I think the most impressive thing would be one person having at least one of every card in existence, including the ones that only exist in the single digits.
Also, funny thing is, I remember there being a thread, I think by @milhouse, who asked what card would we try to rescue from a fire. XD
Geez! I would have loved to see a single picture of them all together. Thanks for the info!
Should we also consider the condition of the card? For example, a complete Masaki set may not necessarily be considered the rarest because of the number of cards issued but I would consider a complete PSA10 set to be very desirable and very rare. Imagine a complete PSA10 Snap cards set. Mind blowing. Just my thoughts.
Because I personally hold the grading services in very low regard, I will never send my TMB #1 to any of them. The fact that there is one TMB #1 PSA 10 in the population report changes absolutely nothing about the rarity of the card. They are the same cards, just in a different packages.
As for desirability, well … I’d much rather have the card in its original, gorgeous trophy case than in one of those ugly plastic slabs festooned with a hideous red-and-white Walmart barcode at the top.
I don’t think display preferences quite matches the question though. Certainly a PSA 10 quality Masaki set would be more desirable than an average condition set. And it’s certainly rarer!
As for English cards, a Championship Arena is quite rare. In gem mint condition? Near impossible. The original media damaged the corners of the card, similar to the Masakis, but the Championship Arena has a massively smaller distribution.
So that’s one English card that would be affected by condition insofar as a discussion on rarity is concerned.
Another good example is the Pika No.3 Trainer in original case currently on YJ. This card is very rare and will easily attract bids in excess of ¥500k if it’s in better condition.
I acknowledge your first point (as it pertains to most collectors). But I don’t understand how a PSA barcode makes those cards rarer than their non-graded counterparts.
I didn’t say a PSA 10 graded set. I said a PSA 10 quality set. As in a gem mint, high quality set. One worthy of being given a PSA 10, as opposed to an average condition set of them, which we know equates to a PSA 8 or 9 at best due to flaws or damage common to the cards.
The barcode doesn’t make the card rarer than a non-graded counterpart. It is the same set graded or not. It just adds weight to the individual claim that they are gem mint.
If you only collect, and don’t like 3rd party input, then it doesn’t matter whether they’re graded or kept in a shoe box. But with the advent of online sales it became important to protect buyers who were basically buying blind. They were getting ripped off big time on condition and forgeries and the sellers didn’t care. Grading reduced that thievery.
These things have variable value which can only be determined in person or slabbed.
Secondly, it was a standing joke in the business that people who said it’s not graded cause they don’t believe in it had cards that belonged more in spokes than slabs;)
It’s that sort of attitude that bothers me most about the grading services. They are arrogant about the condition of memorabilia but can be loosey-goosey when it comes to the authenticity of memorabilia.
I don’t believe in grading because it has been proven time and time again that the graders turn a blind eye to fraud.
Condition has always been an important factor when it came to collectibles and since people spend their hard earned money on Internet purchases sight unseen it helps to have an impartial opinion.
It would be great if everybody had identical grading opinions but sadly they don’t so PSA/BGS/SGC fill that need. PSA grades over ONE MILLION cards a year and many for the members here and our members are pretty bright people;)
Now are mistakes made sometimes? Of course…like in every walk of life.
I guess I’m guilty of comparing apples and oranges when it comes to grading and authenticating. I do realize they are two different things.
It’s just that I find it hard to put any trust in any service whose authenticators are known to have been involved in deceptive practices. (The Hauls of Shame website does a great job exposing these.)
Fortunately, none of these scandals has involved the Pokemon collecting world (as far as I’m aware). But I really do think it’s just a matter of time before one does.
Some heated discussions here for sure, which is a great thing. The people having these discussions have some of the largest collections out there, and have been collecting for a long long time.
You made a decent point about people coming across as ‘elitist’ but these same guys take the time to join a forum alongside amateur collectors, taking the time to respond to messages both in the forum and in private messages. Not once has one of these posts come across as ‘elitist’. As soon as valuable possessions become a point of debate, there is a risk that it can be perceived that way. You should know that, as you just mentioned that some card sales allowed you to purchase your house. You felt the need to defend your position, whilst claiming that there’s no use in attempting to be an ‘authority.’
Nobody else sensed any aggression, including the OP! Just take it down a notch fella, it’s just an argument over an item that they feel passionate about, just the same as on the playground back in the day when kids would argue about ‘pokeblu’ existing under that truck on red and blue games. Collecting is childish, we all accept that, and when it becomes high-end and money comes into it, these ‘childish’ arguments still arise. Just enjoy it as it is!