Oh really? You worked there before?
Nevertheless, “1st print”, “1st edition”, “1st wave” are still more desirable to book collectors especially. No collector likes a book that is a reprint edition.
The premium on most modern 10s doesn’t really make sense to me either. I mean, in this case it’s a Charizard so I can sort of understand the added demand factors… but there’s going to be a lot of 151 out there given it’s popularity as a set. In other words, there’s going to be a ton of supply in top tier condition which means the added premium of a PSA 10 really shouldn’t be this much in the long-term.
This is why I just stick to raw/NM copies of modern set cards to save money. I see really no reason to pay a big amount extra for a PSA 10 unless I really want that card in a 10 grade for whatever reason. The only other way to really stand out would be like a Black Label, which may make a little more sense to pay a premium for in comparison.
I think this can be attributed to the allure of collectors simply wanting the first of anything no? Not to mention the fact that it also depends greatly on the artist. In your example, the first British edition of The Philosophers Stone may be valuable but the subsequent 1st editions were still mass printed and don’t hold much value. Most cases with books is also due to the fact that the earlier work of the author was unknown because they became popular with their later work and that is why the first edition, first print of The Hobbit is very expensive compared to the first edition, first impression copies of The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
If print quality was such a big factor then there should be also be a discrepancy between print number 1/250 and 250/250 but you dont find such a thing.
Cheers!
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Yeah, I really don’t think print defects are nearly as common with modern cards as vintage sets. I mean, you’ll still get rough cuts and centering issues or literal surface issues at times… but it’s fairly rare on majority of modern set cards. Also, I find the textured surfaces are way more durable than old WOTC holos ever were.
I actually came across a few modern cards that had literal print/ink issues and they had grades of PSA 4-6 due to the surface/print condition of the card. It’s very rare though.
Ever encountered, a reprint book having fainter text than 1st edition. 1st edition is also original version;- due to some reasons, text can also be quietly editted or removed in later print versions.
That’s why 1st edition + 1st print is very precious.
I definitly don’t think that some of the metioned posibilitys are real price drivers.
1st graded Bonus, better quality, insta flex … in my opinion there is only one option why people buy these. THEY DON’T CARE 
As i’m working in videogame monetisation, we have a name for these people.
They are called true whales. You maybe heared from whales, a small group of people that are cousing the biggest piece of game revenue.
True whales are people that don’t care about the money at all and just need to get it done. Need to finish a set etc… There are some people like princes from UAE that simply dont care and have more money than you can imagine.
This small group is cousing the most sales of these cards in my opinion.