Thanks so much for putting this together, your page is super helpful! I just had a question about asking for pictures- how do you go about this with auctions? I'm finding most auctions only show the cards inside the case or sleeve. Are you able to ask for more pictures with auctions or do you only do that for BINs?
Hi great question and I’m glad you’re enjoying the page! For auctions, I try to look through stuff in the morning, ask questions, and then bid after I get responses. I guess the key really is just getting out the questions early. Hope that helps!
Thank you! It would be awesome if you made a post talking about what your results looked like when you started, what cards you targeted, etc. Really anything from the beginning of your journey would be awesome to learn more about! It can feel a bit daunting to start and not know if I'm throwing money into the abyss
Sorry, but think I've misunderstood point 6 - if a card has a 20% gem rate doesn't that mean taking all cards they'll gem 20% of the time (not just well centered without obvious defects); with some cases the gem rate being so low largely due to centering issues (like 2023 Kaboom basketball)?
Yes you make a good point. I think the way we think about this is that the average card submitted to PSA is better than an average copy. In other words, people generally submit the best copies of the card to PSA. So the reason I have that written like that is moreso to say that the average gem rate should be an anchor for your estimate (i.e. even if a card looks good, if it has a 20% gem rate you probably shouldn't buy it assuming it has a 70% chance of gemming).
There's definitely exceptions, and you'll get a feel for this as you truly get to know a product line. For example, if we come across a 2024 Prizm Football card with sharp corners, good centering, and no dimples, of course we'll assume it has a greater chance of gemming that the average.
Good insight! I’m a huge casual with trading cards but I’d like to make them a longterm hobby honestly. Do you have any general “must-do” tips for collecting and preservation? Especially the latter?
For preservation I'd definitely get them into a penny sleeve and top loader as soon as you get the card. We usually cut the top right corner of the penny sleeve when we insert the cards. This helps to avoid corner damage. Wearing gloves isn't a bad idea to avoid putting fingerprints on the cards (but this isn't strictly necessary if you're collecting casually and not grading). Lastly, grading is a good way to slab and preserve the card, just know your probably net losing money if you get a lot of sub-10s on Ultra Modern or if you're grading cheap cards.
Thanks so much for putting this together, your page is super helpful! I just had a question about asking for pictures- how do you go about this with auctions? I'm finding most auctions only show the cards inside the case or sleeve. Are you able to ask for more pictures with auctions or do you only do that for BINs?
Hi great question and I’m glad you’re enjoying the page! For auctions, I try to look through stuff in the morning, ask questions, and then bid after I get responses. I guess the key really is just getting out the questions early. Hope that helps!
Thank you! It would be awesome if you made a post talking about what your results looked like when you started, what cards you targeted, etc. Really anything from the beginning of your journey would be awesome to learn more about! It can feel a bit daunting to start and not know if I'm throwing money into the abyss
Sure I'll think about what I can put together! And definitely feel free to DM me if you have any questions
Hey guys, loving your page!
Sorry, but think I've misunderstood point 6 - if a card has a 20% gem rate doesn't that mean taking all cards they'll gem 20% of the time (not just well centered without obvious defects); with some cases the gem rate being so low largely due to centering issues (like 2023 Kaboom basketball)?
Yes you make a good point. I think the way we think about this is that the average card submitted to PSA is better than an average copy. In other words, people generally submit the best copies of the card to PSA. So the reason I have that written like that is moreso to say that the average gem rate should be an anchor for your estimate (i.e. even if a card looks good, if it has a 20% gem rate you probably shouldn't buy it assuming it has a 70% chance of gemming).
There's definitely exceptions, and you'll get a feel for this as you truly get to know a product line. For example, if we come across a 2024 Prizm Football card with sharp corners, good centering, and no dimples, of course we'll assume it has a greater chance of gemming that the average.
Hope that helps!
Makes a lot of sense, thanks!
Good insight! I’m a huge casual with trading cards but I’d like to make them a longterm hobby honestly. Do you have any general “must-do” tips for collecting and preservation? Especially the latter?
For preservation I'd definitely get them into a penny sleeve and top loader as soon as you get the card. We usually cut the top right corner of the penny sleeve when we insert the cards. This helps to avoid corner damage. Wearing gloves isn't a bad idea to avoid putting fingerprints on the cards (but this isn't strictly necessary if you're collecting casually and not grading). Lastly, grading is a good way to slab and preserve the card, just know your probably net losing money if you get a lot of sub-10s on Ultra Modern or if you're grading cheap cards.