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Graded packs from the 80's...... I don't get it

Ok I have never owned a psa graded pack but am wondering the thought behind paying a premium for a psa 8 or even a 9 of fairly common stuff like 82 Topps baseball and football. Someone paid $189.50 for a PSA 9 pack of 82 Topps football. I am guessing getting a 9 on a graded pack is very rare. It just doesn't make sense to me

Comments

  • Regis Tree.
  • curchcurch Posts: 590 ✭✭✭
    Not sure how I feel about graded packs in general. Authentication is nice but to grade it? I really can't see a 10 ever happening. What's next, boxes? Just give it to me raw!
    Always looking for vintage wax boxes!
  • People buy into PSA/graded related items almost the same way they buy into stock. And just like stock it can be heavily inflated just waiting to pop. A 1982 PSA 9 graded pack is a perfect example of that. You can almost get a full box for the same price. The buyer is simply buying the idea of perceived future value.
  • rtimmerrtimmer Posts: 1,347 ✭✭✭✭
    Just like any other set collector there are some pretty aggressive graded pack collectors out there. There are currently 34 1970s and 19 1980s wax pack registry sets and I think since the prices have gone up on the 1970 packs its natural the focus will move onto the 1980s graded packs.

    In my signature line below I have a 1980 cello pack set myself and for top graded packs there's quite the competition to get them. Feel free to pick up a graded pack and join the registry yourself so you can see what the excitement is all about. We'd love to have you!
    Follow me at LinkedIn & Instagram: @ryanscard
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    1980-1989 Cello Packs - Rookies
  • cheaper to buy, then self-grade
    Big Fan of: HOF Post War RC, Graded RCs
    WTB: PSA 1 - PSA 3 Centered, High Eye Appeal 1950's Mantle
  • Originally posted by: ThoseBackPages

    cheaper to buy, then self-grade




    what he said
  • I agree. I buy some '81 Basketball now and then to open. Graded packs sell for some crazy multiple.



    Originally posted by: 49ersGuy

    People buy into PSA/graded related items almost the same way they buy into stock. And just like stock it can be heavily inflated just waiting to pop. A 1982 PSA 9 graded pack is a perfect example of that. You can almost get a full box for the same price. The buyer is simply buying the idea of perceived future value.




  • I assume this is the auction the OP mentions --



    eBay 1982 Topps FB PSA 9 Pack $189
  • VintagemanEdVintagemanEd Posts: 919 ✭✭✭
    I can see paying for a higher priced pack like 81 basketball maybe but 82 football?! Just curious if you took a box of 82 football from a case what the average grade breakdown of the packs would be
  • VintagemanEdVintagemanEd Posts: 919 ✭✭✭
    And is there a lot greater chance of a psa 9 pack yielding higher grade cards?
  • jackstrawjackstraw Posts: 3,748 ✭✭✭
    What is so special about an 81 Basketball vs 82 Football? I can see 80 Basketball but 81?
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  • PaulMaulPaulMaul Posts: 4,680 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Originally posted by: VintagemanEd
    And is there a lot greater chance of a psa 9 pack yielding higher grade cards?


    No way, no better chance at all.
  • grote15grote15 Posts: 29,480 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Originally posted by: PaulMaul

    Originally posted by: VintagemanEd

    And is there a lot greater chance of a psa 9 pack yielding higher grade cards?




    No way, no better chance at all.






    Unless lower grade pack has corner holes or wear which can cause wear on corners in the pack. Also, a pack in higher grade tends to be better preserved over the years. Though it is certainly possible to pull higher grade cards from lower grade packs, too.



    Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
  • LittletweedLittletweed Posts: 623 ✭✭✭
    Originally posted by: VintagemanEd
    I can see paying for a higher priced pack like 81 basketball maybe but 82 football?! Just curious if you took a box of 82 football from a case what the average grade breakdown of the packs would be


    Supply vs demand. There have only been 45 '82 football wax packs graded (only 7 have gotten 9's), also there were only two bidders for it.

    Even "somewhat modern" packs are hard to get in high grade. The '81 basketball you mentioned has only 3 that have graded 9 out of 157 total graded.
    Matt

  • The fact that there is a lower pop on a 1982 topps football pack (or 81 Basketball) does not necessarily suggest that it is rare. Most people don't waste their time getting 82 topps football packs graded. I'm all but positive that it would only take a few people (possibly on this board) to flood the market in a matter of weeks if they wanted to.
  • LittletweedLittletweed Posts: 623 ✭✭✭
    Originally posted by: 49ersGuy
    The fact that there is a lower pop on a 1982 topps football pack (or 81 Basketball) does not necessarily suggest that it is rare. Most people don't waste their time getting 82 topps football packs graded. I'm all but positive that it would only take a few people (possibly on this board) to flood the market in a matter of weeks if they wanted to.


    I never suggested that they are rare. I was simply stating the supply (graded) was low, thus the high price. I'm all but positive that no one can flood the market of PSA 9 graded packs of the years mentioned in a matter of weeks. Even if someone could in the future, why would they waste their time, there's obviously no demand for high grade packs.
    Matt

  • rtimmerrtimmer Posts: 1,347 ✭✭✭✭
    Originally posted by: jackstraw
    What is so special about an 81 Basketball vs 82 Football? I can see 80 Basketball but 81?





    I don't have a PSA9 '81 badketball pack myself so I'd be a very high bidder if one came to market.


    I also feel higher graded cards do come from higher graded packs in general. Not centering wise but corner condition wise of course. There's are a lot of nice 7 packs out there though because of the gum tear issues that are frequent in PSA holder packs. If I were buying to crack and grade I'd buy as many 7 gum tear packs as I could for the price break.
    Follow me at LinkedIn & Instagram: @ryanscard
    Join the Rookie stars on top PSA registry today:
    1980-1989 Cello Packs - Rookies
  • VintagemanEdVintagemanEd Posts: 919 ✭✭✭
    Very interesting..... If you took a random wax box from a sealed case like 82 football what would your average pack grade be? 7 or 8?.....I just have no idea the norm
  • StingrayStingray Posts: 8,843 ✭✭✭
    How much would a 82 pack be raw??
  • You can easily get them on eBay raw for about $6 to $10
  • brendanb438brendanb438 Posts: 1,595 ✭✭✭
    Raw is the way to go on 80s stuff. My son just turned 2 about 2 weeks ago and I continue to put back packs from my childhood days for us to open together along with boxes of newer product from now. Just completed a Football cello and wax pack run from 1980 to 1989 (a complete box of cellos for 88 and 89 since they were pretty cheap long with extras from 1981 and 1984) along with now I am putting back cello and wax packs of Topps baseball for 1980 to 1989. I have a couple random late 70s packs which we will also one day open together.



    I also started adding some random packs from bigger movies like Star Wars, Indiana Jones and some packs of Alf. image



    Gonna add some wacky packs or garbage pail kids also here at some point this year.



    Anyone have experience with the above? Curious at what age your child really started to show interest in doing this with dad.
  • Originally posted by: ThoseBackPages
    cheaper to buy, then self-grade


    Without a doubt!
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  • ElvisPElvisP Posts: 1,052 ✭✭✭
    There were only 2 bidders on the '82 FB pack. More than likely just 2 bidders going crazy. Don't see there being a demand, if there were there would have been more bidders. Another 9 probably wouldn't go for near that much.
  • VintagemanEdVintagemanEd Posts: 919 ✭✭✭
    You may be disappointed in your sons interest. Mine is 6 and we have open some 87-88 junk wax and he shows a little interest in the new football when it comes out but that is about it. He plays and watches the big 3 sports like crazy but I just think it is different these days for them. That thrill of going to the corner store and buying packs for 35 cents is just not there.
  • Gotta agree with VintagemanEd. My son is grown, but you started to see in the late 90's fewer kids collecting. Packs were too expensive and kids were treating packs like lottery tickets. Friend of mine owned a store and when a kid came in and bought a pack, if they didn't hit a rare insert or "money" card, they would leave the cards on the counter. There seemed to be little interest in set building or collecting. Just hit the money card and post it on Ebay.
    Baseball is my Pastime, Football is my Passion
  • ugaskidawgugaskidawg Posts: 882 ✭✭✭
    Originally posted by: brendanb438

    Anyone have experience with the above? Curious at what age your child really started to show interest in doing this with dad.




    I think it is a crapshoot - some have a ton of interest and others do not. My step-son is 10 y.o. and he is all for it right now. I have given him graded slabs, unopened junk wax, individual cards and he is eating it up right now. I was going through boxes of slabbed cards and found a Gem Mint 10 Steve Avery 1989 Topps. Not worth a ton moneywise, but to him he thought it was the coolest thing in the world. I gave him a raw 1970 Topps AL HR Leaders with Killebrew and Reggie on it. He was in awe. The card was VG at best...maybe a buck or two, but to him it is a card from 46 years ago! I am teaching him about protecting his cards versus just throwing them in a shoebox. I have given him penny sleeves, toploaders, etc. It's fun!



    You'll just have to play it by ear and see what he is into.
  • baz518baz518 Posts: 1,231 ✭✭✭✭
    I started all 3 of my kids off with non-sport Panini stickers and albums... it got them into the thrill of opening packs as well as the desire to complete sets (albums in this case). I think we wen't through all 3 Toy Story albums, Cars 2, Monsters Inc, etc.... and my girl just loved opening "Frozen" packs (again, Panini stickers and album) and is now working on a Doc McStuffins album. Despite getting them into the thrill of opening packs, most of those stickers/albums can be had for cheap if they're not brand new.



    As my boys got bigger, I moved them onto non-sport wax... went through three or 4 different Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles sets, Popeye, Adventure Time, Super Mario Bros, etc. The sets were small, boxes were cheap, and I bought them a binder and pages for each set... so we'd open packs, and then go through the binder looking for ones we needed.



    This last Christmas, I bought them both a box of 2015 Topps Update... which we've been opening for the last month. They're definitely at the age now that they can appreciate the sports cards... my oldest plays baseball/soccer/basketball and knows a lot of the current players in the major three. My youngest understands I'm a huge Cubs fan, so he's thrilled at any Cubs player we get (already hit a Rizzo AS patch relic and gold Kris Bryant in his box). But I have no idea how long they'll stay interested... I figure if they do, they'll join the modern crowd and end up looking for big hits rather than set collecting... or they may give it up altogether. But that's fine, at least it was a blast while they did enjoy it!
  • VintagemanEdVintagemanEd Posts: 919 ✭✭✭
    Part of the issue now days is the saturation of all sports and various ways to consume them that the cards themselves are not something new. Back in 1985 for example you didn't see every mlb team play in a given week. There was one or two games on so cards were a treat in seeing and learning about players that maybe you had not seen yet. And of course in 85 all you could buy in stores was the Topps brand so that helped instead of having 1,000 different sets out there
  • jackstrawjackstraw Posts: 3,748 ✭✭✭
    I think the days of Topps are over soon. No Football, Hockey or Basketball and 2017 might be it for Baseball..
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    ON ITS WAY TO NEWPORT BEACH, CA 92658
  • cards651cards651 Posts: 665 ✭✭
    None of my kids or nieces/nephews collect. It's really not part of the kid culture today. My Dad's generation played marbles and we laughed at that. Today's kids laugh at card collecting. It's an adult hobby. I enjoy it for what it is and don't see any need to promote it for the next generation. If card values drop because no one collects, so be it.
  • RookieWaxRookieWax Posts: 1,066 ✭✭✭
    My 9 year-old son and his friends still buy packs and compare what they get, put them in binders and trade. They enjoy opening the new packs with the guys they know, as well as the older 1980s and 1990s packs I give them. You just have to educate them on who the stars were back then and tell them stories. They typically then look up old highlights from those players on Youtube. So in that sense, today's "saturation" of information and media is a positive.
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