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Building a Vintage Graded Set
#1

Building a Vintage Graded Set
I have a question for those of you that build vintage graded sets. Do you try to find your cards already graded or do you try to find good raw cards and have them graded?

I'm working on a 58 Topps FB set and I am trying to keep my minimum grade no lower than BVG 7. I am really finding this to be a challenge. There are several cards out there graded 7 and above but most have very unrealistic price tags. On the other hand, I've bought about 20 that look really good in an online picture but when I get them they aren't worth spending the money because I know they won't be near a 7/

I'm really having to do a bit of both and am a long way off but it's fun to have something really challenging.

What do you do when working on older sets?
http://s1147.photobucket.com/albums/o558/dmasci/
Always looking for BGS or BVG graded cards for HOFers....especially the skilled positions.

[Image: DmasciBanner.jpg]
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#2

RE: Building a Vintage Graded Set
Hi,
I'm doing a 1961 Topps baseball set. So far, I've went both ways; I have bought some on ebay if I thought the price was reasonable and I've also had (and having) some graded. One thing I've noticed about BVG, they're tougher than PSA. I have a friend who runs a sports memorabilia and cards shop. He likes vintage only. Anyway, he also thinks BVG is tougher on the grades than PSA. He sent some to BVG that were cracked out of PSA 7's and 8's and several came back at 4 and 5. The first batch I sent in, which are on their way back to me today, showed the same tendency, the best grade I received was a 7.5. In fact, there were 2 that I thought were really nice (a Clete Boyer and Elston Howard) they came back at 4 and 4.5. So if you buy some raw, check them over carefully under good light with at least a 4x loupe. I'm going to continue doing both. Good luck on your quest.

bamyanks(Brian)
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#3

RE: Building a Vintage Graded Set
I backed away from going for a 1955 topps graded set for the cost reason you pointed out. It's tougher to buy individual higher graded cards but as bamyanks pointed out, if you purchase raw and then submit to grade, you have to inspect the card under magnification. Nothing worse than paying grading costs for a card that comes back a couple of grades under your expectations.

That said, I'm building a 1966 Topps Venezuelan set and it has been a mixed experience. Of my 202 BVG graded cards I only purchased one that was BVG graded, a 5.5 Sutton rookie and very reasonably priced. I have about 50 PSA graded cards that for some I may have paid too much, for others I got a good deal. I have another batch of 90 cards or so ready to go to Beckett. This is a tough set to build in mid-grade condition much less high grade of which few exist so for many cards I am happy if I manage to get a 5 and very happy with a 6 or higher.

I'm also building a 1972 O Pee Chee baseball set with about 325 cards, all graded by SGC. In this case I kept running into batches of very low priced mostly EXMT - NMMT SGC graded cards, often priced less than the raw card book value. Now, I find very few SGC graded OPCs that I don't already have and have a batch of carefully scrutinized cards ready to send to SGC.

Best of luck.

Twitter: @Coimbre21 - Collecting Carl Yastrzemski Topps, Jimmie Foxx, 1966 Topps Venezuelan, 2010 Topps Tribute HOF Relics & Autos, L.A. Rams Autos

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#4

RE: Building a Vintage Graded Set
You are so correct, there are 123 cards in the 58 topps set and thus far i have 23 of them graded...average grade for all 23 cards is 7.18. I have purchased probably 25 ungraded cards and have sent maybe 10 to be graded. I have some in right now being graded and am hoping for decent grades but you never know with older cards and BVG...they are tough.

It's funny though when you look online and see people trying to sell graded commons for 3 times high book....but I have been patient and purhased some for below the cost of having them graded.

It's definately a long term project for me but that's the fun of collecting, it's too easy to find any of the new stuff, all you need is cash.
http://s1147.photobucket.com/albums/o558/dmasci/
Always looking for BGS or BVG graded cards for HOFers....especially the skilled positions.

[Image: DmasciBanner.jpg]
Reply
#5

RE: Building a Vintage Graded Set
One thing I have noticed, I will not buy raw cards online. As I said before, we need to check out raw cards under at least a 4x loupe, and you can't do that buying online. With this first batch I have sent in, I have learned more what to look for. I've already pulled out about 15 raw ones I have bought because I don't think they'll make the grade. Again, good luck in your quest to make the 1958 set.
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#6

RE: Building a Vintage Graded Set
(09-02-2013, 09:34 PM)bamyanks Wrote: One thing I have noticed, I will not buy raw cards online. As I said before, we need to check out raw cards under at least a 4x loupe, and you can't do that buying online. With this first batch I have sent in, I have learned more what to look for. I've already pulled out about 15 raw ones I have bought because I don't think they'll make the grade. Again, good luck in your quest to make the 1958 set.
Thanks, I should see the numbers tomorrow for 13 I sent in to be graded. I agree it is very difficult to determine how they will grade by looking at them online but that's exactly where these came from :-)
http://s1147.photobucket.com/albums/o558/dmasci/
Always looking for BGS or BVG graded cards for HOFers....especially the skilled positions.

[Image: DmasciBanner.jpg]
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#7

RE: Building a Vintage Graded Set
Got my cards on Saturday.....11 of the 13 cards I sent in were for the 1958 set I'm working on. I was pretty pleased only 1 came back a 6, 7 were graded 7 and the other 3 got 7.5. I'm pretty pleased simply because it's so hard to tell the condition from pictures on ebay and that's where I got all these cards from.
http://s1147.photobucket.com/albums/o558/dmasci/
Always looking for BGS or BVG graded cards for HOFers....especially the skilled positions.

[Image: DmasciBanner.jpg]
Reply
#8

RE: Building a Vintage Graded Set
(09-08-2013, 07:44 PM)dmasci Wrote: Got my cards on Saturday.....11 of the 13 cards I sent in were for the 1958 set I'm working on. I was pretty pleased only 1 came back a 6, 7 were graded 7 and the other 3 got 7.5. I'm pretty pleased simply because it's so hard to tell the condition from pictures on eBay and that's where I got all these cards from.
Congrats!!
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Special Props to pyr0punk for this Amazing & Killer Banner!!
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#9

RE: Building a Vintage Graded Set
I have been working on a topps baseball set nm or better 1959. All cards are ebay finds id say 25% of my finds are exmint and 10% are in the 7.5 or better category.I sell or trade the exmints its ebay I take the good with the bad. I couldn't afford a graded 7 set. My cards look great in the binder. Couldn't imagine my set in 500+ slabs. Good luck and enjoy that's what matters.
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#10

RE: Building a Vintage Graded Set
(09-10-2013, 07:41 PM)Totran33 Wrote: I have been working on a topps baseball set nm or better 1959. All cards are ebay finds id say 25% of my finds are exmint and 10% are in the 7.5 or better category.I sell or trade the exmints its ebay I take the good with the bad. I couldn't afford a graded 7 set. My cards look great in the binder. Couldn't imagine my set in 500+ slabs. Good luck and enjoy that's what matters.
Fortunately the 58 football set is only 132 cards plus a felt insert. I'm not sure what I'm going to store them in once I complete the set but that's a ways off....i'm only at 31 graded cards so far....but like you said it's the fun that matters
http://s1147.photobucket.com/albums/o558/dmasci/
Always looking for BGS or BVG graded cards for HOFers....especially the skilled positions.

[Image: DmasciBanner.jpg]
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