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sahal694
Posts: 1,051
Joined: May 2016
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| Monday, August 28, 2023 5:22 PM | |
I’ve been purchasing Fairfield repacks every now and then for fun since I found out these are available at Walgreens now. I’ve never been a vintage card collector, but have always been slightly interested. It may sound silly though but I am not really interested in pre 1957 cards due to the size of them. I mainly collected cards growing up during the 90s so I’ve never really had many older cards. I think my oldest card is from about 1978. I pulled a 1980 Topps card. I’m pretty sure 1980 may be on the brink of vintage at this point. However the card is really beat up. Multiple creases, damage along the edges, and pen marks on the back. Really this is my first card like this, and it just reminded me of how I see some vintage cards on blogs etc.
I still am going to keep the card for my collection, but it definitely made me wonder about how people feel about condition on older cards like this. It’s actually now the only card in my collection that is really in that bad of condition. I probably would not have purchased that card on purpose, but it came out of the box this way so it was kind of a surprise.
Edited on: Aug 28, 2023 - 5:28PM -------------------------------
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UKboogie
Posts: 707
Joined: Sep 2015
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| Monday, August 28, 2023 5:30 PM | |
The older the cooler. Prism shmism.
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Correct: "I saw blasters at Target" or "I have seen blasters at Target." Incorrect: "I seen blasters at Target."
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CleBoy1
Posts: 6
Joined: May 2022
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| Monday, August 28, 2023 5:30 PM | |
Back in the 1970s and early 1980s, baseball cards were not an investment. People collected them and played with them and traded with them and out and out abused them. They were playthings, and were treated as such. So it's no surprise the 1980 card you received was in poor condition. I have a multitude of pre 1980 cards that are in poor condition.
I am surprised a seller would repackage a card in such poor condition though. Hopefully you didn't pay too much for the repacks and received other nice cards in it.
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myrke
Posts: 693
Joined: Aug 2020
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| Monday, August 28, 2023 6:16 PM | |
I am also surprised at the condition of the 1980 card, especially considering that including such a common card wouldn't cost so much in near mint condition. Just lazy.
As for conditions, if it is for my team collection or HOF collection I try to get them as nice as possible. However, in many cases, just getting a version of the card is good enough until I stumble on a better version. I am finding that I am stressing less and less about vintage condition, however, if a card overall looks presentable enough.
Edited on: Aug 28, 2023 - 7:47PM
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Bowersbird
Posts: 427
Joined: May 2020
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| Monday, August 28, 2023 7:04 PM | |
I've opened a few of those repacks, and once I had a card from around 2000 that was very damaged as well. Looks like it had gotten wet and stuck to something and then peeled off that something after it dried. Not pretty. But the rest of the pack was perfectly OK - I guess they just let some random beaters get through now and then.
As for your question, it depends on the card and the age. The more I like the player/photo and the older the card, the more faults I'm willing to overlook.
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bobberkill
Posts: 23
Joined: Feb 2018
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| Monday, August 28, 2023 7:27 PM | |
I have bought a few of those packs and they are sometimes fun, they got me hooked during COVID cause I stopped to get something and got a 1970 card in one of them:
https://www.tcdb.com/ViewCard.cfm/sid/70/cid/15144/1970-Topps-313-Mayo-Smith
Never gotten anything like that since.
I like miscut and written on cards, I keep them in separate binders with others like that.
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C2Cigars
Posts: 10,950
Joined: Oct 2014
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| Monday, August 28, 2023 7:31 PM | |
As I told another member once, "They have to be PR-1 or better."

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Someday my cards may double in value and then be worth half of what I paid for them.
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Vader099
Posts: 83
Joined: Feb 2021
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| Monday, August 28, 2023 7:37 PM | |
The older the card is the more I would be open to condition. I don't mind weak corners and edges and some markings, my biggest concern is the creasing. If the crease is in the wrong place on the card or there are multiple is when I ask myself if it is a player or team I must have. Creasing is my biggest pet peeve, I have cards that are missing corners and I would rather that than a crease if that makes me crazy.
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mzentko
Posts: 2,403
Joined: Jun 2012
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| Monday, August 28, 2023 8:40 PM | |
thanks for bringing up this discussion.
no matter what your opinion is about vintage condition, it is helpful to put that opinion (and any clarifying remarks) on your profile.
when it is not in the profile, we are left wondering if my beaters would not be a match for your collection.
thanks, mark
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rnocards
Posts: 106
Joined: Aug 2023
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| Monday, August 28, 2023 8:44 PM | |
For me, on post-war vintage cards (before 1980), the condition is not so important, as long as, it is professionally graded for authenticity by a reputable grader like PSA. Also, if the player was a HOF, then I will be lenient on condition.
On pre-war vintage cards, the condition is irrelevant, as long as, again, the card is professionally graded and slabbed as a real card from that era, and not a modern fake. Here, they don't have to be HOF, because there is still value in the age of the card, and not necessarily the player.
On modern cards, most especially junk era cards, the condition is everything, unless it has a hand autograph on it, or is of a low serial number or print number by design, or is rare due to an accidental error. Again, if there is question as to the extreme rarity of a card, and therefore its potential for a high value, then I would want to professionally grade it to authenticate its rarity.
That's just me at this time, and I might change my perspective.
Edited on: Aug 28, 2023 - 8:54PM
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