General Question About Collecting Vintage

[Exhibitman]

It is a cognitive bias or two:

Dunning-Kruger Effect: unskilled collectors tend to overestimate their own ability to accurately grade cards in a TPGs scale. They will overpay for a card that has traits that they inaccurately rate under the TPG system.

Exaggeration Expectation: The tendency to expect or predict more extreme outcomes than those outcomes that actually happen. A raw card may have great eye appeal but a technical flaw that will get it a 3-5 grade 99% of the time.

Wishful Thinking: The formation of beliefs based on what might be pleasing to imagine, rather than on evidence, rationality, or reality. It is a product of resolving conflicts between belief, and desire.