How much influence does the grade of a card have in your purchase?

[Doug]

If you are looking to add a fairly common card to your collection that is available in a wide variety of grades, how big of an influence is the technical grade on the example that you end up buying/trading for? Since this is a hypothetical question, all cards are graded accurately, have good eye appeal, and can be raw or graded by the company of your choice.

[FrankWakefield]

15 votes, no posts...

So far, it looks like it's about the cards. I don't remember any kids, when I was a kid, who'd open those Topps packs, see a Mantle and smile, only to frown because the Mantle was next to the gum and had a gum spot on it... I don't recall any kids tossing a Mantle aside because it wasn't high grade.

[jrhatchjr]

Grade has a huge influence on any purchase I make: generally if a card is graded or nice enough to be graded, I don't buy it

[Matt]

call for clarification - are you asking the importance of the actual condition of the card or the importance of the grade assigned by a TPG? (what? they're not the same?)

[Doug]

Originally Posted by Matt

call for clarification - are you asking the importance of the actual condition of the card or the importance of the grade assigned by a TPG? (what? they're not the same?)

Nice one! I meant the actual condition of the card, but either one will work. I forgot to add option 5 "I only buy the card based on the number on the slab no matter the appearance of the actual card itself".

[Leon]

First of all, very nice poll indeed.

One other option could have been "I buy strictly on eye appeal". I bet that would have been a very popular option and is the way I collect.....forget the number on the slab. I will go back to what Corey, Jay M (I think) and many others want...It would be nice to have a service that only states if something is unaltered or not, without a grade given. That is really all I care about. I better go ahead and say ALL collecting is good and if you like to collect by the number on the slab then that is absolutely spectacular, if that is what makes you happy. It's all good...

[ChiefBenderForever]

I always go by eye appeal and whatever the grade is it is. I mostly buy in the 1-4 range with occasional authentic or 5.

[Neal]

To me, it depends on the card. For instance, the 1933 Goudey Ruths I own are in the 3-4 range, but the 1954 Aaron is a card I want in the 7 grade. The T206's I have must be at least VG 3, with exceptions made for nice 2's.

1950's in 5 range or higher
196o's in 7 range or higher

[Potomac Yank]

Originally Posted by Doug

When you are in the market for a fairly common card that is available in a wide variety of grades (say a T206 Cobb red portrait) how big of an influence is the grade on the example that you end up buying?

*

The moment you used the word "Market", you excluded the hobbyist.
Sure, we all would like a nice looking card, but to a collector, filling in an empty slot with a long sought after common card, is more important than how it looks.

The two mindsets are totally different.

The Marketeer = What will this grade fetch later?

The Collector = One step closer.

Do you have a poll for colectors?

[Doug]

Originally Posted by Potomac Yank

*

The moment you used the word "Market", you excluded the hobbyist.
Sure, we all would like a nice looking card, but to a collector, filling in an empty slot with a long sought after common card, is more important than how it looks.

The two mindsets are totally different.

The Marketeer = What will this grade fetch later?

The Collector = One step closer.

Do you have a poll for colectors?

I just rewrote it so that it's non denominational and everyone can vote. Even if you did misspell collectors "colectors".

[Rob D.]

Originally Posted by Doug

I just rewrote it so that it's non denominational and everyone can vote. Even if you did misspell collectors "colectors".

Doug,

Did you check to see whether true collectors buy cards? Perhaps they only trade or flip for them.

[deadballera]

For most of what I collect, I try and pick up the card with the nicest eye appeal as possible (usually in the 2-5 range). Most likely in RAW condition but occasionally buy the graded cards too.


Cards above the 5 range are usually out of my price range that I want to spend on a particular card.

[Doug]

Originally Posted by Rob D.

Doug,

Did you check to see whether true collectors buy cards? Perhaps they only trade or flip for them.

Not yet, but I just rewrote it again to add trading as an option just in case. I don't imagine anyone flips for cards anymore. The last time I tried to do a flip for a card I just ended up hurting myself.

[vintagewhitesox]

I try to buy the highest graded I can afford on the market for my collection, with a strong preference towards eye appeal. if a 4 looks nicer than the 5, I'll take the 4.

[Potomac Yank]

Originally Posted by Rob D.

Doug,

Did you check to see whether true collectors buy cards? Perhaps they only trade or flip for them.

*

You should stick to spelling.

Let's see your Doyle _ Plank & Magie .....

[Matt]

Originally Posted by Potomac Yank

Let's see your Doyle _ Plank & Magie .....

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOH SNAP!!!

Is that still called a "dis?"

Rob - you've got some chutzpah. You should know better then to mess with a real collector.