Since I started the newsletter, I’ve depended on collectors in the YouTube hobby space to take the Drawn to Cards Q&A and give me the opportunity to draw their favorite or grail card (and if I’m able to pull it off, I have a fun one for next week). And while it’s been fun learning about these collectors (something that I’ll continue to do), I also want to broaden the scope of the people I profile and get to know my readers a bit more, ideally helping build the community of collectors in the process. So, if you’d like to take the Q&A, just fill out this brief form - and if you end up doing the Q&A, I’ll only share what you’re comfortable sharing, so if you don’t want to provide, for instance, your photo, it’s not a requirement.

I do the Q&A every other week (to give me time to do the drawings), so if there’s interest, I’ll hopefully start to integrate newsletter readers into the mix next month. I look forward to hearing from those of you who want to participate.

In this issue you'll find:

• An Ozzie Smith rookie card and player profile

• Grading rainbows?

• Highlights from current auctions

• News in the hobby

• Recent Vintage Card Voyage videos

Let’s get into it.

Recent High-Grade Sales:

PSA 10 - $156,000 - Heritage Auctions on August 20, 2023

PSA 9 - $2,220 - Fanatics Collect Weekly on August 4, 2025

SGC 10 (98)* - $11,400 - Heritage Auctions on April 20, 2018

SGC 9.5 - No sales history

SGC 9 - $1,380 - REA auction on April 28, 2025

BVG 10 - None graded a 10 so far

BVG 9.5 - $8,100 - PWCC Weekly on November 19, 2023

BVG 9 - $868.86 - eBay auction on October 8, 2024

*The (98) is considered “Gem Mint,” while (100) is considered “Pristine”

Hobby Thoughts: Grading Rainbows

I was over at Net54, a forum that focuses on the vintage card space (primarily baseball), and one of the discussions was about grading rainbows, in reaction to an article in The Athletic discussing the practice. For those unaware of this phenomenon (which included me less than a year ago), it’s something that some collectors do with a certain player, collecting every single number grade for one of those player’s cards (typically, I assume, a rookie card).

What’s especially interesting, since it typically doesn’t make sense to grade cards you know won’t get a good grade (especially with modern cards), is what that can mean for the prices of the lowest graded cards for the rainbow. One of the examples mentioned is the 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card, where PSA 3 and PSA 2 prices compare favorably with PSA 8 and PSA 9 prices. Here’s the recent average prices for all that card’s grades from the PSA website:

Apparently, there’s something to the theory of supply and demand, at least when it comes to demand with these “super collectors.”

The article even discusses the lengths that some collectors may go to get the grades they want, purposely trying to destroy the card enough that it gets a certain grade - but the grading companies can reportedly tell “the difference between natural and purposeful wear.” This is, of course, much more relevant with modern cards since vintage cards have had much more time to naturally wear, which made me wonder, would grading rainbows for vintage cards have the same unusually high pricing in lower grades? Let’s get to the numbers!

While it’s tempting to look at, say, a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle as a comparison, how many of us could even consider buying that card at any grade? Therefore, I’ll pick a more potentially achievable card, using my admitted Detroit Tigers bias. Since I’m working on an Al Kaline run, I’ll look at his 1954 rookie card:

As expected, it followed the path of lower prices as the grades dropped, with the lone exception being those graded a 1.5, which were treated by buyers like they actually got a 0.5. And with the ridiculously high price for higher grades, along with the minuscule number of 9s and 10s, a true rainbow for someone like Kaline is nearly impossible to achieve. So … challenge accepted!

I kid. But it does make me wonder what sort of vintage grading rainbows do exist out there, especially for the higher priced rookie cards. Personally, grading rainbows aren’t for me, at least at this moment in time, but I do think it’s another element of what makes the hobby as fun and unique as it is. Do any of you have grading rainbows? And what do you think about that part of the hobby?

News Briefs

Epic: Five GOAT Autographs, All Acquired in Just One Year

Record-Setting Basketball Card Still Up for Bid

Messi Cards Are Making Moves

Unique Mickey Mantle Treasures Coming Up for Auction

Barrier Breaker Gets Her Own Topps Now Card

Vintage Card Voyage: Recent Videos

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