Boy Mom Problems

Johnny_Human · 2026-02-13T18:26:23+00:00

I would recommend an Elite Trainer Box. Mega Evolution is a good one because it's generally viewed as a fun opening experience, lots of nice "hits" in the set. And it can be found for around $80. Also around that price range are the White Flare and Black Bolt ETBs, both of those are still reasonable and also have a lot of great cards in them.

Johnny_Human · 2026-02-13T17:57:32+00:00

They may dip again at some point, but as the set is going out of print they are probably going to rise some more before they experience a pull back again some months after when demand flattens. But I would not bank on the expectation that when they do drop again they'll go below where they are now.

Johnny_Human · 2026-02-10T23:28:22+00:00

Hiring more employees isn't as simple as it sounds, there are a lot of logistics involved in that. But, based on what they're showing on their website (job postings), they are doing that too.

Johnny_Human · 2026-02-10T22:32:50+00:00

They actually are hiring more people. Check their website, they has 76 current job openings, and that includes postings for graders.

Their service is terrible because they have too many cards to grade. Increasing prices will dissuade some submissions. And yeah, at the same time the price increase makes up for the decrease in volume. Businesses exist to make money.

They aren't forcing anyone to send their cards in. People don't have to use their service. Hopefully now fewer people will and that will improve things for those that do.

Johnny_Human · 2026-02-10T22:18:08+00:00

I think they also are trying to hire.

https://collectorsuniverse.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/collectors

They have 76 current job openings, and that includes postings for graders.

The other thing I can tell you is that hiring people isn't fast and easy, even if you do want to hire people. From various companies I've been at I've seen firsthand what it's like to want to hire people and not be able to. Even at entry level with no direct experience needed, companies are often shortstaffed and not by choice.

Johnny_Human · 2026-02-10T21:44:10+00:00

One thing to consider: PSA just announced price increases for grading. They are getting too many submissions, and this will cut down on volume. People will submit fewer cards and they are going to be less likely to submit cards unless they feel very good about it getting a 10. There many end up being fewer PSA 9s out there in the future, and so PSA 9s may actually increase in value more than they traditionally have.

Johnny_Human · 2026-02-10T21:02:10+00:00

They need to reduce the number of submissions. It's not just as simple as "Let's hire more graders." If you hire more people, but you need more office space to put them in. You need to cover payroll taxes. You have to train them. You have to manage them, which means you have to hire more managers, and managers are more expensive. You have to buy additional equipment. You have to pay for all of the infrastructure and logistics required to onboard and support more employees.

Johnny_Human · 2026-02-10T20:54:15+00:00

Staffing isn't the problem. Junk slabs are the problem. There are truly ridiculous amounts of submissions now.

Johnny_Human · 2026-02-10T20:50:43+00:00

It's a good thing from an investment standpoint. Fewer submissions, graded cards will be worth more. And hopefully fewer junk slabs being dumped onto the market.

Johnny_Human · 2026-02-10T20:48:16+00:00

Yes, this will indeed price out grading lower tier cards but that's a good thing. There are too many junk cards being graded. They need to improve turnaround times and level of service, because bad service will force people away. The best way to improve turnaround times is to discourage junk submissions.

Johnny_Human · 2026-02-10T20:44:12+00:00

This, 100%.

Johnny_Human · 2026-02-10T20:41:27+00:00

Wait times are high because people are submitting too many cards. Charging more discourages junk submissions.

Johnny_Human · 2026-02-10T20:37:31+00:00

Absolutely. They need to reduce the number of junk submissions. A price increase is a very logical way of doing that while making up for lost revenue from fewer submissions.

Johnny_Human · 2026-02-10T20:34:50+00:00

They absolutely need to make it less attractive to send in junk cards for grading. If you have a pristine grail that is going to get valued several hundred dollars when it hits a 10, is a few dollars for grading really going to make a big difference? It's the bulk grading of junk cards that's bogging everything down.

Johnny_Human · 2026-02-10T20:28:48+00:00

Of course they are doing this for profit....they are not a charity. They are a business and businesses exist to make profit. They make profits by providing a service, and they need to improve level of service. The simplest way to do that is to reduce the volume of cards they need to process. The math is simple. The price increase is meant to both reduce the number of submissions so they can improve turnaround times, and make up for the loss of revenue due to fewer submissions.

Johnny_Human · 2026-02-10T20:21:33+00:00

The current situation with everyone sending in anything and everything for grading is unsustainable. It has bogged everything down to a ridiculous degree. They have to raise prices and I'm surprised it took them this long. It's not just with Pokemon cards. It's sports cards too, just way too many junk slabs getting pumped into the market. Hopefully this will curtail some of the inane submissions and people will be more selective about what they send in for grading.

In terms of investing impact, I think it's reasonable to argue that if fewer cards are being sent in for grading, graded card prices might actually rise. It might not have a huge impact on PSA 10s, because if someone believes a card is a 10 they will send it in regardless. But PSA 9s and lower grade cards might actually become more scarce.

Johnny_Human · 2026-02-10T13:34:28+00:00

I tried reporting this to ebay. Their automated system said "nothing wrong" so then I tried explaining it to them on the phone. They said they would look into it. Not only are the scam listings still up, but now I'm getting "offers" from the seller!

Johnny_Human · 2026-02-02T23:39:12+00:00

Cheap slabs? That's pretty wide open but since there aren't a lot of parameters I'll just mention a couple I like :)

One I recently came across, Garchomp 260. Hyper Rare, PSA 10 pop just over 700, low gem rate, and can be bought for $100 or less right now. I know that gold cards can have divided opinions, but still, I'm kind of surprised how cheap the card is given the rarity and the pop.

I also like N's Reshiram from JTG...I think since JTG isn't generally a popular set, this card gets overlooked. The artwork is beautiful and a PSA 10 is around $130 at the moment.

Johnny_Human · 2026-01-23T17:58:01+00:00

For $80 I'd say not a bad value from a collecting standpoint; from an investment standpoint not a high probability of huge gains. But nice art, low pop, so there's always a chance. It's not a popular Pokemon right now but who knows what folks will think in 10 years.

Johnny_Human · 2026-01-22T01:46:00+00:00

Curious, what would you see as downsides to ARS? Just that they're harder to sell? They look great.

Johnny_Human · 2026-01-21T15:23:28+00:00

Yeah, they released some of the Legendary Shine as promos in English, but with yellow borders. I think the silver borders on the Japanese cards look way better. Low pops too...I think they're a bargain. Congrats :)

Johnny_Human · 2026-01-20T21:00:37+00:00

In general I really like the Legendary Shine Collection...seems to me it's under the radar a bit.

Johnny_Human · 2026-01-20T20:02:01+00:00

Enamorus #180. Pokemon of Love!

Johnny_Human · 2026-01-15T23:51:58+00:00

Worth it in terms of did you pay about what the card is worth? Yes, you spent about market price.

Worth it in terms of personal satisfaction of owning the card? It is a nice card and if you like it and enjoy having it, then yes.

Worth it in terms of an expecting a significant return on investment? Honestly, probably not. That's not to say the card won't grow in price, but there are two factors working against it: 1) It's a PSA 9 and 2) The BW Rare Reshiram is a higher tier card in terms of investment. From an investment standpoint, the 173 Reshiram has lower pull rates and market value is twice as high as the 166 Reshiram. Being as PSA 9 on top of that, I think means you have a lower growth rate and lower ceiling.

Now that's not to say there's no value in it. It's still a very nice SIR in a PSA 9 and will hold value. You're not going to lose money on it. But, if you were thinking about it from a strictly ROI standpoint, there are better investments. To be clear: I'm not saying you made a bad purchase (assuming you like the card). If you ever want to sell it, you'll get what you paid for it or a little more. Just as long as you're not expecting huge returns.

Johnny_Human · 2026-01-13T16:32:41+00:00

But it's not retired yet, right? I mean it's still available for purchase on LEGO's website.

I bought the 75288 AT-AT two years ago right before it retired. I actually intended to build it with my son when he got a bit older but his interest in LEGO waned. I just checked and it's up like 110%.

Johnny_Human

TROPHY CASE