Buying Singles/Rules

[Eagle]

So after being on here a few months, it seems there are definitely some hard rules people go by here.

A few I have noticed:

Don't give advice to newbs with dumb questions like "Who are the top 5 rookies to invest in 2020" b/c everyone will say Bryant Reeves or something.

Paying over a certain multiplier for 2nd hand retail. I get the idea here, but to me, arbitrary numbers people just throw out to help w math.

If you don't like retail prices, buy singles!

Which I am totally down for, but only to try to send in to grade.

So a few questions:

How many questions do you ask the seller?
How many pictures do you need, personally, to feel comfortable?

I've seen enough threads on here of people cracking "many" Pulsar Nba hoops sets, and just ebay'ing up the ones everyone knows won't gem.

So I guess the question is, if you are chasing Gems, is ebay/raw still a viable way to go. My brain says yes, but just don't want to spend $$$ on a bunch of bummy cards that look great digitally.

Thanks!

[DajuanWagner]

It is all about money. Few collectors are left in the hobby. Why isn't retail on the shelf? The newbees cash grabbing. While others say, "respect the hustle". The ones saying that are probably the newbees who are cash grabbing.

Why is every person buying cards to grade? Money. People dump won't dime on ebay for.....wait for it......money. Why are breakers buying all the 20/21 Donruss boxes?.....again......money.

Why is every other post on Blowout about, "who should I invest in?" "who is going to score 30 points in a game?" and all the other cesspool posts???......well......money.......


Yea, there are a few collectors left in the hobby, but with every Gravy Vee comment, every new sneakerhead who has been in the hobby for 6 months, every investorboi who is asking who to stick money in, it all is about.......money.

Threads that say that Luka/Trae/Zion is going down, is all about......money.

If a person is chasing ebay/raw for gems, well, money.....


If you've read this far into my post, you get the picture.


Collect just to collect. Buy a raw card and enjoy the card. If you are collecting just to collect pictures of dead presidents, then buy the card graded. A friend of mine just bought a PSA 10 Topps Kobe rookie for $4500.00 and I about threw up in my mouth. Why not just buy a Topps Kobe rookie for a few hundred and be happy?

Just enjoy the hobby. Not every card is a 10. Hell, are any of us a 10?? Of course not. I'll take a raw card over a graded card 10/10 (and, I'm not talking a PSA 10)........

[Eagle]

Originally Posted by DajuanWagner

It is all about money. Few collectors are left in the hobby. Why isn't retail on the shelf? The newbees cash grabbing. While others say, "respect the hustle". The ones saying that are probably the newbees who are cash grabbing.

Why is every person buying cards to grade? Money. People dump won't dime on ebay for.....wait for it......money. Why are breakers buying all the 20/21 Donruss boxes?.....again......money.

Why is every other post on Blowout about, "who should I invest in?" "who is going to score 30 points in a game?" and all the other cesspool posts???......well......money.......


Yea, there are a few collectors left in the hobby, but with every Gravy Vee comment, every new sneakerhead who has been in the hobby for 6 months, every investorboi who is asking who to stick money in, it all is about.......money.

Threads that say that Luka/Trae/Zion is going down, is all about......money.

If a person is chasing ebay/raw for gems, well, money.....


If you've read this far into my post, you get the picture.


Collect just to collect. Buy a raw card and enjoy the card. If you are collecting just to collect pictures of dead presidents, then buy the card graded. A friend of mine just bought a PSA 10 Topps Kobe rookie for $4500.00 and I about threw up in my mouth. Why not just buy a Topps Kobe rookie for a few hundred and be happy?

Just enjoy the hobby. Not every card is a 10. Hell, are any of us a 10?? Of course not. I'll take a raw card over a graded card 10/10 (and, I'm not talking a PSA 10)........

Appreciate the post! I mean, I guess we could break this down to "why does anyone do anything in America" and the answer is about the same.

And I definitely understand your point. I'm in a field as a career (logistics) where it seems 10% "know" the industry and the other are winging it. If you know what you are doing you'll be fine. Seems to be the same here.

[watashiwa05]

to answer some of your questions: I’m comfortable with just two pictures, one front and back. I don’t collect high $$ cards, so there’s less risk. You’d probably want a couple different angles to see everything on higher value cards.

Instead of asking seller questions, if on eBay, I’d look at their previous sales to get an idea of what the do. Do they sell a lot of graded and this is raw? Maybe pay closer attention to pics on that case.

eBay can still work for you, but you won’t be 100%. Buying on boards like this one might be a good idea too. Lots of people like me who don’t grade, and like to move cards even if someone else stands to make more money by putting the work in.

[PacklineD]

My two cents: Do what you want and have fun doing it, just don’t be a tool and file “item not as described” cases on nice cards you buy to try to force sellers to pay for your returns just because you don’t think the card will gem.

Good luck.

[Eagle]

Originally Posted by watashiwa05

to answer some of your questions: I’m comfortable with just two pictures, one front and back. I don’t collect high $$ cards, so there’s less risk. You’d probably want a couple different angles to see everything on higher value cards.

Instead of asking seller questions, if on eBay, I’d look at their previous sales to get an idea of what the do. Do they sell a lot of graded and this is raw? Maybe pay closer attention to pics on that case.

eBay can still work for you, but you won’t be 100%. Buying on boards like this one might be a good idea too. Lots of people like me who don’t grade, and like to move cards even if someone else stands to make more money by putting the work in.

Appreciate the response as well. Yeah, not even close to trying to buy "expensive cards" just if I want to grab an RJ Barrett RC here a Zion there, and with the advise of instead of buying retail boxes on the secondary market, to find this stuff as is, so stuff I guess $300 or below I would consider for myself, "not expensive."

Thanks again!

[rafibomb]

I expect most raw cards to be a psa 8 or 9 at best when purchasing from ebay. The best time to try and buy raw on ebay for grading is when new product comes out. After a while it will mostly be psa rejects on ebay.

[GoNYGoNYGo]

There are gems that can be purchased raw I bougt the following raw they looked good so I sent them in and clearly they gemmed.

I bought this fall of 2020 so well after release


This one I bought around release - which is usually the best time for raw


Thats just a few I have pictures of right now. Having said that I bought these under the assumption that when I received them they were likely 8/9's not 10's.

Always buy raw assuming that it has been inspected for grading and didn't pass the sellers critiques sometimes you will be right sometimes you will be wrong and get lucky and find something that is a possible 10. Having said that I assume that if any card has severe damage like a crease or a big scratch or something that would make the card a 4/5/6 or so than I expect that to be disclosed prior to purchase.

People don't like answering who are the best to invest in in 2020 for one of two reasons - either they are investing in them and don't want competition on the auctions they are going after or they are angry that there are too many investors in the hobby and not enough collectors so why would they help out the people they dislike in the hobby.

As far as retail - I don't but at the resale price for two reasons - thats not the original intent of retail products - they are supposed to be accessable to people who can't afford the hobby prices which at this point most people cant and the resellers make it so thats not possible. And also because even at 10/20/50 dollars for hangers/blasters/megas you are likely not going to make your money back because there are fewer hits in retail so now you double and triple that price if I'm spending 100+ im just buying something I want I'm not burning it chasing some 300-400 dollar card that I will get 1 time out of 100 out of a retail box.

Lastly as a seller if someone asks me for a closer picture of a spot on the card im selling or someone asks for a different angle I am happy to provide that - the second they start asking do you think that top left corner is a little soft - would it prevent me from grading it? I tell them I don't think this is the card for them and to assume that everything I sell is a PSA 8/9.

[90skid]

Just do your due diligence when buying singles on ebay. Seller listed it with crappy photos? Ask for better ones, otherwise just move on or wait for a better one. It's still very possible to buy a raw card and turn it into a PSA 10, you just have to be smart about it and know what to really look for. People enjoy that chasing game and getting a big win like that. Sometimes you win, sometimes you don't - that's all part of the singles game.

Overall yes, people have turned it into a money game and could care less about the actual players, being fans of the sport itself and all of that. It comes down to deciding if you want to keep your personal collection graded or raw.

[cboog3105]

Rule #1
See a single you like, buy it.

[istheskyblew]

Number 5: never sell no crack where you rest at.

[RadicalAlmond]

Buy them all corner the market!!!

[Eagle]

Originally Posted by istheskyblew

Number 5: never sell no crack where you rest at.

If you think a crackhead payin you back, sh forget it

Really appreciate the responses here guys! Just an older guy that is feeling like a kid again, but knowing everyone is looking to scam someone, it helps with a bit of guidelines.