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timriess
Posts: 140
Joined: Jun 2020
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Tuesday, April 6, 2021 3:27 PM | |
Is there anyone here who dislikes card grading as much as I do?
It seems to be such a popular thing right now, that I’m afraid to even bring this up without making everyone look at me funny. I understand its fine if you are an investor in cards and you are trying to increase the value of, and eventually sell, your cards. But to me, primarily a collector, I hate it. First, I could care less what someone else thinks about the condition of the cards I collect. If I think its good, its good. Second, it artificially inflates the price of cards. Third, its driving up prices across the hobby. People are paying a bajilllion dollars for sealed factory sets because they want to find the main rookie card and get it graded and sell it. Far more than the actual sum value of the cards you'd get without grading. Doesn’t anyone just collect because they want to keep the cards?
Maybe I’m just the old man shaking his fist at the sky here. Someone let me know if I'm alone or if I just dont get it. Thanks.
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Shaw Racing
Posts: 1,784
Joined: Feb 2019
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Tuesday, April 6, 2021 3:31 PM | |
100% agree, I hate them for the simple fact your only going to grade one or 2 per set . But now how do you keep it with the rest f the set? Myself once I get 70% or higher I put in a binder, Can't do that with graded cards. Plus the amount of room they take up, You need alot more storage than unslabbed cards. Well my opinion anyway. I actually have 4-6 I am going to try to get rid of
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Dodgydave
Posts: 986
Joined: Apr 2019
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Tuesday, April 6, 2021 3:42 PM | |
Ha. You have probably come to the right place for finding people who are, if not anti-grading, at least not as pro-grading as many corners of the internet.
Personally I think it is mainly just a giant scam that creates a false sense of scarcity and hence urgency for people to overpay to get a card theyt now see as rare even thugh there are tens of thousands of them out there. See all Zion Williamson RCs from a basketball perspective.
I used to see some value in it if you were looking to buy a card that is knowingly reprinted/counterfieted (again from basektball 1984 Star XRCs, 1986 Fleer Jordan RC, PMGs, etc) and you were wanting certainty that the card you were buying was legit/an original. However, given the number of times fakes have been graded as authentic and the fact PSA will now not grade many of these cards as they admit they don't know what they are looking at it leaves you wondering what value they are actually offering.
I understand if people like the cases and want to use them as an (expensive) way to securely store their PC but it doesn't do much for me personally. Like you I also dont care what number value some random person assigns to my card.
To me it seems now mainly the realm of investors and flippers, which is again fine if that is what you are in to. That just seems like turning a hobby in to work though!
I guess the beauty of it is, as with any collecting, it allows people to collect in their own way and if you don't like it then their is no reason for you to even think about it — I know I try not to!
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timriess
Posts: 140
Joined: Jun 2020
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Tuesday, April 6, 2021 3:57 PM | |
Oh good, I'm glad I'm not crazy alone.
I agree in that if you want to collect that way, have at it. Its the fact that it seems to be driving prices up for everyone that is annoying me right now.
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ohoffm
Posts: 190
Joined: Nov 2020
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Tuesday, April 6, 2021 4:24 PM | |
I think you have a lot of company on this site on this one. I think it is ridiculous to pay a bunch a money and wait a very long time for someone to subjectively tell you what they think. The pricing never made any sense to me either. It seems to me that grading a card is a set amount of work and should not based on what the card is worth. I would be careful listening to me though becuase I may just be mad that I never thought of charging other people to look at their cards.
I am for technology that would allow you to take a picture of both sides of your card. It would then use a universal standard to almost instantly give you a condition report of your card that could be shared with others. That would helpful in my trades on here and would save me some time explaining all the nooks and crannies on my cards.
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David657
Posts: 446
Joined: Nov 2020
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Tuesday, April 6, 2021 5:00 PM | |
I suppose I don't understand the appeal of getting cards graded....isnt a gem mint 10 a 10 whether or not it's graded? I recently seen a card represented as a graded 10, the card is part of a 200 card set that can be bought for 6 bucks. Using simple logic the card is a .33 card, using a common theme that a common card is worth 1.00....they were claiming that its now a $100 card so 1000% more value since its graded???....I simply don't get it.
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spazmatastic
Posts: 5,905
Joined: Dec 2014
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Tuesday, April 6, 2021 5:05 PM | |
Looking around the room where I sit right now, there are 71 cased cards on display. Not a single one of them is graded! That should say enough about my opinion on grading. I do own some graded cards, but I didn't get them graded and most just came from trades where I gave up nothing over the raw value. I do have two vintage Stan Musial cards that I bought that are graded. One of them I would have bought raw but got this one for the same amount I would have spent anyway. The other one I bought mostly because it IS graded and is an easily counterfeited or reprinted card. There are only two cards in my entire collection that I'd even consider getting graded but I'd only do it in-person, such as at a card show. Those 2 cards are my 1979 Topps Ozzie Smith RC and my 2000 UD Ultimate Victory Tom Brady RC. The Ozzie is displayed in a frame with other Cardinals cards but the Brady hides in a box in a cabinet with the Musial cards, other graded cards and high personal-value cards. I couldn't care less for a modern graded card and certainly will not pay more for it just b/c it's graded.
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NO PWE's EVER!!! PLZ PM me 1st before sending any offer. ONLY selling cards as of March 2024. No trades or purchases right now. _______________________________________________________________________ Largest total PC card collections by Team, then Athlete (as of 3/22/24): STL Cardinals (MLB) - 8810; Carolina Panthers - 2888; GB Packers - 1790+ cards Mark Martin (NASCAR) - 2038 cards; Jimmie Johnson (NASCAR) - 1875 cards; Jeff Gordon (NASCAR) - 1594; Ricky Rudd (NASCAR) - 839; Ozzie Smith (MLB) - 707
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Vvvergeer
Posts: 2,058
Joined: Jan 2014
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Tuesday, April 6, 2021 5:10 PM | |
Hi everyone.
Soooo, the original poster and all the replies when I wrote this are from people who are relatively new to the site. And my guess is that's at least partly because we've all discussed this ad nauseum, or, in English, a helluva lot. You can search "grading" in the forums and find many a thread that addresses this issue.
I'll reinforce that many people here are anti-grading or at least not terribly in favor of it.
And I'll say what I always say. I've never had a card graded. I suspect I never will. But, contrary to what I would have expected about ten years ago, I now own dozens of graded cards. I have them because most of my vintage purchases are from the internet. And there are lots of fakes out there of cards I would like to have. And over the years, I've gone for more and more expensive cards. So, while it's no guarantee, a graded card is at least a little assurance that the card is legit. I also don't care what other people rate a card as. I find the grading inconsistent, verging on ridiculous at times. I have cracked a couple graded cards out of their prisons. I recently traded a graded card for many ungraded ones. I would gladly trade some of my graded cards for trustworthy versions of the same card. I might just propose exactly that at my local card shop some day. But I do feel that grading adds some level of comfort.
Enjoy the discussion.
v3
Edited on: Apr 7, 2021 - 9:04AM
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jimetal7212
Posts: 4,989
Joined: Dec 2016
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Tuesday, April 6, 2021 5:13 PM | |
Any card that I have received that was graded (never paid a premuim, came as part of the set I was buying) has been rescued from it's prison. That includes my Marino rookie. Any card that I have will never go out to be graded...ever. And, as was just pointed out, there is no way you can convince me to pay more for a graded modern card. You'll probably get a good laugh.
With that said, there is a place for certain cards to be graded. Thinking pre-war and early 50s at best. Considering the scarcity and fraudability I see a place for this. Anyone you thinking pulling a 2021 card from a pack and slabbing it increases the value 10x is a fool. Yet some people fall for it....
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When night comes creeping in, Dark restless shades arise. Prepare to crawl and run. The Black is here tonight.
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ravenfaith77
Posts: 709
Joined: Jul 2017
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Tuesday, April 6, 2021 5:26 PM | |
I have not graded cards but I do own a few that were graded by someone else. Grading is killing set building. For example I need a 1979 Ozzie Smith RC to finish that set. Because of the "potential grade" I cannot get this card for a decent price unless I settle for a wax stain or some other flaw.
I just dont think the so called values of the rookies from the past 5 years is sustainable. How many of us still have all the Sabo rookies floating around our collection or other prospects that didnt pan out. No way am I sinking money into grading a bunch of modern cards and I simply cant afford the old ones.
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