New guy here and was hoping for some help. I recently decided to attempt a prewar set. I wanted to pick a set that i have a financial chance of completing. I decided on the T202 Hassans, as i've always liked the look of these cards. I've only collected 50's and 60's Topps cards before so i realize this will be a slow journey. I like the look of the card in a SGC holder but cannot afford anything much higher than SGC 40. I don't like creases and off-center cards. With this in mind I would appreciate some help with a few questions.

Would it be better to buy raw and get graded as opposed to buying graded? If buying raw can i expect a lot of trimmed cards?

Most of the ones i see graded on ebay are BIN's that are over the VCP. Will i be able to find many in SGC 40 at shows? I've been to a few of the big shows looking for 52 Topps in PSA 4 and the selection is usually very small, most only have cards in PSA 7 and up. Can i expect this with the T202's or are they more available in lower grade at shows?

I'm sure i will have more questions than this board has patience, but i will start with these and see how it goes.

Thanks,
Stuart

but vintage tobacco is certainly different from post-war graded populations, in that the vast bulk of graded pre-war you will see is more likely to be in the VG-EX range. You shouldn't need to worry that targeting graded-only material will result in you only finding 7s!

Personally, I am not terribly astute at detecting trimming, etc, so I also target graded cards for more confidence that I am purchasing unaltered material.

Good luck with the search!

on t202's i would buy raw. they are not the easiest cards to trim.

good luck. it's a fun ride

It might make some people cringe but I read once where one way to detect if a T202 had been trimmed on the sides was to fold the side panels inward. I actually did that on mine and the seams between the panels are pretty sturdy, I never had any break on me. The ends should meet or come close, any gaps would indicate possible trimming. I also had one I bought raw back in 2000/2001 that had one of the panels expertly glued back on to the center panel. I had to hold the card up to a light to see the work that had been done. They are a neat set and one of these days I might give it another go.