Many non-graded collectors left?

GeoffEighinger

I am hot and cold with card collecting and have sold off my collections or given them away at various times throughout my life. A couple times, I got into the graded stuff and had a few registry sets going, but it was just too expensive.

My question is: is it still possible to start collecting again, and obtain decent-looking non-graded cards? If I wanted to put together a 1977 Topps set, would it be a dumb idea? Or would I be able to find mint cards out there still that are ungraded? I don't mind minor flaws. I just like the cards to be centered.

Just looking for input. My real love is busting boxes. But even those have now become more expensive due to the FASC gimmick.

One of my favorite sets of all time is the 1990-91 Fleer basketball. A yeae ago, I could get a box for like $8 and now they are like $20 because of the obsession with the BBCE sealing.

Ahh I miss the days of card shows and 49c packs.

I'm only 37, but so bitter.

erikthredd

My card collecting started in 86 with 86-87 Fleer basketball packs for .65 cents each at a Cumberland Farms convenience store. I can just imagine what a pack of 86 Fleer goes for now.

orioles93

Yes I think there are plenty of mint ungraded cards out there, especially late 70s stuff like you talked about. I also think there are still lots of ungraded collectors, or they are like myself and collect both. I personally have a graded collection of HOF rookies, mainly because I want to make sure they are authentic, unaltered, and protected well. And the grades also give a general idea on pricing which is nice and lets you focus in on certain grades that I know I can afford. Then I also have an ungraded collection of rookies. I collect baseball rookies of star players from 1948 to now. This allows me to continually pick items up, and usually on the cheap. It gives me a more affordable option when I can't necessarily spend a ton of money at that time.

muffins

i know you think bbce thing is a gimmick, but since you are interested in '77 topps...

here's a box that came from a sealed case (fasc):

https://sports.ha.com/itm/baseball/1977-topps-baseball-wax-box-with-36-unopened-packs/a/7215-80562.s?ic4=GalleryView-ShortDescription-071515

muffins

and if you truly like busting packs, the fasc thing is the only way to go to ensure an honest rip session.

Danno63

I wanted to start collecting again but at 53 way to late to collect sets of different years and brands. When I was young my favorite player was Fran Tarkenton and started collecting football cards. I got a few of his cards and thought that was cool. Then growing up I stopped and went on with life. Now my brother, an avid collector since birth, got me into just collecting Fran cards. This is still expensive but more manageable than trying to get everything.

Arsenal83

I'm also 37 and I just finished a mostly raw MINT 1968 set with only stars and some commons graded since that was what I initially wanted. I fell back in love with actually feeling the cards and flipping through an album.

Bosox1976

i buy sets off of ebay regularly - I grade quite a few, and though my eyes aren't as good as a few years back, I hit lots of 8/9/10 cards.

My two cents: buy full sets judiciously, but regularly, from the same year. Make one a keeper set, and upgrade it with every new set you buy, swapping the best cards out to your keeper and reselling the "new" (non-keeper) set that you have now "downgraded" slightly. You will lose a few bucks each time, but after 7-8 sets, you will have a whale of a keeper set for a reasonable cost. then move on to another year.

Unknown

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divecchia

If you want to do the set raw, Mike's idea of buying sets and upgrading your keeper set and selling off the rest seems the way to go.

Good luck.

Donato

Arsenal83

@Bosox1976 said:
i buy sets off of ebay regularly - I grade quite a few, and though my eyes aren't as good as a few years back, I hit lots of 8/9/10 cards.

My two cents: buy full sets judiciously, but regularly, from the same year. Make one a keeper set, and upgrade it with every new set you buy, swapping the best cards out to your keeper and reselling the "new" (non-keeper) set that you have now "downgraded" slightly. You will lose a few bucks each time, but after 7-8 sets, you will have a whale of a keeper set for a reasonable cost. then move on to another year.

Damnit Mike. So this is why there are no high grade raw sets on ebay anymore. Lol

Bosox1976

I am afraid they are all in my study

hyperchipper09

I collect ungraded only of Frank Thomas, Ricky Watters and George Lynch(Tar Heel). Good to get away from what can be the absurdity of grading card collecting at times.

bishop

Cards are better appreciated in their natural state free of plastic bondage

robert67

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49ersGuy

i collect ungraded as well. Certain cards I will buy only graded however. You must have a careful eye as a raw collector. So many things to beware of out there. You will encounter many trimmed or reprint cards that can fool most into believing they are legit.

It's a fun hobby but it is filled with a lot of scam artists.

braves72078

Only ungraded in my collection. I will sell a few graded along if I find blazers in raw sets which is nor frequent now as years past.

GeoffEighinger

Yeah, since my purchases are all online it is hard to judge the integrity and state of the raw card. Maybe, I will have to settle for graded stuff.

I do know one thing, I'm never opening a box of gum cards again. It sucks to have to place a minimum of two cards in a throwaway pile (the wax card and the gum card) and sometimes gum dust cards as well. Opened a box of 1985 Topps baseball last night. Didn't get a Puckett, but got everyone else. The McGwire was predictably off-center and also had a song. D'oh!