Are graded cards the future of vintage?

[jchcollins]

Originally Posted by homerunhitter

Are graded cards the future of vintage?

I don't predict the future. But graded cards are very much the present, and past of a large sector of the vintage hobby. They've been quite the rage for about 20 years now.

[BobC]

Originally Posted by jchcollins

I don't predict the future. But graded cards are very much the present, and past of a large sector of the vintage hobby. They've been quite the rage for about 20 years now.

+1 Don't see them going away anytime soon.

[Dandor]

There are so many new people getting involved in vintage for investing and diversifying their portfolio in trading cards. To me it is absolutely silly to treat a piece of cardboard as an investment, when this is a hobby. The new people entering the hobby have no idea what they are doing and think that the majority of vintage cards are fake. Selling cards is a lot easier graded and when grading prices drop in 2023, more and more vintage will be slabbed. I like graded cards for my PC, but certain cards I don't want slabbed. My 1951 Topps Blue/Red backs I am working on raw, and it will stay that way. I want 1950's and 60's HOF players graded, and have used CSG at $10.80 a card to slab a bunch of cards in great shape or great eye-appeal. For example I bought a 1962 Topps Nellie Fox off of COMC and the card was a stunner. I got a CSG 8.5 and it was worth grading. I have a bunch of vintage HOF's in 1 to 5 shape, but they won't be graded. However, I will grade an early Topps card in 3/4 shape if it has perfect centering and a decent surface.

For people with raw collections, it will be a nightmare for you the next few years. More and more vintage will be graded and less raw will be available. I even bought a 1951 Red Back for cheap slabbed and cracked it out.

[homerunhitter]

Reading the posts above, I wonder if now is the time to sell raw vintage cards because more people are now buying raw vintage cards to grade?

[G1911]

It will be a lot cheaper and easier to just submit yours if you want them with a pretty little slip. Selling all your raw cards and taking the huge tax hit, then buying everything over again in a slab will prove far more costly in the end. If you want to hop on the bandwagon, hop on it.

[homerunhitter]

True but then you have to wait over a year to get your cards back from psa! I’m getting psa graded cards for $10-$20 already slabbed on eBay right now! Lots of bargains to be had as in general people are buying less due to the recession we are in.

[Zach Wheat]

I can see both sides of this discussion. Up until recently, I have never had a card graded and prefer my cards raw. However, my hobby has now turned in to something more - and I need to be more cautious about storage and how I view these items.

I was surprised to see there was an active market buying raw 1991 Topps Desert Shield cards of all the issues - one issue you certainly want to be careful about when buying. Still not sure what to make of this.....