Folks, Do We Care Too Much About Card Damage?

Upper Decks quality control is notoriously not good. Cards, thick or thin, come out of packs with damaged corners, edges, and sometimes they aren’t even cut correctly. There’s also the flip side where cards come out pristine. It feels like a second lottery on top of the first lottery of getting a good card out of a pack or box.

I want to propose a question to the chat. Yes, we should expect better from Upper Deck. But on a user to user transaction basis, does the hobby place too much of an emphasis on damage. In other words, are people too picky with damage?

Here’s my thing. I think sports cards are so fragile to begin with, that it is unrealistic to expect PSA 10s from every card you buy off someone or pull from a box. It’s not realistic not because we shouldn’t expect better from Upper Deck but because of the nature of material the cards themselves.

I’m not saying settle for that super damaged card because someone decided to put a card already in a penny sleeve inside a one touch, because I think user error is an important part of the conversation. We are in control of ensuring the card doesn’t get any more damaged than it already is.

However, I think some people care so much about the condition of their cards because they’re so profit incentivized that a slightly damaged card wouldn’t bring the value they think they could sell it for.

I also think privilege plays a huge role in being able to afford the best protection supplies as possible, but it also brings with it the possibility that you have so much money that you want to ensure you pay for the best conditioned card. Which can lead to pickiness.

What do you guys think? Is it a small minority in an otherwise huge hobby? Is being picky about condition and act of rebellion against Upper Decks brutal quality control?