What’s an acceptable grade for vintage cards?

[hawaiian bam bam]

When it comes to vintage graded cards what is acceptable norm/lowest you would go for cards from the 50s and 60s? Example for 53 topps do you try to get psa 5 or 6? 1955 topps, psa 5? 1960s cards, maybe a little higher like psa 7 or 8? 70s cards maybe psa 8 or psa 9? Etc etc. I know we all want psa 9 and 10s but realistically what do you go for most? Thanks

[JollyElm]

Get ready for a slew of trite responses telling you to, “Buy the card, not the slab,” “Collect whatever makes you happy,” etc.

[Cmvorce]

I think it depends on what your goal is and what you can afford. My ultimate goal is a complete set run of Topps 1952 - present. I’d love for every card to be near mint but that’s unrealistic with my budget.

Most of my 50s and 60s cards are in the FR to VG range if raw or 2 - 4 if graded. I think there are plenty of cards out there in PSA 1.5 or 2 slabs that look just fine for my collection. I’m more about consistency in my collection. The majority of my graded 52 Topps are PSA 2 - 3. My 1954 Topps are SGC 2.5.

My 70s - present cards are all raw but are generally consistent in their condition. Early 70s mostly GD / VG working up to Mint in the mid 80s and beyond.

All my prewar stuff is PSA 1-2. It’s all I can afford if I plan on getting everything I want and I’m ok with that.

I don’t think there is a universally acceptable response.

[swarmee]

The higher the PSA grade, the more likely it's actually altered and should be a 0.5. And day by day, as cards are exposed on Blowout, your "high grade" cards turn into pumpkins at midnight and you have to keep fooling yourself that PSA is actually a reputable company.

[bobsbbcards]

This is what I shoot for.

T206 - PSA 4
1941 Play Ball - PSA 6
1948....er....49 Leaf - PSA 5-7
1948 thru 1951 Bowman - PSA 7 (1951 Mantle is a 6)
1952 Bowman - PSA 8
1953 Bowman Color - PSA 8 (except for Whitey)
1953 Bowman B&W thru 1955 Bowman - PSA 7
1951 Topps Red/Blue Backs - PSA 8
1952 Topps - PSA 6
1953 thru 1956 Topps - PSA 7
1957 Topps - PSA 8
1958 thru 1959 Topps - PSA 7
1960 thru 1961 Topps - PSA 8
1962 Topps - PSA 7
1963 thru 1967 Topps - PSA 8
1968 Topps - PSA 9 (except Ryan)
1969 thru 1970 Topps - PSA 8
1971 Topps - PSA 7
1972 thru 1979 Topps - PSA 8

For subsets it varies greatly. Some, such as the 1951 Topps Team cards in PSA 5 are pricey enough. For others, such as 1959 Bazooka, authentic suits me just fine. I like cards that look nice in the holder, but I won't pay extra for "OMG, that's the best freaking card I've ever seen in my life can I give you my children and a stack o' dead presidents for it?!?!?"

[ALR-bishop]

I think your response exceeded trite Bob

[ASF123]

Originally Posted by JollyElm

Get ready for a slew of trite responses telling you to, “Buy the card, not the slab,” “Collect whatever makes you happy,” etc.

I'm gonna go with "Al clearly has a lot more money to spend on cards than I do."

[Gorditadogg]

I generally like mid-grade raw cards, but as you say it depends on the years.

I am fine with VG/EX to EX for 30's, 40's and early 50's, and EX to XMT on late 50's. For 60's cards I collect XMT to NM, and 70's it is NM to NMM.

[Hxcmilkshake]

Whatever I can get a deal on usually low to mid grade is fine by me

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[Harliduck]

Jolly called it right...the cliche collect what you love...

For me its -

80s - Mint
70s - Ex EXNMT. (5 to 7 range) mostly 6
57 to 69 - VG/EX EX (4 to 7 range) mostly 5
54 to 56 - VG to VG/EX (2 to 5 range) mostly 3
52 to 53 - G to VG (1 to 4 range) mostly 2

Hard rule - 57 up...no creases

Even though this gets brought up often, I enjoy seeing others standards...

[nolemmings]

My targets:

1970-77 MT (although nm-mt acceptable for 1971 Topps)
1960-69 NM-MT
1950-59 NM
1930-49 EX-MT
1920-29 EX
1910-19 VG-EX (although I usually seek higher--this is the floor grade)
pre 1910 VG

obviously this is just a guideline--eye appeal comes first. Also, there are issues pre-1950 and some test and regional issues thereafter that require a more flexible approach, as they are not as frequently found. Pretty much anything post-1950 topps/bowman is so readily available I don't usually deviate unless I see a card I believe to be noticeably undergraded (again, eye appeal).

EDITED TO ADD: I should say that I have so soured on graded post-war cards that I now often buy raw. In those instances, I realize that some of the 1970's cards I buy are probably unlikely to merit a "9", but I have no intention of submitting them and even less intention of paying grossly inflated prices for some flip when millions of a particular card are out there and a beautiful copy can be had far cheaper.

[packs]

Always going to depend on the card:

[steve B]

Grade? What's that?

Ok, all kidding aside, I don't limit things to any one part of the range. I have at least one that wouldn't grade (Very sticky tape adhesive residue. It's not leaving that penny sleeve anytime soon) and a few that are pretty nice, maybe mid grade, maybe better? The last few years I try to stick to maybe VG or better, but wouldn't pass up something that wasn't as long as the price was good.

[orioles70]

This is without a doubt the worst condition card I have but it really is priceless to me and is proudly displayed in my office.

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[Exhibitman]

I want them to look like they did when i was a kid: no better than ex on most older cards and the Mantles all p-vg as they were when I pulled them out of bargain boxes. The cards from when I was a kid in the 1970s have to be pack-fresh: For every seven cards there has to be one centered, clean, crisp card, and the rest off-centered (every Nolan Ryan I ever pulled from 1973-1979), miscut, print-flawed (e.g., 1976 Topps George 'Snow Day' Brett), and every seventh card wax-stained or gum-stained (preferably the Mike Schmidt cards, which always seemed to be the case when I was a kid; is there a 1975 wax pack Schmidt that doesn't have a stain, 'cause all of mine had stains?). If I owned a 1976 Schmidt that was centered or a Jackson without that print flaw in the color band it would just feel wrong.

[BobbyStrawberry]

My personal taste in vintage cards often does not correspond to which number a grader decided to give a card. In my experience, the older the card, the more this is true.

Like this guy...been around the block, but a nice image and it's even centered!

[HOF Yankees]

Originally Posted by BobbyStrawberry

My personal taste in vintage cards often does not correspond to which number a grader decided to give a card. In my experience, the older the card, the more this is true.

Like this guy...been around the block, but a nice image and it's even centered!

i like that one

[BobbyStrawberry]

Originally Posted by HOF Yankees

i like that one

Thanks Jake - it definitely has character!