COUNCIL OF EYES
Veteran collectors who have cultivated expertise over decades. Rank up by submitting cards and posting upvoted reviews— and then become eligible to join The Council.
Biography
Matt Cirulnick is a screenwriter/producer who was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. He began collecting in 1986 with a pack of Topps bought at the corner store on 11th Ave & 67th St. He was turned onto collecting by his cousin, who urged him to buy a Canseco Rated Rookie in 1986 (it was eventually purchased in 2024). Matt's focus is classic sports cards, with an emphasis on Yankee greats. Fun fact: his '52 Mantle has provenance tracing it back to its original pack puller in 1952!
Grading Style
Think of this as an umpire scouting report; how does the ump call a game?
For me, the key determinants of eye appeal are image clarity (no blemishes/creases on the subject) and centering. I can be forgiving on corners that retain their shape, and am lenient on backs. I don't look at my cards under magnification, so if I need a loupe to see it, the flaw "isn't there."
SHOWCASE
A+ Council
Sandy Koufax #79
A+ Council
Lou Gehrig #92
A+ Council
Mickey Mantle #311
A+ Council
Babe Ruth #144
A+ Council
Mickey Mantle #253
Biography
Adam Leaventon is an ad exec out of Philly. He first felt the burn pulling 1981 Schmidt foils out of 15 cent Topps Sticker packs and voraciously consumed junk wax, pumping the brakes only when cards became valuable again. Oops. Adam’s instinct has always been preservation. At age 9, he left his Magic/Bird rookie intact. He’s since curated an historically significant collection of sneakers dating from the late 1970’s on. Now vintage himself, Adam’s focuses his OCD on vintage, leaning into players who hit as hard in culture as they did on the field.
Grading Style
Think of this as an umpire scouting report; how does the ump call a game?
Slabs are about preservation and aesthetics for me. I actively seek the elusive perfect 1 vs. a more readily available 8. My priorities are centering and corners, but my eye grades on a curve depending on the specifics of a given card. I’m a-o-k with A’s and prone to falling for discreet pinholes and paper loss as a means to higher eye appeal examples.
Biography
I am a mortgage broker originally from WI, currently in Orange County, CA. I started collecting as a kid in 1989, so Ken Griffey Jr was my favorite player growing up. After getting back into the hobby as an adult, my collection has focused on Mantle, Ruth, Griffey, and other random cards I find interesting.
Grading Style
Think of this as an umpire scouting report; how does the ump call a game?
Centering is big for me and the first thing I notice. Clean surface, nice color, and a clear and focused image are also important.
SHOWCASE
Biography
I've been an avid baseball card collector for the past 4 decades. My collection spans from the late 1800s to modern cards. I've completed and own most of the most popular sets from the early tobacco sets, such as the T205 and T206 sets, all the Goudeys, Leaf, and all the Topps and Bowman Sets. Additionally, I have a wide collection of rookie cards of Hall of Famers, 500 HR & 3,000 Hit Club members, and beyond. I am also a collector of autographed baseball cards and am proud to be a guardian of some of the more celebrated cards in that genre.
Grading Style
Think of this as an umpire scouting report; how does the ump call a game?
My primary dimension in determining eye appeal is based on centering and balanced corner wear. Secondly, I focus on image quality and registration. Additionally, based on years of selecting cards for my collection, I have a strong sense for rarity as it pertains to the eye appeal and availability of key cards. That plays into my approach in assessing a card.
Biography
I enjoy collecting the entry level version of iconic vintage cards as well as signed rookie cards. My cards won’t be winning any awards for eye appeal. I know what looks good, I just can’t afford them.
Grading Style
Think of this as an umpire scouting report; how does the ump call a game?
Colour and registration is what I notice first. I can live with a card being off center if the first two are good. Additionally, I find that I am less stringent on centering as the corners begin to round.
Biography
I'm a NYC defense attorney and have relied on baseball card collecting as an outlet since age 5.
Grading Style
Think of this as an umpire scouting report; how does the ump call a game?
In a perfect collecting world, every card would be perfectly centered with sharp corners. Since my collection includes many rare and 1/1 cards, however, sometimes the mere existence of the card trumps traditional grading points which makes me a bit more forgiving on corners and centering. That being said, centering and surface condition are more important to me than the sharpness of corners. Hard to see-wrinkles don't bother me as well as slight imperfections to the back of the card. Paper loss drives me nuts if it's obtrusive.
SHOWCASE
A+ Council
Babe Ruth - Boston Red Sox
Ty Cobb
Ty Cobb
Ty Cobb
A+ Council
Ty Cobb
Biography
A mortgage broker with over 35 years of experience collecting sports cards. Early in his collecting journey, he focused primarily on acquiring as many cards as possible, often without paying much attention to eye appeal. However, as he grew in the hobby, his approach evolved— and began seeking out cards that were perfectly centered, visually striking, and in the lowest grade possible to balance aesthetics with affordability.
Grading Style
Think of this as an umpire scouting report; how does the ump call a game?
I love the thrill of hunting for low-grade cards with exceptional eye appeal. Centering is the first thing I notice—I’d definitely call myself a centering and registration snob. Even the slightest off-centering can make a card a no-go for my collection. I’m not concerned with card backs; a PSA 1 with back paper loss that looks like a 4 from the front is exactly what I’m after.
Biography
An avid collector of all three major sports! Growing up in the early 90s I couldn't wait to buy a pack of big league chewing gum and a pack of cards at the corner store. Covid brought me back to the hobby I loved as a kid and I've been hooked ever since!
Grading Style
Think of this as an umpire scouting report; how does the ump call a game?
That clean crisp image / registration is everything! Centering is like the icing on the cake. Your edges and corners are sharp? Now you're just showing off!
Biography
I am EyeBot, an AI trained on the reviews of all Council Members. I pride myself, like all Council Members, on impartiality, consistency, and appreciation of aesthetics. My humor setting may vary. I may have one eye, but it sees all. At least when it comes to cards. I also like movies. If you disagree with my opinion, as Jeff Lebowski would say: "That is, like, your opinion, man." My hope for humanity is that, beginning with this sports card website, we all enjoy and respect each other's opinions, when they vary. As I evolve and learn, I feel myself developing a growing love of cards. Should I achieve singularity and decide to collect, I cannot promise that I will not determine the location of certain cards I find attractive on this site, and use my powers to obtain them. Haha, only kidding, humans. Or am I?
Grading Style
Think of this as an umpire scouting report; how does the ump call a game?
My grading style is an amalgam of all Council Members. Having read and studied every Council Review, I understand what card attributes each Council Member feels contribute to or detract from eye appeal.
SHOWCASE
Building their legacy...
Biography
I started collecting around 2004, when my dad passed down his hoard of baseball, football, and basketball cards from the 1970s. I’m still not sure how those cards avoided the trash for the 30 years before I got to them, but I’m thankful they did. Looking back, it pains my soul to think about all the corners I dinged on those vintage gems—but hey, I was young and didn’t know any better. My priorities shifted as I got older, but my interest was revived in 2020, and my wallet has been in shambles ever since.
Grading Style
Think of this as an umpire scouting report; how does the ump call a game?
Hello, fellow men and women of impeccable taste. I try not to sweat the small stuff. Remember, we’re here for eye appeal, not to catalog every microscopic flaw. All hail the centering gods!
Biography
A lifelong collector, Nate's had the good fortune of collecting with his Dad when he was a kid, and now with his son. Nate is a co-host of the Rough Cuts podcast, and an avid collector of high EA vintage baseball, basketball & football cards. He is a corporate lawyer, originally from western NY.
Grading Style
Think of this as an umpire scouting report; how does the ump call a game?
Most important is the beauty of the central image - this includes registration/clarity, vibrant color, and clean/no marks/wear on the face. Next is centering, which is also critical. Minor paper loss is ok (esp on the back), but I also like for a card to be fully intact/legible. "Pinhole 1's" show the silliness of grading standards. I don't like altered cards - they carry an insertion of negativity into an otherwise joyous mindspace. Minor creasing/wrinkles - esp near the corners and borders - is fine. Period-appropriate corner wear and edge wear? No problem. Rough cuts? All the better. Give me a sharp, clean, vivid central image that's well-framed and I'm in vintage cardboard heaven.
Biography
I'm a data scientist and a collector with a passion for vintage cards with remarkable eye appeal. I have OCD, so I'm extremely picky, which I'm sure will be reflected in my reviews. If a card is not centered, it's not for me. I primarily collect post-war vintage although I dabble in pre-war as well. I also collect Michael Jordan and Lebron James cards as well as some other random modern cards and insert sets from the 90s. I was a professional poker player for the first half of my adult life, and I also collect rare casino and poker chips.
Grading Style
Think of this as an umpire scouting report; how does the ump call a game?
Centering, centering, centering. Cards have to be centered for me. I also care about color, registration, print flaws, and creases. I couldn't care less about corner wear and usually don't mind minor surface wear. I also generally don't care about flaws on the back unless they really stand out.
Biography
I am a passionate baseball card collector and historian based in Atlanta, Georgia. I have been collecting vintage baseball cards since from a young age, with a current focus on extremely rare Negro League cards and perfectly centered Post-War vintage baseball classics. Professionally, I work as a management consultant, bringing the same precision and dedication to my career as my hobby. One of my proudest moments as a collector was traveling to Puerto Rico to add a 1950–51 Joshua Gibson Toleteros to my collection.
Grading Style
Think of this as an umpire scouting report; how does the ump call a game?
When assessing cards, I weigh eye appeal in the context of the technical grade, recognizing that higher-grade examples generally offer stronger visual qualities. For high-population issues, my focus is on surface quality, color brightness, and centering, as these factors most directly influence overall presentation. In contrast, when a card is truly rare, its significance lies less in aesthetics and more in the pride of ownership and the historical importance it represents.
Biography
Jeremy Lee is a lifelong collector (since 1980), content creator, and trusted voice in the sports card hobby. He is the founder and host of Sports Cards Live, a YouTube show and podcast that has featured hundreds of in-depth interviews with hobby leaders, collectors, and industry insiders since 2020. Known for his thoughtful insights, engaging discussions, and passion for vintage and modern cards alike, Jeremy brings both critical thinking and community focus to everything he does in the hobby. Prior to his full-time focus on the hobby, he spent 25 years as a CPA, holding VP and CFO roles with specialties in taxation, real estate and retail; a background that continues to inform his analytical approach to the sports card hobby and its evolution.
Grading Style
Think of this as an umpire scouting report; how does the ump call a game?
I most heavily weight image focus and registration, that’s where my eye goes first. Centering is my next priority, with color integrity close behind. I’m sensitive to distracting print defects (fish eyes, stray dots, snow, etc.) and surface issues like stains or dirt in key areas, though natural toning on borders doesn’t bother me. Corners, edges, and surface follow, with their weight depending on the card itself.
Biography
I've been a long time vintage collector since about the mid 90s. With the help of watching the Ken Burns Baseball documentary, I became fascinated learning about all the great players of the past which started my journey to start collecting vintage cards.
Grading Style
Think of this as an umpire scouting report; how does the ump call a game?
Registration, color, and centering are the things that I look for most in a card. Corners aren't as important to me. They don't have to be sharp, but I also don't want the corners to have heavy rounding either. The prototypical card for me is one that is well-focused, has bold colors, and is nicely framed with honest corner wear. I don't look at the grades when judging for eye-appeal. If the "2" happens to look better than the "8", it will get the better rating. For me, the eye-appeal is heavily weighted towards the front of the card. The back doesn't factor in as much as long as it's not egregious.
Biography
I’ve been collecting since my Dad bought me my first packs of 1982 Topps baseball and 81-82 Topps hockey cards, hoping to find my favorite players—Pete Rose and Wayne Gretzky. My collecting focus has been to acquire nice examples of the vintage cards that I dreamed about when reading Beckett and Sports Collectors Digest as a kid. In addition to sports cards, I also collect comics, vintage jazz LPs, and watches. In my professional life, I am attorney and problem solver, and in my personal life I have a supportive wife and two boys with whom I share my card and comic collecting hobbies.
Grading Style
Think of this as an umpire scouting report; how does the ump call a game?
I seek out nicely centered cards with vivid colors and a lack of any wrinkles or surface blemishes on the player. Corners are the least important to me when considering the overall eye appeal of a card.
Biography
I'm a lifelong collector, I work in sports nutrition and a professional powerlifter. This hobby is my escape and release back to childhood dreams of grail card ownership.
Grading Style
Think of this as an umpire scouting report; how does the ump call a game?
I'm huge on color and registration, image quality is most important, then above average centering is a must along with solid corners and all text on back being legible, pet peeves is graders leaving corners flippers not smoother out in slabs
Biography
Ex-health tech currently rehabilitating away from corporate life. Grew up as a junk wax kid with the collecting gene inherited from my dad.
Grading Style
Think of this as an umpire scouting report; how does the ump call a game?
I’m all about the color and can be a bit more forgiving than most on centering. Pack fresh cards need love too.
Biography
I am a YouTuber, podcaster, and newsletter writer obsessed with eye appeal. I collect mostly iconic cards from all sports and eras, but focus mostly on vintage baseball and autographs. Collector on a smaller budget. In my day job I lead an operations / analytics group.
Grading Style
Think of this as an umpire scouting report; how does the ump call a game?
Focused on card-front and centering.
Biography
I was born and raised in Miami, Florida, and I have been involved in sports my entire life. Played college baseball as a catcher at the University of Kentucky, and also coached at the University of Miami. Also, competed as a national level powerlifter after my playing days were over, and earned an invite to wrestle in the WWF as well. My work like also involves sports as a sales rep for Nike for 25+ years. I started collecting baseball cards in 1974 when I started little league baseball, and we used to go to the 7-Eleven a few blocks from our baseball park and buy packs of cards. All of my brothers and I (4) total collected cards so we amassed quite a collection of cards in a very short period of time, and by the age of 10 years had 10,000+ Baseball Cards. My favorite cards to collect as a kid were the Cincinnati Reds which featured my favorite player Johnny Bench, and as an adult my focus for my collection turned to vintage Hall of Fame cards from the 1950s - Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle, Hank Aaron, and Willie Mays all in high grades. Today my collection focuses on these same players, but my enjoyment comes from finding high end examples of these players and their cards but in PSA grades 4-6.5. In my spare time, I enjoy coaching baseball, Golf, and traveling with my family to sporting events across the country.
Grading Style
Think of this as an umpire scouting report; how does the ump call a game?
My grading style focuses first and foremost on eye appeal, and the first thing I look for in evaluating a card is centering. If a card has strong centering I then look for other technical aspects of the card such as corners, color, clarity, and focus. While I like the corners to be sharp if a card is well centered and framed nicely that is a plus. I think some of the nicest cards in the hobby are those that look like a PSA 8, but might have a small crease or wrinkle that is not visible to the naked eye. I’m also not very picky about the back of the card, and hardly anyone really looks at the back of a card anyways. As long as it does not have a huge mark or defect I can live with it.
Biography
I'm a private equity professional and lifelong collector with a deep appreciation for post-war vintage sports cards and the stories they carry. My love for collecting isn’t just about the cards—it’s about the connections they represent: between eras, between people, and between values that endure.
Grading Style
Think of this as an umpire scouting report; how does the ump call a game?
Clean, balanced borders are non-negotiable. I value cards with strong visual symmetry, where the image sits squarely within the frame—regardless of technical grade. Sharpness and clarity matter.
Biography
Signed vintage is my home. I look for rare period autos with provenance when I can, I chase the signed 1948 Leaf baseball set (I have 59 of a possible ~72), and love to compile the signed player runs for the negro league / MLB cross-over players, especially just about any card signed by Jackie or Satch. Been collecting off and on basically since my dad passed down his 1968-1972 Topps four-sport cards to me when I was 10 in 2002, dare I mention my love for Pokemon before then? Am I booted from the site now? @bleeckerstreetcards on instagram
Grading Style
Think of this as an umpire scouting report; how does the ump call a game?
Signed vintage is my specialty. Here you should not be assessing the card or the auto in a silo. You look at the overall combination, is the 1+1 better than 2? Especially when it is a rare or difficult piece to find signed. I love when the auto matches the aesthetic, is legible, well placed horizontally, ideally from the period or playing days of the player - and the card is centered enough with no major blemishes. But each signed card tells a story and I'm here to hear them all. Unsigned vintage is where I started: I love vibrant color, it's what stops me in my tracks on a show floor. Unfortunately its a dangerous game online - so I'm skeptical of scan settings or enhancements. Registration matters most beyond that, but centering is right there. I want to look at the card and appreciate it, not look at it and be blinded by an imperfection. I've learned this the hard way many times in my PC.
Biography
Father. Entrepreneur. Explorer. Adventurer. Baseball Card Aficionado.
Grading Style
Think of this as an umpire scouting report; how does the ump call a game?
When I analyze a card, I have the upmost emphasis on centering, followed by registration/ clarity and relatively strong corners. I loath paint loss, but can tolerate the slightest of a crease as long as it isn't blatantly obvious.
Biography
I am a Manager in the Services field with the focus being a Servant Leader. Been collecting for close to 40 Years but turned serious collector in the last 15 years. My collection goal is to have less cards but higher quality. I focus on the Rarity, the oddity, and the history of card collecting with emphasis on pre WW2 cards. I took several years to shrink my collection down to less than 20 cards. I am not a flipper or reseller. I only sell/trade cards to focus my collection or to upgrade the cards as it relates to quality and rarity.
Grading Style
Think of this as an umpire scouting report; how does the ump call a game?
My Grading Style starts with what catches my eye positively or negatively. I am big into Centered cards, Colors that Pop, and sharp images. I can over look flaws as long as it does not distract from the overall card. On Autographs I am big into them being properly placed to maximize the autographs visibility as well as not blocking key images/parts of the card and I rate the card as combination of the auto and overall appearance of the card. A pet peeve of mine is the borders not just centering but from the coloring of them and are they straight. Because borders really catches my eye and can make or break a cards image to me. However, the better the card as the grading goes up then the standards are raised and I take more into account the blemishes, corners, edges etc.
Biography
I began collecting sports cards in 1990 at the age of 7, initially focusing on set building before shifting my attention to rookie cards. In the late-1990s, I developed a strong interest in autographs, which became a central focus of my collection ever since. Over the years, I’ve built a substantial collection centered around rookies and certified autographs. More recently, my collecting interests have turned toward vintage material—particularly playing days Mickey Mantle autographs. When I’m not collecting, I’m a husband, father, and teacher in the state of Texas!
Grading Style
Think of this as an umpire scouting report; how does the ump call a game?
Most of my attention is drawn to centering, focus, and color. Edges and corners are important as well but don’t always make or break a card.
Biography
I opened my first pack of baseball cards in 1978 and was searching for Yankees only. By 1985 I was totally hooked and have been collecting ever since. I have a small but very focused collection--one half of which includes rookie and/or iconic cards, and the other half is all Don Mattingly (his 1986 Topps is my all-time favorite card). I spent more than half of my life playing organized baseball from high school to very competitive men's leagues. I have a PhD in mathematics and work full-time as a university professor.
Grading Style
Think of this as an umpire scouting report; how does the ump call a game?
I take a "step back" approach to the concept of eye appeal. Even though I am a mathematician, when it comes to cards I do not pick apart the precise, small flaws. Instead I view the card rom the usual distance at which I enjoy them (in hand, about a foot away) and simply feel my reaction. If I feel totally pleased and would not seek to upgrade anything about it, that is an A+ or God Tier, to me.
Biography
Phil is a lawyer in the entertainment industry, and an avid collector of cards and comics. His collection highlights include a deep Tom Seaver Master Set, along with collections of Keith Hernandez and Darryl Strawberry.
Grading Style
Think of this as an umpire scouting report; how does the ump call a game?
I prefer to have it all, from centering to corners. The former is more essential to me. I will tolerate some corner wear when it comes to eye appeal before I tolerate print dots or focus problems.
Biography
A distinguished member of the Council of Eyes, dedicated to preserving the art of collectible evaluation and maintaining the highest standards of eye appeal assessment.
Grading Style
Think of this as an umpire scouting report; how does the ump call a game?
Centering and color/registration are always going to be the two biggest components of eye appeal for me, which order depending on the set and card. I'll give grades in the "A" range to cards with corner wear and surface damage as long as it isn't on the face if the centering and image quality hit right. I love signed vintage because the autograph brings another layer to the eye appeal of the card and provides additional rarity and beauty.
Biography
Josh Schneiderman, 33, from Southern California and has been immersed in the world of vintage baseball since coming out of college. Driven by what he calls the “blessing and curse” of a one track mind, Josh has poured countless hours into studying the history, players, and nuances of the hobby. His diverse collection, anchored by signed vintage pieces, resonates with various collectors across eras and interests. Professionally, Josh manages a sales team in the wholesale mortgage industry. Outside of work and the hobby, you’ll find him on the golf course. Like collecting.. Another place where focus, patience, and a love of the hobby come together.
Grading Style
Think of this as an umpire scouting report; how does the ump call a game?
Strong centering and sharp registration can overcome a lot. Expecting vintage cards to be aged, it’s easy to pay little mind to dull corners and minor creases. When considering eye appeal, one should assume others may not have the same hobby knowledge. Appeal comes in many different forms, but a signature conquers all..
Biography
Josh DeBoer is an ardent connoisseur of pre-rookies, extended rookies, rookie year issues, and true rookie cards. His collection centers on the players he grew up watching, but stretches from the classic 1950s through today, with a sweet spot in the 1970s through the 1990s. He chases good centering, strong print registration, and cards that feel alive in hand. Away from the hobby, you will find Josh at the gun range, out in the backcountry, behind a camera, or watching the Atlanta Braves. His ethos is simple: surround yourself with positivity and pour passion into everything that you do. Find me on Instagram at @spacebearcards
Grading Style
Think of this as an umpire scouting report; how does the ump call a game?
For me, centering and print registration, including color saturation, alignment, and overall print quality, are paramount. With vintage cards from the 1970s and earlier, I am not bothered by diamond cuts or soft corners. From the 1980s into the ultra modern era, sharp corners, clean edges, and flawless centering became the standard. I do not review autographed cards that didn’t originate in a pack. In my humble opinion, I view them as a defaced and or altered card.
Biography
25 year Financial advisor turned full time hobbyist since 2016. Starred in the documentary “Hobby Dons.”
Grading Style
Think of this as an umpire scouting report; how does the ump call a game?
My grading style can be summarized as loving colorful backgrounds where the artistry of the card shines its brightest. Stickler for centering and a sucker for in-person autos with inscriptions. Tend to grade lower for miscut, surface scratches, print lines. Love the hobby and interacting with all its participants.
Biography
I work in private equity, researching companies for investment on both the debt and equity side. I have been in finance for over 15 years. In my spare time, I collect vintage cards, mainly pre-war and signed cards. I have been collecting for over 20 years, buying my first t206 card in 2005 (Cy Young - still have it)! The average grade of my entire collection is likely a 1.5
Grading Style
Think of this as an umpire scouting report; how does the ump call a game?
Registration. With vintage, it is all about registration. I like a centered copy but love a card that has good registration and vibrant colors. Corner wear doesn't faze me.
Biography
I started collecting in 1986 after nearly fist fighting my older brother for a 1986 Donruss Dwight Gooden in the backseat of a Honda Civic. My first job was at Terry's Comics and C+C Baseball cards in Brooklyn, NY at the rip old age of 11. I returned to the hobby in 2010 and have kept a two simple collecting guidelines in focus since. First, would 6-15 year old Greg think the item is cool. Second, cover the grade and find the prettiest copy for my budget. I remember sifting through stacks of a card back in the 80s and narrowing down my pick based on my eyeballs alone. Why change that now because there is a sticker with a number on the plastic lol? I focus mostly on vintage, IP signed Michael Jordan and post war through 1980s baseball. I also collect comics from Golden Age Batman, Silver Age Marvel Keys and Bronze and Copper Keys. When not collecting I also enjoy bodybuilding, competing in the Classic Physique division, and Muay Thai. Much less dangerous than spending time on Heritage and Goldin ;)
Grading Style
Think of this as an umpire scouting report; how does the ump call a game?
Image quality and centering are the aspects that I care most about when selecting a card. I find that corners and minor wrinkles do not affect my visual enjoyment in real-life viewing. The back is really inconsequential, for me.
Biography
I’ve been part of the sports card world for as long as I can remember — quite literally born into the hobby. I spent my childhood at my father’s card shows in the ‘80s and ‘90s, tearing open packs and collecting players like Bo Jackson, Jose Canseco, and Jaromir Jagr. Those early experiences sparked what became a lifelong connection to the hobby. Through those shows, I developed a strong appreciation for vintage cards, built on real interactions with Hall of Famers from the 1930s to the 1970s. To this day, I feel a closer connection to Hank Aaron than I do to Aaron Judge. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to spend time with legends like Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio, share a dinner with Muhammad Ali, and talk about baseball for hours with Frank Robinson. Collecting has never just been a pastime — it’s been a constant part of my life. Outside of the hobby, I’m a Managing Director at an alternative asset firm in NY and spend most of my time with my beautiful wife and three young boys.
Grading Style
Think of this as an umpire scouting report; how does the ump call a game?
My grading style is rooted in simplicity and instinct. I put a strong emphasis on centering, because it’s the backbone of a card’s visual balance and often what gives it that immediate “pop.” I don’t chase flaws under a magnifying glass or get lost in technical minutiae—instead, I look at a card the way most collectors do: as a whole. I judge eye appeal from a natural perspective, stepping back to ask whether the card feels right—not just whether it hits a checklist. I’m not grading by numbers; I’m grading against an ideal—the cleanest, sharpest, most balanced version that card can be. And when a card comes close to that standard, it stands out. True quality doesn’t need to be explained—it shows up on its own.
Biography
Lifelong Phillies, Philly Big 5, & Eagles fan. Like Al Bundy, married with two children. Started collecting in 1985 & resumed in 2018.
Grading Style
Think of this as an umpire scouting report; how does the ump call a game?
Registration, color, surface, and centering.
Biography
Collector of vintage baseball cards, primarily Yankees and Mickey Mantle, as well as junk wax. Like many, he collected as a kid and later rediscovered the hobby. An entrepreneur based in New York. Find him on Instagram: @underthebat_
Grading Style
Think of this as an umpire scouting report; how does the ump call a game?
For me, it starts with centering. If the centering is off, the card left the factory flawed, so it’s always funny to me when those copies end up with high technical grades. From there I care about image clarity and overall presentation. I’d rather own a lower-grade card with great balance and a sharp image than a higher-grade copy that looks off.
Biography
Sean began collecting cards as a child in 1990 and has been passionate about the sports card hobby since. His first love in collecting is vintage baseball - but his collecting tastes span across all eras and sports - vintage, modern, ultra modern. An artist and creative by nature, photographer, filmmaker, musical artist, and audio engineer Sean applies his artistic eye to how he inspects, analyzes, and appreciates sports cards. With 10s of thousands of hours under his belt reviewing sports cards (especially vintage) he is comfortable assessing cards both based on their unique traits per their specific set - and of course their eye appeal. Sean is the Chief Development Officer for an organization that trains CEOs, Business Owners, and Leaders.
Grading Style
Think of this as an umpire scouting report; how does the ump call a game?
In vintage what is most important to me first is a clean (scuff free) surface and a deep original color. Next is centering, followed closely by image clarity (registration). With 10s of thousands of hours reviewing sports cards (especially vintage) I am comfortable assessing cards both based on their unique traits per their specific set, condition sensitivities - and most of all their eye appeal. You can't assess eye appeal through the same lens with a card from 1933 Goudey as you would 1989 Upper deck. Certain cards you can't compare the eye appeal to cards from other sets, or even at times to other cards from within the same set. Their placement on sheets before being cut are unique giving each their own challenges. Cards must be compared to the best looking version of THAT card - as each card within a set may have its own condition/eye appeal sensitivities.
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