Okay, so today I’m gonna talk about my little adventure with the 2021 Panini Prizm Baseball 143 card. I’ve always been into collecting, and this one was a bit of a doozy, but a fun one at that!
Getting Started
First off, I gotta say, getting my hands on one of these wasn’t exactly a walk in the park. It was released back in 2012. They’re popular, you know? So, I started by scouring around, checking out different places where you can get some nice cards.
After a bit of digging, I finally found one that seemed legit. It wasn’t graded or anything, just a raw card. Now, I’ve heard about people pre-grading their cards to get an idea of what they might score officially. Sounded like a smart move, so I thought, why not give it a shot?
The Pre-Grading Game
This pre-grading thing is interesting. I looked up some guides online—there are a few out there—and basically, you gotta inspect your card like a hawk. I grabbed a magnifying glass, some good lighting, and started examining.
- Centering: First thing I checked. You want the image to be nicely centered on the card. Mine looked pretty good, not perfect, but not noticeably off either.
- Corners: These need to be sharp. I mean, really sharp. I noticed one corner was just a tiny bit soft. Bummer, but it happens.
- Edges: Smooth edges are key. No rough patches or anything. Mine were mostly good, but there was this one tiny spot on the side that was a little rough.
- Surface: This is a big one. You want a clean, glossy surface. No scratches, no print lines, nothing. Mine had a couple of really faint print lines. Barely visible, but they were there.
After all that, I felt like I had a decent handle on the card’s condition. It wasn’t flawless, but it was in pretty good shape overall. I estimated it would probably get a decent grade, maybe not a perfect 10, but definitely something respectable.
Sending It Off
Next, I decided to send it off to get officially graded. I packed it up all nice and secure, said a little prayer, and off it went. Waiting for the results was nerve-wracking, I won’t lie! It took a few weeks, which felt like forever.
The Verdict
Finally, the day came when I got the results. Drumroll, please… it came back as an 8! Not too shabby, right? I was pretty stoked. It confirmed my suspicions that it wasn’t perfect, but still a solid card. The soft corner and the minor edge issue were probably the main culprits. The faint print lines might have played a role too.
All in all, it was a cool experience. Learned a lot about grading and what to look for. Plus, now I’ve got a graded 2021 Panini Prizm Baseball 143 card in my collection, which is pretty awesome. It’s not just about the number; it’s about the whole process, the hunt, the inspection, the anticipation. That’s what makes it fun!
So, if you’re thinking about getting into card collecting or grading, I’d say go for it! It’s a blast. Just be prepared to put in some work and learn the ropes. And hey, maybe you’ll even snag a gem that’ll make your collection shine!
Alright, that’s it for my little card adventure. Hope you enjoyed the ride. Catch you guys later!
