I’m new to the forum and not used to using one I kept sending Scott messages and thought it would be better to join E4 and stop bothering him with every question.
As someone who has collected cards then took a break and is back to collecting there are certain cards I am looking for.
My question is asking for advice on deciding which grade to go for when buying cards? There are some cards where the price point for 10 is just too much for me so I’ll pick up an 8 or 9.
When I come across a card that I think I can get at 10 but realize how much money I could save with a lower grade I pause and can’t decide what to do.
I don’t buy cards as an investment but I like the idea of my cards being worth something and paying for the best version if I can.
I realize it is all personal preference and no one can make this decision for me but I was interested in hearing people’s thoughts and suggestions on the matter.
From the info you have given us, I would personally stick to my budget. There’s really nothing wrong with buying 8s and 9s or even lower grades on more expensive cards.
I can’t promise all your cards will see the same growth, but I feel now is a good time for buying.
As noob said, now is a good time to jump in. Plus, buying what you can comfortably afford is solid advice. Don’t be too anal about having mixed grades and you’ll be fine:)
For graded cards I go for the PSA 9’s for the reasons you mentioned (I mainly collect old wotc holos). I Cannot justify spending 5-10 times as much for an almost identical card. PSA 9’s are still mint cards. For lower grades I would probably rather get them raw for my binders. I also do not “invest”, but just collect the cards I like. If you have very deep pockets and are overly concerned about long term value and potential growth, PSA 10 may be the way to go. Going for the 9’s you can add more cards to your collection in the same time frame if you are on a budget, and getting more cards might be more fun.
Sounds to me like 9 is a perfect number for someone like me to go for. I’m all about adding more cards to my collection as it is more fun. Most bang for my buck.
A grade is simply declared condition. Pokemon is still very young where 8-10’s are constantly available. Consider all large stores have two main condition categories, played and Near Mint. Near mint is their highest condition rating, which is PSA 7.
Currently most WOTC holos PSA 8-9 are at cost (excluding 1st Ed Base). I beat a dead horse in Patreon about how this graded tier is a value purchase. Sure it might not explode in value, but who cares. You are buying cards in nm-mint or mint condition at cost, 20 years later!
Ultimately if you want the 10, go for it! However the value is not always binary. There are plenty of cards that are so rare owning them in any condition is a lifetime achievement. There are also certain cards that have a difficulty to grade, so the graded adds a premium. Just take into account other variables such as rarity, scarcity, demand, etc when considering a purchase.
I personally like a mix of 9s and 10s for my collection, but I only spring for the 10 on my absolute favorite artworks. Even then, I’ll pass if the price is way out of my range and get the 9 instead. Having fewer 10s makes the ones I own seem more special.
I think that you should buy what you can afford without having regrets later.
I had the same question a couple of months ago… in my case was a blastoise base set unlimited.
The PSA10 costs 3 times the PSA9 one, but I decided to buy the 10 because I really wanted that card when I was a child, hence I decided to buy it in the best condition avaible…but just because I could afford it, for example when I will buy the 1st edition base set blastoise, I will be able to buy just the 9(and with sacrifices).
I decided to buy a 10 if I really want it for a specific card(of course if I can afford it) and 9 if I feel that I like that card, but not enough to justify the premium for a 10, or sometimes just because I want to save money.
You have always time for an “upgrade”.
Maybe you can buy PSA10 just for your favourite pokemon, or just for cards that mean something to you.
Determine a goal.2) Calculate the cost of completing the goal at various grades.3) Choose the grade that aligns with what you personally value the goal at and that is reasonable within your budget.
Example 1: Complete a 1st ed Neo Revelation Holo set
PSA 10: $10000PSA 9: $1300PSA 8: $800
If this is your favorite set of all time and this is the only thing you want in your collection and you make like $60,000 a year maybe a 10 set is the optimal choice for you. If your final goal is to collect a bunch of graded WOTC sets and this is just a subgoal of a larger goal, then maybe the best value comes from the 9 set. If you’re making like $20,000 a year and you just want to own a set and the condition doesn’t bother you as much, you could go for the 8 set.
Example 2: Get a graded Aquapolis Grimer (most iconic artwork of 2002)
So generally speaking, the grade you should buy should be guided by your goal. How broad is your collecting goal? What proportion of your income do you value your goal at? How significant is the price difference between grades? Does the rarity of the card outweigh the importance of the condition? (ie. I’d be more willing to settle with PSA 4 for a university magikarp than a Aquapolis Grimer). These are all questions you should ask when you determine what grade to go for.
I used to want 10s but started purchasing 9s that I got good deals on. After seeing 1st hand the difference (if any) between the two I decided that I only wanted to collect 9s and sell any 10s that I graded or acquired. I’ve seen 9s that look better than 10s and almost always a 9 is still a pack fresh card.
The insane premium that comes with most 10s just is not worth it to me when I can’t personally trust PSA’s judgement 100% of the time. I’m sure not going to spend $7,000 on a 10 1st ed base blastoise when I can get the 9 for $1,100 and it possibly be in the exact same or better condition as the 10.
That’s just my personal opinion but I think most people here agree with the phrase “purchase the card and not the grade”. You being happy with the card and its condition is all that matters!
When it comes to value sometimes the underlying card is more important than what grade you’re buying.
I’d buy a 1st Ed. Base Charizard at any grade that I can comfortably afford when I see them up for sale but random wotc holos from Base unlimited-Neo Revelation I couldn’t justify paying PSA 10 prices for cards you can buy raw for $2-$10.
PSA 9 hits the sweet spot of affordability and value for most collectors. 20 year old mint holos for $20-50 when the packs are pushing 2x-4x what psa 9 copies cost? That’s amazing value.
The overlap on 9/10 has always been much too large for my taste. I’m not sure it’s getting any larger just has always been a whole lot larger than I care for personally.
There’s solid advice already here, so I’ll add one point that PFM minorly touch on but I think eleboration is relevant.
Your goals are an important part of the equation. If you collect everything from old to modern the grade isn’t going to matter as much because your budget has to be stretched much further into more cards. If you’re someone who only collect specific cards, artists, or generations your going to have an easier to ‘completeing a colleciton’.
I think this is the biggest aspect where condition becomes relevant imo. If you collection is easy to finish you’re going to look for new goals, assuming you’re dedicated and interested in the hobby. Condition of the cards is the easy way to ‘improve’ your collection or stay in the game. I know I have many cards that aren’t PSA 10, but if I find a PSA 10 I’d like to replace them. Because of this it’s sometime better to start out with the chase in mind rather than going through multiple ‘upgrades’. Especially if you’re not prepared to start selling.
If you’re a person that collects nearly everything pokemon go for the ones that fit your budget, you’re going to have plenty to keep you interested in the hobby, so grades don’t matter nearly as much.
Obviously, your budget and your personal feelings towards the collection are other important aspects, to keep in mind, but I feel others have made that point already.
This is honestly not something that I have taken the time to do yet but I should really invest some time in. I first starting collecting modern full art cards and then stumbled onto Scott’s videos and found a whole new world of Pokemon cards with amazing art that I also really wanted. I’m currently all over the place when it comes to what I like to collect. So much variety and different interesting perspectives on species. This is an excellent blue print for me to get started on creating some real goals Thanks!
This is very interesting. I don’t know why I put so much pressure on myself thinking I needed 10’s of these cards but everyone’s comments are making it very clear a 10 grade can be very inconsequential. I know Scott kept saying it in his videos but I guess it didn’t sink in till now. Oops.
I’ve known too many 10 collectors that get caught on that last line that you typed that is 100% untrue. It makes it such a pain to sell them to certain collectors who think 10’s =perfect too.
No card is perfect. Not even a black label BGS 10. I find at the rare times I pay the premium for a 10 I look it over extra close and find imperfections, because every single card has at least 1 and it bums me out a lot more than it would on a 9. Then I stress about it a lot more because 10/10 it is easy to make the mistake and feel that mentally it should be a perfect card.
Glad i came across this post, i was having the same problem. I wanted all 10s but my budget kept telling me no, and the more i thought about it the more im leaning towards 9s now to save money.
For me, I of course would like to get a 10 when I grade cards myself but sometimes I send in a card that I know might be a 9, 8 or even worse if I like the card a lot. For example I graded a Mew ex PLAY Promo that is mint otherwise but has a crease on it. It got a 6. I knew that was going to be the grade it gets, but the card still looks great even if it’s a 6. In the end it’s just a number. Even 6 can be a very nice looking card and have a minor defect like a crease or indent that doesn’t take too much away from the overall look. I also own a Japanese PSA 5 Pikachu Gold Star that looks very nice from the front. Most of the damage is on the back side so it doesn’t bother me much.
In general when I buy already graded cards I mostly go for 9s. As stated before they are cards with great condition usually with much lower price that a 10 would go for. I only buy a 10 if I think it’s a good deal and not too far away from a 9 price. You can call me a slave collector but that’s how I roll.
I kept sending Scott messages and thought it would be better to join E4 and stop bothering him with every question.
Thanks!