Hey guys, I maybe got caught up in 2020’s wave of grading grading grading and now flicking through my binder collection (Base Shadowless through to Neo Destiny) I’m noticing how bare and patchy it looks with all the holos and rares and startes gone!
Long story short last July I sent anything remotely valuable to PSA (some 400 cards)… and they are STILL yet to come back .
Anyway, what are your guys’ thoughts on binder collections VS graded collections?
I know it’s been discussed on here before, but now the dust has settled somewhat I want to start filling my binders again… and a part of me regrets the fact I sent everything off, because although I’ve protected my assets, now my collection is split between PSA slabs and binders and my OCD is not loving life.
I’d like to start filling my binders again but NM holos are expensive and I’m also aware of that nagging voice that says grade everything! Because if you’re going to spend $150 on Shining Celebi from Neo Destiny, surely you should just grade it?
@garysmoak , I think this forum provides a bit of a distorted picture of Pokemon card collections because we see so many pictures of graded cards. Binders are still the norm for the common collector, graded cards are kinda niche, especially in other countries than the United States where grading is less known. There’s really nothing wrong with binder collections, doesn’t matter if you are a casual or a “SeRioUs CollECtoR”
I am a binder collector first and foremost, but I do grade cards. I like to have my favorite cards in PSA 10 and I will often grade, hold, and sell my graded cards over time to put more money in to my collection. But as I have said before, my preferred format is cards in a binder, so I want to iterate that bias up front.
I think this is a very unhealthy mindset to have (at least in the context of Pokémon collecting) and not a point of view you or anyone should foster. Unless your collection is a conveyor belt where cards are always coming in with the intention to be sold later, the idea of “grade everything” makes no sense to me. Sending 400 cards to PSA just because they are moderate value is probably the leading cause of why PSA and BGS had to shut down. Not everything needs to be graded! Show some discretion!
As long as you eventually get back 8 grades or higher you will probably make money on every card, so it’s not a bad use of your money. It’s a worthwhile investment in that sense. But I don’t know if it’s a worthwhile investment of your time and energy if resale is not your intention.
If you were a collector who primarily collected graded cards and this was the format you wanted all your cards to be in, that’s one thing. There are a lot of people like that. But you are describing yourself as a hybrid collector who collects both. So if you’re going to collect both, you should have some parameters for what you want graded and what you don’t. These parameters can be anything, they are personal to you, but you should know what they are.
Collect the cards you want in the format that makes you happiest. Don’t make choices “just because”. You do not have to do anything. Don’t feel like you have an obligation to do something because that’s what you see other people doing. Enjoy your Pokémon cards for what they are, not what you think they’re supposed to be.
My 1st Edition Shining Celebi is in my binder. I feel no pressure to grade it or any of my valuable holos. If I ever sell them then I will probably do that. But I’m not breaking any rules by not grading them. Free your mind. You’re part of the system, man!
Slabs take up so much room, and are harder to compose aesthetically compare to a binder imo. I have both but I think I prefer binders for the most of my cards.
I have both graded cards and binders in my collection as well. I usually try to keep them separate however, for example if I already have a card in a binder I will most likely not be taking it out for grading as I hate patches in my binders too! Both are part of the collecting experience I enjoy. I think @pokesoap could chime in on this thread nicely.
I also do a little bit of both. For me personally, I like to have really valuable and sentimental cards encapsulated. I’m looking to get my first ever holo, a base set Machamp, PSA graded and am expecting it to come back like a grade of 4 haha. I would just like it to last a long time with little risk of serious damage. I also have a few binders with different set cards, 1st edition, Japan exclusives, and just a binder of all my favorite Pokemon and artworks. I find it enjoyable to both flip through binders, as well as shuffle through my slabs. It kinda depends on the mood I’m in. If you were ever looking to sell singles, I would think you would more consistently sell slabbed cards for a premium over raw cards for anything like PSA 7 and above. Of course, these aren’t hard and fast rules, just my experience.
I am almost exclusively a set collector, and my collection consists of a combination of both graded as well as binders.
I pretty much handled it like this:
I have the holos of each set graded
And the non holos of the set in binders
To me personally, this still makes sense and creates consistent “sub sets”, also keeping in mind my own mild OCD as well as the possibility of me having to sell at some point in life. I think a complete non-holo set is something that is quite common to find in the hobby, and for which a market exists. Same goes for a complete graded holo set of any set.
For me the reason of deciding to grade the holos of my collection came down to wanting to preserve them as well as possible, and I believe grading might be best for that. I noticed the holos warping over time, both in binders as well as in toploaders (ironically, warping is known to not affect the grade of a card). I am unsure if holo cards still warp within PSA cases, but I figured it couldn’t be worse either. Since then, I’ve grown to really like slabs and looking at my graded cards in isolation. At the same time I still love flipping through my binders as well!
Oh and, I would also definitely go insane if I had a few random cards of each set graded, and the remaining incomplete set still in a binder. That is something I would personally avoid.
There´s absolutely nothing wrong with binder collections, I have many myself and they are great to just flip through and dwell in nostalgia for a while.
I have my favorite sets graded, but I´m not willing to collect every set I like graded as it just takes too much space, therefore my collection is a combination of both, but with much more value tied into graded than ungraded.
What you primarily do will probably depend on your general motivation behind your collection. Is it for the sake of nostalgia/collecting? Is it for financial reasons? Or is it a combination of both?
Binder collection all the way! There was too much of a “grade everything” mentally last year, and that has greatly impacted graded cards and the grading services.
My binder collection is pushing 1,000 cards, and I can view the entire collection quickly. Slabs don’t display full collections well. Also, a $1 card is now $11 or $21 due to grading fees. Would much rather put that $10 or $20 towards adding more cards to the binders.
Having been a binder collector for 20+ years, I don’t think I’d grade many cards unless I were to sell them since I still prefer binders and can’t really afford to do graded (especially now). Graded cards feel like “trophies” to me where you get a few to highlight your collection - usually, in my eyes, these are like standalones or favorites. This isn’t an opinion, per say, just how I view them.
I’ve had to deal with holes in my collection for YEARS. Didn’t have Japanese Shining Gyarados for almost 15 years, didn’t have Unlimited Rage of the Broken Heavens for a little over 3 years and let’s not even talk about Snap Gyarados. Having completed the 15 year space and then the 3 year space in my collections after all of that time, money, and effort was worth it. Why? Not only was it extremely satisfying to see everything all at once, but each time I could replace a long standing empty space in my binder, I reflected on how I was able to get it and it usually went in tandem with personal connections - friendships being made, joining a community, etc.
To me, the journey is almost worth it as much as the acquiring aspect.
As for your situation, if you want, maybe go for any condition cards to fill your binder sets - your graded collection will still arrive back some day and you can fill the holes in the meantime. And if you ever decide you’d rather have NM copies, you can always crack your cases.
Binder collector here, there’s nothing nicer than opening your binder and browsing through your collection! The only graded cards I have are a trio of Ancient Mew promos from Japan (V1, V2 & V3), my intention was to buy the PSA stands and put them on display, but I forgot.
The only advise I’d give it to buy a quality binder, a safe to put it/them in, and double sleeve in the best deck protectors you can find, KMC and Dragon Shields would be top but Ultra Pro will work in a pinch, I still have to change mine from Ultra Pro to Dragon Shields.
I like to grade things that, if they were to get destroyed, would be heartbreaking (like a signed card or something)
i know cards can last for decades in binders…but removing a little anxiety is worth it for me).
I have yet to find a good case that I trust.
I’ll preface this with, I have much more valuable things than my cards, but in the end… everything is just stuff.
That said, on the other hand, is it easier to grab a couple binders in a fire, or is it easier to grab a whole case of graded cards? The slab does protect the card, BUT it also makes it more difficult to store and move. I for one am in awe of people who say, I have my collection of PSA 10 complete! That’s a lot of space and massive commitment. Just the space alone would be super expensive here in Cali.
Good point!
But I’m talking about like…10 machops on a single shelf lol, not 1,000 slabs in a closet (although, i think most people with 1,000 slabs keep them in a vault…so no need to grab anything in a fire)
But i see what you’re getting at.
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