Any Trading Cards guys? (Sports, etc) (1 Viewer)

[Major]

I got a bunch of cards from the 80s and 90s. The really good ones are in protective cases. I should go through them and get rid of them. Probably $500 worth of cards easy.

All I'll say with such limited information is temper your expectations. Unless we're talking early Fleer/Star Basketball or Topps Tiffany, those are probably the worst years to collect due to overprinting/excess supply. I'll definitely take the under

I was like "this one is gonna be a lot, look it up" $15.

Yep, it kinda hurts when you think back to how much you spent back in the day but I still enjoy the memories. All those stud 80s baseball rookies like Clemens, Canseco, McGwire, Puckett, Bonds etc are all worth fractions of what they once were. There are a few cards in traded/speciality sets or error cards which hold value but regular issue not so much. Seems like in the 80s, unless you have a mint Rickey Henderson (near impossible) or a mint 89 UD Griffey, we're likely talking single digit value. The crux is to extract higher value you'd have to send the card in to get graded and that's probably going to cost more than the card is worth.

Damn, I remember the Canseco rookie card was like "if you have one of those, you can just retire now at age 10." I bet it is like $100 these days. Then again, it prob was about $100 back then too. I don't remember but back then $100 was like you were rich.

I have the Griffey rookie Upper Deck card (ungraded). I have the 72 Topps Carlton Fisk, Cecil Cooper rookie card I pulled from a Topps hobby set (I think that one is graded 7 or 8). I have some limited edition cards. I had the entire 83 Topps set (Gwynn rookie) but I don't know what happened to them. Yeah, I got the McGwire rookie. Ichiro rookie. I have a Roberto Clemente card. I think I got a Bonds rookie card too.

Some nice cards. If you find the 83 Topps set, I could see a card shop offering you $100 for the collection

 

[Lehigh98]

My first ever submission to PSA. These were in a drawer at my parents' house since I last collected in the late 80’s.

Payton and Wilt were in a prize package I won in an end of the year raffle for a card show series I went to all year in NJ (I think it was usually at the Woodbine if there are other old South Jersey guys in here), prob like ‘89 - ‘90. Part of it was also a $100 GC I used to buy that Jordan and a Pippin rookie. Should have stretched for a Jordan rookie but I was only like 13 so that was a lot of money. Stan was a thank you gift from my dad’s buddy after I went through a stack of ~52’s the guy had in a shoebox and listed values for him from a Becket guide. Fun to do, some good cards, no crazy awesome Mantles or anything.

 

[Major]

My first ever submission to PSA. These were in a drawer at my parents' house since I last collected in the late 80’s.

Payton and Wilt were in a prize package I won in an end of the year raffle for a card show series I went to all year in NJ (I think it was usually at the Woodbine if there are other old South Jersey guys in here), prob like ‘89 - ‘90. Part of it was also a $100 GC I used to buy that Jordan and a Pippin rookie. Should have stretched for a Jordan rookie but I was only like 13 so that was a lot of money. Stan was a thank you gift from my dad’s buddy after I went through a stack of ~52’s the guy had in a shoebox and listed values for him from a Becket guide. Fun to do, some good cards, no crazy awesome Mantles or anything.

Those are some good looking cards. In my 80/90s conditioning eyes, other than slight off centering those first three look mint. The Wilt looks at least a 7 or 8

 

[shuke]

Yea, back in the 80's we would have called all those "mint".

 

[shuke]

That picture wants me to bust my collection out to just look at them.

 

[Lehigh98]

My first ever submission to PSA. These were in a drawer at my parents' house since I last collected in the late 80’s.

Payton and Wilt were in a prize package I won in an end of the year raffle for a card show series I went to all year in NJ (I think it was usually at the Woodbine if there are other old South Jersey guys in here), prob like ‘89 - ‘90. Part of it was also a $100 GC I used to buy that Jordan and a Pippin rookie. Should have stretched for a Jordan rookie but I was only like 13 so that was a lot of money. Stan was a thank you gift from my dad’s buddy after I went through a stack of ~52’s the guy had in a shoebox and listed values for him from a Becket guide. Fun to do, some good cards, no crazy awesome Mantles or anything.

Those are some good looking cards. In my 80/90s conditioning eyes, other than slight off centering those first three look mint. The Wilt looks at least a 7 or 8

Thanks, I was pretty happy with the WP, ok with the Jordan (slight stain on the back), but thought Wilt and Stan might grade a bit higher.
Although when I did stop into a card show a couple months ago a lot of those 1971 Topps BB cards seem to have held up really well.

 

[Fat Nick]

My first ever submission to PSA. These were in a drawer at my parents' house since I last collected in the late 80’s.

Payton and Wilt were in a prize package I won in an end of the year raffle for a card show series I went to all year in NJ (I think it was usually at the Woodbine if there are other old South Jersey guys in here), prob like ‘89 - ‘90. Part of it was also a $100 GC I used to buy that Jordan and a Pippin rookie. Should have stretched for a Jordan rookie but I was only like 13 so that was a lot of money. Stan was a thank you gift from my dad’s buddy after I went through a stack of ~52’s the guy had in a shoebox and listed values for him from a Becket guide. Fun to do, some good cards, no crazy awesome Mantles or anything.

Those are some good looking cards. In my 80/90s conditioning eyes, other than slight off centering those first three look mint. The Wilt looks at least a 7 or 8

I just sent a bunch of my top cards from my collecting days off to PSA too - To me, they look like 6's - 8's...mostly 50's-70's cards, and a few good early 80's cards...I'm really worried that I'm just a horrible eye for grading and they're going to come back with really crappy grades. I collected HARD in the junk-wax era from '88 through '92 or so, but just recently my son has gotten into the hobby.

I have to say - even though the Junk Wax is worthless, the hobby was a lot more fun then. It's too expensive and complicated now...and I think grading is a horrible money grab...but it's the rules you sort of have to play by now.

We'll see how my stuff comes back in a few months...

 

[comfortably numb]

My first ever submission to PSA. These were in a drawer at my parents' house since I last collected in the late 80’s.

Payton and Wilt were in a prize package I won in an end of the year raffle for a card show series I went to all year in NJ (I think it was usually at the Woodbine if there are other old South Jersey guys in here), prob like ‘89 - ‘90. Part of it was also a $100 GC I used to buy that Jordan and a Pippin rookie. Should have stretched for a Jordan rookie but I was only like 13 so that was a lot of money. Stan was a thank you gift from my dad’s buddy after I went through a stack of ~52’s the guy had in a shoebox and listed values for him from a Becket guide. Fun to do, some good cards, no crazy awesome Mantles or anything.

Those are some good looking cards. In my 80/90s conditioning eyes, other than slight off centering those first three look mint. The Wilt looks at least a 7 or 8

I just sent a bunch of my top cards from my collecting days off to PSA too - To me, they look like 6's - 8's...mostly 50's-70's cards, and a few good early 80's cards...I'm really worried that I'm just a horrible eye for grading and they're going to come back with really crappy grades. I collected HARD in the junk-wax era from '88 through '92 or so, but just recently my son has gotten into the hobby.

I have to say - even though the Junk Wax is worthless, the hobby was a lot more fun then. It's too expensive and complicated now...and I think grading is a horrible money grab...but it's the rules you sort of have to play by now.

We'll see how my stuff comes back in a few months...

The good thing about grading is you don't have to partake.
Want a raw collection go for it.
Want a graded one go for it
A mix? Go for it.

Plan to sell stuff you can do both.
Some raw stuff I sell..go for more than the grade I think it would go for.

The hobby is definitely more complex now for sure. For starters its no longer a hobby Its and industry with some hobbyists.
There were no short term flippers in the 80s 90s simply because there was no easy way to do it...and the margins weren't there.
You could pull an 87 Topps Bo Jackson out of a 40c pack and sell it for $3...to someone you would have to find willing to pay you the $3. The card shop guy would offer you $1.

The awesome part now especially if you are not a grading fan.
You can buy TONS of the old cards from the 50s to 90's dirt cheap.
So much cheaper than when you were collecting in the 90's.
In the 90s a Rickey RC in NRMT condition was $80 or so....NRMT was verrrrrrrrry loose in those days.
That same "nrmt" Rickey RC that was OC and had a dinged corner would sell for $35 bucks now.

 

[comfortably numb]

My first ever submission to PSA. These were in a drawer at my parents' house since I last collected in the late 80’s.

Payton and Wilt were in a prize package I won in an end of the year raffle for a card show series I went to all year in NJ (I think it was usually at the Woodbine if there are other old South Jersey guys in here), prob like ‘89 - ‘90. Part of it was also a $100 GC I used to buy that Jordan and a Pippin rookie. Should have stretched for a Jordan rookie but I was only like 13 so that was a lot of money. Stan was a thank you gift from my dad’s buddy after I went through a stack of ~52’s the guy had in a shoebox and listed values for him from a Becket guide. Fun to do, some good cards, no crazy awesome Mantles or anything.

effin awesome!
Great score on tha Payton!

Im an old North Jersey guy so never heard of that but awesome story

 

[Fat Nick]

My first ever submission to PSA. These were in a drawer at my parents' house since I last collected in the late 80’s.

Payton and Wilt were in a prize package I won in an end of the year raffle for a card show series I went to all year in NJ (I think it was usually at the Woodbine if there are other old South Jersey guys in here), prob like ‘89 - ‘90. Part of it was also a $100 GC I used to buy that Jordan and a Pippin rookie. Should have stretched for a Jordan rookie but I was only like 13 so that was a lot of money. Stan was a thank you gift from my dad’s buddy after I went through a stack of ~52’s the guy had in a shoebox and listed values for him from a Becket guide. Fun to do, some good cards, no crazy awesome Mantles or anything.

Those are some good looking cards. In my 80/90s conditioning eyes, other than slight off centering those first three look mint. The Wilt looks at least a 7 or 8

I just sent a bunch of my top cards from my collecting days off to PSA too - To me, they look like 6's - 8's...mostly 50's-70's cards, and a few good early 80's cards...I'm really worried that I'm just a horrible eye for grading and they're going to come back with really crappy grades. I collected HARD in the junk-wax era from '88 through '92 or so, but just recently my son has gotten into the hobby.

I have to say - even though the Junk Wax is worthless, the hobby was a lot more fun then. It's too expensive and complicated now...and I think grading is a horrible money grab...but it's the rules you sort of have to play by now.

We'll see how my stuff comes back in a few months...

The good thing about grading is you don't have to partake.
Want a raw collection go for it.
Want a graded one go for it
A mix? Go for it.

Plan to sell stuff you can do both.
Some raw stuff I sell..go for more than the grade I think it would go for.

The hobby is definitely more complex now for sure. For starters its no longer a hobby Its and industry with some hobbyists.
There were no short term flippers in the 80s 90s simply because there was no easy way to do it...and the margins weren't there.
You could pull an 87 Topps Bo Jackson out of a 40c pack and sell it for $3...to someone you would have to find willing to pay you the $3. The card shop guy would offer you $1.

The awesome part now especially if you are not a grading fan.
You can buy TONS of the old cards from the 50s to 90's dirt cheap.
So much cheaper than when you were collecting in the 90's.
In the 90s a Rickey RC in NRMT condition was $80 or so....NRMT was verrrrrrrrry loose in those days.
That same "nrmt" Rickey RC that was OC and had a dinged corner would sell for $35 bucks now.

Your quote "industry with some hobbyists" is spot on, and totally agree re. the liquidity in the market now with the internet especially.

Speaking of cheaper older cards, I was in Orlando yesterday for work, and on my way out of town, I swung by a highly-rated card shop down there. I wanted to get a box of cards for my son. While I was in there, I spotted an '85 Mark McGwire Team USA Rookie card in his case for $40. This was one card that when I was a kid I wanted but never managed to find at a price I could afford. I snagged a Blaster Box of 2023 Donruss NFL for my son for $40, and asked the guy what he could do on the McGwire. Immediately dropped to $15, so I bought it as it was in pretty good condition, and centered. After I payed, I asked him why he had it at $40 if he instantly dropped to $15 when I asked...He said basically that it's been in the case for at least 7 years and nobody had ever asked about it. Made me think about the difference between market value and sentimental value - that's probably where the "hobby" still lives. To me, that card is still one of the "holy grails" of my childhood, meanwhile, it's nearly worthless by today's standards...Gotta find me a few more cards like that now.

 

[Major]

My first ever submission to PSA. These were in a drawer at my parents' house since I last collected in the late 80’s.

Payton and Wilt were in a prize package I won in an end of the year raffle for a card show series I went to all year in NJ (I think it was usually at the Woodbine if there are other old South Jersey guys in here), prob like ‘89 - ‘90. Part of it was also a $100 GC I used to buy that Jordan and a Pippin rookie. Should have stretched for a Jordan rookie but I was only like 13 so that was a lot of money. Stan was a thank you gift from my dad’s buddy after I went through a stack of ~52’s the guy had in a shoebox and listed values for him from a Becket guide. Fun to do, some good cards, no crazy awesome Mantles or anything.

Those are some good looking cards. In my 80/90s conditioning eyes, other than slight off centering those first three look mint. The Wilt looks at least a 7 or 8

I just sent a bunch of my top cards from my collecting days off to PSA too - To me, they look like 6's - 8's...mostly 50's-70's cards, and a few good early 80's cards...I'm really worried that I'm just a horrible eye for grading and they're going to come back with really crappy grades. I collected HARD in the junk-wax era from '88 through '92 or so, but just recently my son has gotten into the hobby.

I have to say - even though the Junk Wax is worthless, the hobby was a lot more fun then. It's too expensive and complicated now...and I think grading is a horrible money grab...but it's the rules you sort of have to play by now.

We'll see how my stuff comes back in a few months...

The good thing about grading is you don't have to partake.
Want a raw collection go for it.
Want a graded one go for it
A mix? Go for it.

Plan to sell stuff you can do both.
Some raw stuff I sell..go for more than the grade I think it would go for.

The hobby is definitely more complex now for sure. For starters its no longer a hobby Its and industry with some hobbyists.
There were no short term flippers in the 80s 90s simply because there was no easy way to do it...and the margins weren't there.
You could pull an 87 Topps Bo Jackson out of a 40c pack and sell it for $3...to someone you would have to find willing to pay you the $3. The card shop guy would offer you $1.

The awesome part now especially if you are not a grading fan.
You can buy TONS of the old cards from the 50s to 90's dirt cheap.
So much cheaper than when you were collecting in the 90's.
In the 90s a Rickey RC in NRMT condition was $80 or so....NRMT was verrrrrrrrry loose in those days.
That same "nrmt" Rickey RC that was OC and had a dinged corner would sell for $35 bucks now.

Your quote "industry with some hobbyists" is spot on, and totally agree re. the liquidity in the market now with the internet especially.

Speaking of cheaper older cards, I was in Orlando yesterday for work, and on my way out of town, I swung by a highly-rated card shop down there. I wanted to get a box of cards for my son. While I was in there, I spotted an '85 Mark McGwire Team USA Rookie card in his case for $40. This was one card that when I was a kid I wanted but never managed to find at a price I could afford. I snagged a Blaster Box of 2023 Donruss NFL for my son for $40, and asked the guy what he could do on the McGwire. Immediately dropped to $15, so I bought it as it was in pretty good condition, and centered. After I payed, I asked him why he had it at $40 if he instantly dropped to $15 when I asked...He said basically that it's been in the case for at least 7 years and nobody had ever asked about it. Made me think about the difference between market value and sentimental value - that's probably where the "hobby" still lives. To me, that card is still one of the "holy grails" of my childhood, meanwhile, it's nearly worthless by today's standards...Gotta find me a few more cards like that now.

That's been my experience trying to sell some of my collection. Unless you have PSA 9/10s or Topps Tiffany, most people won't touch them especially raw. It does make for great value opportunities if you want to buy those grails you could never afford as a kid.

 

[Nathan R. Jessep]

Your quote "industry with some hobbyists" is spot on, and totally agree re. the liquidity in the market now with the internet especially.

Speaking of cheaper older cards, I was in Orlando yesterday for work, and on my way out of town, I swung by a highly-rated card shop down there. I wanted to get a box of cards for my son. While I was in there, I spotted an '85 Mark McGwire Team USA Rookie card in his case for $40. This was one card that when I was a kid I wanted but never managed to find at a price I could afford. I snagged a Blaster Box of 2023 Donruss NFL for my son for $40, and asked the guy what he could do on the McGwire. Immediately dropped to $15, so I bought it as it was in pretty good condition, and centered. After I payed, I asked him why he had it at $40 if he instantly dropped to $15 when I asked...He said basically that it's been in the case for at least 7 years and nobody had ever asked about it. Made me think about the difference between market value and sentimental value - that's probably where the "hobby" still lives. To me, that card is still one of the "holy grails" of my childhood, meanwhile, it's nearly worthless by today's standards...Gotta find me a few more cards like that now.

That is awesome. Congrats on your personal grail.

I need to go thru mine as well @shuke and I'm sure it will remind me of some of the early 80's-90's gems that I wanted but couldn't afford back then. Besides the album full of MJs, I also have albums full of Bo Jacksons (all years and varieties) and Nolan Ryans (nothing super old, all like '80 and beyond). Gotta get those out and see if anything might be worth grading. Probably won't bother unless I think it can get an 8+, but I think I might have enough, just out of sheer volume, to put together a grading order of a couple dozen or so. And I have a stack of newer stuff I can throw in that I think are in the 9-10 range after careful scrutiny.

Re: grading, another thing I neglected to look at on my first submission years ago was the actual surface of the card front and back. A lot of these newer cards (Prizm is terrible) have peck marks or scuff-looking marks straight from the factory. There goes your 10. Can still get a 9 (and *maybe* a 10 if it is tiny and literally everything else is perfect). But for these glossy type newer cards or the old "Glossy" sets, definitely take a chamois cloth (like you use to clean eyeglasses etc) and wipe down front and back of cards to get fingerprints and smudges off of them.

 

[Fat Nick]

Re: grading, another thing I neglected to look at on my first submission years ago was the actual surface of the card front and back. A lot of these newer cards (Prizm is terrible) have peck marks or scuff-looking marks straight from the factory. There goes your 10. Can still get a 9 (and *maybe* a 10 if it is tiny and literally everything else is perfect). But for these glossy type newer cards or the old "Glossy" sets, definitely take a chamois cloth (like you use to clean eyeglasses etc) and wipe down front and back of cards to get fingerprints and smudges off of them.

I watched a few videos on this before I submitted - I never knew that was a grading criteria until I watched them. I used an eye-glass cleaning cloth and rubbed off any smudges. I'll also say that a decent bit of pressure rubbing from the center of the card outward can even slightly mend some edge dings too. Maybe not to the point of them being unnoticeable, but at least improves them.

 

[Fat Nick]

Two part post -

1) I got the first few grades from my submission to PSA online over the weekend. My observation is that good grades are absurdly hard to get. My son sent 2 pack-fresh cards in my submission (Panini Prizm/Mosaic) - both were graded 9's. They look perfect to me, so I have no clue how they ding them, but whatever. A few of mine from the 80's graded 7's and 8's...But the real bummer is that one of my cards was deemed to have been trimmed (possible as I bought it at a card show, but man, really good trimming job because I never noticed) and another one, the one I had really high-hopes for, an '82 Topps Traded Ripken Rookie that was impeccable, was graded "N5 - Altered Stock," which upon reading indicates it was in a screw-down and overly flattened. It's crazy to me that they did this. What I'm reading online is that most people who get that grade crack it, and send it to SCG or Beckett as they aren't as picky with that kind of thing. I don't have as high of hopes for the dozen or so 50's and 60's cards I sent. A few looked perfect to me, but now I'm wondering if I'm going to get some more really tough grades. End result - I won't be sending any of my personal cards off for grading. It's not worth it - and honestly, I'm not sure I'll buy them either. An ungraded card that looks optically perfect sells at such a discount that I don't even want to pay 3x for a graded 10. It's just silly. The challenge is it's getting harder and harder to find good ungraded cards, but whatever. I'll deal with that challenge for my personal collection.

2) Took my 9-year old to his 1st card show over the weekend. It was my first card show in probably 30 years. My how things have changed. The price points are so much higher. The cards in many cases were beyond what I'm willing to pay, much less what my 9-year old could afford. But...we both had some fun side-collections going that made it a blast to dig through the bargain bins and $1 card boxes. He's looking for a jersey patch from all 32 starting NFL QB's - so many were available cheap with some digging. I'm looking for the UD Young Gun rookies of all of the 2018 Capitals Stanley Cup team roster, and trying to get any Upper Deck Canvas cards of Capitals players. The Ovie rookie is going to be my demise, as graded it's $1,500+. I really need to find an ungraded one. Hoping I can find an ungraded one for $800 or so - but I have to find one in-person. The rest of the cards are $1-15, so great range. We had a blast. My son got good at negotiating, and even made some trades with a kid while we were eating lunch. Another show in 2 weeks seems like a manageable drive, so we may go hit that one up.

 

[comfortably numb]

Two part post -

1) I got the first few grades from my submission to PSA online over the weekend. My observation is that good grades are absurdly hard to get. My son sent 2 pack-fresh cards in my submission (Panini Prizm/Mosaic) - both were graded 9's. They look perfect to me, so I have no clue how they ding them, but whatever. A few of mine from the 80's graded 7's and 8's...But the real bummer is that one of my cards was deemed to have been trimmed (possible as I bought it at a card show, but man, really good trimming job because I never noticed) and another one, the one I had really high-hopes for, an '82 Topps Traded Ripken Rookie that was impeccable, was graded "N5 - Altered Stock," which upon reading indicates it was in a screw-down and overly flattened. It's crazy to me that they did this. What I'm reading online is that most people who get that grade crack it, and send it to SCG or Beckett as they aren't as picky with that kind of thing. I don't have as high of hopes for the dozen or so 50's and 60's cards I sent. A few looked perfect to me, but now I'm wondering if I'm going to get some more really tough grades. End result - I won't be sending any of my personal cards off for grading. It's not worth it - and honestly, I'm not sure I'll buy them either. An ungraded card that looks optically perfect sells at such a discount that I don't even want to pay 3x for a graded 10. It's just silly. The challenge is it's getting harder and harder to find good ungraded cards, but whatever. I'll deal with that challenge for my personal collection.

2) Took my 9-year old to his 1st card show over the weekend. It was my first card show in probably 30 years. My how things have changed. The price points are so much higher. The cards in many cases were beyond what I'm willing to pay, much less what my 9-year old could afford. But...we both had some fun side-collections going that made it a blast to dig through the bargain bins and $1 card boxes. He's looking for a jersey patch from all 32 starting NFL QB's - so many were available cheap with some digging. I'm looking for the UD Young Gun rookies of all of the 2018 Capitals Stanley Cup team roster, and trying to get any Upper Deck Canvas cards of Capitals players. The Ovie rookie is going to be my demise, as graded it's $1,500+. I really need to find an ungraded one. Hoping I can find an ungraded one for $800 or so - but I have to find one in-person. The rest of the cards are $1-15, so great range. We had a blast. My son got good at negotiating, and even made some trades with a kid while we were eating lunch. Another show in 2 weeks seems like a manageable drive, so we may go hit that one up.

Some people will resend the same card to PSA and eventually get a grade.
If you have a hard time buying raw cards just buy 5-7s that look great.
Some amazing looking 4/6 I have come across. You can then crack them if you wish or just leave em
It sucks but I have had that N5 several times
Bird/Magic RC was N5 at PSA and got an SGC 6

If you want to grade for your PC SGC may be the way to go

Were you at the card show in Freehold this weekend?
I didn’t make it but went a few times.

If you want a big one…iirc you were near flemington area?
The Philly card show is March 8/10
It’s a nice ride out just past King of Prussia

One of the bigger shows on the east coast
Well worth it.
A lot of dealers travel from very far to set there.

 

[Fat Nick]

Two part post -

1) I got the first few grades from my submission to PSA online over the weekend. My observation is that good grades are absurdly hard to get. My son sent 2 pack-fresh cards in my submission (Panini Prizm/Mosaic) - both were graded 9's. They look perfect to me, so I have no clue how they ding them, but whatever. A few of mine from the 80's graded 7's and 8's...But the real bummer is that one of my cards was deemed to have been trimmed (possible as I bought it at a card show, but man, really good trimming job because I never noticed) and another one, the one I had really high-hopes for, an '82 Topps Traded Ripken Rookie that was impeccable, was graded "N5 - Altered Stock," which upon reading indicates it was in a screw-down and overly flattened. It's crazy to me that they did this. What I'm reading online is that most people who get that grade crack it, and send it to SCG or Beckett as they aren't as picky with that kind of thing. I don't have as high of hopes for the dozen or so 50's and 60's cards I sent. A few looked perfect to me, but now I'm wondering if I'm going to get some more really tough grades. End result - I won't be sending any of my personal cards off for grading. It's not worth it - and honestly, I'm not sure I'll buy them either. An ungraded card that looks optically perfect sells at such a discount that I don't even want to pay 3x for a graded 10. It's just silly. The challenge is it's getting harder and harder to find good ungraded cards, but whatever. I'll deal with that challenge for my personal collection.

2) Took my 9-year old to his 1st card show over the weekend. It was my first card show in probably 30 years. My how things have changed. The price points are so much higher. The cards in many cases were beyond what I'm willing to pay, much less what my 9-year old could afford. But...we both had some fun side-collections going that made it a blast to dig through the bargain bins and $1 card boxes. He's looking for a jersey patch from all 32 starting NFL QB's - so many were available cheap with some digging. I'm looking for the UD Young Gun rookies of all of the 2018 Capitals Stanley Cup team roster, and trying to get any Upper Deck Canvas cards of Capitals players. The Ovie rookie is going to be my demise, as graded it's $1,500+. I really need to find an ungraded one. Hoping I can find an ungraded one for $800 or so - but I have to find one in-person. The rest of the cards are $1-15, so great range. We had a blast. My son got good at negotiating, and even made some trades with a kid while we were eating lunch. Another show in 2 weeks seems like a manageable drive, so we may go hit that one up.

Some people will resend the same card to PSA and eventually get a grade.
If you have a hard time buying raw cards just buy 5-7s that look great.
Some amazing looking 4/6 I have come across. You can then crack them if you wish or just leave em
It sucks but I have had that N5 several times
Bird/Magic RC was N5 at PSA and got an SGC 6

If you want to grade for your PC SGC may be the way to go

Were you at the card show in Freehold this weekend?
I didn’t make it but went a few times.

If you want a big one…iirc you were near flemington area?
The Philly card show is March 8/10
It’s a nice ride out just past King of Prussia

One of the bigger shows on the east coast
Well worth it.
A lot of dealers travel from very far to set there.

That's a good option re. buying 5-7's that look great and then just cracking them potentially. Really good idea. I can't understand the grading to save my life. My future brother-in-law gave my son a base set Charizard Pokemon card that I also sent to PSA - just got the news on that one - it's a 7. I figured it'd be a 4 or a 5. It's all scratched up and has some clear dings - but nope - 7. Same grade as my Darrel Green rookie that looked pristine to my untrained eye.

I think I've pretty much decided not to grade any more of my PC cards...I'll grade stuff I may sell, but that's it.

Yep! I'm from Flemington, and It was the Freehold card show. Curious how that one compares in size to some other NJ shows. There's a semi-regular one up in Parsippany in a few weeks we may go scope out. I saw that Philly one, but I'm in London for work all that week, so I don't think I can make it work unless I can somehow swing Sunday.

I'd love to hear about any other shows or shops you'd recommend since you know the area. We've been to Sab's Collectibles in Manville, which was small but OK. I'd love to find something with a little more real-estate. My son and I love thumbing through the discount boxes, but Sab's is so small you're practically on top of the kids who just hang out in there.

 

[comfortably numb]

Two part post -

1) I got the first few grades from my submission to PSA online over the weekend. My observation is that good grades are absurdly hard to get. My son sent 2 pack-fresh cards in my submission (Panini Prizm/Mosaic) - both were graded 9's. They look perfect to me, so I have no clue how they ding them, but whatever. A few of mine from the 80's graded 7's and 8's...But the real bummer is that one of my cards was deemed to have been trimmed (possible as I bought it at a card show, but man, really good trimming job because I never noticed) and another one, the one I had really high-hopes for, an '82 Topps Traded Ripken Rookie that was impeccable, was graded "N5 - Altered Stock," which upon reading indicates it was in a screw-down and overly flattened. It's crazy to me that they did this. What I'm reading online is that most people who get that grade crack it, and send it to SCG or Beckett as they aren't as picky with that kind of thing. I don't have as high of hopes for the dozen or so 50's and 60's cards I sent. A few looked perfect to me, but now I'm wondering if I'm going to get some more really tough grades. End result - I won't be sending any of my personal cards off for grading. It's not worth it - and honestly, I'm not sure I'll buy them either. An ungraded card that looks optically perfect sells at such a discount that I don't even want to pay 3x for a graded 10. It's just silly. The challenge is it's getting harder and harder to find good ungraded cards, but whatever. I'll deal with that challenge for my personal collection.

2) Took my 9-year old to his 1st card show over the weekend. It was my first card show in probably 30 years. My how things have changed. The price points are so much higher. The cards in many cases were beyond what I'm willing to pay, much less what my 9-year old could afford. But...we both had some fun side-collections going that made it a blast to dig through the bargain bins and $1 card boxes. He's looking for a jersey patch from all 32 starting NFL QB's - so many were available cheap with some digging. I'm looking for the UD Young Gun rookies of all of the 2018 Capitals Stanley Cup team roster, and trying to get any Upper Deck Canvas cards of Capitals players. The Ovie rookie is going to be my demise, as graded it's $1,500+. I really need to find an ungraded one. Hoping I can find an ungraded one for $800 or so - but I have to find one in-person. The rest of the cards are $1-15, so great range. We had a blast. My son got good at negotiating, and even made some trades with a kid while we were eating lunch. Another show in 2 weeks seems like a manageable drive, so we may go hit that one up.

Some people will resend the same card to PSA and eventually get a grade.
If you have a hard time buying raw cards just buy 5-7s that look great.
Some amazing looking 4/6 I have come across. You can then crack them if you wish or just leave em
It sucks but I have had that N5 several times
Bird/Magic RC was N5 at PSA and got an SGC 6

If you want to grade for your PC SGC may be the way to go

Were you at the card show in Freehold this weekend?
I didn’t make it but went a few times.

If you want a big one…iirc you were near flemington area?
The Philly card show is March 8/10
It’s a nice ride out just past King of Prussia

One of the bigger shows on the east coast
Well worth it.
A lot of dealers travel from very far to set there.

That's a good option re. buying 5-7's that look great and then just cracking them potentially. Really good idea. I can't understand the grading to save my life. My future brother-in-law gave my son a base set Charizard Pokemon card that I also sent to PSA - just got the news on that one - it's a 7. I figured it'd be a 4 or a 5. It's all scratched up and has some clear dings - but nope - 7. Same grade as my Darrel Green rookie that looked pristine to my untrained eye.

I think I've pretty much decided not to grade any more of my PC cards...I'll grade stuff I may sell, but that's it.

Yep! I'm from Flemington, and It was the Freehold card show. Curious how that one compares in size to some other NJ shows. There's a semi-regular one up in Parsippany in a few weeks we may go scope out. I saw that Philly one, but I'm in London for work all that week, so I don't think I can make it work unless I can somehow swing Sunday.

I'd love to hear about any other shows or shops you'd recommend since you know the area. We've been to Sab's Collectibles in Manville, which was small but OK. I'd love to find something with a little more real-estate. My son and I love thumbing through the discount boxes, but Sab's is so small you're practically on top of the kids who just hang out in there.

Shows

https://sportscollectorsdigest.com/collecting-101/show-calendar

I use this
Bordentown, Woodbridge and Edison seem to have a couple a month. I did Edison last month for the 1st time. That was cool just like those mentioned. Those are all a bit smaller than Freehold

Theyre all similiar
Not huge but good enough to walk around. Good amount of Pokémon at that Woodbridge one.

I have hit too many shops
Banker Bill? Hillsborough is close to you. He has a lot of memorabilia.
I’ll try to remember others that I may have heard of.
Flea markets may be good too.
Some have regulars that have value boxes

 

[FairWarning]

Two part post -

1) I got the first few grades from my submission to PSA online over the weekend. My observation is that good grades are absurdly hard to get. My son sent 2 pack-fresh cards in my submission (Panini Prizm/Mosaic) - both were graded 9's. They look perfect to me, so I have no clue how they ding them, but whatever. A few of mine from the 80's graded 7's and 8's...But the real bummer is that one of my cards was deemed to have been trimmed (possible as I bought it at a card show, but man, really good trimming job because I never noticed) and another one, the one I had really high-hopes for, an '82 Topps Traded Ripken Rookie that was impeccable, was graded "N5 - Altered Stock," which upon reading indicates it was in a screw-down and overly flattened. It's crazy to me that they did this. What I'm reading online is that most people who get that grade crack it, and send it to SCG or Beckett as they aren't as picky with that kind of thing. I don't have as high of hopes for the dozen or so 50's and 60's cards I sent. A few looked perfect to me, but now I'm wondering if I'm going to get some more really tough grades. End result - I won't be sending any of my personal cards off for grading. It's not worth it - and honestly, I'm not sure I'll buy them either. An ungraded card that looks optically perfect sells at such a discount that I don't even want to pay 3x for a graded 10. It's just silly. The challenge is it's getting harder and harder to find good ungraded cards, but whatever. I'll deal with that challenge for my personal collection.

2) Took my 9-year old to his 1st card show over the weekend. It was my first card show in probably 30 years. My how things have changed. The price points are so much higher. The cards in many cases were beyond what I'm willing to pay, much less what my 9-year old could afford. But...we both had some fun side-collections going that made it a blast to dig through the bargain bins and $1 card boxes. He's looking for a jersey patch from all 32 starting NFL QB's - so many were available cheap with some digging. I'm looking for the UD Young Gun rookies of all of the 2018 Capitals Stanley Cup team roster, and trying to get any Upper Deck Canvas cards of Capitals players. The Ovie rookie is going to be my demise, as graded it's $1,500+. I really need to find an ungraded one. Hoping I can find an ungraded one for $800 or so - but I have to find one in-person. The rest of the cards are $1-15, so great range. We had a blast. My son got good at negotiating, and even made some trades with a kid while we were eating lunch. Another show in 2 weeks seems like a manageable drive, so we may go hit that one up.

Some people will resend the same card to PSA and eventually get a grade.
If you have a hard time buying raw cards just buy 5-7s that look great.
Some amazing looking 4/6 I have come across. You can then crack them if you wish or just leave em
It sucks but I have had that N5 several times
Bird/Magic RC was N5 at PSA and got an SGC 6

If you want to grade for your PC SGC may be the way to go

Were you at the card show in Freehold this weekend?
I didn’t make it but went a few times.

If you want a big one…iirc you were near flemington area?
The Philly card show is March 8/10
It’s a nice ride out just past King of Prussia

One of the bigger shows on the east coast
Well worth it.
A lot of dealers travel from very far to set there.

The KoP show has been going for 30+ years, one of the best east coast shows For a long time.

I have a few old SCD’s. I’ll have to dig them out and see how much the hobby has changed.

2024 Topps comes out next week, just in time for spring training.

 

[Fat Nick]

Two part post -

1) I got the first few grades from my submission to PSA online over the weekend. My observation is that good grades are absurdly hard to get. My son sent 2 pack-fresh cards in my submission (Panini Prizm/Mosaic) - both were graded 9's. They look perfect to me, so I have no clue how they ding them, but whatever. A few of mine from the 80's graded 7's and 8's...But the real bummer is that one of my cards was deemed to have been trimmed (possible as I bought it at a card show, but man, really good trimming job because I never noticed) and another one, the one I had really high-hopes for, an '82 Topps Traded Ripken Rookie that was impeccable, was graded "N5 - Altered Stock," which upon reading indicates it was in a screw-down and overly flattened. It's crazy to me that they did this. What I'm reading online is that most people who get that grade crack it, and send it to SCG or Beckett as they aren't as picky with that kind of thing. I don't have as high of hopes for the dozen or so 50's and 60's cards I sent. A few looked perfect to me, but now I'm wondering if I'm going to get some more really tough grades. End result - I won't be sending any of my personal cards off for grading. It's not worth it - and honestly, I'm not sure I'll buy them either. An ungraded card that looks optically perfect sells at such a discount that I don't even want to pay 3x for a graded 10. It's just silly. The challenge is it's getting harder and harder to find good ungraded cards, but whatever. I'll deal with that challenge for my personal collection.

2) Took my 9-year old to his 1st card show over the weekend. It was my first card show in probably 30 years. My how things have changed. The price points are so much higher. The cards in many cases were beyond what I'm willing to pay, much less what my 9-year old could afford. But...we both had some fun side-collections going that made it a blast to dig through the bargain bins and $1 card boxes. He's looking for a jersey patch from all 32 starting NFL QB's - so many were available cheap with some digging. I'm looking for the UD Young Gun rookies of all of the 2018 Capitals Stanley Cup team roster, and trying to get any Upper Deck Canvas cards of Capitals players. The Ovie rookie is going to be my demise, as graded it's $1,500+. I really need to find an ungraded one. Hoping I can find an ungraded one for $800 or so - but I have to find one in-person. The rest of the cards are $1-15, so great range. We had a blast. My son got good at negotiating, and even made some trades with a kid while we were eating lunch. Another show in 2 weeks seems like a manageable drive, so we may go hit that one up.

Some people will resend the same card to PSA and eventually get a grade.
If you have a hard time buying raw cards just buy 5-7s that look great.
Some amazing looking 4/6 I have come across. You can then crack them if you wish or just leave em
It sucks but I have had that N5 several times
Bird/Magic RC was N5 at PSA and got an SGC 6

If you want to grade for your PC SGC may be the way to go

Were you at the card show in Freehold this weekend?
I didn’t make it but went a few times.

If you want a big one…iirc you were near flemington area?
The Philly card show is March 8/10
It’s a nice ride out just past King of Prussia

One of the bigger shows on the east coast
Well worth it.
A lot of dealers travel from very far to set there.

That's a good option re. buying 5-7's that look great and then just cracking them potentially. Really good idea. I can't understand the grading to save my life. My future brother-in-law gave my son a base set Charizard Pokemon card that I also sent to PSA - just got the news on that one - it's a 7. I figured it'd be a 4 or a 5. It's all scratched up and has some clear dings - but nope - 7. Same grade as my Darrel Green rookie that looked pristine to my untrained eye.

I think I've pretty much decided not to grade any more of my PC cards...I'll grade stuff I may sell, but that's it.

Yep! I'm from Flemington, and It was the Freehold card show. Curious how that one compares in size to some other NJ shows. There's a semi-regular one up in Parsippany in a few weeks we may go scope out. I saw that Philly one, but I'm in London for work all that week, so I don't think I can make it work unless I can somehow swing Sunday.

I'd love to hear about any other shows or shops you'd recommend since you know the area. We've been to Sab's Collectibles in Manville, which was small but OK. I'd love to find something with a little more real-estate. My son and I love thumbing through the discount boxes, but Sab's is so small you're practically on top of the kids who just hang out in there.

Shows

https://sportscollectorsdigest.com/collecting-101/show-calendar

I use this
Bordentown, Woodbridge and Edison seem to have a couple a month. I did Edison last month for the 1st time. That was cool just like those mentioned. Those are all a bit smaller than Freehold

Theyre all similiar
Not huge but good enough to walk around. Good amount of Pokémon at that Woodbridge one.

I have hit too many shops
Banker Bill? Hillsborough is close to you. He has a lot of memorabilia.
I’ll try to remember others that I may have heard of.
Flea markets may be good too.
Some have regulars that have value boxes

Awesome. Thanks for the info - I saw Banker Bill on Google, but it did look like he focused more on memorabilia than cards. I'll swing by that one at some point when I'm in the area. There's also a place a few miles south of Banker Bill called T&L that is on my radar. A bigger place in a mall in Easton called Logan's Sports Collectibles too...I'll have to hit up some flea markets this summer. The only one I know of is the Golden Nugget in Lambertville.

Do they still do in-person estate auctions? When I was a kid, that's where I got probably 75% of my vintage stuff. I'd go with my Dad and bid on cards - could often find some great bargains that way as it wasn't the mainstream collector community buying them.

 

[Fat Nick]

The KoP show has been going for 30+ years, one of the best east coast shows For a long time.

I have a few old SCD’s. I’ll have to dig them out and see how much the hobby has changed.

2024 Topps comes out next week, just in time for spring training.

My biggest observation is that the majority of the value in my childhood collection is memories, not monetary, and that the hobby has a much higher price-point to entry now...but we're finding ways to still make it fun on a kid's budget.

 

[Terpman22]

Two part post -

1) I got the first few grades from my submission to PSA online over the weekend. My observation is that good grades are absurdly hard to get. My son sent 2 pack-fresh cards in my submission (Panini Prizm/Mosaic) - both were graded 9's. They look perfect to me, so I have no clue how they ding them, but whatever. A few of mine from the 80's graded 7's and 8's...But the real bummer is that one of my cards was deemed to have been trimmed (possible as I bought it at a card show, but man, really good trimming job because I never noticed) and another one, the one I had really high-hopes for, an '82 Topps Traded Ripken Rookie that was impeccable, was graded "N5 - Altered Stock," which upon reading indicates it was in a screw-down and overly flattened. It's crazy to me that they did this. What I'm reading online is that most people who get that grade crack it, and send it to SCG or Beckett as they aren't as picky with that kind of thing. I don't have as high of hopes for the dozen or so 50's and 60's cards I sent. A few looked perfect to me, but now I'm wondering if I'm going to get some more really tough grades. End result - I won't be sending any of my personal cards off for grading. It's not worth it - and honestly, I'm not sure I'll buy them either. An ungraded card that looks optically perfect sells at such a discount that I don't even want to pay 3x for a graded 10. It's just silly. The challenge is it's getting harder and harder to find good ungraded cards, but whatever. I'll deal with that challenge for my personal collection.

2) Took my 9-year old to his 1st card show over the weekend. It was my first card show in probably 30 years. My how things have changed. The price points are so much higher. The cards in many cases were beyond what I'm willing to pay, much less what my 9-year old could afford. But...we both had some fun side-collections going that made it a blast to dig through the bargain bins and $1 card boxes. He's looking for a jersey patch from all 32 starting NFL QB's - so many were available cheap with some digging. I'm looking for the UD Young Gun rookies of all of the 2018 Capitals Stanley Cup team roster, and trying to get any Upper Deck Canvas cards of Capitals players. The Ovie rookie is going to be my demise, as graded it's $1,500+. I really need to find an ungraded one. Hoping I can find an ungraded one for $800 or so - but I have to find one in-person. The rest of the cards are $1-15, so great range. We had a blast. My son got good at negotiating, and even made some trades with a kid while we were eating lunch. Another show in 2 weeks seems like a manageable drive, so we may go hit that one up.

Some people will resend the same card to PSA and eventually get a grade.
If you have a hard time buying raw cards just buy 5-7s that look great.
Some amazing looking 4/6 I have come across. You can then crack them if you wish or just leave em
It sucks but I have had that N5 several times
Bird/Magic RC was N5 at PSA and got an SGC 6

If you want to grade for your PC SGC may be the way to go

Were you at the card show in Freehold this weekend?
I didn’t make it but went a few times.

If you want a big one…iirc you were near flemington area?
The Philly card show is March 8/10
It’s a nice ride out just past King of Prussia

One of the bigger shows on the east coast
Well worth it.
A lot of dealers travel from very far to set there.

That's a good option re. buying 5-7's that look great and then just cracking them potentially. Really good idea. I can't understand the grading to save my life. My future brother-in-law gave my son a base set Charizard Pokemon card that I also sent to PSA - just got the news on that one - it's a 7. I figured it'd be a 4 or a 5. It's all scratched up and has some clear dings - but nope - 7. Same grade as my Darrel Green rookie that looked pristine to my untrained eye.

I think I've pretty much decided not to grade any more of my PC cards...I'll grade stuff I may sell, but that's it.

Yep! I'm from Flemington, and It was the Freehold card show. Curious how that one compares in size to some other NJ shows. There's a semi-regular one up in Parsippany in a few weeks we may go scope out. I saw that Philly one, but I'm in London for work all that week, so I don't think I can make it work unless I can somehow swing Sunday.

I'd love to hear about any other shows or shops you'd recommend since you know the area. We've been to Sab's Collectibles in Manville, which was small but OK. I'd love to find something with a little more real-estate. My son and I love thumbing through the discount boxes, but Sab's is so small you're practically on top of the kids who just hang out in there.

Shows

https://sportscollectorsdigest.com/collecting-101/show-calendar

I use this
Bordentown, Woodbridge and Edison seem to have a couple a month. I did Edison last month for the 1st time. That was cool just like those mentioned. Those are all a bit smaller than Freehold

Theyre all similiar
Not huge but good enough to walk around. Good amount of Pokémon at that Woodbridge one.

I have hit too many shops
Banker Bill? Hillsborough is close to you. He has a lot of memorabilia.
I’ll try to remember others that I may have heard of.
Flea markets may be good too.
Some have regulars that have value boxes

I haven't been to it, but I feel its criminal the Burbank Card Show is not showing up on this Calendar. From what I understand its a "Pretty Big Deal" out here on the West Coast.

I have, however, been to their Card Shop and its....insane. They have unopened 2003 Topp Chrome Hobby Basketball boxes (Lebron Rookie year) and a ton of other very very high end/rare stuff. Its a great place to visit, people literally line up before the store opens daily to get first crack at the newest raw cards they have for sale.

 

[Fat Nick]

I haven't been to it, but I feel its criminal the Burbank Card Show is not showing up on this Calendar. From what I understand its a "Pretty Big Deal" out here on the West Coast.

I have, however, been to their Card Shop and its....insane. They have unopened 2003 Topp Chrome Hobby Basketball boxes (Lebron Rookie year) and a ton of other very very high end/rare stuff. Its a great place to visit, people literally line up before the store opens daily to get first crack at the newest raw cards they have for sale.

Their eBay store is nuts - I've found tons of the random $1-$2 cards to finish some side-sets on their eBay. I can only imagine what it must look like in person.

 

[Desert_Power]

Two part post -

1) I got the first few grades from my submission to PSA online over the weekend. My observation is that good grades are absurdly hard to get.

Did you prepare them?

I like buying graded cards just because I never have to worry about screwing it up in storage. A ten stays a ten. I also don't mind buying graded cards as you can often get deals on SGC or Beckett graded cards.

Got a sick Waddle that was an SGC 8.5 that looked better than raw ones with more obvious production flaws on ebay. All I see is some back centering while other ones in that set have really rough edges. A great addition to the PC.

 

[Fat Nick]

Two part post -

1) I got the first few grades from my submission to PSA online over the weekend. My observation is that good grades are absurdly hard to get.

Did you prepare them?

I like buying graded cards just because I never have to worry about screwing it up in storage. A ten stays a ten. I also don't mind buying graded cards as you can often get deals on SGC or Beckett graded cards.

Got a sick Waddle that was an SGC 8.5 that looked better than raw ones with more obvious production flaws on ebay. All I see is some back centering while other ones in that set have really rough edges. A great addition to the PC.

I did prepare them - wiped them off with a cloth (from the center outward), and examined the corners and edges with a loupe. What I think I really need to do is examine a few known-grades and see if I can tell the difference. I'm generally shocked at how good a 7 can look...I'd say my acuity is on a scale of 1-4 vs. a 1-10 that companies use. I can tell you if something is 7.5-10, but figuring out if it's an 8 vs. a 10 honestly is hard. I need some practice.

I like buying graded cards, but I also do question whether it's worth it if you're not planning on selling them. I'm generally just fine with my personal collection having a 7 - again, I can't tell much difference.

My son traded an Anthony Richardson ungraded Prizm rookie for a Mint - 10 PSA graded Justin Herbert Hype card...if the Richardson was graded it'd be a bit of an unfair trade, but he LOVES having a graded 10 card now...so there's some value in the grading, I'm just still hesitant to say how much if you're keeping the card.

These magnetic 1-touch holders are pretty cool though. They didn't have those when I was a kid. A lot better than screw-downs.

 

[Major]

The KoP show has been going for 30+ years, one of the best east coast shows For a long time.

I have a few old SCD’s. I’ll have to dig them out and see how much the hobby has changed.

2024 Topps comes out next week, just in time for spring training.

My biggest observation is that the majority of the value in my childhood collection is memories, not monetary, and that the hobby has a much higher price-point to entry now...but we're finding ways to still make it fun on a kid's budget.

Yeah, I think the real value is the time and memories you'll share with your son. Just attend the shows and make the most out of the process. Finding gems in dollar bins is always fun. I have great memories of my Grandfather and I going to auctions together when I was a kid. Always fun beating out dealers for cards and seeing them throw fits when a kid outbid them (he was bankrolling me back then). I think there's also a lot your son can learn about business (supply/demand, arbitrage, etc).

 

[Major]

These magnetic 1-touch holders are pretty cool though. They didn't have those when I was a kid. A lot better than screw-downs.

I love those as well. I saw them in a youtube video and definitely ordering some for the PC. I am worried about some classic cards I have stored in screw downs for the past 30+ years after hearing these PSA non graded/tampered stories

 

[GoBirds]

These magnetic 1-touch holders are pretty cool though. They didn't have those when I was a kid. A lot better than screw-downs.

I love those as well. I saw them in a youtube video and definitely ordering some for the PC. I am worried about some classic cards I have stored in screw downs for the past 30+ years after hearing these PSA non graded/tampered stories

That worries me too with all my old screw downs . I’m going to order some of these magnetic cases to move them over to. Can we send to be graded in these magnetic cases or is there a better option than those flimsy card saver cases?

 

[FairWarning]

Two part post -

1) I got the first few grades from my submission to PSA online over the weekend. My observation is that good grades are absurdly hard to get. My son sent 2 pack-fresh cards in my submission (Panini Prizm/Mosaic) - both were graded 9's. They look perfect to me, so I have no clue how they ding them, but whatever. A few of mine from the 80's graded 7's and 8's...But the real bummer is that one of my cards was deemed to have been trimmed (possible as I bought it at a card show, but man, really good trimming job because I never noticed) and another one, the one I had really high-hopes for, an '82 Topps Traded Ripken Rookie that was impeccable, was graded "N5 - Altered Stock," which upon reading indicates it was in a screw-down and overly flattened. It's crazy to me that they did this. What I'm reading online is that most people who get that grade crack it, and send it to SCG or Beckett as they aren't as picky with that kind of thing. I don't have as high of hopes for the dozen or so 50's and 60's cards I sent. A few looked perfect to me, but now I'm wondering if I'm going to get some more really tough grades. End result - I won't be sending any of my personal cards off for grading. It's not worth it - and honestly, I'm not sure I'll buy them either. An ungraded card that looks optically perfect sells at such a discount that I don't even want to pay 3x for a graded 10. It's just silly. The challenge is it's getting harder and harder to find good ungraded cards, but whatever. I'll deal with that challenge for my personal collection.

2) Took my 9-year old to his 1st card show over the weekend. It was my first card show in probably 30 years. My how things have changed. The price points are so much higher. The cards in many cases were beyond what I'm willing to pay, much less what my 9-year old could afford. But...we both had some fun side-collections going that made it a blast to dig through the bargain bins and $1 card boxes. He's looking for a jersey patch from all 32 starting NFL QB's - so many were available cheap with some digging. I'm looking for the UD Young Gun rookies of all of the 2018 Capitals Stanley Cup team roster, and trying to get any Upper Deck Canvas cards of Capitals players. The Ovie rookie is going to be my demise, as graded it's $1,500+. I really need to find an ungraded one. Hoping I can find an ungraded one for $800 or so - but I have to find one in-person. The rest of the cards are $1-15, so great range. We had a blast. My son got good at negotiating, and even made some trades with a kid while we were eating lunch. Another show in 2 weeks seems like a manageable drive, so we may go hit that one up.

Some people will resend the same card to PSA and eventually get a grade.
If you have a hard time buying raw cards just buy 5-7s that look great.
Some amazing looking 4/6 I have come across. You can then crack them if you wish or just leave em
It sucks but I have had that N5 several times
Bird/Magic RC was N5 at PSA and got an SGC 6

If you want to grade for your PC SGC may be the way to go

Were you at the card show in Freehold this weekend?
I didn’t make it but went a few times.

If you want a big one…iirc you were near flemington area?
The Philly card show is March 8/10
It’s a nice ride out just past King of Prussia

One of the bigger shows on the east coast
Well worth it.
A lot of dealers travel from very far to set there.

That's a good option re. buying 5-7's that look great and then just cracking them potentially. Really good idea. I can't understand the grading to save my life. My future brother-in-law gave my son a base set Charizard Pokemon card that I also sent to PSA - just got the news on that one - it's a 7. I figured it'd be a 4 or a 5. It's all scratched up and has some clear dings - but nope - 7. Same grade as my Darrel Green rookie that looked pristine to my untrained eye.

I think I've pretty much decided not to grade any more of my PC cards...I'll grade stuff I may sell, but that's it.

Yep! I'm from Flemington, and It was the Freehold card show. Curious how that one compares in size to some other NJ shows. There's a semi-regular one up in Parsippany in a few weeks we may go scope out. I saw that Philly one, but I'm in London for work all that week, so I don't think I can make it work unless I can somehow swing Sunday.

I'd love to hear about any other shows or shops you'd recommend since you know the area. We've been to Sab's Collectibles in Manville, which was small but OK. I'd love to find something with a little more real-estate. My son and I love thumbing through the discount boxes, but Sab's is so small you're practically on top of the kids who just hang out in there.

Shows

https://sportscollectorsdigest.com/collecting-101/show-calendar

I use this
Bordentown, Woodbridge and Edison seem to have a couple a month. I did Edison last month for the 1st time. That was cool just like those mentioned. Those are all a bit smaller than Freehold

Theyre all similiar
Not huge but good enough to walk around. Good amount of Pokémon at that Woodbridge one.

I have hit too many shops
Banker Bill? Hillsborough is close to you. He has a lot of memorabilia.
I’ll try to remember others that I may have heard of.
Flea markets may be good too.
Some have regulars that have value boxes

I haven't been to it, but I feel its criminal the Burbank Card Show is not showing up on this Calendar. From what I understand its a "Pretty Big Deal" out here on the West Coast.

I have, however, been to their Card Shop and it’s....insane. They have unopened 2003 Topp Chrome Hobby Basketball boxes (Lebron Rookie year) and a ton of other very very high end/rare stuff. It’s a great place to visit, people literally line up before the store opens daily to get first crack at the newest raw cards they have for sale.

I’ve been to the shop, it’s incredible. I would bet their show is great also.

 

[jvdesigns2002]

These magnetic 1-touch holders are pretty cool though. They didn't have those when I was a kid. A lot better than screw-downs.

I love those as well. I saw them in a youtube video and definitely ordering some for the PC. I am worried about some classic cards I have stored in screw downs for the past 30+ years after hearing these PSA non graded/tampered stories

If you order the magnetic card holders, try to order the ones that have room for the card to be penny sleeved first. I really like the ”mags”—but if you get the ones that aren’t designed to hold a penny sleeved card—the card can rattle in them and result in some corner and surface damage. This happens a lot when people ship cards in magnetic one touches that aren’t designed for penny sleeved cards.

 

[FairWarning]

The KoP show has been going for 30+ years, one of the best east coast shows For a long time.

I have a few old SCD’s. I’ll have to dig them out and see how much the hobby has changed.

2024 Topps comes out next week, just in time for spring training.

My biggest observation is that the majority of the value in my childhood collection is memories, not monetary, and that the hobby has a much higher price-point to entry now...but we're finding ways to still make it fun on a kid's budget.

There will be a major correction in the new cards soon. Once the market settles on cards 15-20 years prior, the hidden gems appear. I’m a big believer in Topps Now. It has the lower price point and lower print run.

 

[Fat Nick]

These magnetic 1-touch holders are pretty cool though. They didn't have those when I was a kid. A lot better than screw-downs.

I love those as well. I saw them in a youtube video and definitely ordering some for the PC. I am worried about some classic cards I have stored in screw downs for the past 30+ years after hearing these PSA non graded/tampered stories

Most of my cards were in the screw-down's with the indent for the card, and they were fine. This one particular card was purchased in this MASSIVE acrylic flat screw-down, and I literally never took it out. I've read horror stories about cards delaminating when removed from those, so I was just happy that didn't happen - I never thought PSA would ding it for being literally museum-quality stored all these years. It's kind of crazy because as a kid, I looked for creases, edges, and corner dings. I don't think surface damage was appropriately examined by anyone until grading became a thing.

The more I read about people literally shopping for graded cards to send in for a "re-grade," the more I think grading is a crock. What a racket the grading companies have..."Send us your card and we'll grade it for $$...If you don't like the grade, send it back and we'll do it again for more $$, but we won't decrease, only increase or keep the same." Until someone develops an unbiased AI-based grading system, I'm hesitant to truly "trust" grades as anything other than an artificial value placed on collectibles.

 

[Fat Nick]

These magnetic 1-touch holders are pretty cool though. They didn't have those when I was a kid. A lot better than screw-downs.

I love those as well. I saw them in a youtube video and definitely ordering some for the PC. I am worried about some classic cards I have stored in screw downs for the past 30+ years after hearing these PSA non graded/tampered stories

That worries me too with all my old screw downs . I’m going to order some of these magnetic cases to move them over to. Can we send to be graded in these magnetic cases or is there a better option than those flimsy card saver cases?

PSA specifically recommends the card savers. I think the reason is the card doesn't slide/shift during shipment. Those card-savers are the only ones that squeeze the card gently I guess. I agree they're very annoying because they're bigger than anything else around, so nobody leaves cards in those for long periods.

 

[Balco]

The KoP show has been going for 30+ years, one of the best east coast shows For a long time.

I have a few old SCD’s. I’ll have to dig them out and see how much the hobby has changed.

2024 Topps comes out next week, just in time for spring training.

My biggest observation is that the majority of the value in my childhood collection is memories, not monetary, and that the hobby has a much higher price-point to entry now...but we're finding ways to still make it fun on a kid's budget.

There will be a major correction in the new cards soon. Once the market settles on cards 15-20 years prior, the hidden gems appear. I’m a big believer in Topps Now. It has the lower price point and lower print run.

I’ve been selling my Topps now cards for 99 cents. Occasionally I’ve sold some for 2-3 dollars. Their market is not good at all right now. Just had a Vlad guerrero Jr rookie Topps now card on for 99 cents and no one bid.

 

[Fat Nick]

These magnetic 1-touch holders are pretty cool though. They didn't have those when I was a kid. A lot better than screw-downs.

I love those as well. I saw them in a youtube video and definitely ordering some for the PC. I am worried about some classic cards I have stored in screw downs for the past 30+ years after hearing these PSA non graded/tampered stories

If you order the magnetic card holders, try to order the ones that have room for the card to be penny sleeved first. I really like the ”mags”—but if you get the ones that aren’t designed to hold a penny sleeved card—the card can rattle in them and result in some corner and surface damage. This happens a lot when people ship cards in magnetic one touches that aren’t designed for penny sleeved cards.

I need to look into some different sizes then...I bought a pack of Ultra-Pro "fitted" sleeves that they say can be used with their one-touch's. Those fitted sleeves are absurdly tight. No way you're getting cards into them. I tried on a few commons and it was a task. They're way too tight. I'm not sure they're needed with the Ultra Pro one-touch's as they have these notches taken out of the corner to protect the corners from damage. If anything, I'd lay a penny sleeve over the card if it's a holo or auto to protect it before closing the one-touch.

 

[FairWarning]

The KoP show has been going for 30+ years, one of the best east coast shows For a long time.

I have a few old SCD’s. I’ll have to dig them out and see how much the hobby has changed.

2024 Topps comes out next week, just in time for spring training.

My biggest observation is that the majority of the value in my childhood collection is memories, not monetary, and that the hobby has a much higher price-point to entry now...but we're finding ways to still make it fun on a kid's budget.

There will be a major correction in the new cards soon. Once the market settles on cards 15-20 years prior, the hidden gems appear. I’m a big believer in Topps Now. It has the lower price point and lower print run.

I’ve been selling my Topps now cards for 99 cents. Occasionally I’ve sold some for 2-3 dollars. Their market is not good at all right now. Just had a Vlad guerrero Jr rookie Topps now card on for 99 cents and no one bid.

Where are you selling them at?

 

[Balco]

The KoP show has been going for 30+ years, one of the best east coast shows For a long time.

I have a few old SCD’s. I’ll have to dig them out and see how much the hobby has changed.

2024 Topps comes out next week, just in time for spring training.

My biggest observation is that the majority of the value in my childhood collection is memories, not monetary, and that the hobby has a much higher price-point to entry now...but we're finding ways to still make it fun on a kid's budget.

There will be a major correction in the new cards soon. Once the market settles on cards 15-20 years prior, the hidden gems appear. I’m a big believer in Topps Now. It has the lower price point and lower print run.

I’ve been selling my Topps now cards for 99 cents. Occasionally I’ve sold some for 2-3 dollars. Their market is not good at all right now. Just had a Vlad guerrero Jr rookie Topps now card on for 99 cents and no one bid.

Where are you selling them at?

Ebay

 

[FairWarning]

The KoP show has been going for 30+ years, one of the best east coast shows For a long time.

I have a few old SCD’s. I’ll have to dig them out and see how much the hobby has changed.

2024 Topps comes out next week, just in time for spring training.

My biggest observation is that the majority of the value in my childhood collection is memories, not monetary, and that the hobby has a much higher price-point to entry now...but we're finding ways to still make it fun on a kid's budget.

There will be a major correction in the new cards soon. Once the market settles on cards 15-20 years prior, the hidden gems appear. I’m a big believer in Topps Now. It has the lower price point and lower print run.

I’ve been selling my Topps now cards for 99 cents. Occasionally I’ve sold some for 2-3 dollars. Their market is not good at all right now. Just had a Vlad guerrero Jr rookie Topps now card on for 99 cents and no one bid.

Where are you selling them at?

Ebay

What is your eBay handle, message me if you want. I’ll take a look.

 

[STBootleg]

The new 2024 Topps Series 1 baseball cards look pretty nice.

 

[Nathan R. Jessep]

Picked up a Rookies&Stars 2023 football auto/memorabilia Mega from Target website today, for my son for Xmas (if I don't change my mind and keep it for myself )

 

[STBootleg]

A couple of nice Elly cards I pulled from the 2024 Topps

Elly gold and chrome

 

[FairWarning]

The new 2024 Topps Series 1 baseball cards look pretty nice.

I got the set for $30 delivered on eBay yesterday. They look better in person than expected. The borders are a neon look that doesn’t give the full effect in pictures.

 

[STBootleg]

The new 2024 Topps Series 1 baseball cards look pretty nice.

I got the set for $30 delivered on eBay yesterday. They look better in person than expected. The borders are a neon look that doesn’t give the full effect in pictures.

Is that $30 for just the base cards? I bought a hobby box looking for the parallels and relics. Also pulled an Elly HFA card.

I agree, they look good with the neon.

HFA and a relic

 

[comfortably numb]

Anyone find any Bedards???

 

[FairWarning]

The new 2024 Topps Series 1 baseball cards look pretty nice.

I got the set for $30 delivered on eBay yesterday. They look better in person than expected. The borders are a neon look that doesn’t give the full effect in pictures.

Is that $30 for just the base cards? I bought a hobby box looking for the parallels and relics. Also pulled an Elly HFA card.

I agree, they look good with the neon.

HFA and a relic

Yes, just the 1-350. I let the market flood, then go after some of the others. Heritage come out at the end of the month, looks like the 1975 set.

 

[Fat Nick]

Anyone find any Bedards???

I can't bring myself to jump in. Honestly, on this one in particular, the prices are nuts. A few months ago I was looking at the pre-sale pricing vs. the number of Young Guns in the product. The tins had the best price to Young Gun ratio, and at that time it was running ~$20 per YG. It's gone up to closer to $30 now I think. There are ~50 YG's, so to have the odds in your favor, you'd have to spend $1,500 to get a base YG. That's nuts IMO. I REALLY want to try and pull one just for the fun of it, but at those prices and odds, it's just not worth it.

I did buy 4 blasters of O-Pee-Chee for dirt cheap that I'm going to put in a closet. They're already selling for 2x what I bough them for. I also bought one of those Star Rookies sets too. There is a Bedard in that. I paid ~$25 for the set, and the Bedard is going for about 90% of that, so I figure I'll just leave that sealed and hold it for a while as well. I may buy a Bedard YG at some point when the hype settles down. I already have one of his Canada Juniors cards.

 

[Fat Nick]

So my son's recent interest in the hobby got me digging into my childhood. I went to my parents and pulled out 8 file boxes, each with 9, 800-ct shoeboxes of cards in them....So ~50,000+ cards from when I was a kid. Most of them were 1990-1992, with a few boxes of 1980's stuff going back to ~1979, as well as a few packs of 1993 here and there. I knew I had picked out 95% of what was good from the stuff I had a lot of...The only hidden gems in the later stuff were some Manny Ramirez and Chipper Jones rookies. I also found a mixed box that had ~4 packs of 1993 Topps in them. Low and behold - a pristine Jeter rookie. That was likely one of the last packs of cards I ever bought. I also randomly found a few old Upper Deck soccer cards that had a Mia Hamm card in it that is apparently worth something.

Now I may selectively send a few off for grading. Most of the better cards I have 2-3+ of, so I can be selective and send off the really good stuff. I have no clue what to do with the now searched shoeboxes full of mostly commons...I hate to throw them away, but I also don't really feel like storing them.

 

[FairWarning]

Anyone find any Bedards???

Guy on the Sportscard Nonsense FB page bought a box for $300. He pulled one and the shop bought be back for another box. Guy goes back and sees they are asking $1000 for it, now he’s mad at the shop. It’s really amazing how much the hobby shifted to gambling. People on breaks have no idea but buy because they heard that Bedard is worth money.

 

[comfortably numb]

Anyone find any Bedards???

Guy on the Sportscard Nonsense FB page bought a box for $300. He pulled one and the shop bought be back for another box. Guy goes back and sees they are asking $1000 for it, now he’s mad at the shop. It’s really amazing how much the hobby shifted to gambling. People on breaks have no idea but buy because they heard that Bedard is worth money.

Ha I missed that one.
That is nuts.

It really is a gamble and they industry has doubled down on this with all these bounties.

 

[comfortably numb]

So my son's recent interest in the hobby got me digging into my childhood. I went to my parents and pulled out 8 file boxes, each with 9, 800-ct shoeboxes of cards in them....So ~50,000+ cards from when I was a kid. Most of them were 1990-1992, with a few boxes of 1980's stuff going back to ~1979, as well as a few packs of 1993 here and there. I knew I had picked out 95% of what was good from the stuff I had a lot of...The only hidden gems in the later stuff were some Manny Ramirez and Chipper Jones rookies. I also found a mixed box that had ~4 packs of 1993 Topps in them. Low and behold - a pristine Jeter rookie. That was likely one of the last packs of cards I ever bought. I also randomly found a few old Upper Deck soccer cards that had a Mia Hamm card in it that is apparently worth something.

Now I may selectively send a few off for grading. Most of the better cards I have 2-3+ of, so I can be selective and send off the really good stuff. I have no clue what to do with the now searched shoeboxes full of mostly commons...I hate to throw them away, but I also don't really feel like storing them.

Facebook Marketplace IMO

Lot of baseball cards.
$50
Pick up only
no holds

 

[Major]

Anyone find any Bedards???

Guy on the Sportscard Nonsense FB page bought a box for $300. He pulled one and the shop bought be back for another box. Guy goes back and sees they are asking $1000 for it, now he’s mad at the shop. It’s really amazing how much the hobby shifted to gambling. People on breaks have no idea but buy because they heard that Bedard is worth money.

Why is he mad at the shop? He made a deal and sold it to them for a price. They can ask whatever they want, doesn't mean it's what they'll get.