so I’ve recently been putting together a set of cards I have really been into…the problem is a good chunk of the cards I need are extremely scarce…like 0 copies in months on ebay. Ideally id like this set to be all PSA 9 or 10. Some of these cards have 8’s available but I’m struggling with the idea of having 8’s because it goes against my original goal. I am also worried i wont see these cards for a very long time if i keep my standards as high as they are.
What do you all do when you find yourself in these situations? Should i compromise and go for the lower grades and hopefully wait to upgrade or stick it out? thanks!
Since you’re asking something that’s pretty subjective, here’s how I would go about it. Do you have the budget to comfortably buy all of the cards you want in a 9 or 10 at the current/best guess prices? Now double or even triple that budget. Is it still comfortable? If so, then maybe you can consider slowly chasing it as the cards come up for sale. Otherwise, I would revise my goal to be more realistic.
I’m pretty sure he or she means available on eBay. A card could have 1000 PSa 10s but if 1 or zero are on the market sold listings and past sales data doesn’t matter or pop report. And what most collectors would do in that case is buy the lower grade and possibly upgrade later
yes sorry for the lack of clarity…the cards exist in 9/10 but the only available copies on ebay are 8’s in some cases…I suppose if the cards came up sporadically I could afford them. Even at double the price I think it would be feasible. Ill have to do some soul searching and decide what is more important to me I suppose. I’ve never been the most patient when I set a goal and I think that’s what I am struggling witht he most right now.
I set abunch of crazy goals myself but I’ve skipped some things along the way. Here is most notable skips that I’d love to have if cheaper. 1. 1st edition base holo’s even in light played or PSa 5 (settled for unlimited) 2. Aquapolis Holo’s 3. Skyridge Holo’s. 4. Holo crystals for Skyridge (I settled for reverse holo’s for the crystals for Skyridge but I have Aquapolis holo crystals. 5. Gold Stars. 6. Ex team rocket returns ex cards. These same things I skipped I might go back for but I’m doing my best to plow ahead and build my collection before prices go up. I’m close to caught up to modern when I can finally relax. I also skip all non Holo cards. Ex era holo’s etc. It sounds like a lot skipped but I have a massive collection and big goals which I deemed more important. Long story short is we adjust collection goals as needed
I know that I can comfortably acquire the PSA 9 1st edition sets I want, but I just can’t bring myself to drop the money on 10’s. The jump in price per card is huge and throwing down for a ton of $500-1000+ cards is just not something I am really comfortable doing, with respect to the other financial goals I have.
I would rather have everything I want in a 9 vs. just some of what I want in a 10.
But I also heavily prioritize the “completion” aspect of collecting, and having a bunch of partially complete sets or varying grades across a set would drive me nuts
I’m strictly a 10 collector, but I have no issue buying a 9 as a placeholder until I find a 10 because sometimes 10s can take years to find and I want to make sure at least I have 1 representative.
It depends on a variety of factors that only you would know but personally I would get the 8s if there are no 9s on the market for a particular card. It has room to grow, you can use it down the line for trades or sell it. However if you need the capital to snipe the 9 or 10 save it and make sure you have the money to hand ready for when it comes up.
As many previously mentioned, it’s mainly up to your budget and patience in tracking down all the cards. There isn’t really anything wrong with having 8’s as they are still top-notch cards, not much different than 9s (albeit subject to grader). So if you do your due diligence and get “strong” 8’s that look almost if not as good as 9’s, then that would be the best cost-effective way. However, if you really prefer a collection of 9’s, then just be a little more patient and save up for when one does hit the market and bid to win said card.