Posted By:
jeff sI think it is particularly true of lower-grade cards that the slab makes all the difference. I remember being stunned at some of the prices on the GAI-graded OJs at the nat'l that SCP and Shoebox were selling, and more startled hearing how fast (at SCP, anyway) they were selling.
I suppose that, because the cards are rare, and because each pose is difficult to find, there are a decent number of people out there who will buy a card they need regardless of grade.
It's also worth noting that every pose in the set is rare. Some, of course, are rarer than others, and there are a few that seem to pop up a lot, but if you are a player collector like John or a team collector or -for whatever reason- you are looking for specific poses, they are hard to find! It's hard enough to find a Buck Ewing card, but to find a particular Ewing pose could take months or years -- not because it is uncommonly rare for an old judge card, but because of the limited population.
I say this in reference to Jay's (appropriate) frustration with dealers who think that every pose they haven't seen before (which, in most cases, means every pose they ever sell) is rare. They may be rare compared to T206s, but that doesn't mean that the Alcott w/bat at 90 degrees variation is going to be worth more than any other alcott variation.