By now I am sure everyone has read about and heard about the trimmed card scandal that has been going through our beloved hobby. I don't buy cards as an investment. I strictly buy them to collect. Because of this I tend to not get overly hyped about the grades of cards. PSA 10 or PSA 9 on a modern card? Doesn't really matter to me.
For vintage cards a PSA 3 with good looking colors on the front and no tears is jist as cool as a PSA 8. I am more about the collecting of those vintage cards than caring about value 20 years down the road.
One of the biggest consigners in the hobby has been front and center for selling cards that have been known to be trimmed and authenticated by PSA with higher grades. I buy from the big consigners (PWCC and Probstein) on multiple occasions. Do I understand that there is a risk that I am getting shilled and prices are going up on the other end by the original owner trying to get a few extra bucks? Yup, I understand that. And I am ok with it. That's why there's something called a max bid. I am willing to go up to "X".
Recently PWCC posted two cards on auction that I REALLY WANTED. I didn't have an official wants list, but I knew of 5 cards that I coveted more than others.
Nate knocked one out a few weeks ago when he sent me my Eleanor, a 2014 Topps Opening Day SSP Photo Variant of Cutch.
Another was bartered for with a best offer of a 2010 Topps Heritage Black Chrome Refractor to 61 copies.
Topps Heritage and Archives are my two favorite releases now that Gypsy Queen has become absolute garbage with their hits and lack of minis. I have been piecing together all the Topps Heritage Pirates team sets since the initial release. There is something really awesome about current players on vintage designs that I love.
One of the most achievable cards (cards with print runs greater than 50 copies) that I have always wanted to own is the 2009 Topps Heritage High Numbers Black Refractor to 60 copies. Like my Eleanor Photo Variant, it doesn't pop up often. Only one copy was sold in 2018.
This brings us back to PWCC. They offered an ungraded copy for sale....
AND I WON IT!!!
To celebrate my incredible addition of adding this 10 year old cardboard to the collection, I am going to show off all my Topps Heritage Black Refractors.
2010 Heritage
2011 Heritage
2012 Heritage
(blue replaced black for the "burlap" year)
Congrats on that win. As for graded cards, I've ALWAYS avoided them. They hold no more value to me as an ungraded raw card. (When I get one I break it out, even a 10). Never has, and with this scandal hopefully the whole world will feel the same (at least they should-but you know they won't care). Trimmed and counterfeits certified means NONE can be trusted any more than a raw card.
ReplyDeleteThese look cool all together!
ReplyDeleteThat is a killer collection of black (and blue) refractors! I've bought from Probstein before, and one of the sellers caught up in the trimming scandal. I didn't spend more than $50 total his cards tough.
ReplyDeleteAre there rare Cutch cards you haven't been able to buy, just because the seller's price is well beyond "X"?
There is a ton of /5 or less style cards that I just won't bid on because aesthetically I can't value them as high as the sellers do.
DeleteThere are very few /50 (or greater) print runs of Cutch that I don't have. The 2009 black heritage refractor was a card I was going to overpay for and did slightly.
Wow. I'm thoroughly impressed. The black chrome refractors from Heritage have always looked phenomenal, and seeing all of Cutch's together in 1 post is awesome.
ReplyDeleteI still target graded cards... more for authenticity purposes... and display appeal than for investment. Most of the grade cards I purchase aren't very high end anyways.
ReplyDelete