Is 1981 Topps a dead PSA set?

CubsKiller99

Or is it just sleeping these days.

Very few new EBAY listings or sales compared to a year or two ago.

And the PSA graders seem to be execessively tough on this set with the
effect of fewer PSA submissions lately.

Anyone think this siutuation is going to change in the next few years?

mikeschmidt

I think overall it is just very low ROI. Exceedingly difficult to get 10s, and 9s aren't worth the grading fees.

A few cards from the set have never 10'ed, and a few 10s of stars from the set go for major money (Pete Rose). It's not dead, per se, but you aren't going to get many submissions if you can't make your money back on PSA 9s-

grote15

<< <i>I think overall it is just very low ROI. Exceedingly difficult to get 10s, and 9s aren't worth the grading fees.

A few cards from the set have never 10'ed, and a few 10s of stars from the set go for major money (Pete Rose). It's not dead, per se, but you aren't going to get many submissions if you can't make your money back on PSA 9s- >>



+1

jmmiller777

Yep, I agree. There is plenty of room for the 80's to be recognized. It may take a few years but it will happen. It's a popular set and is drying up fairly rapidly, at least the unopened stuff is. I think the set will show more and more subs and will become collected more by the "Xer's" as they start looking back at what was fun back then. Even tho those 80's were over produced, they will pick up steam.
Personally, I only by 10's from 80's and up, and I only collect HOFer's.

ldferg

Once a Fernando 10 pops, it may take off. I love the 81s. It's hard to compete with 4sc on pricing as for 9s and below. As mentioned earlier, it's difficult to recoupe grading fees on most of the 9s.

lfa2mfg

+1

ReggieCleveland

I don't think it's a dead set at all. In fact, I just looked at the registry data I culled a few months ago and it's actually one of the -- if not THE -- most popular sets from the 1980s based on the amount of registered sets >50% complete and the percentage of registered sets >50% complete. At that time, 1980, 1982, and 1983 all had more sets registered but it appears that those that do collect 1981 are more serious about it.

hammered

I think the set could take off in a few years, due to what others have said - the difficulty in finding many of the cards in 9 or higher. Its a good time to buy.

ToppsFan

They are all alive and well. You also have people building sets in the shadows remember.

CubsKiller99

When I was last looking at this about five days ago -- the prior couple months had been pretty
quiet on eBAY.

Just in the last week or so things have really changed.

I guess my evaluation of things was a bit premature.

ldferg

<< <i>... Its a good time to buy. >>



Agreed.

Smokie

IMO if anyone is interested in putting this set together in 9's and 10's, now is the time to put it together, with 4 sharp corners prices its a good set to work on right now.

Last year I was picking up rack boxes off e-bay for $113.00 to $160.00, I bought a rack case sealed for $500.00 in a bin. I believe those days are long gone.

cjaccardi

The card prices right now unbearably low. Great time to start building a set.

It's a sad market for 81 price wide I'm making a set but after smokie showed me of a few of his submissions and the no sense of it all it makes me leary

CubsKiller99

With the 1981 Topps graded card prices very reasonable... I'm considering putting together
a graded set. This would be my first set ever and who knows if I will stick it out.

The thing holding me back per PSA is that the graders doing their 1981s are really tough
on that set. So I may do an SGC set instead. Not planning to ever flip this set so resell
value is not a concern.

For those that do both SGC and PSA subs, do I have any better chance of getting 9s with
SGC than with PSA?

ReggieCleveland

<< <i>With the 1981 Topps graded card prices very reasonable... I'm considering putting together
a graded set. This would be my first set ever and who knows if I will stick it out.

The thing holding me back per PSA is that the graders doing their 1981s are really tough
on that set. So I may do an SGC set instead. Not planning to ever flip this set so resell
value is not a concern.

For those that do both SGC and PSA subs, do I have any better chance of getting 9s with
SGC than with PSA? >>



If you're not looking to resell, what's the difference? If SGC gives a card a 9 and PSA gives it an 8 and you like the card, I'd be buying the 8 all day because it will probably be cheaper.

aconte

DaveB,

I have crossed both ways with the 1981 set using Psa to Sgc and Sgc to Psa. I never really had much issue with that except a handful of times. I crossed over to Sgc many of my Phillies 1981
team set. Most of the 81's I bought were very clean. I crossed over a number to Psa that included many HOFers with no problem.

If you are interested in 40 plus different SGC that grade 92-96 with one 98 let me know.

aconte

CubsKiller99

<< <i>If you're not looking to resell, what's the difference? If SGC gives a card a 9 and PSA gives it an 8 and you like the card, I'd be buying the 8 all day because it will probably be cheaper. >>



You have a point. But it would be nice to see 9s across the board for set consistency purposes.

I'm going to crack and sub a few really nice PSA 8s to SGC and see what happens.

I have some PSA subs planned for the near future, but 1981 Topps will not be part of that.

sayheykid54

Wow. I checked Ebay and was shocked to see the volume and prices the cards actually sell for. IMO there is so much 1978-1982 product out there the downturn in realized prices was inevitable.

CubsKiller99

I monitored this 1981 set for about a month and finally in the last week or so the interest seems
to have returned a bit.

But the prices are great if you're a buyer.

cjaccardi

<< <i>Wow. I checked Ebay and was shocked to see the volume and prices the cards actually sell for. IMO there is so much 1978-1982 product out there the downturn in realized prices was inevitable. >>



I do not think the prices reflect how difficult it is to get a 10. 1981 card. Lots of cards few that are cut any where near straight

CubsKiller99

<< <i>I do not think the prices reflect how difficult it is to get a 10. 1981 card. Lots of cards few that are cut any where near straight >>



I agree. Really well-centered PSA 9s are not that easy to get in this set. Thin card stock leading to dinged corners,
poor centering, miscuts and surface snow or other PDs -- all make it a real treat to put together.

I'll let somebody else fight that battle with PSA. I may just go with a nice raw set.

fiveniner

Cards have poor cuts.I would say if you had a super high graded set you could stand a chance on making a few $s.Personally I am not that crazy about the set.

CubsKiller99

<< <i>Cards have poor cuts.I would say if you had a super high graded set you could stand a chance on making a few $s.Personally I am not that crazy about the set. >>



It's a decent set aesthetically but not one of my favorites by a long shot. I just happen to have about 18,000 cards
from that set and want to do something productive with them eventually.

Tony -- just out of curiosity -- what are your favorite sets? Something out there for everyone for sure.

Smokie

Dave

IMO right now is the best time IF you want to put this set together. I recently decided to add the traded set to my set, I seen 4 sharp corners had 96 PSA 9's for sale I offered them $550.00 for the 96 PSA 9's they came back with $600.00. Do the math.. I have found it better to offer 4 Corners a price for lots, and so far I've definitely saved money.

As far as my best set, it is by far the 1975 Topps set. A good looking set and tough to put together. A lot of HOF's and Rookies.

CubsKiller99

That is an incredible price for that many 1981 Topps PSA 9s.

Smokie

Dave

That I felt was a very good price. That breaks down to $6.25 a PSA 9. Shipping included.

cjaccardi

those are good prices but I buy usually high grade sets up and down the east coast since I travel a lot for my job and usually pick them up for 40 a set. Do not know if they are any good actually. I will some more today

Dpeck100

I know this card has always carried value but hard to call this a dead set with this type of action.


Nolan Ryan PSA 10

ldferg

Anyone have latest VCP prices on this card? Nice price for the seller.

ClockworkAngel

1981 is right there with 1979 as the worst year or quality control. I've opened boxes and boxes of this stuff and gone through commons.....the biggest issues ar centering and print defects. The Valenzuela is damn near impossible to find without any print defects

Nikklos

Well a Pop 4 1981 Carney Lansford PSA 10 went for a mere $37 in last night's PWCC auction. That about sums it up.

Raulsmaster

<< <i>Well a Pop 4 1981 Carney Lansford PSA 10 went for a mere $37 in last night's PWCC auction. That about sums it up. >>



Unfortunately it does. I was having a hard time making profit buying rack boxes for a hundy so the odds on cracking one for 3-400 and making profit is next to nothing considering the market has changed at most +10% since that time