Are graded cards the future of vintage?

homerunhitter · #1 03-22-2023, 12:21 PM

Thanks for your responses!

I noticed at the last big card show I went too, EVERYONE had slabs. There wasn�t a single raw card in sight! And this was a BIG show! Seemed like every was walking around with their pelican cases full of slabs. A totally different hobby now it seems.

HittinLikeCarew · #2 03-25-2023, 01:51 PM

So being somewhat new to the hobby after a 35yr absence, here�s a couple of points you all can advise me on. I feel like buying raw, I�m only buying from GMC or similar for fear of trimming or fakes. That leaves me considering buying graded (yeah I guess those too can have trust issues). However with graded cards, it�s kind of sterilized in the sense you can�t touch them or showcase them easily if that makes sense. Just throwing some thoughts out there that maybe someone could help with. Thanks!

CardPadre · #3 03-25-2023, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HittinLikeCarew

So being somewhat new to the hobby after a 35yr absence, here�s a couple of points you all can advise me on. I feel like buying raw, I�m only buying from GMC or similar for fear of trimming or fakes. That leaves me considering buying graded (yeah I guess those too can have trust issues). However with graded cards, it�s kind of sterilized in the sense you can�t touch them or showcase them easily if that makes sense. Just throwing some thoughts out there that maybe someone could help with. Thanks!

Yeah, sometimes the card you want will be hard to find outside of a slab. But you don�t have to keep them that way.

jingram058 · #4 12-22-2023, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cardpadre

yeah, sometimes the card you want will be hard to find outside of a slab. But you don�t have to keep them that way.

^^^^ this! ^^^^

jayshum · #5 03-25-2023, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by homerunhitter

Thanks for your responses!

I noticed at the last big card show I went too, EVERYONE had slabs. There wasn�t a single raw card in sight! And this was a BIG show! Seemed like every was walking around with their pelican cases full of slabs. A totally different hobby now it seems.

Just curious what show you were at. The last Philly Show a few weeks ago had plenty of raw cards along with graded ones.

homerunhitter · #6 03-25-2023, 03:39 PM

The Burbank card show when I was out west

CardsMax · #7 03-25-2023, 09:09 PM

I'm younger and newer to vintage. I personally wouldn't touch a raw card worth four figures right now. I can't judge condition and authenticity, and don't want to lose hundreds for buying a fake or raw card that a dealer overstated its condition!

Quote:

Originally Posted by homerunhitter

Thanks for your responses!

I noticed at the last big card show I went too, EVERYONE had slabs. There wasn’t a single raw card in sight! And this was a BIG show! Seemed like every was walking around with their pelican cases full of slabs. A totally different hobby now it seems.

I was at Burbank and Philly. Burbank is the bigger modern show, while Philly will always be more vintage oriented.

Graded, or slabbed, is the future simply out of newer buyers not wanting to get hosed on a raw card!

RCMcKenzie · #8 03-26-2023, 06:12 AM

To me, grading is passe'. These 52's came in the mail yesterday. Geeked to go thru these and add the upgrades to my binder. Grading is like Nirvana and the 90's to me.

vintagebaseballcardguy · #9 03-26-2023, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RCMcKenzie

To me, grading is passe'. These 52's came in the mail yesterday. Geeked to go thru these and add the upgrades to my binder. Grading is like Nirvana and the 90's to me.

That pic is AWESOME!!

homerunhitter · #10 03-26-2023, 02:13 PM

Awesome guys!

I see both sides of the coin as mentioned above.

Nothing beats getting a box of true vintage unslabbed topps cards to go through. I love it!

However the hobby waters we are now in is there is a TREMENDOUS amount of fake vintage topps cards out there. I bought a 1950�s card on eBay not too long ago . Pics and price were just right. Once I got the card in hand it looked like someone printed it on their home computer. The quality was really good dnd would probably fake out most people but not this old fart that�s been in the hobby forever. So of course I put it right into my shredder. It left a bad taste in my mouth that fakes are in our hobby and I got ripped off.

I would much rather have an old shoebox of vintage cards than a box of graded cards but these fake cards out there now is pushing me toward graded only and yes I know there are fake slabs out there too. That�s a whole other thread! But at least with slabbed cards the chances they are real are much greater than a card not graded.

The good news for me is most of my collection of vintage I bought 30,40+ years ago when I knew without a doubt they were real .

RCMcKenzie · #11 03-27-2023, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vintagebaseballcardguy

That pic is AWESOME!!

Thanks, I think it's kind of fun to see photos of stacks of cards.

Kutcher55 · #12 05-14-2023, 06:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RCMcKenzie

To me, grading is passe'. These 52's came in the mail yesterday. Geeked to go thru these and add the upgrades to my binder. Grading is like Nirvana and the 90's to me.

I�d take the 90s and Nirvana over the complete sh*tshow of 2023 any day of the week.

homerunhitter · #13 12-16-2023, 04:37 PM

any new updates or thoughts? thanks

Exhibitman · #14 01-10-2024, 10:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by homerunhitter

The Burbank card show when I was out west

I was one of the only dealers there with raw vintage cards. i will have a ton of raw vintage sports and non-sports at the Pasadena show January 27-28 and at the Ontario show (the Burbank show) over Presidents' weekend in February. And of course at the Labor Day Burbank show in Anaheim.

homerunhitter · #15 07-18-2024, 07:15 PM

I just saw someone posted on Facebook that there are a Ton of fake graded cards circulating in the hobby. What are your thoughts on the number of fake graded cards circulating in the hobby?

raulus · #16 07-19-2024, 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by homerunhitter

I just saw someone posted on Facebook that there are a Ton of fake graded cards circulating in the hobby. What are your thoughts on the number of fake graded cards circulating in the hobby?

Do they mean fake?

Or do they mean authentic but altered?

I suspect the number of outright fakes is low. Not that there aren't some, but certainly not a meaningful fraction.

But there are some around here who will tell you that there are a high number of altered cards running around in slabs , at least when it comes to high grade vintage.

Having said that, from time to time you do hear about some goons running around with their own slabbing machine and putting fake slabs together. Or a similar situation is goons who do a crack and replace with a reseal of the slab. Still a real card usually, but much lower grade after they replace the real card with a low grade version and reseal. Those situations have the potential to be a bigger deal, particularly for an unwary buyer who just assumes that if it’s in a slab, it must be good.

homerunhitter · #17 07-19-2024, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raulus

Do they mean fake?

Or do they mean authentic but altered?

I suspect the number of outright fakes is low. Not that there aren't some, but certainly not a meaningful fraction.

But there are some around here who will tell you that there are a high number of altered cards running around in slabs , at least when it comes to high grade vintage.

Having said that, from time to time you do hear about some goons running around with their own slabbing machine and putting fake slabs together. Or a similar situation is goons who do a crack and replace with a reseal of the slab. Still a real card usually, but much lower grade after they replace the real card with a low grade version and reseal. Those situations have the potential to be a bigger deal, particularly for an unwary buyer who just assumes that if it�s in a slab, it must be good.

The post I read was referring to actual fake slabs (not altered cards)

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
The Long-Term Future of Vintage Cards	mferronibc	Postwar Baseball Cards Forum (Pre-1980)	32	04-24-2020 04:48 PM
What's Your View of The Future? - Vintage Flip Collectors?	frankbmd	Net54baseball Vintage (WWII & Older) Baseball Cards & New Member Introductions	1	03-23-2019 12:49 PM
FS: SGC Graded HOF, Future HOF RCs - SOLD	Robextend	1980 & Newer Sports Cards B/S/T	2	09-10-2015 07:33 PM
Three Card Lot Of Future HOF'rs, All Graded	Beatles Guy	1980 & Newer Sports Cards B/S/T	5	01-31-2013 12:13 PM
Vintage Trimmed/Altered Cards...whats the future hold?	jboosted92	Net54baseball Vintage (WWII & Older) Baseball Cards & New Member Introductions	32	03-20-2010 01:02 PM