points everyone.

For example, Lemieux Topps Rookie. Packs are $20 a pop. not looking for a 10, but a 9 would be nice, but not looking to pay three figures for one. id be more satisfied self subbing and getting an 8

otwcards

<< <i>Great points everyone.

For example, Lemieux Topps Rookie. Packs are $20 a pop. not looking for a 10, but a 9 would be nice, but not looking to pay three figures for one. id be more satisfied self subbing and getting an 8 >>



Figuring it would take an average of about 12-15 packs to hit a Lemieux (if I remember my numbers right), you're already over $200 in the hole assuming the card you get pulls a PSA 8... You're far better off dropping the $60 or so that you'll pay for a nice PSA 8 already graded.

mcolney1

Buy wax is like buying pull tabs or scratch tickets. At least with card, you may have something leftover of value.

Beck6

I tend to set my sites on a certain grade and then buy the packs and sub anything worth subbing and sell to recoup as much cost as possible. Usually a losing proposition, but satisfies my appetite to open wax. Rinse and repeat until I get the card I want in the grade that I want. Sometimes you hit something that pays well and can cut your cost. Sometimes you get really good at a specific type of card and you can pick one up cheaper at a show raw and sub.

MULLINS5

<< <i>Great points everyone.

For example, Lemieux Topps Rookie. Packs are $20 a pop. not looking for a 10, but a 9 would be nice, but not looking to pay three figures for one. id be more satisfied self subbing and getting an 8 >>



Is this the card you're looking for? If Steve will let us do a group rip at 10% off those packs would run $16.25. Let me know and I'll shoot him an email, or anybody else can.

ThoseBackPages

<< <i>

<< <i>Great points everyone.

For example, Lemieux Topps Rookie. Packs are $20 a pop. not looking for a 10, but a 9 would be nice, but not looking to pay three figures for one. id be more satisfied self subbing and getting an 8 >>



Is this the card you're looking for? If Steve will let us do a group rip at 10% off those packs would run $16.25. Let me know and I'll shoot him an email, or anybody else can. >>



its not one particular card, that one just came to mind so i used it right away

there are many modern rookie cards that im thinking about. i also like lower graded cards, depending on pricing. But the lower ones tend to not get listed on eBay all that often

SidePocket

Not arguing, but give me a year/issue where an unopened box (at current prices) is a solid investment.

Just thinking the difference gets more dramatic the older the box.

DeutscherGeist

Set your ebay saved searches to the cards you want. You will get emails daily about a new offer. Check to see if card offered is the condition and price you want and then bid or BIN. Its fun going through the emails and getting surprised what is available. I did this recently with some baseball rookies I am chasing and using the ebay saved search has been fun.

Going through wax maybe fun--its all about the hunt. I get it. But because of the economy and the saturation of the market with psa graded modern cards, it is very cost effective finding collector grade cards on ebay. The recession allows it to be a buyers market even though you see some people resist with high BINs. On those high BINs, you can wait for the last few days and shoot an email to the seller stating that you respect what they want to sell it for, but if it does not sell within X number of days, you are willing to offer this $ amount if that's acceptable to him. He would then have to put it on a second run BIN. I did this with some modern cards and the seller was very excited. He listed it again as a BIN for the price I offered. However, someone else snatched it from me...... the seller felt bad for me, but that's how things work.

Unopened wax is overpriced--its as if they did not get the memo that we are in a slow economy with not a lot of demand for non-essential goods.

thehallmark

<< <i>

<< <i>Great points everyone.

For example, Lemieux Topps Rookie. Packs are $20 a pop. not looking for a 10, but a 9 would be nice, but not looking to pay three figures for one. id be more satisfied self subbing and getting an 8 >>



Figuring it would take an average of about 12-15 packs to hit a Lemieux (if I remember my numbers right), you're already over $200 in the hole assuming the card you get pulls a PSA 8... You're far better off dropping the $60 or so that you'll pay for a nice PSA 8 already graded. >>



otwcards is exactly right.

As someone who buys a lot of wax and sends away a few large subs a year in order to SAVE MONEY, I'd urge you to crunch the numbers and spend your hard-earned money responsibly. There is a very short list of desirable singles out there whose PSA 8/9/10 value would warrant the risk of buying packs/boxes. In 98% of cases, better to buy the card straight away and let someone else gamble.

Garabaldi

Ripping used to fun when packs were cheap and there were not as many subsets or card companies. i have been burned too many times and left with too many monster boxes full of kindling.

Dpeck100

From a purely monetary stand point there is really nothing to debate.

If you simply want action then it is a cheap way of gambling becuase at worst you have some low priced cards and at best you nail a big card and either make a few bucks or limit losses.

ThoseBackPages

I do agree that buying the slab outright is the "best" thing to do.

another thing i was thinking about. how do you guys feel about cracking factory sets to self sub? Not for topps, but Donruss and Fleer
Donruss especially since the cards are 50 (?) ct wrapped

Take 1984D for example. Wax Box is $200 Factory Set is $125ish

3SportHOFCOLLECTOR

Buy the slabbed stuff. Things are super cheap right now. You would be crazy to rip packs over the sure thing, especially at current prices.

PowderedH2O

OK - I'll be the other opinion. This is the exception. Sometimes, there are things I can't buy slabbed. Recent cards for player sets are an example. In those cases, sometimes I can buy wax boxes that get me a large group of cards cheap. In that case I might buy wax. Otherwise, I prefer slabbed.

johnny1976

Powdered,

You bring up a very good point. If you are collecting modern player sets sometimes buying packs and subbing is the only way to go. For hockey how many people are gradding pro set? Not many and if they do and they try to sell them they are loosing money big time.

ThoseBackPages

<< <i>Powdered,

You bring up a very good point. If you are collecting modern player sets sometimes buying packs and subbing is the only way to go. For hockey how many people are gradding pro set? Not many and if they do and they try to sell them they are loosing money big time. >>



Very true!

A lot of what im looking for is non-baseball, so i may wind up doing more self subbing then i care to do.