Anyone else frustrated collecting a set registry?

olb31

I have been looking for PSA 10 1978 o-pee-chee cards for my set registry. The problem is very few people have any and the one seller that usually has the most is basically trying to gouge (sp) people for the cards. The main reason is that this is what the current system allows for. A few of the sellers basically monopolize the psa 10's and can charge and arm and a leg for their cards giving them an undue advantage that many of us do not have. I find it extremely frustrating and really unfair to many of us who send in cards that appear to be 10's only to find out that they are 8's or something. Then you find a 10 of that card from one certain seller and you say, "mine looked that good if not better".

Just spouting off.

firedawg45

i feel your pain...4sq is the worst at gouging registry people.

gemint

10s are a bit of a crapshoot if you ask me. I'd rather build a set with cards that fit my grading criteria and not worry so much about whether they get a 10 or not. I have a number of vintage 9s that have an 8 sitting behind them because the 8 that I submitted is nicer than the 9 I bought on eBay. 10s for modern sets like the 1978 aren't really that rare but the problem is the dropoff in value between 9 and 10 is so significant that not enough of those gem raw cards out there are getting submitted. This leads to the appearance that they are scarce. Depending on how much the sellers are charging for 10s, it might be cheaper for you to submit mulitples of each card if they are PSA 10 worthy. In the end it may be cheaper and you know you'll end up with cards that are meeting your expectations. The 9s and 8s can either be used as fillers until you find a 10 or they can be sold to subsidized the cost of your grading fees.

Fabfrank

I'm a buyer, but I hold no grudge against any seller for what they price they're cards. No one forces anyone to buy a card. I understand the frustration of wanting a PSA 10, but like Gemint says, "9s and 8s can either be used as fillers until you find a 10".
That's what I do for my sets and it saved me a lot of angst.

pmcollectour

No. Never get frustrated. I enjoy the hobby very, very much. Have met a lot of great people over the years.
I guess having the best registry rating just doesn't matter to me. Much more important things in life.

JoeBanzai

I too am VERY frustrated..............not about not getting a "10" but about the grading standards used on some of the more obscure issues.

Grades just popped yesterday on two 1968 Action All-Star sticker center panels. Can't add them to my set yet, as it hasn't been 24 hours. Both were recently purchased, full three panel stickers that I (somewhat reluctantly) separated to submit. They had no obvious defects that I could see with the corners and edges, showed no print defects or marks of any kind, possibly some very slight surface imperfections, too minor to be regarded as creases.

I figured one would get a 6 the other a 7. Came back as a 2 and a 3! Immediately called to try to find out some information and was told the cards were already shipped. For $50.00 PSA will be glad to review them.

Looked on the PSA website and couldn't find a different set of guidelines for grading these. Anyone feeling my pain?

I don't have scans of the stickers yet, but I can't imagine a 2 and a 3. WTF!

BTW spoke with Cosetta and she is a wonderful person, but could not really help me with this.

Joe

PowderedH2O

4sq is the worst at gouging registry people

Funny you should say that, because I feel just the opposite. I have literally bought hundreds of PSA 10's from them for somewhere between $3.99 and $15. I think that they price their items correctly. They will start a card at a fairly high price, say $79.99. If someone is willing to pay that, then it sells. If not, then it goes down $5 or $10. And so on. I've bought cards at $5.99 that they initially listed at over $80. If you are willing to wait, you can find bargains from them. The only question that you have to ask is "Am I the only one waiting for this card?". If the answer is no, then you have to decide at what price you will pull the trigger. Or will someone else beat you to it?

You will also generally notice that if they get 2-3 PSA 10's of a card, if the first one doesn't sell until it reaches $9.99, they will start the second one at $9.99. I think you can argue the quality of the PSA 10 from them on occasion, but the pricing is usually low or spot on.

JoeBanzai

Powdwered, we agree 100%

I buy quite a few cards from 4SC..................I also pass on a lot of cards from 4SC. When they get a high grade card, they start it high. Exactly what everyone would do.

If you wait it might come down in price, if it sells, that's money they didn't leave on the table.

Joe