This is something I’ve been reflecting on recently and I’m curious what other people think.
If you had to choose between WotC sets, would you rather have 1st Edition cards in near mint condition (around PSA 8) or unlimited cards in mint condition (around PSA 9-10)? You can use whatever you want to justify your answer (cost, preference, longevity, etc) but I am interested in if you could snap your fingers and have one over the other what you would prefer.
And a companion question: would you rather English unlimited for Japanese sets?
You can alter the hypothetical if you have a different angle to approach it with, but the reason I ask is because I am considering someday “downgrading” my complete 1st edition sets for more affordable prints, but would have to do so knowing I’d never own those 1st editions again. So I am putting a lot of thought in to what I’d rather have and why.
Depends on the set. For Base, I’d rather have PSA 8 1st Ed than PSA 9/10 Unlimited. For Neo, I’d probably rather have PSA 10 Unlimited than PSA 8 1st Ed. But I’d rather have PSA 9 1st Ed. Neo than PSA 10 Unlimited Neo.
Re: the companion question – I’d rather have Japanese,. I don’t like having a lesser version of something, which Unlimited is. With Japanese, you’re at least not getting something inherently lesser – just different.
I had a feeling it was kinda a universal question. I am sure people have been asking this question for as long as the cards have existed.
I am curious if any sentiments have changed now that value disparity is such a major factor. When I started collecting my 1st Editions, they cost more but it was still a modest acquisition fee. I got my 1st Edition Rocket set for $80. Back then the question of whether to collect 1st Editions versus Unlimited didn’t come with much weight unless you you were discussing Base Set, which was the highest barrier of entry for anyone who was considering collecting 1st Edition sets exclusively.
Now obviously the disparity is enormous and the value of 1st Edition WotC drives the whole English market. But if I am honest, like many others I have become enamored with Japanese cards in the last 3-5 years, particularly with how much higher the print quality is compared to the same cards in English. To what @zorloth said, unlimited cards will always be “lesser” in some ways than first edition (unless the numbers about their print runs finally come out and reveal the perception is artificial). But there is a certain mystique of Japanese Gen I + II cards just being what they are with no caveats, and often looking nicer too.
So I dunno. It’s a weird feeling to consider cashing out on the only thing I’ve ever collected in favor of something I’ve rarely touched. I am trying to think of these as cards without value - just as cards where the only appeal is to me personally - and I wonder if at the end of my journey I will want to take an entirely different path.
Unlimited cards are less expensive but available in better condition.
Japanese (set) cards are also less expensive and are more beautiful in my opinion.
But neither carry the weight of the 1st Editions I have pridefully assembled for so long.
Depends on the set (base is different than later sets), card (popular pokemon etc), and your motive behind this question. For an investment usually PSA 10 unlimited though, PSA 8/9s 1st are most of the time not rare enough to compare to a psa 10 unlimited. PSA 9s have a limited upside over the longterm compared to 10s, they may outperform percentage wise in certain times/areas but that will level out over time.
Ungraded “nm”(PSA8) 1st ed over unlimited “mint”(PSA9) in most cases (also depends on sets etc) because I would never assume to buy raw psa 10 quality cards.
I’d take the unlimited PSA 10s any time, especially for later WotC sets where the divide between the two doesn’t appear to be as large. As a PSA 10 collector anything lower than PSA 10 on a main set card wouldn’t feel complete to me, so I’d rather take the unlimited PSA 10.
As for English vs Japanese I don’t really have much preference. Japanese cards have a nicer appearance to them in most cases, but at least I can read the English text without using an OCR, so it evens itself out.
IMO, the only interesting WOTC 1st editions are in Base set: Thick stamps, grey stamps, shadowless, smaller print run, internet hype etc. For Base set, I would take the 1st edition PSA 9s. Every other set the unlimited PSA 10s all day.
English-
Base set: 1st edition
Jungle: 1st edition
Fossil: 1st edition
Rocket: 1st edition
Gym series: holos 1st edition, non holo rares/unc/com unlimited
Neo: unlimited all the way aside from shinings
Japanese-
Nearly all sets i would prefer unlimited, especially when you get to the eras where unlimited is almost impossible to locate in any condition.
Naturally the answer to this question will be different depending on the person’s collection goals and preferences.
I noticed you mentioned PSA 8 1ed vs PSA 9/10 Unlimited. PSA 8 1ed and PSA 10 unlimited are similar in price. However, PSA 9 unlimited is drastically cheaper than both. In fact it’s possible to get an unlimited 9 holo set of Base to Fossil for cheaper than just a PSA 10 Unlimited Charizard or PSA 8 1st Edition Charizard.
Here are some numbers from the recent PWCC auction that ended on April 26th unless noted. (data is from PWCC auction archive)
PSA 10 Unlimited Charizard - 14,100$
PSA 8 1ed Charizard - 15,820$
PSA 7 1ed Charizard - 9,201$ (March 28th)
PSA 9 unlimited charizard - several between 1,320$ and 1,608$
Now let’s take a look at the price of a PSA 9 unlimited Base through Fossil holo set.Base:
1 Alakazam - 202$
2 Blastoise - 610$
3 Chansey - 299$
4 Charizard - 1,320$
5 Clefairy - 147$
6 Gyarados - 178.5$
7 Hitmonchan - 212.5$
8 Machamp - 187.5$ (the cheaper one for 177$ is actually a mislabeled cosmos)
9 Magneton - 215.5$
10 Mewtwo - 260$
11 Nidoking - 138.5$
12 Ninetales - 217.5$
13 Poliwrath - 124.19$
14 Raichu - 280$
15 Venusaur - 296$
16 Zapdos - 152.5$
Total: 4840.69$
Jungle:1 Clefable - 94.69$
2 Electrode - 103.33$
3 Flareon - No recent PWCC sale so 150$
4 Jolteon - 189.25$
5 Kangaskhan - 95$
6 Mr. Mime - No recent PWCC sale so 150$
7 Nidoqueen - 127.5$
8 Pidgeot - No recent PWCC sale so 150$
9 Pinsir - No recent PWCC sale so 150$
10 Scyther - 156.5$
11 Snorlax - 207.5$
12 Vaporeon - 194.5$
13 Venomoth - 72$
14 Victreebel - 87$
15 Vileplume - 78$
16 Wigglytuff - 128.05$
Total: 2133.32$ (1500.33+600)
Fossil:1 Aerodactyl - 116.5$
2 Articuno - 255$
3 Ditto - 82.11$
4 Dragonite - 295$
5 Gengar - 160$
6 Haunter - 152$
7 Hitmonlee - 113.5$
8 Hypno - 94.69$
9 Kabutops - 107.8$
10 Lapras - 168.5$
11 Magneton - 76$
12 Moltres - 196.01$
13 Muk - 69$
14 Raichu - 165.5$
15 Zapdos - 125.55$
Total: 2177.16$
Grand Total: 9151.17$
Right now my collection consists of these cards in unlimited English/Japanese in PSA 9 (additionally I’m working on PSA 9+ non-holos of these sets in both languages). I got lucky and started collecting again in 2017 when everything was much cheaper. I would not be able to come into the hobby today and drop the 16,000$ or so to get the original 3 holo sets in both languages.
Of course my arbitrary line is set at unlimited PSA 9. You could just as well say. Why not PSA 7 unlimited or PSA 9 unlimited in *insert foreign language* for an even bigger collection?
Personally if I had the funds I’d collect PSA/CGC 9+ 1ed Thick, 1ed Thin, Shadowless, Unlimited, and 1999-2000 copyright, as well as all the different languages in 1ed/unl such as German and Chinese.
and the answer to your questions is I prefer PSA 9 unlimited or Japanese because I can buy entire sets for the price of one 1st edition or PSA 10 from those same sets (mostly just charizard and shinings).
I think the best general answer (though the classifier “general” makes this whole statement, a bit futile because as is obvious from others’ posts, it really does depend on what card/set is involved; AND assuming cost is no object and/or that cost is similar for each option, and assuming you are looking for ROI) is:
Whichever the POP suggests is harder to find, unless we’re talking a mascot card like Chu or Zard.