Rule #1 - Collect what you want. Rule #2 - Cards are not good financial investments. If you follow these two rules you will have a great experience in the hobby.

Epic conversation with two wonderful people! Graig, I got chills down my spine when you told the story of your dad finding his childhood card at a show! 🤯🤯🤯 I am super stoked to be Chris’s clubby on a PSA 1 Joe DiMaggio with cartoons! I think I generally totally get the different approaches to collecting, in terms of condition. However, there have been a few times when a collecting brother of mine bought a card that was so beat up, I wanted to do an intervention for some reason! 😂 Nonetheless, I shared in their joy because it is their journey and if they are happy, then I am happy for them! 😊

Chris, I am so glad you survived that Civil War battle and shared the story of that house 😊😊. Seriously, this conversation made my day. What a joy to listen to.

It's a phrase in the hobby that we've all heard many times, but I think it's the most important in the whole collecting hobby. The phrase, "Buy the card, not the grade," is the best rule to follow. Great episode guys.

What a great conversation. You and Chris are two of my favorites in this community. Thanks for sharing

Great video guys! So many relatable comments and feelings. After 25 years of a card collecting freeze (I'm 39) I feel the same urgency Chris does at his age to grow his collection. With patience being the biggest contributor to finding the perfect card (your own definition of perfect), Ebay is my kryptonite. Too many Friday and Saturday night impatient bids if you know what I mean 🍺. Its the ultimate double edged sword. In regards to grading, I like to stay within the 4 and 5 grade only because of the crease elimination at those grades and the value in that area seems to be my collecting sweet spot. One last thing, I thought i was the only psycho who enjoyed the noise that Chris's card stand makes when he places them in there and pushed them over with the other card. Hahaha that made me laugh.

Gave a video like. Great conversation, thanks for sharing

Two of my favorite people. Great conversation. Chris and I collect differently, but the love of collecting is the same. I love hearing him tell stories and talk about his collection. This was awesome!

I enjoy the “sound” of Chris’ card stand also… glad I’m not the only crazy one 😂. It is a very pleasing sound in a way that is hard to describe.

Nice distraction from my stressful day listening to you kids! Great topic as per usual. I'm the low eye appeal KING👑👑👑. Sometimes I wonder how the High appeal cards snuck in

I totally agree about rough cuts. To me that means "not messed with." And I believe PSA and SGC do not consider it a defect.

A very enjoyable conversation. Great nuggets of wisdom. Cheers

Loved the conversation...BUT.. This sounded alot to me like 2 late 50s single guys walking into a bar... Well... I don't care if she is a little off center long as she has good eye appeal lol... Enjoyed the topic.

Chris: "I don't think that kind of person deserves my card." That's one of the greatest lines I've heard in the hobby!

The search for pristine cards have made my collection a lot more affordable. If you need a magnifying glass to prove it’s not perfect, then it’s perfect!

What a fun conversation! Love listening to you both and love hearing the stories behind your "well loved" cards. One of these days I need to get in front of the camera myself, but for now, living vicariously through you all. Thanks

Great conversation and some great stories. One point I want to comment on is when Chris said that when people point out things on a card at a card show, it turns him off. I do this a lot. We all want the cards we want for the best deal possible. Pointing out some things on cards is a part of negotiation in my opinion. I also point out the good when I do this too. But, I feel like a seller should not take those comments personal. Just my two cents. As to your question, I buy low grade. A lot! It’s the price I’m comfortable with and I find that I can check off more boxes on my list, which grows my collection faster. I’m collecting for myself. I’m not collecting for a profit. So, I’m willing to look past a lot of things. It might not be the prettiest collection, but it’s my collection. I enjoy seeing anyone’s collection and can appreciate the effort it took to get it. I would hope that if someone were to look at mine they’d feel the same. Sometimes the more unique a collection, the more interesting it is.

Great discussion! I agree with your guys take! I buy the best looking card that I can afford, for a given card on my list (or not on my list). Sometimes thats a high grade, other times its a 1.

having just gotten back into collecting, I recently went through the 10,000 or so cards I collected between the years 1984-1993 as if I was someone who bought another person's collection and was looking for what I could salvage. for me, it breaks my heart that most of those cards - particularly between 1984 and 1988 are beat up, rendering them worthless. I LOVE the story you shared about the Dodgers Catchers card, Graig. ..and the Eddie Mathews card has a cool story, too. I am tied (pun somewhat intended 🙂) to a 1950's era tie clip of a cartoonish looking ball player in his batting stance that my grandfather who has been gone for almost 30 years gave to me. but I don't have any sentimental ties to any cards so I was more in awe about finding a 1981 batting leaders card w/ Mike Schmidt and Cecil Cooper that, if graded, would probably get a 6 (not going to grade it, to be clear) than I was about rediscovering my Tony Gwynn cards that look like they went through a war. so, you guys are right. there isn't just one way to collect. having an insane amount of fun, though, as I know you guys are.

I think most agree the perception of beauty is subjective. I have a simple test where I ask myself multiple times if I will be happy looking at the card and being satisfied with it before I buy it. That being said, I've been satisfied with 1's and A's, especially pre-war.

So, is there a wrong way to collect? Didnt hear much on that. Most of my purchases are under $10. Im curious what i will do when i come up to a bigger card. Will i wait for a nicer card or buy a nice enough card. We'll see. Fun video guys!

You guys make me want to buy vintage cards

Chris is exactly right! Don’t leave the puppies at the pound! I always say “clear the shelters” of those pinhole cards! What a great conversation and I’m only 30 mins in…

15:15 yup . Have to look for a decent looking card

That T206 Cobb looks like somebody snipped off the corners. That can't be right, though, or it would have been graded Authentic Altered. "Paper loss" is an interesting way to describe it. It is undeniably that!

I would totally snub a card with a pinhole and would never consider it, but now with prewar give me a pinhole with a 1 grade that looks like a 5 every time.

Agree there is no wrong way to collect vintage cards… but there is a wrong way to COLLECT/INVEST in a vintage card… investing and collecting are very different…. I’m a collector/investor and the investment part makes a big difference….so for me buying vintage cards are very zoned on value and investment….

When it comes to vintage you ALWAYS buy the card and not the grade.. Moreover, if the price is right - you ALWAYS buy the card, regardless of the grade - especially if the card has good centering.. Look, I deal in a lot of vintage and there are plenty of set collectors that collect sets in various grades and are ALWAYS looking for the perfect card that fit's the overall "theme" er grade of their set. And generally the one of the few things they have in common when it comes to their preference in a cards aesthetics/eye-appeal is centering.. I mean there are plenty of lower grade cards out there that have fantastic eye-appeal, and collectors out there that collect mid or even lower grade sets prefer that eye-appeal, they prefer that "well loved" look most vintage cards have.. I mean, set collectors regularly come to me when they need a particular vintage common or vintage card in general - because I focus on eye-appeal and not grade... Obviously grade matters and plays a significant role in the hobby, but look - a NM 1959 Topps Johnny Antonelli that appears nearly pack-fresh is not going to fit a 1959 set that's in mid-grade.... Look, I suppose my point is that there is a market out there for cards in just about all grades, and you better believe some lower grade cards can sell for just as much as the exact same card in a much higher grade.... I mean there is a lot of nuance when it comes to vintage and vintage collecting and set building - but that's why vintage is so fun to collect, buy, sell and trade... Look, there are even collectors out there that collect vintage miscuts, and to be honest - the only vintage cards that objectively have no value are cards that have been ripped, cut or were significantly defaced or creased up to the point that it appears the card has been defaced - I'm talking about vintage cards that have lost all eye-appeal - and even then if it's a major Hall of Famer that card would still hold a little value, because there are collectors out there that just like to say they have a particular card, lol.. But yea, always buy the card and NOT the grade. Look, I would rather have a centered PSA 5 with soft corners and other minor flaws rather than a PSA 8 with 80/20 centering, razor sharp corners and relatively few flaws... Also, when it comes to grading certain attributes should be held to a higher importance than others, because they're all not equal.. I mean slight surface-wear should not subtract the same from a cards grade as centering or corners - and that goes for all flaws that aren't visible to the naked eye... Look, if you need a jewelry loop to see a flaw then subtract .25 of a point - not an entire point.. Of course this is why I'm a big fan of the 100 point scale.

RIP Willie Mays, 🙏

I collect what I want,and kinda like Chris I just want the card Vintage cards are supposed to look vintage,not brand new out of the pack. I have a lot of cards that I've had since high school,1974 1975 No supplies to protect them first pack opened in 1965 we didn't think they would have the value or take care of them. We just wanted the cards from back then.

20:25 🙄

The wrong way to collect cards is to buy graded cards you're only paying for somebody's opinion. If you don't know how to tell a cards condition or whether it is authentic or not then you should not be in the hobby.

That might be one of the worst 98 Chrome Football boxes I've ever seen.

I’m surprised that anyone who embraces flaws to the extent you guys do can support slabbing and 3rd party grading. Don’t you wish there was a TPG that simply determined whether or not the card was authentic (leaving the determination of a numerical grade to the card’s owner). I am not a fan of some arbitrary stranger attaching a number to historic artifacts with such sentimental value. I’m really surprised that every card you both showed was graded. All you’re doing by buying graded cards is paying an unnecessary mark-up. How about some cool raw cards… especially for an exercise like this!

Graig, you need to demand the wife to get a couple part-time jobs so you can get a few 8's and 9's!! Tell her she can relax during retirement.

There is, in fact, a wrong way to collect in my opinion - formed from personal experience. And that is to acquire cards so rapidly that you don't have time to savor any one of them before it goes into a collection box. It's like you spent more time studying the card on eBay than you did after receiving it..