Hey everyone, so I have noticed that not a lot of people collect 8s and I am wondering if there is a reason for this? From my research 8s condition is great and can be considered pack fresh. Am I off base thinking that? Is there something about the condition of 8s that people don’t enjoy? I’m sure for the non condition questions there are infinite answers, but I would still love to hear them. Let me know what everyone thinks! 
2 Likes
I think generally the price difference between 8 and 9 is smaller than the price difference between 9 and 10. However, actual condition between 8 and 9 I would argue is often greater in degree than the difference in condition between a 9 and 10.
In other words, if you spend a little more on a 9 instead of what you’d pay for an 8, you are like getting a card closer to gem mint than how close 8s are to mint. Obviously there are weak and strong grades if you look closely, but I think this is why most people to go for the 9 instead of the 8 if the 10 is out of reach.
I collect a lot of 8s though myself because at the end of the day it’s still often close enough to mint for the price.
2 Likes
I know I didn’t personally and many probably alike that just didn’t send off cards that would get an 8? I still think if it’s not a 10 I don’t really want it(not applicable to all cards) , would crack my PSA 8s and put them them in a binder. I think more people will now that there is a premium but I mean what you’re paying for a 8 was less than a 10 most likely and when you could buy a raw version that would grade an 8 or 9 for cheaper why would you buy a PSA 8 someone clearly missed the grade on that’s just how I think about it.
vr
odds
“Pack fresh” 8s tend to have obnoxious print lines. Some 8s with a tad bit of whitening on the back are pretty good though. 9s/10s you can give a once over to make sure the grader didn’t miss anything critical and trust the card (if you’re buying off online pictures) but 8 and lower you really do need to “buy the card and not the grade”. There’s a lot of hidden gems down there though and they get slept on a lot.
8s can vary on condition quite a bit. Some have very obnoxious whitening on the corners, or lots of edge wear. Some have just one or two extra small dots that prevented it from getting a 9. Of all the 7-10 grades, I feel like 8s have the widest range of condition.
4 Likes
Thanks to everyone giving insights. Happy to be getting different perspectives.
Do you mean more people will buy 8s now? Also how often do you think 8-9 raws show up on the market for cards and where do you check? I tend to see NM listed a lot for raws, but not much above.
1 Like
As someone with low capital, I actively pursue 8s and can agree with everything thats been said. They vary a lot in quality and I’ve been surprised by how much holo damage an 8 can have. That being said, an 8 with a super clean front and a few specs on the back can feel like a steal.
3 Likes
I don’t buy any graded cards but was trying to figure out what is a realistic psa 8 range and obviously it’s hard to tell through pictures only but I’ll say I definitely noticed a greater range in quality between 8s than there was with 9s or 10s. Im sure many of the 8s that I saw that seemed really clean but the pictures didn’t show print lines or holo scratches but some 8s qualities based entirely of whitening really surprised me because of how bad they were.
I believe more people will buy 8s now because of the price points but that’s speculative as mentioned previously psa 8/9 prices aren’t as gapped as psa 9 to psa 10 but it really depends on the margin. It’s also very subjective I know people that buy PSA 7/8s and crack them for binder sets so there is a market just depends on how big that market is. I mean there is tons of places to purchase raw cards, it really depends on the era of the card and yeah “NM” is also super subjective we all know ebay listings are horrible. I personally have been going to more card shows in person, but even on ebay but like I wont buy raw cards from a seller that sells graded cards. There is tons of things to look for imo, but even though I buy more online out of convivence my best deals have always been in person.
vr
odds
How’s the range of surface scratching on a usual PSA 8? I expect print lines of course but what about general scratching from the card being passed around from person to person? Are they pretty tight on that or are they lenient on the amount of scratches before it gets dinged down to a 7?
Cards can have a LOT of holo scratching and still be an 8.
Generally if you are buying an 8 you almost WANT it to have a lot of edge wear and whitening, because if the back and edges are in good condition and it still got a PSA 8 that means that the holo is all scratched up (otherwise It would be a 9)
PSA 8 Seems to mean either the back has wear and the holo is in good condition, maybe 1-2 small scratches, or the back is good and there is little whitening but the holo has like, a half dozen big nasty scratches.
I prefer the cards that got an 8 because of edge wear than the ones that got an 8 because of nasty holo scratches.
Even PSA 9 cards can have surface scratching btw.
1 Like
Okay I gotcha. Thanks for the insight!
8s have a significant amount of variance to them. It takes more dilligence when buying them, but you can get a fantastic card for the fraction of a 10. Since the hobby is not too old and prices were/are affordable on 10s, there was no real demand for an 8. People either went for 9s or 10s (9s were dirt cheap for the longest) with the recent surge in price that obviously shifted and you can get some incredible value out of specifc 8s - you just have to look out a bit more for potential defects.
4 Likes
Gotcha, thanks for the insight. So would you say 8s can be fresh from a pack?
That is definitely a good way to put it thanks. What I am trying to figure out really right now is if 8 would be considered a pack fresh grade or is that only really seen from 9 and 10?
1 Like
9s were very affordable for a long time, so why buy 8s? I think with price rises 8s will come into their own eventually.
1 Like
It can be packfresh but doesn´t have to be - a tiny factory nick, some printlines or bad centering can all lead to an 8. A packfresh card that has some factory flaws so to say. However, a card that doesn´t show any irregularities from the factory can have a significant amount of whitening/holo scratching instead and still receive an 8. That´s what I meant with “significant amount of variance”
Thanks, okay so you’re saying 8s can arise due to factory errors and or other factors after packing a card. So can a card come out of the pack with no factories errors and still be an 8? Like what’s the usual grade on a pack fresh card normally supposed to be? would it be 8-10 or higher?
I mean the highest is a 10. It depends what era you´re talking about, for vintage stuff a 9 is the average I´d say with some sets being easier, and some being harsher to grade. A card that has no factory errors (printlines, centering, nicks…) should be a 10 if packpulled and handled correctly.