I'm with you on the graded. As was already mentioned - when I was in the market for a Gretzky RC a bunch of years ago..... I was only interested in a graded copy, because there's was too many fakes out there.
For vintage cards, I do get the appeal. A PSA 8 is going to be rare for a card from 1975.
Modern? I don't understand the appeal at all. Don't get me wrong - I recognize that a PSA 10 McDavid YG is going to sell for a lot more than a raw copy will..... so if you're looking to flip cards, there's value to be gained in getting them graded (people WILL pay that premium). For a collector wanting to simply own the card? That's what I don't get (unless you're planning to own it, until it's time to flip it....).
I was chatting with another member the other day about some of the stuff I've seen slabbed out there. I question why on earth someone would spend the money to get A Leaf Patch / Auto card, numbered /5, graded (particularly when it was clearly NOT a 10... the card in question got an 8). Another was a UD Buyback Autograph, that had been slabbed as 'Authentic'. Ummm, okay? How is that going to add "value" to those cards?
I can accept that a Bedard YG that gets a PSA 10 is worth more than a PSA 9, or a raw version - you've spent the money to show that yours is in perfect condition, separating it from those that are not. But if the print run is tiny, and it's a card that isn't going to have a lot of market activity - why bother? The only answer I can come up with, is that there's a segment of the hobby who thinks you need to grade anything that has value.
I'll admit too, part of my issue with graded cards extends to slabbed cards of any kind.... and also to booklets, jumbos or tallboys. I can't put them with the rest of my cards, so it's a pain! Some of them do look great though (Minis, at least, can still be stored with regular sized one).
