Posted By:
Judge Dred (Fred)Dustan,
You are correct about different variables to take into consideration when you factor in a crease when buying a card. Is it a surface crease? Is the crease visible on both sides of the card? How much does the crease detract from the overall appeal of the card? These are just some questions that people look at when determining if a crease will impact their aesthetic decision to buy a card with a crease. Other considerations are how tough is it to find the card? Will another copy be available soon at a price as relatively reasonable as the one with the crease? The ultimate question is will I (can I) be happy with owning a card with a crease? If you're not going to be happy with it then why even bother purchasing it.
"I want to buy cards because I like them" - that is the right rerason to buy cards - you're already on it!
"but I want them to hold value as well." - In some cases it is economics that drive the purchase. I can afford this T206 Cobb with the crease much more than the T206 Cobb without the crease. Who knows what this stuff is going to be worth a year from now or even 10 years from now. If you bought stuff 5 years ago you're probably doing alright as far as valuations go, but remember, this stuff is only card board (sacralige, sorry) and buying for investment doesn't always work out the way we want it to. Again, buy because you like it.
"I am assuming that there would be a price difference between, say, an SGC 30 with a crease and an SGC 30 without a crease." - If the grading company did their job there should be a difference in a card graded 30 with a crease and a card graded 30 w/o a crease. I would guess that the overall appearance of the card with the crease will be better than that of the card w/o the crease. But anyone that has seen enough graded material will tell you that sometimes you're lucky with grading and many times you're not. Do not buy a card sight unseen based on a grade. Always request a scan of both front and back of the card. A good dealer/seller will disclose problems but some may not.
I would highly recommend that you check through the completed listings on ebay to get a good idea of price differentials. There may be some abberations but over all at least you get to gain some experience by looking at the scans, photos, grading and pricing. Good luck and happy collecting!