Storage unit finds-grading question

[alglossian]

I know it sounds unbelievable, but got a storage unit with multiple sets of all sports from 75-79. I’m going through the first set of 77-78 basketball, and several of the cards have gum/wax stains on the back. Without them they would probably come back as a 9. How does this change the grade and the value? More or less desirable?

[discodanman45]

Originally Posted by alglossian

I know it sounds unbelievable, but got a storage unit with multiple sets of all sports from 75-79. I’m going through the first set of 77-78 basketball, and several of the cards have gum/wax stains on the back. Without them they would probably come back as a 9. How does this change the grade and the value? More or less desirable?

Gum/wax stains on the back make the card upgradable from that era. Really not that many cards to grade from that set unless you are sure it can get a 9. Which is very unlikely. I have seen PSA 8's of the Dantley and Parish go for about $50 recently, which is a hard card to grade that high.

The raw cards sell pretty well from these years. If you are in this to flip, selling raw may be the way to go. PSA is going to be close to $20 a card and it will be 3 plus months to get them back. If the cards grade a 7, you just lost money and you break even with a 8. Not worth the risk for 99% of the cards from 75-79. Probably around 10 cards maximum from this era in all sports that need to be graded.

[crazy4kinsler]

I was told by an LCS owner that grading late 1970s isn't worthwhile. Looking at prices for graded cards from those years, seems they are correct.

[alglossian]

Thanks for your help on this. Sounds like I’ll be. Water off just building the sets and holding onto them lol

[somethingclever]

I’ve had pretty good luck just selling 70s cards in lots. Usually I’ll sort them into a partial set and sell them as starter sets. Occasionally I’ll sell key cards separately, but not always.

As a set builder, wax stains don’t really bother me much, especially if the card is otherwise nice looking. I will give a heads up in the description when selling lots containing wax stains though.


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[Archangel1775]

1975 has a large following in baseball. 1976 football has Payton. 1979 hockey has Gretzky, which would be your big dog in all sports. Basketball was already mentioned.

[smanzari]

Grading junk wax is tough and typically a losing endeavor. Your best bet is to sell in sets (if there are any) or selling the stars separately with the commons in lots

[Stifle]

Originally Posted by alglossian

I know it sounds unbelievable, but got a storage unit with multiple sets of all sports from 75-79. I’m going through the first set of 77-78 basketball, and several of the cards have gum/wax stains on the back. Without them they would probably come back as a 9. How does this change the grade and the value? More or less desirable?

Topps is the king of alterations. Any card next to that gum is altered to lose value. I never intended to buy a card to see a stick figure stain that looks like somebody brushed stroked oil on it. I could have chewed the wrapper for more flavor than what Topps produced in that stick.

[Gary]

Originally Posted by smanzari

Grading junk wax is tough and typically a losing endeavor. Your best bet is to sell in sets (if there are any) or selling the stars separately with the commons in lots

junk wax is 87-93,he is asking about 70's.the amount of wrong information on this site is crazy sometimes.

[crazy4kinsler]

I used to think that. But after picking up and dealing late 1970s-early 1980s, I'm believing a lot of people think 1980-1995 is junk wax. Every try moving lots of 1982 Topps or 1981 Donruss? Almost impossible. Even commons of late 1970s (76-79) only go for a dime to a quarter apiece.

Originally Posted by Gary

junk wax is 87-93,he is asking about 70's.the amount of wrong information on this site is crazy sometimes.

[Gary]

Originally Posted by crazy4kinsler

I used to think that. But after picking up and dealing late 1970s-early 1980s, I'm believing a lot of people think 1980-1995 is junk wax. Every try moving lots of 1982 Topps or 1981 Donruss? Almost impossible. Even commons of late 1970s (76-79) only go for a dime to a quarter apiece.

Your using what a card sells for,using that bar 99% of all cards ever made are junk.junk wax is an era not a value.pre war,vintage ect ect.while i get your point it really is 2 different things.

[estang]

Defining eras of trading cards is an interesting subject.

You could go 1948 Leaf to 1991 Topps as the Post-War Baseball Bubble Gum Era with '91 being the last year of a stick of gum in a Topps pack.

I think it's fair to say that Junk Wax started in 1987 as the printing presses seemed to have ramped up substantially. I don't consider 1981 to 1986 junk wax as there's some value there with notable rookies in base & traded/update sets. Some of these sets were not printed in quantities anywhere near what happened later in the decade as the popularity increased year-over-year for around a decade.

You could also go 1952 to 1980 as the Topps Bubble Gum Era during their monopoly run as things changed drastically in 1981 with the intro of Fleer & Donruss. Some may also delineate through 1973, the last year of cards being released in series - which was before my childhood pack-ripping years.

You could also take it from 1948 to 1988 as the introduction of 1989 Upper Deck was a big leap in technology and in the look/feel of cards, along with what I recall was a 99 cent price per pack.

Donruss introduced Leaf in 1990 with an fresh look & feel, then Fleer Ultra and finally Topps Stadium Club ramped up the print quality & card stock over the next two years. Topps seemed to be late to the game until Stadium Club was released at astonishing $3 to $5 per pack. Unfortunately, nothing but maybe a handful of cards from 1989 to 1991 hold any value.

Not sure there's a right or wrong answer, just some variations. Thoughts?

[smanzari]

Originally Posted by Gary

junk wax is 87-93,he is asking about 70's.the amount of wrong information on this site is crazy sometimes.

Junk wax is 74- mid 90's (I say to current as its been all crap since true vintage, the late '70s stuff is 100% where the term initially came from)

[discodanman45]

Originally Posted by estang

Not sure there's a right or wrong answer, just some variations. Thoughts?

I think most would agree with you.

The issue is when people start using the word "vintage" in the hobby. It means "of age" and could have a lot of different meanings. Some antique dealers will say anything over 40 years old is vintage. However, other people will only use vintage if it has a high importance or quality from the past. I think many people want to use vintage for the 80/90's so that it might bring more value to their cards. Vintage in baseball cards is not a date, but is used as an era. Most collectors would say vintage cards are and will always be prior to 1980. The hobby should have given that era a better name IMO.

Edit: I will add that in the 1990's when I collected, cards from the 1970's were called vintage by many people. This shows that it is an era and not a rule of 40 years old like people want. I do remember some people giving a cutoff of 1969 for vintage. People liked this because it was the last Topps card of Mickey Mantle.

[Gary]

Originally Posted by smanzari

Junk wax is 74- mid 90's (I say to current as its been all crap since true vintage, the late '70s stuff is 100% where the term initially came from)

https://www.google.com/search?client...&bih=927&dpr=1



post anything from any reputable source that says anything other than vintage is 80 and older.

[smanzari]

Originally Posted by Gary

https://www.google.com/search?client...&bih=927&dpr=1



post anything from any reputable source that says anything other than vintage is 80 and older.

I'm not arguing this; I am 100% correct - if you've ever sorted or tried to sell 74-79, you'd agree - its straight junk in the absolute literal sense - miscuts, diamond cuts, etc. There are also probably more 1978 Topps than some of the '80s releases as well; some of the cards are quad- or 5x print (#20 Pete Rose is one).

[Gary]

Originally Posted by smanzari

I'm not arguing this; I am 100% correct - if you've ever sorted or tried to sell 74-79, you'd agree - its straight junk in the absolute literal sense - miscuts, diamond cuts, etc. There are also probably more 1978 Topps than some of the '80s releases as well; some of the cards are quad- or 5x print (#20 Pete Rose is one).

The post i quoted you said exactly that.every thing that's vintage has always been mis cut,off center,bad quality,saying that its junk in quality wasn't your point.not even close to the statement you made.and ive sorted more than my share of 70's cards.nobody is going to argue its bad quality.but again that has nothing to do with your original post.

[smanzari]

Originally Posted by Gary

The post i quoted you said exactly that.every thing that's vintage has always been mis cut,off center,bad quality,saying that its junk in quality wasn't your point.not even close to the statement you made.and ive sorted more than my share of 70's cards.nobody is going to argue its bad quality.but again that has nothing to do with your original post.

It is 100% where the term came from. Walk around the National and ask all the Vintage dealers- others saying otherwise are polishing turds. Its straight Junk, the absolute start of and definition of the "Junk Cards"

[discodanman45]

Originally Posted by smanzari

It is 100% where the term came from. Walk around the National and ask all the Vintage dealers- others saying otherwise are polishing turds. Its straight Junk, the absolute start of and definition of the "Junk Cards"

Junk wax is an era of cards. If you want to call them junk, than that is fine. However "Junk Wax" is an era after 1986 in sports cards. There is no definition of junk cards.

[Gary]

Originally Posted by smanzari

It is 100% where the term came from. Walk around the National and ask all the Vintage dealers- others saying otherwise are polishing turds. Its straight Junk, the absolute start of and definition of the "Junk Cards"

The term junk wax wasn't used until 1987,again show me anything from any reputable source that says anything other than junk wax era was before 86 or after 94.all you find is 86-94 or 87-93 or some combination of those years.

[Archangel1775]

Originally Posted by discodanman45

Junk wax is an era of cards. If you want to call them junk, than that is fine. However "Junk Wax" is an era after 1986 in sports cards. There is no definition of junk cards.

^Agreed

You're arguing two different things here.

The Junk Wax Era had a start date no later than 1987 and ended about the MLB strike year.

I would agree that Topps QC was terrible for cards in the 70s and early 80s but I've never heard it called the "junk era" ever.

However, I'll but every junk wax 1974-1980 Box smanzari has for cheap to help him win the argument.

[Gary]

Originally Posted by Archangel1775

^Agreed

You're arguing two different things here.

The Junk Wax Era had a start date no later than 1987 and ended about the MLB strike year.

I would agree that Topps QC was terrible for cards in the 70s and early 80s but I've never heard it called the "junk era" ever.

However, I'll but every junk wax 1974-1980 Box smanzari has for cheap to help him win the argument.

So would i,and im the one he's arguing with