Talking about your buddies at the national almost made me cry. Made me remember hanging out w my buddies in middle school and high school having sleepovers and the next morning going to a card show, great memories. Thanks 😊 for another great show Graig
I am very happy for you and your trip! It sounds like it went the way it was supposed to go. I used to be a 50% owner of a Card Shop in a very small town. I loved it. We had all of the sports cards and memorabilia a card shop should. I got out of the business and have "dipped back into the hobby" a few times since, most recently, about 3 months ago. I will now only collect baseball. Vintage and Modern as long as I like the player/set and I find a bargain. Memorabilia and cards. The only "friends" I have in the hobby are my brother who lives many states away and the people I see and interact with online through channels and message boards like this one. Thank you for your channel and keeping people like me entertained as well as making us feel like you are our "friend in the hobby," when no one else is around.
Happy Belated Birthday Graig!! In finding the Banks rookie card you definitely got your birthday present!! It is not just about the cards…it is the memorable experience that you will have forever!!
Thanks for sharing your videos of the National! It’s on my bucket list to attend and meet with you and other collectors! Unfortunately, I live halfway around the world 😅
A huge congrats, Graig. We all appreciate being along on your journey. It was great seeing you at the National and getting to see your grail card in person. What a BEAUTIFUL card. One of the best examples I have ever seen. Cheers!
That’s Banks rookie card looks even better in person! Congratulations! My answer to your question is a little different. I know this is not a sport, but I would collect Star Wars cards or other things related. I had a huge amount of the original movie cards, toys, figurines, ect, but they were lost at some point in my adolescent years. I was 8 years old in 1977 and that movie was spellbinding to me. It brings back so many amazing memories. That is really what collecting is all about, the emotional connections the particular collections elicit.
Congratulations on acquiring your grail card, especially since you did so surrounded by close friends and family- that makes ALL the difference! That moment will be etched in your memory for many years. Take care! Halsey
Graig........it was great seeing you at the National! I wish we would have had more time to visit. Thanks for making this "lurker" feel so welcome around you and your fellow RU-vidrs! I agree with your assessment of picking Strongsville over the National.
Im a big every other year to the National kinda guy too :) However, I feel like I keep missing some people who are also on the every other year plan lol. Glad you had a great time and I echo a lot of the same thoughts you mentioned.
Great card. Really beautiful example. You did good. When the grail card creates one of those special lifetime moments, the money just doesn’t matter. Not to mention that under paying for under graded is always a win. Salute!
It was awesome to see that Banks RC firsthand. An absolutely amazing 5! And so cool that Ash made it a relatively easy decision. Congrats again, Graig -- it was great to see you at the show!
Graig, It was truly a pleasure meeting you this year. What a special experience, and what a beautiful Banks RC.. definitely the nicest copy i’ve ever held in my hands. Congratulations on the grail my friend - you held out for something special, and now you have it. The BEST part: it’s wrapped into a lifelong hobby memory. Cheers! 🍻
Super cool episode! I absolutely love the fact that you finally were able to acquire your grail card! That Banks looks Sweet! Great looking card! My grail was the 68 Topps Ryan RC. I was fortunate enough to purchase it last year in a PSA6. Super glad for you! Its so awesome to actually have what you wanted and dreamed of since childhood! Good Stuff! Thanks
Graig, you don't know me - and it's been forever since I've commented, life and all - but feel like a kindred spirit with you on this one. I also bought my grail card at the National from Ash, (on Thursday) and it was also a centered '54 Banks, PSA 4. Very long story, I had a misfire on a PSA 3.5 I didn't like as much last year that I also regaled you with. But this one is "THE" card! What a beauty they are and so hard to find anywhere within shouting distance of centered. Hate I didn't run into you in Cleveland. I did get to meet Dylan, Orlando, Junk Wax Mike, Broth, and Alex though. One day! Keep up what you are doing!!! And congrats again on Ernie.
So overjoyed to be a tiny spec of a part of your Earnie Banks decision! I honestly think from both a investing and memorable experience.. How could you be wrong.. Oh I got something nice too.. From my couch!
"Sit down...Shut UP! I told ya not to be stupid ya moron." The ernie banks is perhaps one of the nicest 5's you're ever gonna find. From a quality guy and a pretty smokin deal IMHO. Toss in the fact that your dad was there, 200 of your closest friends and you know damn well you WILL NEVER REGRET it.🤣🤣🤩🤩 You ebbed, flowed and made lasting memories. That's what trips are for. Let's play can you top this😋😘 Nobody goes to the National anymore. it's too crowded & There are No bathrooms.
Great commentary about the point of the trip. I am not flexing here, but I have seen the Louvre, and I have seen the Smithsonians. The memories will be with me forever and I've forgotten long ago how much money it cost me to get to Paris and DC. Life is a collection of experiences.
Hey Graig! Glad you had an awesome national! I met a few of your RU-vid buddies, but sadly did not see you there. My answer to this week's question was inspired by one of my national pick ups. I mentioned in another comment awhile back that i recently expanded from vintage football to vintage boxing and am loving it! My plan for boxing was t collect cards from 1900-1969. That changed at the National when I saw an 1890 Mayo Cut Plug Peter Jackson card that i knew i had to have. Jackson has an awesome story (he was actually an inspiration for Jack Johnson), and the card i bought is a great looking SGC 1.5. Of course, my next move was to look into the rest of the set, and there are already several cards i want to pick up. They are very rare so it'll take awhile, but i really think going after 19th century boxing cards is going to be a fun chase, and a great way to expand my collecting!
Hi Graig, I really appreciate your coverage overall at The National. Personally, I believe that the Strongsville show may be more to my taste than the really congested National. The vibe of Strongsville seemed more intimate and ‘handle able’. Each to their own. Have a great day and get some down time and rest up! Peter
I gotta throw this out there as a lifelong NE Ohioan- I urge you to visit the Cleveland Museum of Art next year when you do the Strongsville show. It’s completely free and one of the most renowned in the world. You will not be disappointed, it’s a remarkable experience. And while you’re on the East side of the city, you can also stop at League Park, only a few miles away from the art museum. There is a museum in the original ticket booth and lots of cool stuff to see in there. Lots of history at the grounds- Cy Young threw the first pitch in 1891, Babe’s 500th home run, only player to be struck by lightning during an MLB game happened there, and so much more. Oh, and the grave of Ray Chapman is in Lakeview Cemetery, just down the street from the art museum. He is the only MLB player to die as a result of being hit by a pitch.
You made the right decision because of "THE CARD". The experience is MORE than worth it because of the artistic memories and authentic process. I would go for the Mays at a 3 or 4, but I also need the Banks. There is reasoning for each and Cub vs. Giant can be debated all day, but now you can see that Ernie EVERY DAY. It is inspiring and congrats on your week ... GREAT VID!
Found your channel this week, and have found it very enjoyable. I suspect we are nearly the same age, and like you I was a card collector in my teens. Primarily from about 1980/81, when the hobby really started to get legs, until about 1987/88. After that, my interests changed and it was all carefully stored away. When the internet was new... and eBay even newer, I bought one card that I was never able to get in my youth. It was a 1955 Bowman Ernie Banks. It completed my base card player run for "Mr. Sunshine". I was excited to see your grail card was a 1954 Topps Ernie Banks rookie card. I have owned two. The first one was an absolute dog, with a hole punch hole at the top that I paid nearly nothing for. The second one was an upgrade from that, and I still have it of course. It might only rate a PSA 2 most likely, but it is real... and mine. I was searching for collectors on YT that seemed to have similar interests, as I am getting the itch to get back into vintage cards to some degree. Primarily to upgrade a few of my rougher cards and fill in a few existing holes. Your channel is a welcome diversion from all the modern card speculators, throwing obscene amounts of money around for cards that have no historic value, no nostalgic value, or no ephemeral value. Collectibles from day one, with rarity by design... bought, sold, and traded in what certainly appears to be a completely fabricated market.
Wow. Thanks so much. That really means a lot. My channel focusses on collectors and not drama or hobby news. It's just a place for fellow collectors to experience the hobby together, with other like minded collectors. Welcome aboard!!
Congrats on getting your grail card! It’s a beaut. Good idea that you focus on the eye appeal. One-and-done is the way to go. I bought a 54 Banks a couple years ago that wasn’t in great condition, and that only made me want to sell it and buy a better one.
Since you share your life with us on RU-vid, we've all been on this grail card journey with you. When your National video came out and the thumbnail said you got it, I knew which one you were talking about. After watching you get the Ernie Banks card I sobbed for over 5 minutes. Tears of joy from this vintage baseball card tv show, which feels more like a relationship with a friend. I look forward to more adventures with you on your journey through life.
Awesome video Graig! It was so much fun getting to spend time with you at the National! So happy for you as you absolutely crushed the National with your pick ups as well as crushing corn hole, which by the way I am terrible at. You will be getting pressure from me to go to the National as it is in my home town for the next three years 😉.
Yes, it was the right decision. Like you needed my affirmation 🤪 Seriously, congratulations on landing a beautiful copy of the Banks RC! It was great to meet you in person my man, wish we could've talked more!
Great Video Greg. I grew up in your area (Lodi). I recently started getting into at 90's inserts. Its an era I wasn't collecting and the cards are just amazing looking.
Happy belated Graig! Having only been buying vintage for about 1.5 yrs my collection is a bit all over the place (33 Goudey, 56 Topps, pre-1960 Cleveland Indians). If I were to expand further…. I’d probably get into early 1900’s sets, or at least one card from each. There’s so many different rabbit holes it would be a seamless transition from my already scattered collection.
I love your channel, and love networking with others in this hobby. What city do you live in? I'm a vintage card collector about one hour north of Sacramento in the town of Oroville.
I am so happy for you and your unbelievably beautiful Ernie Banks rookie. I know you have wanted one for a long time. I'm happy I was able to share in your excitement with you! Me being a true card derelict, this week's question is tough to answer. I would like to expand into football, basketball, and hockey by picking up all the iconic rookie cards I can afford. But the largest area I am fighting to keep myself out of for a while is prewar baseball. That is a very deep rabbit hole with many twists and turns. Once I go in I may never come out. I don't want to go there until I have most of the post war that I want because once I go down that prewar rabbit hole I may never come out! Congrats once again Graig. Thanks for being a person I consider a friend.
100% the right decision. I have noticed the I never regret getting that 'big' card, there are times that I wished maybe I had paid less but I would not undo it. That can not be said if I am ripping wax or buying modern cards, which is why I almost never do that any more.
Congrats on snagging that beautiful Banks card. On the new question for next week, it is funny that you asked this question as the past month I have gotten into something that I never thought I would start collecting. I have always been a baseball and football card collector, but rarely anything else. This past month I have gone bananas collecting vintage basketball on eBay. I have picked up every HOF player in the 1969-70 Topps Set which I believe there are 25 of them. The majority are Rookie Cards as well. I know these are Tall Boy cards and some people don't like the size, but I just love them. These are all the players I watched when I was a kid. (Born in 1962) Basketball was huge when I was young as many in my family were huge Celtics Fans. The great thing about these cards is you can get the majority of them for under $100 in PSA/SGC 6-7. I found it exciting to look for the best examples with great centering and was able to negotiate some amazing deals.
Wrestling cards. Vintage and/or modern too, I'm sure a lot of people will brush this off but, I see very little wrestling video content on RU-vid and I have watched a lot of RU-vid, though the reason I say this is because, the WWE has no off season. Which makes it unique and different from MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, etc. So there's ample opportunities for buying and selling and trading opportunities. Also, WWE will be shown on Netflix starting in January, 2025. There's also a huge global reach too. They continuously go to different countries for their biggest pay-per views. Their YT channel has over100 million subs. I could go on and on. Happy belated birthday, Graig. And thank you for your prayers for my dad. I truly appreciate it.
Really happy for you Graig. For those that don't understand, going to the National is like going to the Super Bowl. It's the Super Bowl of the hobby. They might say, "Yeah, but you can watch it on tv, not spend all the money, it's the same game, etc." Those people don't get it. All about the overall experience.
I think it was Warren Zevon who said "I'll sleep when I'm dead". I like your take on collecting. Collecting, and life in general is not all about the bottom line. It's about Experiences, friendships and fun too.
Damn, you almost had me crying. I missed this year's National and I need to connect with friends next year, 100%. These kind of emotions you feel are unrelatable to kids with cases and a flippers mentality that seem to dominate (from what people tell me) at this big show.
Happy belated birthday man bummed I didn’t get meet you at the show hopefully next year in Strongsville it might be easier to bump into you the National was huge. You are a spot on about it being like a museum I
Sorry adding on I saw so much cool stuff that I never thought I would see in person. Agreed that Japanese stuff was amazing I wanted to buy something from them but know nothing about that stuff. So glad you got the Banks.
@@ACD1994 Thanks man I got into Cleveland at 10pm that night wanted to go over to the get together but figured the party would be rapping up by then. Bummer
I already have a few ambitious projects like collecting every Baseball HOF autograph, and a few vintage sets. But I just bought a game used jersey of the possible ROY (Jackson Merrill) and would love to go down that route. But it can get extremely pricey for established players.
Everyone has a plan until they don’t lol. That’s me. I don’t know if my card budget will change in the near future, but based on where I am now, I don’t think I could spend my entire budget on a grail card. I think I’d try and walk away with 3-4 mid tier or good value top tier buys.
Amazing story about the Banks, and I can take only so much gushing about friendship 🤣 My SGC 2 Banks, which I have shown you, has similar centering but definitely does NOT have 7 corners. So with all this perfection in the Grail card, why in fact is it a 5? Did you ever detect the flaw?
If I were to expand my collecting into a category I don't currently collect, I don't know where I would go. I already have a shotgun approach to collecting.
I had tickets to go to the National.. wanted a 1954 Jackie Robinson. Then my gf has a very bad seizure and end up in the ICU… she’s still there. Hopefully I’ll get there another time. Glad u had fun
Hey Graig, when you go to Paris, skip the Louvre. You will not be impressed by the Mona Lisa, and won’t get within 40 yards of it. The crowd at her painting makes the bathroom line at the national look like nothing. That said, Paris is an amazing city you should definitely visit.
@@MidLifeCards I wish I was joking 😇 Definitely go TO the louvre. Have a picnic in the adjoining park, soak in the architecture and the sculptures outside, kids will be playing, the scenery and the vibes will be immaculate. Then you go in and it goes from idyllic afternoon in the sun to a military project of how to see all the stuff you’re supposed to see, and massive crowds of tourists all vying to get ahead of one another. Just stay outside, drink a bottle of wine, and take a walk down the seine. I know you won’t follow this advice but remember me when you wish you had. 🤣🖤
Graig, I share in your joy of the ultimate Ernie Banks card; the perfect copy for you, picked up at the perfect place, at the perfect price, with the perfect dealer, in the presence of perfectly imperfect hobby friends! 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯
Like given! I think it depends on what you are looking for and that would be a personal decision obviously. Are you looking for multiple cards? Are you looking to buy a specific card? Personally, I am going for one card, two cards max and do it all over again the following year.....lol I totally get it as far as traveling for you Graig. The relationships and experience are what it's all about and if you are financially able to go, then go. I also get the other side of it as well. Happy belated Birthday! I am still trying to catch up on all these videos. So hard to even get through this one with a 3 year old daughter and a 6 year old son. Play, pause, comment, play, pause, comment. Rinse and repeat many times tending to them as well...lol This is how it is when mom works days and dad works nights....lol So the lack of sleep you experienced this past week is me everyday....lol I would choose going for the friendships everyday, all day long though. I can see cards any time, but the friendships and personal connections are more important to me. Wow!! Did I say "WOW"!!!!! What a beautiful Banks RC !!!!! So happy for you, well worth the 30 year wait!! Not sure if I have ever seen a nicer looking one. Amazing!!!! Love the way it all went down, the stars aligned for sure. Special moments with special people will live in your memory forever! I would dip into Pre-war Baseball cards, do not own a one and would eventually love to. Just can't jump down that rabbit hole yet....lol Elated for you, enjoyed the video 👍👍until next time, have a great day ✌out
Congratulations on picking up your dream card. My question is you want your vintage cards like Banks slabbed by PSA I would assume for protection and authentication but why don't you get your IP and TTM autos (the good ones, not the low value ones) in PSA holders? Again not trying to police your collection just wondering what's the difference to you. Thanks.
My goal was to pickup a Jim Brown rookie but couldn’t get it done as most I saw were just too overpriced for the condition they were in. I did pick 3 other cards on my list- 87 fleer Jordan PSA 7; 64 Jim Brown in a PSA 4, and a 89 Lions Police Barry Sanders in a PSA 10. I was surprised to get those 3 pretty reasonably
Next year will be an easier decision for me in CA NOT having to go to Cleveland 2 times in 3 months. I'll be in Strongsville next year for sure and then venture to Chicago for my first National in 33 years, a place that I love and easier to get in and especially out.
On your questions for next week: I collect a little of everything but buy only baseball cards. I do have a verity of other sports that have just fallen into my lap. However, if I were to buy a non-baseball card it would most like be “the Great One,” Wayne Gretzky!
This won't apply to rare cards. I think it's more fun to find a card at a show, rather than type into ebay and pick the one you want. For next weeks question. I grew up a Raiders fan. I loved Rickey and the bash brother A's as a teenager. I've thought lately about starting a A's collection. Unfortunately I just found out a t206 Eddie Plank is one of the most expensive cards in the hobby. I still can't name a pre war A's player. I just like the Raiders and A's
Were you an unpopular kid in school and having friends is a new concept for you? I think the videos are long winded because you gushed about “my friends” 178 times 😂 Haha just giving you a hard time - still enjoy the videos!
