The Unexpected Benefits of the Junk Slab Era

The so-called “junk slab era” gets a lot of hate — and sure, it’s easy to laugh at the endless sea of low-value cards sealed in plastic. But if you take a step back, this odd chapter of the hobby might actually be a blessing in disguise for collectors.

When grading exploded, people sent in everything — commons, base rookies, forgotten 90s stars — all in hopes of flipping for a profit. What followed was a flood of slabs, many of which now sell for less than the cost of grading.

But here’s the twist: that flood created a huge buying opportunity for true collectors. Cards that would’ve never been graded before — nostalgic pieces from your childhood binders — can now be picked up already slabbed, authenticated, and protected, often for $10 or less. That’s cheaper than what you’d pay to grade it yourself.

Collectors can now grab PSA-graded cards of their favorite players from the 80s, 90s, or 2000s and display them proudly without worrying about condition or authenticity. It’s made owning clean, professional-looking collectibles more accessible than ever.

And maybe that’s the biggest win from the junk slab era:

• It democratized grading, making slabbed cards available for everyone — not just high-end investors.

• It preserved nostalgia — many of these cards were from eras that shaped our love for the hobby.

• It reset expectations, reminding collectors that not every card needs to be worth hundreds to be meaningful.

The junk slab era may have started with greed, but in the end, it’s helping bring the hobby back to its roots — collecting for the love of the cards.