Like it says in the title. I see people grading modern cards more often now. Is it really worth it? I do see some cards sell for a fair amount more. Does it really add value?
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I’m going to go out on a limb and say it was worth it for the person who sold a Hidden Fates Charizard for $10k because BGS slapped a black label on it.
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Sounds like you answered your own question:)
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Haha I guess your right. With the current print runs I just feel like it won’t be the same as the older stuff.
Long-term value is a whole other question
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Whenever I think about wanting to grade modern cards I hear Smpratte say, “Short term flip, long term dip.” It actually won’t go away and I might need help.
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Print runs aren’t necessarily a good measure of value. A mainstream card featuring a popular Pokémon with tens of thousands of prints can easily sell for more than a card featuring a less popular Pokémon with a very limited print.
I only grade modern product for 2 reasons: it’s either going into my personal collection where it will likely remain for the foreseeable future, or it’s going straight onto eBay. The former encompasses any card without restriction, but the latter only includes cards which I believe will offset the grading cost by a reasonable margin; I’m not going to pay to grade a card if it’s not going to make a decent profit.
It does the same as it does for vintage cards; it takes the guesswork out of the equation when you want to sell it. My NM standards can be different from your NM standards, but my PSA 8 should be the same quality as your PSA 8.
Though I agree it makes more sense for vintage.
Why wouldn’t it make sense? If you like the cards and want to have them graded in your collection, go ahead.
I’ve graded even modern commons…
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Good points. If you’re not just a flipper, you can always grade them later if you decide to.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but unlike Magic, Pokemon emphasizes the “trading” aspect of TCG a lot more than the “game” side. Meaning that Pokemon is a collectible first and a card game second. For that reason it makes more sense to grade modern Pokemon rather than modern Magic.
I still wouldn’t recommend grading most modern cards, but it makes more sense than if you’re coming from the Magic world.
*Edit: I brought up Magic because what the OP said exactly mirrors a video that Rudy (Alpha Investments, Magic collector) put out about Magic some time ago.
If it makes dollars it makes cents and sense, too.
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Yes and yes. It makes sense from an investment standpoint and a collection standpoint (why wouldn’t you grade a card if it’s in its already most mint state to warrant further protection?).
The only time it wouldn’t make sense is if it was badly damaged or you were doing a non-graded collection.
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This x1000. If you come in the mindset that your grading for the cards and the enjoyment of being a Pokemon Collector, than you will do fine. Coming to this forum was the first step cuz people can help guide you but make sure you do some research. Too many people are coming into this hobby blindly hoping to flip, maybe they will last for a little while, but in the end you will fail. Even if these cards are being printed to high heaven, you can also think that some countries do not have the access that the U.S. has and some people will pay a premium, even w/ newer cards.
Side note: Just watch Scott’s video’s, lots of insight and knowledge as well.
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Thanks for the input, I just got back into the hobby about a year ago. My goal isn’t to flip, but to just use the income from some cards to offset the expense of my bigger purchases such as wotc sealed product and Japanese promos. I collect all cards to include modern and am slowly trying to get psa and binder collections of everything I want. Thanks for the input! I watch Scott’s videos, probably one of the best tools out there. He’s extremely knowledgeable.
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