To grade, or not to grade: that is the question!

General
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Hello e4!

I am a new member here, and have been loving all of the knowledge shared in this forum. I have an issue concerning grading, and would really appreciate some advice. If I am formatting this post incorrectly, please let me know.

A month ago, I found a person selling their childhood binder. These are a dime a dozen, right? Well, not this one!

His binder was full of WOTC cards, including over 50 reverse holos from Legendary Collection. I snatched that binder up with the intent of selling the individual cards for a profit. Here is a breakdown of the cards’ condition. I based them off my previous experience sending cards to PSA.

PSA 10 - 3
PSA 9 - 24
PSA 8 - 18
PSA 7 - 2
PSA 6 - 8

Here are all the cards in question:

imgur.com/a/RQ1xC

I have marked each card with a color-coded tab for organization and PSA purposes. Blue = PSA 10, Green = PSA 9, Orange = PSA 8 or lower. I know it is hard to tell in the pictures, but the orange tabs have a little marking in the corner indication the grade. I also included some other highlights from the binder. You can ignore those for now :blush:

Part of my selling process is figuring out the potential increase in value of a loose card vs. a graded card.

I am having issues finding price estimates for these cards. I check sold listings on ebay, but I usually don’t find the card in my estimated PSA grade. For example, I think the Butterfree is a solid PSA 9, so I check on eBay, and see how much a loose card, PSA 10 and 8 have recently sold for, but not a 9. I know the PSA 9 price is somewhere between $160 and $24, but don’t know what to expect. Are there any other resources available to try to find prices of LC RH cards?

Also, there is the question of should I grade and sell each card individually? Or do I try to sell them all in bulk? I see pros and cons to each side, but am unsure the best course of action. Has anyone else been in my situation?

Thanks for the help!

-Wildman145

2

Hi Wild Man,

I think if you are confident in PSA 9 or 10, grading is the way to go. If just a 8 or lower, don’t do it. Some people are probably looking to buy the cards for their binder collections etc. These cards are difficult to find all around lately, unless someone busts a box. To find prices, your best bet is to put up on public offers (eg ebay). DONT SELL AS BULK.

Hope this helps.

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I think this was just the advice I needed to point me in the right direction. Thank you.

You seem pretty adamant about not selling it in bulk. Why is that? Personal experience?

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Welcome to E4!

Trader is right on the money. Don’t grade LC cards that are even slightly close to PSA 8 condition (aside from the starters). It’s a difficult set to grade high and a difficult set to sell if your grades go low. I personally do not grade LC rev. unless I think the cards have a shot at a 10. The market even for PSA 9s is very slow (unc./com./+ many rares).

LC is unlike any other set. It has its risks but also is a very rewarding set to collect. Especially if you never intend to sell :blush:

1 Like
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I’ll be sure to be certain the cards will get a high grade. Thanks for the tips!