Hi all - let me just preface my first post on here by saying that if the overwhelming (or any) reply to this is to read through past posts, FAQs, etc. is my best option, I will do just that.
By way of background and credentials…I have seen all of SMPRATTE’s youtube videos…all the truth and thank you Scott for that --even though we have never spoke and you have no idea who I am. I must say that the fact that our “Rudy of Pokemon” does not have 200k+ subscribers as does the Rudy of MTG concerns me a bit as a metric for our hobby. They both speak the truth but are we Pokemoners such a minority and niche vis-a-vis MTG? I hope not, but that may very well be true.
I just discovered E4…I am a WOTC and 1st Edition WOTC collector…I have lots of the early edition Japanese cards too but the trophy, illustrator etc. cards are WAAAY beyond my means.
I have binders upon binders…a storage unit+ in fact of WOTC cards (not much sealed unfortunately besides new product)…Mulitplue fulls sets of Base Set through the GYMs…Fulls set of shadowless and 1st Edition Base Set and complete 1st editions of most of the WOTC sets…
I have not yet got anything graded…ever! What is my best option on here? I am not trying to be a D-BAG…I am just very late to finding this E4 party. I am happy to go through someone reputable on here and help the cause, but also happy to just PSA my own stuff if that is a better option.
What are the current thhoughts on grading mint 1st edition WOTC common and uncommons?
I have have been accumlating all of the Sun & Moon Secret Rares…wondering if anyone else would like to compare notes.
I have found, and been saving, lots of misprints…like EX full arts that are half cut off for example…recommendations?
Also accumulating “lots” of new product…but like SMPRATTE said…I am the one spending $2k per month, while others are spending $1 million per month…
Anyway…just wanted to introduce myself. Feel free to message me. I hope I did not come off like a complete jerk. I just do not want to waste my time or anyone elses’ and also not over – or under – reprenti myself.
I am sure many of my questions will be answered by reading past posts and I will strive to do so.
Edit: These are some hard core error collectors, I’m linking to help answer question number 4 for you. Thought I’d explain why I was just randoming linking people without answering any of your questions.
You’ve come to the right place. I too am collecting all Sun Moon secret rares, though I’ve decided I am only paying approx. $6-7 / £5 for each secret rare Mint/NM excluding the chase ones (Charizard, Blastoise etc.) Which command more. I can see the SM SR being collectable in years to come but there are just so many of them and the hyper rare artwork is a bit meh. I have no plans to grade them yet.
@crabbycrabb,
Rudy opens product and has been going a long time. Hence his subscriber numbers. But he doesn’t even have half of our friends, Leonhart, subscribers who only does Pokémon.
Keep in mind, Smpratte is pretty much all info content. He’s where us hardcore collectors turn,
If you have a lot to grade it would be cheaper to send to PSA yourself. That’s all I have to say other than if you’ve watched all of Scott’s videos you should already be well off;)
Not sure what you’re asking about in #4. If misprints are desirable to you then hang on to them. If not, then sell them to fund your other collecting goals. Or give them to reggi for safe keeping
@crabbycrabb , Also keep in mind Rudy has been going for a lot longer than Scott who has kicked up his content release in the past year. He use to do content a lot less frequently.
If you are new to grading then go with LUDKINS. Grading can be a bit of a pain if you are new to it and sounds like you have a lot of cards that you may wish to grade, so they would be perfect. You send your cards to them and they do a pregrade check for you and do all the work of submitting for you as well. The price is EXTREMELY reasonable, especially if you do a 50 card bulk order and for VERY expensive cards they will work with you because that would require insurance over a bulk order.
Case and point: If you want to grade a base first ed charizard, then message them first to ask about additional charges for the cost of the card being sent.
My Ludkins returns and review video: PSA Pokemon Returns #2 - Ludkins Review, Charizard, Errors, First Edition Cards, Japanese Promos! - YouTube
Run by @funmonkey54 here. Shoot him a PM if you have more questions or visit the Ludkins website. Heck of a guy.
Of course you can always grade yourself, but I find it a bit cumbersome personally and it makes me nervous given the paperwork that must be filled for all the cards, especially the expensive ones.
Edit: Grading 1st edition mint commons and uncommons is a good idea for Base Set where if you get a 9 or 10 it can be worthwhile. For other sets it is not really there yet value wise. Grade what you love though! Base set commons and uncommons with higher value include all the starter pokemon, pikachu, arcanine and the starter evolutions. Really can’t go wrong with any first ed base card though. Even energies are graded. If you have a TON, then you may want to do a whole set and that can be done the bulk route no problem. Get a PSA 10 on any uncommon and it’s a 100+ card usually and it at minimum 30 for a PSA 10 common or as much as $150+ for a popular one like red cheeks pikachu. Also, check your cards for “Grey stamps”.
I’m not really into the grading aspect, but if they have a chance for a PSA-9/10 it might still be worth grading them. But perhaps someone collecting PSA-graded WotC era cards might be better suited to answer this.
Do you have a list, album of pictures, or video showcasing them? And I assume you’re talking about all English SM Secret Rares here, not also Japanese and other languages?
There are quite a few error collectors in the hobby, and I sometimes buy them myself if I really like them and the price is right. For miscuts @regigigagod is your man. For errors in general @scratchdesk and @fritz can also help you out.
If you’re spending 2k per month, you’re already one of the ‘big fish’ here, haha. Although I have the second largest Pikachu collection in the world and have two cards worth more than 3k, on average across an entire year I don’t spend 2k each month (I hope… ).
).