Awesome video here, Billy! This is the kind of content I LOVE!! 🤩🤩🤩 Here’s a fun little story about my experience buying a high pop factory set for potential grading: When I was getting back into the hobby post pandemic, I wanted a nice rookie and a nice auto for the biggest names in the 80s and 90s. I decided that I needed a Chipper rookie, and my favorite of his 4 mainstream ones was the 91 Score with the orange background. Looking at getting a PSA 9 for around $18… I saw a sealed factory set for $3 on eBay (plus $12 shipping)… so I went for it! It was SO much fun getting ALL the subsets in there!! The Franchise, Dream Team, Cooperstown cards, Career Highlights, Master Blasters, Riflemen… not to mention the “Griffeys” and “Bo Breaker” card! At the time I got the set, it seemed like almost every PSA 10 was selling for $100, so I looked over everything very closely. The only card I included in a small PSA submission was the Bo Jackson Master Blaster, which came back a 10. My Chipper looks flawless, except for a little bit of vertical centering which would probably make it a solid 9, so I got my Mint Chipper anyway! I also ended up getting a gorgeous Mussina RC that I ended up sending to him in a TTM to get signed, so I’ve gotten a lot of mileage out of that 91 Score set! I love it! 10/10 recommend buying a 91 Score factory set!
I bought a 91 factory set of Score, and it was a great set! I haven't gotten any of them graded yet, though. I love that BoBreaker card! It's awesome! You got a really nice nice, it sounds like! Thanks for watching and commenting, Brian.
Hi Billy. Agree with you totally on how you feel about opening packs from that era. Back in those days, I use to love opening packs. I’m no longer a pack opener, but I do get the enjoyment of what you’re doing it for. Good luck with the upcoming basketball season and as important enjoy it. I’m sure you and I will keep in touch my friend. Talk soon pal.
Nice cards and shoutouts. Really like the Bo Jackson shoulder pads and baseball bat card. Also the Thomas RC is such a classic image. Thanks for sharing with us.
Yes but have fun doing it! I don’t open a lot of packs but have some from when I was a kid that I open on or two of every once in a while. Also like giving a pack or two to friends kids. I did open a couple 1986 Topps traded boxes and Bonds came back 8s. Nice video and cards!
Thanks, Mark. I've bought a couple of the 86 Traded sets, too, over the past several years. I haven't graded any, but man, are they tough. I think the best I could do on a lot of the bigger cards is an 8 also. I need to buy them already graded at some point! But so many cards, so little money! Thanks for watching and commenting!
One thing about grading questionable cards is the the entertainment piece. It feels a little Christmas or gambling in a sense. There is a degree of excitement that comes with grading cards and the anticipation that you might get the grade you were hoping for.
Great stuff my friend! I would love to see what the gem rate on these cards has been in the last 4 years. I bet we would find that the gem rate on these “junk wax icons” during that time is even lower. I’m a believer in that 9s are fine!
Hi Bill! I have never submitted a “junk wax era” card for grading, except for the Bill Ripken FF card and that was for a friend of mine. It just seems too risky and I’m fine with buying 9’s. However, if I pulled a 1989 UD Griffey out of a pack and it looked really good, I’d probably send that one in for sure. Thanks for the video, my friend!
@RobCashCards Yes, it's very risky! I'm good with 9s, too, but if you start getting 8s, they definitely aren't going to be worth the grading fee. I haven't graded very many, but I have several that I want to grade. I just hope I don't get lower than 9s! Thanks for watching Rob!
Ripping Junk Wax is a great time, ripped a lot when I first got back into collecting and found it enjoyable. I do have quite a few cards from those pack rips I want to grade, I will be ok if they come back in an 8, for me I want them in the collection. I agree with you if you don't already own the card and want it financially it makes more sense to get it graded in a 9, although you do miss out on all the fun of ripping the packs!
I'm glad you pulled the cards you aimed for man! Very surprised at the way they came out, that is a situation I never considered. You pretty much summed it up though with box breaking in general with the good and bad. Wait until people start busting the glossy mid-to-late-1990's stuff looking for key cards or inserts... Ouch!
@blixcards No doubt! I have a few boxes at the house right now that one of my wife's coworkers wanted me to go through, and it pretty ugly. There are 5 or 6 inch bricks of cards all stuff together!
@@billyballgamesportscards Dang! The freezer helps some... Let the cards get frozen and when they thaw they free themselves with minimal help or sometimes just by themselves bending while sitting out - sometimes. Well worth a try with inserts and key cards though. That's cool of you to go through them for her coworker, maybe you can salvage some gems.
@blixcards Thanks, Ben. I had no idea about putting them in the freezer! So far, it's all base cards, but it makes me think that unless he sold stuff, there's a box full of inserts and rookie cards! We'll see.
Good video. I've bought older sets and boxes and have mixed luck, especially on junk wax era high end stuff, i.e. Topps Tiffany and Fleer Glossy. Grading standards on these are off the charts with PSA and SGC. Biggest waste was trying to gem some 1984 Donruss (only cards from sets). There are just certain cards now with PSA from that era that they won't gem no matter how nice the card looks. You'll pull a lot of 9's, but to pull a 10 is nearly impossible. And I'm a guy that scrutinizes the hell out of every card I intend to grade. So bottomline, for me, it was a waste of money.
Thanks for the input, Charles. I really appreciate you watching and commenting. I love 84 Donruss! I don't have many, but the few I have I bought already graded. They are gorgeous cards, though! I can only imagine how tough it'd be to get a 10 on the Mattingly!
Great video. Same age range as you. I look at it as a long term investment. I send it to a pre grader and send 9-10s in and get anything less kicked back. I don't plan on selling for 20 years (When Im in my mid 60s). Short-term profits from junk wax would be breakeven at best. Like you, Im willing to pay for the enjoyment of ripping packs or buying sets. New subscriber.
Thanks again, Todd and Drew! It's awesome having you as part of the community! The idea of a pregrader is interesting to me for sure! Is it a large card shop in Atlanta that does videos on youtube? It's been a bit since they've done one, though, the guys I'm thinking of anyway! I have thought about going that route myself, but we'll see how I do on the next order I submit. Whenever that is!
@@billyballgamesportscards You are correct, it's GotBaseballcards near ATL. I trust their eyes better than mine. I've had several kicked back that I thought for sure were 9, sent anyways and graded 7-8.
I've got a closet full of sealed wax boxes/sets from 84-93 I've bought over the years. Those things ain't getting opened under my watch! I just can't do it😂
That's basically the point I was trying to make! If you open them, do it for fun. If you get cards worth grading, it's a bonus! Thanks for watching and commenting!
@BarryPilkinton Thanks for watching and commenting, Barry! I'm not sure, to be honest with you. I haven't graded any cards like that yet. I have to assume that they do. I have a bunch of 87 Topps Ozzie Smith's that are kind of the same way that I'm hoping to send in, too. I have no idea when it will be, though.
If the factory edges were rough cut, then no. Like older OPC hockey they actually look for and appreciate the factory rough cut. Now, on ultra modern new stuff, miscut would be a grade reduction…
@jonathonsantamont8527 Great point a lot of years of O-Pee-Chee had the rough cut edges, and those don't get penalized. 89 Donruss didn't, and I'm sure it would get dinged. Thanks for mentioning it. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Yes and no. I understand that you have to open a pack to get a card graded. But it's a double edge sword, especially for Topps cards 1989 and before. Especially so for packs still left from the 70's. I will predict in 5 years all Topps cards 1986 to 1989 unopened will be as high a price as 1980 to 1985 because of so little unopened packs left.
That's a great point, Cory! There is definitely getting to be less and less of the unopened junk wax type stuff out there. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Great video Billy, always fun opening packs.
No doubt! Thanks, Orlando!
Awesome video here, Billy! This is the kind of content I LOVE!! 🤩🤩🤩
Here’s a fun little story about my experience buying a high pop factory set for potential grading: When I was getting back into the hobby post pandemic, I wanted a nice rookie and a nice auto for the biggest names in the 80s and 90s. I decided that I needed a Chipper rookie, and my favorite of his 4 mainstream ones was the 91 Score with the orange background. Looking at getting a PSA 9 for around $18… I saw a sealed factory set for $3 on eBay (plus $12 shipping)… so I went for it! It was SO much fun getting ALL the subsets in there!! The Franchise, Dream Team, Cooperstown cards, Career Highlights, Master Blasters, Riflemen… not to mention the “Griffeys” and “Bo Breaker” card! At the time I got the set, it seemed like almost every PSA 10 was selling for $100, so I looked over everything very closely. The only card I included in a small PSA submission was the Bo Jackson Master Blaster, which came back a 10. My Chipper looks flawless, except for a little bit of vertical centering which would probably make it a solid 9, so I got my Mint Chipper anyway! I also ended up getting a gorgeous Mussina RC that I ended up sending to him in a TTM to get signed, so I’ve gotten a lot of mileage out of that 91 Score set! I love it! 10/10 recommend buying a 91 Score factory set!
I bought a 91 factory set of Score, and it was a great set! I haven't gotten any of them graded yet, though. I love that BoBreaker card! It's awesome! You got a really nice nice, it sounds like! Thanks for watching and commenting, Brian.
Great video and conversation. Nothing more frustrating than opening a sealed set and they're all off-centered!!! Grrrrrrrr!!!
@jamesmorante8427 🤣 No doubt, and that seems to happen a lot, unfortunately! Thanks for watching and commenting!
Hi Billy. Agree with you totally on how you feel about opening packs from that era. Back in those days, I use to love opening packs. I’m no longer a pack opener, but I do get the enjoyment of what you’re doing it for.
Good luck with the upcoming basketball season and as important enjoy it. I’m sure you and I will keep in touch my friend. Talk soon pal.
Absolutely! Thanks as always, Stephen! I hope all is well with you and yours!
Nice cards and shoutouts. Really like the Bo Jackson shoulder pads and baseball bat card. Also the Thomas RC is such a classic image. Thanks for sharing with us.
@vintagecardssteve8582 No problem, Steve! Thanks for watching.
Yes but have fun doing it! I don’t open a lot of packs but have some from when I was a kid that I open on or two of every once in a while. Also like giving a pack or two to friends kids. I did open a couple 1986 Topps traded boxes and Bonds came back 8s. Nice video and cards!
Thanks, Mark. I've bought a couple of the 86 Traded sets, too, over the past several years. I haven't graded any, but man, are they tough. I think the best I could do on a lot of the bigger cards is an 8 also. I need to buy them already graded at some point! But so many cards, so little money! Thanks for watching and commenting!
Great content Billy! I mostly open wax for entertainment. It's fun trying to the Bo Jackson, Jordan and other key cards from the Junk Wax era.
@stuke1976 Thanks, Scott! I agree 100 percent!
Ripping packs for fun, one of the best hobby activities! Great job on the video Billy!👊
@Hitman23NYY Much appreciated, Mike! Thanks for watching.
One thing about grading questionable cards is the the entertainment piece. It feels a little Christmas or gambling in a sense. There is a degree of excitement that comes with grading cards and the anticipation that you might get the grade you were hoping for.
@CleanCheapShots No doubt about that, Drew! That's one of the reasons I love to have cards graded! Thanks for watching my friend!
Great stuff my friend! I would love to see what the gem rate on these cards has been in the last 4 years. I bet we would find that the gem rate on these “junk wax icons” during that time is even lower. I’m a believer in that 9s are fine!
@Redneckclector Thanks, Joe! I bet it's gone down, too! Depending on the price difference, I'll buy 9s all day long too. Hope to talk to you soon!
Hi Bill! I have never submitted a “junk wax era” card for grading, except for the Bill Ripken FF card and that was for a friend of mine. It just seems too risky and I’m fine with buying 9’s. However, if I pulled a 1989 UD Griffey out of a pack and it looked really good, I’d probably send that one in for sure. Thanks for the video, my friend!
@RobCashCards Yes, it's very risky! I'm good with 9s, too, but if you start getting 8s, they definitely aren't going to be worth the grading fee. I haven't graded very many, but I have several that I want to grade. I just hope I don't get lower than 9s! Thanks for watching Rob!
Ripping Junk Wax is a great time, ripped a lot when I first got back into collecting and found it enjoyable. I do have quite a few cards from those pack rips I want to grade, I will be ok if they come back in an 8, for me I want them in the collection. I agree with you if you don't already own the card and want it financially it makes more sense to get it graded in a 9, although you do miss out on all the fun of ripping the packs!
@vintageonvintage817 🤣 Thanks, Steve! That's the struggle for me. I do love ripping packs! Much appreciated, my friend.
I'm glad you pulled the cards you aimed for man! Very surprised at the way they came out, that is a situation I never considered. You pretty much summed it up though with box breaking in general with the good and bad. Wait until people start busting the glossy mid-to-late-1990's stuff looking for key cards or inserts... Ouch!
@blixcards No doubt! I have a few boxes at the house right now that one of my wife's coworkers wanted me to go through, and it pretty ugly. There are 5 or 6 inch bricks of cards all stuff together!
@@billyballgamesportscards Dang! The freezer helps some... Let the cards get frozen and when they thaw they free themselves with minimal help or sometimes just by themselves bending while sitting out - sometimes. Well worth a try with inserts and key cards though. That's cool of you to go through them for her coworker, maybe you can salvage some gems.
@blixcards Thanks, Ben. I had no idea about putting them in the freezer! So far, it's all base cards, but it makes me think that unless he sold stuff, there's a box full of inserts and rookie cards! We'll see.
Good video. I've bought older sets and boxes and have mixed luck, especially on junk wax era high end stuff, i.e. Topps Tiffany and Fleer Glossy. Grading standards on these are off the charts with PSA and SGC. Biggest waste was trying to gem some 1984 Donruss (only cards from sets). There are just certain cards now with PSA from that era that they won't gem no matter how nice the card looks. You'll pull a lot of 9's, but to pull a 10 is nearly impossible. And I'm a guy that scrutinizes the hell out of every card I intend to grade. So bottomline, for me, it was a waste of money.
Thanks for the input, Charles. I really appreciate you watching and commenting. I love 84 Donruss! I don't have many, but the few I have I bought already graded. They are gorgeous cards, though! I can only imagine how tough it'd be to get a 10 on the Mattingly!
Great video. Same age range as you. I look at it as a long term investment. I send it to a pre grader and send 9-10s in and get anything less kicked back. I don't plan on selling for 20 years (When Im in my mid 60s). Short-term profits from junk wax would be breakeven at best. Like you, Im willing to pay for the enjoyment of ripping packs or buying sets. New subscriber.
Thanks again, Todd and Drew! It's awesome having you as part of the community! The idea of a pregrader is interesting to me for sure! Is it a large card shop in Atlanta that does videos on youtube? It's been a bit since they've done one, though, the guys I'm thinking of anyway! I have thought about going that route myself, but we'll see how I do on the next order I submit. Whenever that is!
@@billyballgamesportscards You are correct, it's GotBaseballcards near ATL. I trust their eyes better than mine. I've had several kicked back that I thought for sure were 9, sent anyways and graded 7-8.
I've got a closet full of sealed wax boxes/sets from 84-93 I've bought over the years. Those things ain't getting opened under my watch! I just can't do it😂
Unless you just live the cards and enjoy ripping boxes and sets, I wouldn't! Thanks for watching and commenting!
How about just open boxes from junk wax era because it’s simply a blast to do it????
That's basically the point I was trying to make! If you open them, do it for fun. If you get cards worth grading, it's a bonus! Thanks for watching and commenting!
Nice hat
@shomkittling5376 🤣Much appreciated! That was one of my high school that I coach at baseball hats from last season!
Well done 🎉
@godisgreat8462 Thank you, sir!
Does PSA take off for the fuzz from where the card was cut from the factory?
@BarryPilkinton Thanks for watching and commenting, Barry! I'm not sure, to be honest with you. I haven't graded any cards like that yet. I have to assume that they do. I have a bunch of 87 Topps Ozzie Smith's that are kind of the same way that I'm hoping to send in, too. I have no idea when it will be, though.
If the factory edges were rough cut, then no. Like older OPC hockey they actually look for and appreciate the factory rough cut. Now, on ultra modern new stuff, miscut would be a grade reduction…
79 Wayne Gretzky OPC is a great example of the desired rough cut
@jonathonsantamont8527 Great point a lot of years of O-Pee-Chee had the rough cut edges, and those don't get penalized. 89 Donruss didn't, and I'm sure it would get dinged. Thanks for mentioning it. Thanks for watching and commenting!
@jonathonsantamont8527 Amazing card, too!
Yes and no. I understand that you have to open a pack to get a card graded. But it's a double edge sword, especially for Topps cards 1989 and before. Especially so for packs still left from the 70's. I will predict in 5 years all Topps cards 1986 to 1989 unopened will be as high a price as 1980 to 1985 because of so little unopened packs left.
That's a great point, Cory! There is definitely getting to be less and less of the unopened junk wax type stuff out there. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Short answer…Yes😂😂😂 but I enjoyed the video homie
The issue is PSA pop control
🤣 That's almost completely true, Lou! Thanks, my friend!
Hey Billy, sorry I haven't tuned in lately, got way too much crap going on
Hey Billy! I completely understand! Life happens! It's good to have you drop by whenever you can make it! I hope things settle in for you!