Not sure if this is just me…or if any of you have noticed it also.
The prices of raw cards are very high compared to PSA graded cards.
For example a raw card in played condition goes for $300, while a PSA 7-8 version of that card that is in much better condition is going for $180?..
Is it because people on eBay think the condition of their card is better than it actually is? I mean a PSA 7-8 isn’t terrible condition…
I’m a bit of an OCD freak. I like my cards either in toploaders, or in a binder. I’m the minority here that does not like graded cards. I do not sell, I only collect, so its just my personal preference.
But lately I’ve been having to complete sets with buying PSA 7-8’s and cracking them open, rather than buying the raw cards just because of the price points. I have been getting way better conditioned cards doing this for much cheaper than the raw cards listed…
Sorry for my rant, just curious if anyone else feels the same? People are heavily sleeping on the PSA 7-8’s thinking they are trash condition…when they’re really not if you are just a binder collector.
I noticed the same thing but it’s only with certain cards. I sold a pack fresh aquapolis umbreon instead of grading because I knew it wouldn’t get a 10 and the price difference between NM/M raw and psa 8 or 9 wasn’t worth the cost of grading. Same thing with a 1st ed neo rev Misdreavus. Too many print lines for a 10 and if I graded it as an 8 or 9 I would lose money as opposed to selling it raw.
I’m really not sure if it’s people just paying an extremely high premium in hopes to grade a 10 themselves or if the 8s and 9s are just super under priced and I should be buying them. The collectors like you I think are the minority so I doubt that is the cause of the prices.
I agree. In my experience some raw cards definitely tend to fetch high prices in auctions when considering their conditions. This is especially true for any popular WoTC holo. I think a reason is that a lot of collectors don’t what graded cards, and maybe they are unaware of how easy it is to break cards out of their cases as well as the overall quality of PSA 6, 7 and 8 cards.
I see it from time to time. Typically PSA 8/9 cards going for over PSA 9 prices because people want to gamble on the 10. Sometimes it makes sense when the card looks 9+ to pay a little over 9 price and then your hits can cover your misses. I used to do it and make out really well back when I had more time, but I would typically max out at PSA 9 prices. For certain cards where the PSA 10 is many multiples higher though I’d go above a bit.
So yeah some of it is people gambling for higher grades than it appears the card would be. Sometimes it is shillers. Sometimes it is people not realizing how nice some PSA 6/7 cards look and just paying more out of ignorance of the other options and/or being afraid to crack cards.
Yer i’m from the UK and have been really interested in making a few mint ish binder sets, I do also grade from time to time but it gets expensive and certainly no longer make any value unless they come back a 10. Recently a seller has listed their collection of individual mint cards and I’ve been watching them all. Today was the 1st edition Neo Destiny Holos and the prices they’ve gone for is crazy in my eyes. The images seem clear but they are just ‘mint see pictures, freshly pulled from packs’.
Examples:
Dark Typhlosion 1st Edition Neo Destiny Holo 10/105 sold for £111.60.
Dark Gengar 1st Edition Neo Destiny Holo 6/105 - Mint Condition sold for £101.60
Dark Scizor 1st Edition Neo Destiny Holo 9/105 - Mint Condition £109.60
I’m not very experienced but I’ve soon learnt that people only seem to sell mint cards if there is some flaw that would stop it getting a 10.
I feel everyone claims to know this but who is bidding this high, or is it just people getting carried away with their bidding. I’ve seen cards go to £100 where there is 4-5 psa 9s listed for £50.
Its the same people bidding on these specific cards so I dont know if they have someone bidding them up
As others have mentioned, there’s always the belief that buyers can grade a card for themselves and get the higher grade. With already graded cards that possibility is much less. Forgive me for discussing something other than investment potential for a moment… I know I derive a significant amount of my collecting enjoyment from the process of buying raw cards, assessing the condition myself, deciding whether they are worthy of grading, and getting them graded. That enjoyment and interest in one card can be drawn out longer with the grading process, and also forms a more significant attachment to the card. I know if I was given the choice I’d want to find, purchase raw, assess, and grade a card I need for my collection myself rather than purchasing it already graded. This often translates to being willing to pay premiums for mint cards that I can grade myself. I won’t pay PSA 10 prices, but I’ve got no problem dishing out above market value, especially if there’s still some value I can make up in the higher grades.
I think some of the premium attributed to raw mint cards can be explained by this, if it was solely the investment potential and condition assessment you would think the premium would be lower and only on cards in the clear PSA 9-10 range.
A little advice if someone is selling an expensive raw card, go check out the rest of their items. If they are selling PSA graded cards that typically means the raw cards they are selling will not get a PSA 10. Like mentioned already people like to gamble on raw cards in hope of scoring a psa 10. I used to pay up to psa 9 prices if I though a card was potentially a 9. Now with online sales tax I have to set my price point lower.
That’s actually a super interesting process I never thought of from a buyers perspective… Thank you for sharing! I’m sure you aren’t the only one that does that, and I totally understand why; I just don’t grade cards so I guess I never thought of it that way. Thanks again!
