I’m trying to get an idea of estimated value and grades of some of these cards. Most 1st ed fossil were never played and went into a binder 20 years ago but these two cards are probably in the worst shape I played with one of the Lapras copies and I got this Gengar later through a trade.
The other Jungle and Base set stuff is in more MP-LP territory I believe.
I’m wondering if this stuff is still worth grading and if the value is there?
I’d love to send a bunch to PSA but with the crazy delays I’m focusing more on getting an Articuno & Moltres to finish my set. I also am realizing how bad the centering was on my holos… ouch!
Step 2. Educate yourself about the edition of the card you have. First editions command a premium and are signified by the black stamp here. Shadowless cards are next in line, and can be identified like this. If you have no black stamp, and the card is not shadowless, you have an unlimited card on your hands.
Step 3. Evaluate the condition of your cards using PSA’s standards.
Step 4. eBay search the card you identified in the condition you estimate it in. Be sure to check out current listings and recently sold listings to gauge an accurate price.
The Lapras and Gengar are PSA 7/8 range; nice cards but you won’t get a huge premium by getting them graded. If you’re patient, you can get nearly as much by selling them raw. So I wouldn’t bother with grading anything unless you want them graded for your own collecting purposes .
As far as the value, you definitely have a decent bit of value here (but nothing life-changing or anything). You could sell the Gengar and Lapras for $150+ (possibly $200+) a piece as-is. Congrats on the find!
Thanks! It definitely does. I feel super uneducated especially on grading standards. I browsed a bunch of 8-10s on eBay and feel like I struggle to see what’s causing the grade changes but maybe that’s just a limitation of the photos.
I’m sure the board is inundated with these kind of posts but appreciate your time!
Awesome, thanks for the feedback! Given the insane turnaround with PSA I’ll definitely keep sitting on them and decide later if I want to grade or not for collecting purposes.
Also, I just looked at the rest of your binder photos (I originally only looked at the Gengar/Fossil and the front page). You have quite a few shadowless and 1st Edition Base cards, which have some significant value as well. One of your Super Energy Removals is shadowless, one of your Scoop Ups is shadowless, 3 of your Scoop Ups are 1st Edition, your Pokemon Trader is 1st Edition, your Lass is shadowless, you have one each of shadowless and 1st Edition Item Finder as well as Computer Search. Depending on condition, there could be lots of value there (more than the 1st Ed. Fossil holos). But even if they’re in bad condition, they’re still worth something.
Well said, @charetard. I’d also like to add that you should consider whether you want to increase the value of the card and/or protect the card. I like to grade my cards mostly for protection purposes! I feel like it is the best way for me to keep them safe.
Thanks everyone! I’m not planning on selling anytime soon but the appeal of long term protection and just how the PSA slabs look is quite enticing. It’s been great to learn some more and this gives me a better idea about how to figure out declared value when PSA’s backlog gets less insane.
