Some of you are raw collectors, so I imagine that this scenario would not impact you at all.
For those of you who collect graded cards, how would your collecting priorities change if grading didn’t exist?
Would you still seek out mint or gem mint condition cards?
Would you still pay PSA 10/BGS 10/CGC 10 prices for gem mint raw cards?
Would the cards/sets that you collect change?
Personally, I would be less picky with condition if I knew that all cards would end up in my binders. I would not pay PSA 10-level premiums for gem mint raw cards and I would still collect the same cards/sets but (likely) at a discount. I would not collect autographs unless I attended the event or I knew the person who obtained the autograph for me.
As a graded card-only collector, I would probably exclusively pull/open packs for cards or buy from trustworthy sellers. For cards I buy from others I would still look for gem mint condition cards (to my eyes at least) i think, though I dont think I would pay much attention to centering unless it was very noticeable.
As someone who almost exclusively collect cards that not only comes out of boosters but boosters that I open, and is meticulous about condition, I would be even more obsessed with sealed stuff than I already am.
I don’t trust raw cards, I never have, and buying slabs is like pulling teeth but at least they give you a better prospect of getting what you pay for. If that was not an option to use in the rare instance where I can’t get a card through boosters then maybe things would be more difficult. Then again, if grading wasn’t an option the raw market would probably be very different.
I think my habits would be very similar. I’d still be quite meticulous about condition, I guess I’d just be doing more due diligence. For some reason I think I’d be happier about collecting… I’ve never been a big fan of graded cards, even though pretty much any non-binder pickup I make is graded. I can’t think for myself
Probably focus more on sealed product and binder cards. For my current binder collection I generally try to get ex-nm cards and the only mint cards are ones I pulled myself
I’d just do what I did before grading became accessible here in the UK, and just buy cards I enjoy, either for binders, or toploaders in the case of extra nice cards (condition be damned).
…I actually wonder if some collectors would get more relaxed enjoyment from the hobby if the “need” to only own cards with a certain number attached wasn’t a thing?
Really interesting topic! If I’m being honest, I think I would be far less picky with condition, but I would still chase the same cards. Mint vintage cards would be a lot harder to find and negotiate for. Plus I didn’t care as much about condition before I got into graded cards. There’s just something about a high grade slab that makes me feel like I’m preserving history. On that note, grading cards and buying slabs sometimes feels like a veiled way to legitimize or rationalize the amount of money I spend on cardboard. Which I find frightening and interesting at the same time.
I consider this to be a nightmare. As a purely binder collector I have some moat because I don’t face competition from graded collectors, who care for a certain degree of card condition. As of now, I can, with a certain degree of confidence predict how fast I need to pull the trigger on a raw card purely based on its rarity, popularity and also how hard it is to find a decent graded copy. If grading is removed from the picture, it removes one of the main factors of how I do my budgeting and planning to buy certain cards.
I only go for graded versions of cards that are the most significant for me and I enjoy the display value of the case in addition to the condition. Without grading I imagine I might still go for the best condition cards I could afford and put them in my own display cases. I might instead buy more copies of these cards for example taking up a whole binder page. I would want some way to highlight which cards were the most important to me.
Before I discovered professional grading, I just collected NM+ copies of cards and I was happy with that. I had an appreciation for nicer condition cards but I didn’t care all that much.
The issue (and why I largely became a graded card collector) is that it felt a bit too easy to just buy the raw card. Back in 2014 when I got back into collecting, most everything was pretty cheap–especially set cards, which is almost all of my collection, I felt like everyone else had the same thing. When I got to that stage I felt a bit unsatisfied with where I was going and didn’t really know what I wanted. I was older and I didn’t feel like collecting the same way I did when I was 10. When I discovered grading, it opened up a whole new area of difficulty, challenges, and fun collections to chase.
If grading didn’t exist, I think it would be much more likely that I wouldn’t be collecting at all as opposed to collecting in a different way. If I couldn’t change to something more exclusive and challenging than buying a NM+ copy of a set card, I probably would have lost interest.
If grading didn’t exist, I’d honestly probably be ok with LP or better. For my main collection items, I’ve been trying to get all graded 10’s which has been pricey. For some items, I’ve just went with raw copies or graded 8/9s based on what I could find on the market.
I think a lot of wanting to collect graded 10s for the main collection has to do with wanting a “perfect” collection, but also within my means
If grading didn’t exist I don’t think I could buy many of the cards I have today. Grading (and other peoples’ enjoyment of Mint 9/10 cards) is pretty much what enables me to continue affording the items I want to keep.
That’s a good question actually …
If grading didn’t exist, my collection objectives wouldn’t change since I’m a RAW collector.
I don’t have anything against grading. In fact, I respect and also admire the people that can manage grading card collecting. The reason I don’t grade my cards is because it’s more expensive and more difficult for people that are not from USA
Would you still seek out mint or gem mint condition cards?
I’m not that strict in that aspect. For me it’s ok if the card is in good condition with no notable damages. In case of e-Cards I’m a bit more strict … if I’m gonna buy an e-Card, that must be functional. Otherwise, there might be a problem. (With “Functional” I mean that their content can be read with a Nintendo e-Reader /Card e-Reader /e-Reader+ )
Would you still pay PSA 10/BGS 10/CGC 10 prices for gem mint raw cards?
Definitely no … I think that if this happens, many people will retire from collecting.
Would the cards/sets that you collect change?
No … That wouldn’t change the fact I’m collecting e-Cards and other random cards like Spanish Unseen Forces.
This is an interesting topic to talk about and it’s cool to imagine hypothetical situations related to a common scenario … Thanks for proposing the idea!!!
/e-Reader+