Just saw that an Instagram user by the name of @hapycakeoven just received a black label on a wonder platinum. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a high grade on a trophy card before? What are your thoughts on this? This definitely feels like a historical moment in the hobby 
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I don‘t really see any difference between BGS black label and PSA 10 for high end trophy cards… I wouldn‘t value one more than the other
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I kinda get what you are saying, but for demonstrative purposes…
If two became available and were priced the same which would you buy assuming you could buy only one?
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Exactly. I really don’t care for a black label at all for regular cards but there’s something about a trophy card with a black label that seems really elusive and premium
I just would always prefer a black label over psa 10 in pretty much any circumstance personally
congratulations to them
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I think it does and it doesn’t matter. The argument Ccott often makes is that each trophy is it’s own independent variable. It’s more about finding the card rather than the money. However, for certain cards like Kangaskan, Unikarp, and others I do think the grade can make a smaller impact on the card. An example would be snap cards. I don’t think a PSA 10 is much more valuable than a 7 or an 8. The card is just that rare that it’s more about the opportunity than the condition.
For non-trophy cards I think it makes a difference for Charizards mainly. Some cards that have a design that goes well with the black lablel seem to bring a premium.
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I noticed that more people are sending to BGS, maybe due to turn around time? Just wondering it seems like everyone is trying to rush for the first black label on the market of a new card. I could care less… Honestly just the different opinion of a collector. As long as it’s encased and protected, happy with either.
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I am of the mindset that grades don’t matter on trophy cards nearly as much as they do for set cards.
At the end of the day, what do people who collect trophy cards really want?
Exclusivity. Owning something that many want but only a select few will ever have.
Take a Base Set Charizard. Many people own this card. As much as we may love any Charizard, there isn’t much of a wow factor to an Unlimited Base Set Charizard in so-so condition. So we need a way to distinguish it. Shadowless. 1st edition. Mint. Gem Mint. Shadowless Mint? Now that’s a nice card. 1st edition Mint? Oh yeah, that’s the stuff. 1st edition Gem Mint? Now we’re in the land of holy grails.
But something like a Trophy Pikachu or an Illustrator? You don’t need any extra distinguishing factor like a 3rd party grading opinion. Owning the card is in itself the trick.
This mindset was why I was fine paying full price for @fazool , 's Trophy Pikachu that is “only” a PSA 7. It’s a beautiful example of the card and there are only a small handful available in the world. The grade feels incredibly trivial to me.
Having said all of that… sure, a Black label means the card will be nearly perfect, slightly nicer than most PSA 10s. Does this fact move me? Not really.
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First black label trophy card. Excellent for inve$tors. Not enough to have 1 of 21 card. Having the only black label of 21 even better. Buy the black label not the card. Huge premium over PSA 10. Everyone will know YOU have the only black label trophy card.
May not be my personal philosophy but not up to me. Not being sarcastic either. Market is changing.
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Grades do matter on trophy cards, especially the more liquid ones.
Case and point is the Honus Wagner in higher grades selling for significantly more than lower graded ones.
Even Snap poliwags have set price benchmark based on grades.
With Honus Wagner, which does resemble Pokemon trophy card rarity, 30 of the 33 graded examples of the card are PSA 3 or lower. It’s kind of a different ballgame when you consider those 3 examples that received a higher grade, compared to Pokemon trophy cards where we’re usually talking about cards that are generally in great condition and we’re more nitpicking the condition.
Another example I can give you with Pokemon trophy cards is something like a Super Secret Battle card. The card that was lost in the mail in early 2019 sold for $60k and that was a PSA 8 No. 3. Compare that to the PSA 10 No. 1 that sold for $90k a couple of months ago. That’s an extremely different ratio compared to what one would typically expect to see on a set card and in my opinion rightfully so (not to mention that prices overall have grown since 2019 and a No. 1 may be a bit more desirable than a No. 3).
Overall, if this Black Label card sells for a significant premium compared to what a PSA 10 would sell for, I would expect it would be some investor who bought it and not someone who actually gave two hoots about the card.
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Their turnaround times have turned to shit and they just jacked up the prices too significantly. Their “10 day turnaround” is currently at 10 weeks tat…smdh
As for being first to market with black label…the burning shadows Charizard created that monster
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I more so just think that a black label is what I would prefer over a 10 given the choice. When we are talking the rarest cards in the hobby, just getting one is the goal. most people will never have an opportunity to obtain them at any grade
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Also @cosrob, can you provide evidence of Snap Poliwags having a “market price” based on grade? Not saying you’re wrong, I just find that notion curious, given that there are only 11 copies graded by PSA (really less because the PSA 10 at the very least was likely a re-grade) one 10, one 9, six 8s, one 7, and one 6. Cards this rare don’t really have a market price. (Side note: Crazy to think that the combined PSA pop of the other 9 Snap cards is 18)
If I were on the hunt for a Snap Poliwag, I would personally care very little about which grade the card would be so long the condition of the card does not take away from its visual appeal.
Owning a Wonder Platinum is amazing. The black label is a novelty.
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I‘d actually prefer the PSA 10 as I don‘t like BGS lol…
But to be honest, I‘m sure quite a few new back trophy cards could grade as black label as the printing quality is really good.
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The $60k SSB 3 is PSA 10 and that was 2 years ago. $60k for an old back holo trainer then was mindblowing, $90k for one today, especially No.1 isn’t surprising.
But I understand where you are coming from. Trophy cards are often acquisition first, followed by condition UNLESS there are 2 copies available on the market at the same time. Psychologically, that makes us compare them to one another. Will you pay the same price for a PSA 10 or for a Black Label when they are available at the same time, knowing full well a PSA 10 might not crossed to be a Black Label but a Black Label is 100% a PSA 10.
The same Trophy cards don’t tend to appear at the same time hence why acquisition is most important. Remember back when there was a flood of Kangs and the ones that got sold first were the mintier looking ones whereas the ones with slight OC or whitening stayed on longer.
Very well said that set cards work the opposite because they appear constantly and the differing factor is the top grade.
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@chok , I did indeed mess that up about the SSB No. 3 that was lost in the mail being a PSA 8, thanks for the correction. This makes sense because I would have expected the card to rise significantly in value even over the last 2 years even without a difference in grade just because of how the market has moved as a whole.
But yeah, agreed on all your points. If multiple copies of a trophy card are available at the same time, you’d obviously go for the better condition one first. But depending on the trophy card, that’s a rare situation anyway. Even then, I personally wouldn’t be willing to pay so much more for the higher graded example compared to the lower graded example. My personal standard for trophy cards is that I’d be happy to have them in any condition so long as the condition does not take away from my appreciation of the card (so avoiding a conspicuous scratch on the holo, a crease or a stain that’s visible on the front surface, etc.)
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- Black label > PSA 10 hands down.
- Higher grades command higher premium. This is a fact.
- Those of you that say ‘grades don’t matter’ are not entirely incorrect. Unfortunately for now, there is insufficient supply therefore you have to settle for dented/damaged cards. This does not mean that grades don’t matter… grades matter, condition matters.
Food for thought:
Why did the wonder platinum with a bad back sit on YJ for months before selling at a mere JPY750k?
How long would a black label sit in YJ for JPY750k?
Please. Grades matter.
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No one said grades didn’t matter. I personally would enjoy a PSA 10 of a trophy card about as much as a black label. Are there people out there who will pay the premium for a black label? Of course, but we’re all just stating our own preferences here. No one here claimed that a damaged copy of a card is equivalent to a high grade copy.
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