What Percentage of Vintage Cards Have Been Graded?

[nat]

It must vary considerably by set, right? There are probably a few Just So's laying about in grandpa's attic, but given how expensive they are, surely almost all that have turned up have been graded. Right?

Or to take a less extreme example. PSA and SGC together have graded about 275 copies of the N28 Clarkson. (No doubt with some resubmissions in there too.) An ebay search turns up four for sale, three graded and one raw. If only 10% of them had been graded, and there were 2000 odd raw N28 Clarksons out there, surely more than 25% of those for sale on ebay would be raw.

[rats60]

Originally Posted by nat

It must vary considerably by set, right? There are probably a few Just So's laying about in grandpa's attic, but given how expensive they are, surely almost all that have turned up have been graded. Right?

Or to take a less extreme example. PSA and SGC together have graded about 275 copies of the N28 Clarkson. (No doubt with some resubmissions in there too.) An ebay search turns up four for sale, three graded and one raw. If only 10% of them had been graded, and there were 2000 odd raw N28 Clarksons out there, surely more than 25% of those for sale on ebay would be raw.

No, I would expect even a higher percentage, although it is only 1 in ungraded, of cards for sale to be graded. Grading adds value or at least makes cards easier to sell. On the other hand, cards sitting in collections often have no reason to be graded.

In my collection, the only set that i am working on getting completely graded is the one that I am currently working on, t205. My t206 set only has a few cards graded. My 1933 Goudey set has no cards graded, etc. I only send in a few cards for grading each year, mostly cards that i am planning on selling. I mostly buy graded cards, however at the pace that i am going it will be years before I get to 10% of my collection graded.

[BearBailey]

I would say low single digits, 1-5% of the total. Of course some rarities of cards would be close to 100%, but vintage as a whole very low. I have bought many graded cards over the years but have graded 1 myself. In general all of the collectors I know well are the same and have graded little to none of their collection.

[trdcrdkid]

I have never sent in a card to be graded, and have only a vague idea how one would do that. I have a few dozen graded cards out of the thousands in my collection, but they were all that way when I got them. I've cracked a few out, but mostly I've kept them as is, knowing that I can crack them out later if I want to. None of my most valuable cards are graded.

[vintagerookies51]

Immediately I thought it's gotta be a pretty high percentage. But then I realized that people collect cards that tend to be graded- HOFs, high end sets etc. there are probably so many ungraded no name cards out there that the percentage is tiny

[OsFan]

I’m gonna speak to post war only because that’s all I’ve ever collected. But I sometimes wonder if the day will come when the large magority of cards ranging from say ex/mt up will be encapsulated. In truth I have no idea how many pw cards are out in the wild.
Or is it possible once the psa market becomes so saturated, grading will grind to a halt?

[Mark]

Maybe 10% of mine are graded.

[JustinD]

Originally Posted by BearBailey

I would say low single digits, 1-5% of the total. Of course some rarities of cards would be close to 100%, but vintage as a whole very low. I have bought many graded cards over the years but have graded 1 myself. In general all of the collectors I know well are the same and have graded little to none of their collection.

+1

[Johnny630]

Less then 15%. It seems like all of the good stuff nowadays is going to the Major Autions Houses. Sets are the rarity, imo they will be the thing people will always pay up for.

[doug.goodman]

Originally Posted by BearBailey

I would say low single digits, 1-5% of the total. Of course some rarities of cards would be close to 100%, but vintage as a whole very low. I have bought many graded cards over the years but have graded 1 myself. In general all of the collectors I know well are the same and have graded little to none of their collection.

I agree with your total, but disagree with your rarities. I would bet that even rarities have more ungraded than graded examples.

Doug