Is it safe to....

BostonBruinsFan

BostonBruinsFan

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Collect an ungraded vintage set? Am I going to run in to counterfeits and trimmed cards? The set I am curious about is 51-52 Parkhurst. Any help from those in the know would be greatly appreciated.
 
Not only do you have to worry about the trimmed and altered cards but the Viper reprints. My graded cards arent even the same color or cut. On top of it, this set was collated by cement mixer. Could be pretty difficult, but I love the look of them.
 
I have been collecting the 1951/52 Parkhurst set for the past 3-4 years and have come across tons of trimmed/recolored copies, as well as the typical "true" counterfeits. You have to be really selective and patient when putting together a vintage set. If condition does not matter to you, then you probably have a better shot of putting together a "good" set and avoiding the pitfalls mentioned above. Otherwise, you should lean towards collecting a graded set, which will obviously be much more expensive and take longer to complete.
 
I think I will put this one off for now lol At least until I am more aware of all the issues. I am pretty green when it comes to vintage sets. I thank you guys for the quick replies.


Replies like the ones above are why I kept reading this site even when I stopped collecting. The people here are so helpful. It really is like a family. Thanks again all
 
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BostonBruinsFan said:
I think I will put this one off for now lol At least until I am more aware of all the issues. I am pretty green when it comes to vintage sets. I thank you guys for the quick replies.

Replies like the ones above are why I kept reading this site even when I stopped collecting. The people here are so helpful. It really is like a family. Thanks again all
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Another thing... it's obviously riskier to buy ungraded vintage from eBay/online even though it might be easier to find cards you need there. So you would have to find several reputable vintage dealers. I also shy away from vintage dealers who have a mix of graded and ungraded cards. It always makes me wonder what is "wrong" with the ungraded cards they have for sale.

I would doing your homework and "track" the set for a while just to get used to sales prices, availability/rarity, etc...
 
jaywings19 said:
Another thing... it's obviously riskier to buy ungraded vintage from eBay/online even though it might be easier to find cards you need there. So you would have to find several reputable vintage dealers. I also shy away from vintage dealers who have a mix of graded and ungraded cards. It always makes me wonder what is "wrong" with the ungraded cards they have for sale.

I would doing your homework and "track" the set for a while just to get used to sales prices, availability/rarity, etc...
Click to expand...

Absolutely, can't jump in the deep end if you can't tread water lol I sometimes make hasty decisions and thought better of it this time.
 
Find a LCS that specializes in vintage. Most of our vintage collectors prefer the ungraded cards. As for the fakes, they stick out like a sore thumb next to the real stuff. The make of the paper is also a tell tail sign. Same applies to trimmed - put it over the rest and see if the size is the same. As mentioned, there are very few cards with sharp corners as they were tumbled in a cement mixer.
If you don't have a LCS near-by, graded might be the only way to go.
 
Stadium Sports said:
Find a LCS that specializes in vintage. Most of our vintage collectors prefer the ungraded cards. As for the fakes, they stick out like a sore thumb next to the real stuff. The make of the paper is also a tell tail sign. Same applies to trimmed - put it over the rest and see if the size is the same. As mentioned, there are very few cards with sharp corners as they were tumbled in a cement mixer.
If you don't have a LCS near-by, graded might be the only way to go.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I have pretty much one local shop and I've never even been inside it. The other places all went out of business.
 
Stadium Sports said:
Find a LCS that specializes in vintage. Most of our vintage collectors prefer the ungraded cards. As for the fakes, they stick out like a sore thumb next to the real stuff. The make of the paper is also a tell tail sign. Same applies to trimmed - put it over the rest and see if the size is the same. As mentioned, there are very few cards with sharp corners as they were tumbled in a cement mixer.
If you don't have a LCS near-by, graded might be the only way to go.
Click to expand...

Godd advice, but I would add one thing concerning trimmed cards. Check the thickness of the cards. Some people have flattened or pressed the cards and then trimmed them to regulation size.
 
If you are smart, do your research and buy from respectable dealers or people you trust then you will be fine. There is also the option of collecting all graded cards.
 

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