>>55043962I realize this is bait, but I think this is a common enough talking point, so I'll bite.
I'm into the collecting aspect of things, so I prioritize a diversity of cards over one big card purchase. If I can get, say, 5 psa-9s instead of one psa-10, I'll do that. Beyond that, it's not apparent to me the difference in condition between "mint" and "gem mint" is 1) significant and 2) reliable enough to justify the leap in price between 9s and 10s.
But even if I were an invooooooster, almost all PSA 9s increase/decrease in value in proportion to PSA 10s (at least in terms of vintage 1st eds or japanese promos -- can't speak to unlimited and shit). So the upshot is: regardless of what you spend your money on (one 10 or several 9s), if you drop the same amount of cash into both purchases, your """portfolio""" is going to perform about the same way over the same amount of time.