Pickin' ain't easy

     People always ask us if we find any high value treasures when going out on picks. Truth is, more often than not we don't. Over the years it's become more and more difficult to find higher valued collectibles in excellent condition. eBay has diluted the collectibles market over the past two decades and lowered the overall value of most items. "Back in the day" collectors have had to attend swap meets, shows, or trade items with other enthusiasts in order to fill their gaps in their collections. It took more effort to find what you needed. One always values items higher if a little sweat was put into finding it!

    Grading companies like the CGC (comic books), the PSA (trading cards, authograph authentication, sports memorabilia), and others have also contributed to this decline in item values as well. Many modern collectors view these as the only accurate graders for their collectibles.

     Most items found around the average home, especially paper based collectibles, may look in excellent condition to you and I, but to a grading company your 1948 Bowman Yogi Berra Rookie card could only grade a 3 out of 10! So what you thought could be worth thousands of $$$, in reality it's currently valued at approximately $250. I know, crazy right?

Here's what a PSA graded 1948 Yogi Berra Rookie Card looks like: