Overall not fixating on certain cards, with the prices being very similar with (most) vintage cards in a PSA 10 Unlimited and PSA 9 1st edition, which do you feel would be a better investment for the long term. The 1st Ed Stamp Or The PSA 10?
*** UPDATE***
This question applies to all 1st edition sets (Base Set - Neo Series) not just 1st edition base set to base set unlimited.
1st for sure. Don’t buy the label. Buy the card 
PSA 9 1st all the way, especially if you’re comparing it with unlimited.
1st edition psa 8s would be better than psa 10 unlimited 
so psa 9 1st edition base you could easy get a PSA 10 set by buying some boxes as there is still loads about but shadowless 1st edition sealed product just isnt a thing one box every 6 months or so for 50k so getting it via sealed product is a no go.
Sorry I didn’t mean this post to include just base set but every set that was printed in 1st edition so everything up to the neo series. In some of the later sets with 1st ed stamps that were less produced have psa 10 unlimited cards that are close if not some more in price than 1st edition PSA 9.
There’s also a matter of preference. Some people truly just buy for the grade, while others buy for the card. Sometimes you’ll see a PSA 9 that looks better than a Soft PSA 10. If you aim for PSA 10s that’s an added layer you need to consider.
Thanks I appreciate the advice!
It’s gonna depend on the card since some PSA 9 1st cards still consistently fail to break $30 at auction. These same cards could be tough to find in unlimited 10 and naturally will sell for more.
But some regular holo 1st 9s consistently sell for > $100 so clearly the demand is there already for those cards. If people really started grading their unlimited cards, it’s unclear if that 10 supply would be absorbed as easily.
For my own collection I’d take 1st ed PSA 9s over unlimited 10s all day.
At this very moment in time I personally prefer and would buy 10s as they are the top grade you can attain with psa and the vast majority of the time warrant the grade.
My point of view is that at the end of the day the stamp is only a stamp. It was simply printed and released a couple months earlier than unlimited.
It may be rarer than unlimited for the print run and perhaps look cooler but in terms of the artwork changes nothing, besides 1st base due to the shadowless aspect-correct me if I’ve missed any other set. Don’t get me wrong there is a huge appeal for the stamp and I also like it very much.
Saying that it simply comes down to the rareness. They will be a lot more 10s on the market than graded 1st 9s in the years to come. However there are thousands of cards already on the market so it will take a long while for it to so call dry up and become an elusive item to have. I haven’t looked at the numbers on psa’s database but that’s my guess as of now that unlimted 10s far surpass 1st 9s.
Also people will likely preserve their unopened 1st booster boxes than open them and grade the cards. Collectors won’t likely sell their 1st 9s as much either, thus becoming harder to obtain.
As time goes on the allure of the stamp should be a better investment than the unlimited 10s however small it may be. If these cards still hold their appeal in the future and people want them then I can’t see why you would lose out on your investment. Although the market is a wicked bitch and she decides what’s what.
Therefore my final answer are 1st 9s.
Wow, what a twist! Very informative post.
First Edition 9s all the way. The base set 10s will go up in population in the years to come. I don’t see a big surge in graded first ed 9s, it is rare enough to find that card ungraded nowadays.
I’d say PSA 9 1st edition. If you’re looking for growth buy the popular cards such as Charizard or Blastoise. You might not have as much growth with Poliwrath or Zappos even though I think they’re still great.
I was referring to base set but I’d still recommend the popular cards for each set - Dragonite from Fossil, Lugia from Neo, etc.
Oh sorry thats my fault,
My answer still stands PSA 9 1st edition over PSA 10 unlimited for most cards there will be certain cards that go9 for more as unlimited psa 10s but how many of the 1st edition vs unlimited printed your be mad not to get the 1st edition first as unlimited print runs lasted alot longer than the 1st edition runs
Well looks like the verdict was overwhelmingly for PSA 9 1st Edition stamp over PSA 10 Unlimited. Made my decisions a lot easier in the future.
Thanks to everyone who replied ( @bluelapras, @nuttun, @jameskray, @pkmnflyingmaster, @joseph88, @muhkurt, @charizandrew, ).
Definitely take our advice and you’ll see long term growth or at least sustainability with your collection, but don’t forget to make buying cards/items you love your first priority.