collection thoughts and advice needed

[bouwob]

So I have been pondering this for a while and wanted to get your advice.

As most of you know, I only collect Nolan Ryan. I am not condition sensitive because I tend to be a completest and grab as cheaply as possible every ryan card in existence. Since I am short some 8000 cards it is easy to find stuff with little budget any time I am browsing ebay. That said, I am considering 2 differnt options from here on out.

1. Continue on my completest ways (9720 and counting total cards)
I likely have one of the most extensive collections of Nolan Ryan out there. Assuming I gather cards at the same rate I do today, I would have close to 7000 different cards (Close to a million total) by the time I die. The biggest pro to this is that I can collect cheaply for the rest of my life. It will also give me the ability to add a few thing every week. The biggest con is that the collection will never have any notoriety.

2. Step into the PSA Registry Nolan Ryan Master Set (2006 total cards)
http://www.psacard.com/PSASETREGISTRY/A ... spx?c=1944
I would step into at least the #7 spot in completion if I would get graded everything that I currently have. Assuming that the cost per grade would be $5 per card, it would cost me close to $10,000 just to get everything graded. Also the cost per pickup would go up significantly since graded cards are much more expensive than non graded cards. The top player (Bracken) in the last year sold most of his collection off and I currently own several of the cards that he has pictures of under his set. The pros are having a notable collection regardless of location, and the collection at auction, listed as one of the finest (for my future children) would likely garnish more than #1. The cons would be cost. I could spend $10,000 this year without adding a single card just to add some plastic to my collection. It would also mean a lot less additions to the collection as I would only add cards I need when they are in a higher grade than what I currently own.

So if it was up to you, would you rather have the most complete collection or one of the finest collections of nolan ryan?

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

 

[uniquebaseballcards]

I'm much more impressed by cardboard, not plastic

 

[csmtampa]

PSA registry is a drug....

I'd keep doing what you're doing.

 

[ThoseBackPages]

Very tough call.

i too, have been wresting with this, albeit on a much smaller scale.....

PSA 9's of the HOFers i grew up watching vs The Best Possible Centered Hand-Collated Sets in Sheets/Binders.

Cost plays into it, as does finding what i want/will be happy with.

it was getting to a point with the PSA 9's that it was just "wait until the next one i want shows up, hit the BIN/snipe high"

i decided that i could use the funds that i was spending on the slabs towards ripping unopened product.

since switching to the later focus, it has actually turned into a fun learning experience, but one that is also going to be costly as i am finding it more "interesting" to open the cards myself for the cards that i need.

Neither of the things ive listed above are being done "for money", because both are a losing proposition.

 

[brouthercard]

finest collection.

quality over quantity, always.

 

[Gwynn545]

OMG..... Can you imagine what Nolan Ryan cards you could get with $10,000???????? :shock:

That's going to be a tough call, as you are likely in very rare company. Basically, right now you feel you are one of the top Ryan collectors, but if you spend $10,000 you will be "officially" one of the top Ryan collector? What does that really mean? It's just a title, to me. Why are you collecting in the first place? A hobby? For fun? Enjoyment? I think if you collect to be "the best" it changes who you are. You will think differently about your collection.

I am not saying that's a bad thing, either. It would just be different.

If you go the PSA route, you would probably leave FCB and start hanging out with the hoity-toity people of the PSA Forums... We will all be secretly jealous of you, but we will talk behind your back... "Oooohhh, there's Bouwob, with his cool-guy friends at PSA...He thinks he's sooooo cool!"

 

[mancini79]

I would get the cardboard and pick up slabbed cards if they are a good deal. You can get your collection slabbed anytime in the future.

 

[Sweetness]

finest collection.

quality over quantity, always.

No doubt! Hands down! No competition! No contest! Captain obvious says, Psa registry all the way!

 

[ThoseBackPages]

man, it really is a tough call

for me for example...

i can pick up these four slabs for about $30

OR

i can pick up a vending box of 1985 Topps for $35

i love slabs as much as the next slab freak, but damn, a shot at adding a bunch via vending is very tempting.

Now as far as rookie cards, Slabs ARE the way to go

 

[Gwynn545]

PS...I have collected since the 70's and the first time I even really looked at the PSA registry was 10 minutes ago when you offered the link. PSA is not a big deal to me, obviously! Although, I did notice that if I graded all of my cards I could move into the #1 or #2 spot for Gwynn... ($25,000 later at $5 per...) But I still know there are better Gwynn collections out there.

 

[Sweetness]

If your set registry would be complete your 10,000 slabbing investment would exponentially increase the value of your collection. Keep the non-registry cards raw and slowly work on them both.

It may be expensive to upgrade your set but you can sell the replaced card to recover some of the costs. If you were very commited to upgrading the set you could slowly sell off the raw non-set requirements to finance your set. I'm sure you have multiples of some of the cards you would grade for the set. A decent grade of a low pop card that has a high multiplier number(card weight) can get astronomical prices. A few of these cards could pay for a decent amount of your grading fees.

Maybe I'm not a hoarder(not ment in a negative way at all) but I can't rationalize in my head quantity over quality. It may seem harsh to say but "cutting the fat off" a huge collection while increasing the overall value is a no brainer to me.

 

[predatorkj]

It all ends up back at what you want to do. Some people have to have the best, some have to have the most. I personally am a little in between. But for me, as I have always said, grading means little to me. I don't put much stock in a card simply because a grader feels it is of the highest quality. Nobody wants cards that are horrible in condition. Its always best to have nice looking stuff. But if its good to the naked eye, who the hell cares? You're paying that premium for things not seen with the naked eye. I personally never look at my cards through a loup. And I'd rather have more than use that extra money to obtain a card carrying nothing more than a glorified good opinion of its condition.

As for adding stuff to your collection, granted since you chose to collect such a high cost player with an extreme amount of cards, it is pretty unlikely you'll ever reach completion. But as long as people are selling their cards, and people sell off their collections, its totally possible that you will get closer and closer. I'd personally go this route. And instead of getting into the debate of whats better, base cards or 1/1 patch autos...why don't you do your best to go after both. And pick up graded stuff as you come across it.

Me...I'm too biased I guess. I'd have way more admiration for somebody who is able to obtain several thousand different cards of any player than I would for somebody who is collecting the highest condition cards. I simply don't do graded so its not easy for me to be wowed by that as a collector. I do understand the difficulty in obtaining perfect cards. I just don't see the reason. I figure I can't gripe about condition when I am still a zillion cards away from completion. And trust me, if you can put together a very hefty amount of cards, people will recognize that. But it seems you want that admiration of having a premier collection. I say, with the money it would take, the fact that so many of us have no idea where our collection stands in comparison to other people's collections of the same player, and the impossibility of obtaining everything or obtaining only perfect cards, why bother?

Just collect who you collect and be able to sleep at night knowing there is always a bigger fish out there and you may never be able to top them. You'll go crazy and broke trying to do otherwise.

 

[Gwynn545]

If your set registry would be complete your 10,000 slabbing investment would exponentially increase the value of your collection. Keep the non-registry cards raw and slowly work on them both.

It may be expensive to upgrade your set but you can sell the replaced card to recover some of the costs. If you were very commited to upgrading the set you could slowly sell off the raw non-set requirements to finance your set. I'm sure you have multiples of some of the cards you would grade for the set. A decent grade of a low pop card that has a high multiplier number(card weight) can get astronomical prices. A few of these cards could pay for a decent amount of your grading fees.

Maybe I'm not a hoarder(not ment in a negative way at all) but I can't rationalize in my head quantity over quality. It may seem harsh to say but "cutting the fat off" a huge collection while increasing the overall value is a no brainer to me.

I think that is the part where collectors' opinions are different...what is value? That's very personal: value as in money, or value as in time, memories, ups and downs, hits and misses, steals, deals, friends, card shows, card shops, and enjoying the hobby. I am not saying it's one or the other, but there's just a wide spectrum of collectors in between. Especialy for the old-school collectors. For money only, then yes, it's a no-brainer.

 

[Derriz]

Spend $10,000 and have Ryan come hang out with you for a weekend.

Or maybe that would get you an hour or something.

 

[LWMM]

Here are a couple things to consider:

1) How much value will grading the cards add to your collection? If you spend $10,000 to get them graded, would be be able to recoup that $10,000 if you or your family ever sells the collection? What will happen to the value over time? Will the PSA registry continue to stay fashionable? If not, In terms of value alone, and as it does not seem likely that you will be selling your cards any time soon, does it make sense to get your cards graded now, with plenty of price fluctuation ahead of you, or to wait and see what happens (assumedly purchasing graded and gradable registry-eligible cards in the meantime)? What graded cards have the potential for their prices to fluctuate the most: the rare and expensive ones, base cards, scarce regional issues, etc. Then, how does your collection fit into those categories, and how will that affect the value of your cards over time?

2) How would the cards grade? Since you are "not condition sensitive" but "grab as cheaply as possible every ryan card in existence", are you going to get a bunch of low grades? Will you be able to sell a 50 cent base card that's graded a 7 for $5.5, now that it's graded? Would you be satisfied with a 7, or would you want a 9 or 10? Would you be okay with paying the substantial premium for a 9 or 10, just to push your set a little bit higher in the rankings? Getting back to the first point, even if you can recoup the grading fee (e.g., $5.5 for what was a $0.5 card), will you be able to in the future, when more of the same cards have been graded?

Personally, you should be especially leery of common cards in this department. Looking at the registry link that you posted, for example, there are 123 PSA 10 1993 Topps cards. Will anyone want a PSA 7, if that's what your card grades as? Heck, with 123 10s, will anyone even be willing to pay $5 for an 8 or 9? At the same time, there are only 9 PSA 10s of 1993 Upper Deck #37, meaning that you might very well be able to get recoup your cost if your card grades lower. The number of 10s--and 9s, 8s, 7s and so forth--can only rise, however, which will diminish both the value of a 10 and those of all the grades below it, unless there is increased demand in that card (which depends largely on the popularity of Nolan Ryan and of the registry). Thus, this brings back the issue of the balance of your collection. With most of the common cards, your best hope is that their value holds, because it is unlikely to increase significantly (and even if it does, the supply will probably just increase in response). Do the other cards in your collection have enough room to increase in value, once graded, that they could cover any losses you have in grading the common ones? How likely are they to do so?

3) How do you feel about post-retirement issues? The PSA registry ends with 1994, the year after Ryan retired. Would you want to go after modern cards? If you wouldn't continue buying them, what would you do with the ones that you currently have? If you would continue buying them, would you want to grade them? If yes, would you find it acceptable that they aren't a part of the registry? If no, would you be okay with the lack of uniformity in your collection (some graded, some not)?

4) Another possibility to think of. I'm not specifically advocating it, but you don't mention it. What about sending in the cards that you think would grade highest, and gradually picking up PSA graded cards (or ungraded cards in nice condition) that you think would grade well?

5) If you do go the graded route, you should email Joe Orlando about bulk discounts. You may be able to get them graded for a bit les than $5 per if you have enough.

6) How high do you think that you will be able to get your set ranked in the registry? Will it become too expensive to continue at some point? If so, where would you go from there, and would you continue to support your prior choice to get your collection graded, or come to regret it?



I spent most time writing about the value of the cards once graded, as you can tell. There are other considerations too: for all I know, those evanescent fist bumps for each step higher in the ranks of the registry are alone worth $10,000 to you.


One last thing, in response to the posts about quality. Just because a card is in a PSA holder does not increase its quality. Thus, without upgrades, your collection, once submitted to PSA, will be of the same quality as it was before. If you purchase ungraded cards in the future and submit them, you will still have to judge the quality for yourself before you submit (if for nothing else, to deem it worth of submission). On the other hand, if you purcahse cards already graded, you could instead choose to trust PSA's judgement on the matter.

 

[Fandruw25]

I would focus on picking up cards already slabbed for the next few months to see if it's really a direction I want to go. I'd probably also throw together a 25-50 card submission. In a few months if you like the way your collection is going then start subbing more, but for now, I think baby steps would be the best route.

 

[James52411]

How much of the $10K will you recoup by slabbing your current collection? How much of 10K spent on cards would you recoup? Whichever one is greater is the direction you should go.

 

[VizquelCollector.com]

So I have been pondering this for a while and wanted to get your advice.

As most of you know, I only collect Nolan Ryan. I am not condition sensitive because I tend to be a completest...

So if it was up to you, would you rather have the most complete collection or one of the finest collections of nolan ryan?

Thanks for posing a very interesting question! After considering it, I realize it's a very simple issue. Ask youself which mailday you enjoy more, several cards you've never seen before, or a much nicer example of a card you do own?

Personally I'm much more interested in adding quantity to my collection. Don't get me wrong, I prefer cards in nicer condition, multicolor patches over single color, quality autos over yucky stickers. But I'm more satisfied if I add 5 new cards than if I upgrade a couple cards I already do have.

I may be in the minority, but graded cards have little value to me. I can see adding a few pristine examples of the nicest cards at some point, but to start having everything graded doesn't appeal to me at all. I'd invest many thousands of dollars to add bulk and weight to my collection that is still going to sit locked up anyway. I'm not interested in selling my collection, nor do I get off on what I've spent or what it's worth. Truth be told, I couldn't tell you within $5K either figure.

Take another look at you ultimate question- would you rather have the most complete collection or one of the finest collections of nolan ryan? Those things aren't mutually exclusive. In my opinion having the most complete collection of one of the greatest players ever is nothing short of amazing.

So again, ask yourself what you enjoy about collecting. For me it's the chase, checking another card off the list, the diversity, finishing a year/rainbow/brand/whatever, finding a card I haven't seen, etc.

If I was in your shoes, I'd continue your completist ways and then treat yourself to a pristine example of your favorite cards once in a while.

 

[rehmus]

what a fascinating thread! really great advice all around.

as for the topic: this is easy to say as its not my money, but i vote for both, haha.

that is, gradually work toward both. this is kind of how i approach all of the areas of my collection. i have an end result in mind that im working toward (graded RCs of my favorite guys, completism for certain things) and I sub when I want to sub, buy singles when I want to buy.

between the two I'd say go with PSA. others have offered good advice about your $10,000 being worth it, but to me you can't always approach it in terms of what you could get out of it. personally I like having some of my stuff graded, even low end stuff not worth the cost of grading. So my advice would be to create a personal value of the feeling of having them graded (a value in addition to the cards' literal value) and consider this when making your decision.

 

[dietdew]

I'd stick with being a completest. For my player (about 325 total cards during playing years), I have about 97% of his Beckett list and 22% of his PSA master list (4th All-Time). I'm also not too worried about condition in general and really only pick up PSA cards when they are as cheap as getting a decent raw card. If you aren't worried about resale in the near future, I'd just keep at it. You can always send the rare ones off to PSA in you need to cash them in later.