| Professional Card Grading Services~ We Grade THEM! |
1976 Topps Garagiola #1 Joe
Garagiola (very scarce!)
Garagiola (very scarce!)
Professionally graded cards are cards that are sent to a service that authenticates and grades the cards. The cards are then sealed in a tamper-proof case,
or "slab." These services can be useful, especially when it comes to buying expensive cards. There are numerous counterfeits out there, along with cards that
have been trimmed or altered to make it appear as if the card were nicer than it really is. But make no mistake about it; these companies are in it for the money-
these services rake in bijillions of dollars a year! On this page WE ARE GOING TO GRADE THEM! I will assign our own grade for each of the four major
grading services currently out there: Professional Sports Authenticators (PSA), SGC (Sports card Guarantee Company (SGC), Beckett's Grading Service
(BGS), and Global Authenticators Inc. (GAI). I have probably a couple hundred graded cards from each of the four companies and I will give my honest opinions
of each service. Hopefully from this you can make an informed decision of your own about which service (if any) you wish to use.
or "slab." These services can be useful, especially when it comes to buying expensive cards. There are numerous counterfeits out there, along with cards that
have been trimmed or altered to make it appear as if the card were nicer than it really is. But make no mistake about it; these companies are in it for the money-
these services rake in bijillions of dollars a year! On this page WE ARE GOING TO GRADE THEM! I will assign our own grade for each of the four major
grading services currently out there: Professional Sports Authenticators (PSA), SGC (Sports card Guarantee Company (SGC), Beckett's Grading Service
(BGS), and Global Authenticators Inc. (GAI). I have probably a couple hundred graded cards from each of the four companies and I will give my honest opinions
of each service. Hopefully from this you can make an informed decision of your own about which service (if any) you wish to use.
Professional Sports Authenticators (PSA)
PSA is considered by many in the hobby to be the best service out there. But are
they? Well, on the plus side, they have been around the longest, over 10 years now
(+). But you can say the same thing about MCDONALDS; they have been around
the longest, but does that make them the best? We have at least a couple hundred
PSA graded cards and we have come to the conclusion that PSA is "remarkably
consistent in their inconsistency." That gets a big (-) from us. I have PSA cards that
are OVER and UNDER graded and if we have those cards in our SMALL collections,
what other EVILS lurk out there with billions of PSA cards out there? PSA also uses
a primitive 1-10 scale (-) which does not help matters much as there are cards that
fall "in-between these grades. Hence, you get a lot of over or under graded cards.
That stinks. PSA also has what they call "qualifiers" (+) which take into consideration
cards that are deemed off-center (OC), miscut (MC), stains (ST), writing or other
marks (MK) that originally were not on the card. That is cool, but I have cards that
are obviously stained and NOT given a (ST) qualifier (see The PSA SUCKS! Page)
and PSA's determination that a card may or may not be off-centered is questionable
to say the least (essentially MOST vintage cards are technically "off-centered" to
some degree) so that puts us right back to the inconsistency of PSA. Also the
"qualifiers" are a big turn-off to most collectors. PSA does have nice holders, but
they don't take into account that cards are not always cut perfectly. This results in
cards that are "loose" in the holders (-). Doesn't this defeat the purpose of a
protective holder? Also the paper labels are simple enough to read; however PSA
gets sloppy and sometimes the labels are oversized which results in a very sloppy
appearance (-). For reasons we can't imagine, high grade PSA cards of desired
cards sell for mind-boggling amounts (+) !!! The most expensive baseball card in
existence, the Gretzky T206 Honus Wagner (PSA 8 NM/MT) sold for 1.3 MILLION
dollars and that particular card was the first card graded by PSA. If the owner were
to resubmit the card for regrading it would probably come back NM 7. But keep in
mind that Mickey D's sells BILLIONS of hamburgers daily and they certainly are not
anywhere near the best. To top off this "best" service, PSA, along with their
"bastard offspring" GAI, have the BALLS to charge a yearly "membership fee" (-)!!!
You call this THE BEST??? We don't.
they? Well, on the plus side, they have been around the longest, over 10 years now
(+). But you can say the same thing about MCDONALDS; they have been around
the longest, but does that make them the best? We have at least a couple hundred
PSA graded cards and we have come to the conclusion that PSA is "remarkably
consistent in their inconsistency." That gets a big (-) from us. I have PSA cards that
are OVER and UNDER graded and if we have those cards in our SMALL collections,
what other EVILS lurk out there with billions of PSA cards out there? PSA also uses
a primitive 1-10 scale (-) which does not help matters much as there are cards that
fall "in-between these grades. Hence, you get a lot of over or under graded cards.
That stinks. PSA also has what they call "qualifiers" (+) which take into consideration
cards that are deemed off-center (OC), miscut (MC), stains (ST), writing or other
marks (MK) that originally were not on the card. That is cool, but I have cards that
are obviously stained and NOT given a (ST) qualifier (see The PSA SUCKS! Page)
and PSA's determination that a card may or may not be off-centered is questionable
to say the least (essentially MOST vintage cards are technically "off-centered" to
some degree) so that puts us right back to the inconsistency of PSA. Also the
"qualifiers" are a big turn-off to most collectors. PSA does have nice holders, but
they don't take into account that cards are not always cut perfectly. This results in
cards that are "loose" in the holders (-). Doesn't this defeat the purpose of a
protective holder? Also the paper labels are simple enough to read; however PSA
gets sloppy and sometimes the labels are oversized which results in a very sloppy
appearance (-). For reasons we can't imagine, high grade PSA cards of desired
cards sell for mind-boggling amounts (+) !!! The most expensive baseball card in
existence, the Gretzky T206 Honus Wagner (PSA 8 NM/MT) sold for 1.3 MILLION
dollars and that particular card was the first card graded by PSA. If the owner were
to resubmit the card for regrading it would probably come back NM 7. But keep in
mind that Mickey D's sells BILLIONS of hamburgers daily and they certainly are not
anywhere near the best. To top off this "best" service, PSA, along with their
"bastard offspring" GAI, have the BALLS to charge a yearly "membership fee" (-)!!!
You call this THE BEST??? We don't.
Check out the stain below "Willie" on the 1966 Topps #1 card to the right (NO qualifier!)
Sportscard Guarantee Company (SGC)
SGC has been around for several years now and have really proven to be one of the best and most
consistent (+) services out there. I have never had an unpleasant experience with SGC. Their
customer service is tops (+). For instance, once I did not send enough money along with my
submission. It was only a few dollars but SGC went ahead and processed the order. I did that with PSA
once and they held up the order until they received payment. Which is their right, but for a couple
bucks? So who do you think still gets my business? Holders; SGC holders are very nice, though I don't
care for the printed labels, which are so-so. However SGC at least takes the time to make sure the
labels are cut properly (unlike PSA). There is a black insert that is custom cut (+) to the individual card
which is very nice as it can accommodate the very slight difference in card width/ height (again, unlike
PSA). This black insert also allows for a better presentation of the card and is very attractive (+).
Another feature SGC has that PSA doesn't is a numbered scale of 10 (being lowest) to 100 (Pristine)
which allows for in-between grades (+). For instance while PSA has a EX 5 and then EX-MT 6, SGC
has 60 EX, 70 EX+, and 80 EX/NM. This is an excellent feature as no two cards are alike and this
grading scale more accurately describes the condition of the card. Another plus (+) is the FREE price
guides and Population Reports SGC provides on it's website. PSA and GAI both charge for this service
in their yearly membership fees. The only drawback to SGC is the fact that sometimes you don't know
why a card received a particular grade (-). It would be helpful if they provided sub-grades on the back
of the holder (see Becketts, GAI, SCD). Also SGC is a bit more lenient on centering then Becketts or
PSA, though still within grading guidelines. Overall I rate SGC very high. They have maintained
consistency while PSA and Becketts have not.
consistent (+) services out there. I have never had an unpleasant experience with SGC. Their
customer service is tops (+). For instance, once I did not send enough money along with my
submission. It was only a few dollars but SGC went ahead and processed the order. I did that with PSA
once and they held up the order until they received payment. Which is their right, but for a couple
bucks? So who do you think still gets my business? Holders; SGC holders are very nice, though I don't
care for the printed labels, which are so-so. However SGC at least takes the time to make sure the
labels are cut properly (unlike PSA). There is a black insert that is custom cut (+) to the individual card
which is very nice as it can accommodate the very slight difference in card width/ height (again, unlike
PSA). This black insert also allows for a better presentation of the card and is very attractive (+).
Another feature SGC has that PSA doesn't is a numbered scale of 10 (being lowest) to 100 (Pristine)
which allows for in-between grades (+). For instance while PSA has a EX 5 and then EX-MT 6, SGC
has 60 EX, 70 EX+, and 80 EX/NM. This is an excellent feature as no two cards are alike and this
grading scale more accurately describes the condition of the card. Another plus (+) is the FREE price
guides and Population Reports SGC provides on it's website. PSA and GAI both charge for this service
in their yearly membership fees. The only drawback to SGC is the fact that sometimes you don't know
why a card received a particular grade (-). It would be helpful if they provided sub-grades on the back
of the holder (see Becketts, GAI, SCD). Also SGC is a bit more lenient on centering then Becketts or
PSA, though still within grading guidelines. Overall I rate SGC very high. They have maintained
consistency while PSA and Becketts have not.
HOW WE SCORE 'EM
Pluses (+) 6: Consistency, customer service, custom inserts, attractive holders, in-between grading.
NO membership fees
Negatives (-) 1: No sub-grades.
FINAL ASSIGNED GRADE: SGC 84 NM
Pluses (+) 6: Consistency, customer service, custom inserts, attractive holders, in-between grading.
NO membership fees
Negatives (-) 1: No sub-grades.
FINAL ASSIGNED GRADE: SGC 84 NM
1972 Topps #309 Roberto Clemente SGC 88 NM/MT
Beckett's Grading Service (BGS)
Beckett's has long been the hobby's premier price guide.They jumped into the graded card industry with not one, but at
least 3 different services; Beckett's Grading Service (BGS), Beckett's Vintage Service (BVG), and Beckett's Collector
Club Grading (BCCG). If they just stuck to specifically BVG/BGS we would rank them right up alongside SGC.
Unfortunately Beckett's seems to think there are 3 different grading scales (-), when at the same time the hobby is
supposed to be "unifying" grading. First I am going to talk about BVG and BGS. I'll get to BCCG in a bit. BVG grades
vintage cards up through 1980. BGS grades cards 1981 to present. Why they need two different services is beyond me.
A NM card is a NM card, whether it is from 1956 or 2006. BVG/BGS holders are great. They are durable and the labels
have a grade for centering, corners, edges and surface (+). BVG & BGS cards are graded very consistent, perhaps
even on the conservative side (+) which means your cards won't be overgraded. They also use in-between grading (IE.
"6.5 EX-MT+, 7.5 NM+," etc.) which is far more accurate than a simple 1-10 scale (+). BVG/BGS cards have realized
high resale prices (+), however keep in mind that sometimes the cards may in fact be UNDER graded and as such you
may not get full value for your card (-) if you sell your card.. For example, a BVG 6.5 EX-MT+ card will sell for less than a
PSA 7 NM or SGC 84 NM card when in fact it may BE a NM card. Maybe even better. BGS/BVG cards are top rate.
BCCG cards are not. You can find them frequently on Shop At Home channels, given away as "freebies' with the
purchase of Beckett publications, and you can pick them up very cheap on ebay. The grading is much more general
than the other Beckett services and can be somewhat deceiving. Check out the Nolan Ryan card to the left. It is graded
an "8" which would be a NM/MT card with most grading services. However look underneath and you see "Excellent or
Better." I question why anyone would send a card to BCCG and I question Beckett's for even having such a service. We
are not even going to grade them.
NOTE: As of this year (2006), Beckett's BVG graded cards will no longer have subgrades; just a final grade like the
other 3 major grading services. The vintage cards I have seen are not graded conservatively as they once were. In fact I
have seen some cards which seem to be overgraded (much like PSA). As such I am going to deduct .5 which lowers their
overall grade from EX-MT+ 6.5 to EX-MT 6. Hey, if BVG can make changes, I can too!
least 3 different services; Beckett's Grading Service (BGS), Beckett's Vintage Service (BVG), and Beckett's Collector
Club Grading (BCCG). If they just stuck to specifically BVG/BGS we would rank them right up alongside SGC.
Unfortunately Beckett's seems to think there are 3 different grading scales (-), when at the same time the hobby is
supposed to be "unifying" grading. First I am going to talk about BVG and BGS. I'll get to BCCG in a bit. BVG grades
vintage cards up through 1980. BGS grades cards 1981 to present. Why they need two different services is beyond me.
A NM card is a NM card, whether it is from 1956 or 2006. BVG/BGS holders are great. They are durable and the labels
have a grade for centering, corners, edges and surface (+). BVG & BGS cards are graded very consistent, perhaps
even on the conservative side (+) which means your cards won't be overgraded. They also use in-between grading (IE.
"6.5 EX-MT+, 7.5 NM+," etc.) which is far more accurate than a simple 1-10 scale (+). BVG/BGS cards have realized
high resale prices (+), however keep in mind that sometimes the cards may in fact be UNDER graded and as such you
may not get full value for your card (-) if you sell your card.. For example, a BVG 6.5 EX-MT+ card will sell for less than a
PSA 7 NM or SGC 84 NM card when in fact it may BE a NM card. Maybe even better. BGS/BVG cards are top rate.
BCCG cards are not. You can find them frequently on Shop At Home channels, given away as "freebies' with the
purchase of Beckett publications, and you can pick them up very cheap on ebay. The grading is much more general
than the other Beckett services and can be somewhat deceiving. Check out the Nolan Ryan card to the left. It is graded
an "8" which would be a NM/MT card with most grading services. However look underneath and you see "Excellent or
Better." I question why anyone would send a card to BCCG and I question Beckett's for even having such a service. We
are not even going to grade them.
NOTE: As of this year (2006), Beckett's BVG graded cards will no longer have subgrades; just a final grade like the
other 3 major grading services. The vintage cards I have seen are not graded conservatively as they once were. In fact I
have seen some cards which seem to be overgraded (much like PSA). As such I am going to deduct .5 which lowers their
overall grade from EX-MT+ 6.5 to EX-MT 6. Hey, if BVG can make changes, I can too!
HOW WE SCORE 'EM (BVG/BGS only)
Positives (+) 3: Durable holders, subgrades (BGS only), good resale (BGS/BVG).
Negatives (-) 1: Possible lower resale for some cards (due to conservative grading on early BVG cards).
FINAL ASSIGNED GRADE: Excellent-Mint 6
Positives (+) 3: Durable holders, subgrades (BGS only), good resale (BGS/BVG).
Negatives (-) 1: Possible lower resale for some cards (due to conservative grading on early BVG cards).
FINAL ASSIGNED GRADE: Excellent-Mint 6
1977 Topps #650 Nolan Ryan BCCG 8 (read
carefully)
carefully)
Global Authenticators Inc. (GAI)
A relatively newer company, GAI made itself reputable almost immediately by name recognition. Their
claim to fame was the fact that the company was started by one of PSA's top graders. Well it sure
seemed to help as GAI has established themselves as one of the top four grading services. And
actually we really like their holders. Like SGC, they have custom inserts (+) which highlight the card.
Their labels are the best with a metallic label that is neatly done (+). A unique feature is the top edge is
also labeled so you can see what the card is even while stacked up with other graded cards. Currently
GAI probably has the nicest looking holders out there. (+). Another plus is in-between grading (+). A
negative is that there are no subgrades (-) and also we don't know what the "1st Graded" means on the
label. So what if it's "1st Graded." Does it somehow increase the value of the card? No. GAI gets
another negative (-) for charging a membership fee like their UNHOLY MOTHER, PSA. GAI cards have
a pretty good resale value; however a PSA card of the same grade will usually bring a somewhat higher
price. However a big blow-it was the fact that GAI actually graded a counterfeit card (-3) a few years
back. It was a 1963 Bazooka and they graded and slabbed at least one example. It was reported in
Sports Collectors Digest and was very embarrassing for GAI. Oops. If they can grade one fake card as
being "authentic," then that really raises our eyebrows as to who exactly is grading their cards. Mr.
Magoo???
claim to fame was the fact that the company was started by one of PSA's top graders. Well it sure
seemed to help as GAI has established themselves as one of the top four grading services. And
actually we really like their holders. Like SGC, they have custom inserts (+) which highlight the card.
Their labels are the best with a metallic label that is neatly done (+). A unique feature is the top edge is
also labeled so you can see what the card is even while stacked up with other graded cards. Currently
GAI probably has the nicest looking holders out there. (+). Another plus is in-between grading (+). A
negative is that there are no subgrades (-) and also we don't know what the "1st Graded" means on the
label. So what if it's "1st Graded." Does it somehow increase the value of the card? No. GAI gets
another negative (-) for charging a membership fee like their UNHOLY MOTHER, PSA. GAI cards have
a pretty good resale value; however a PSA card of the same grade will usually bring a somewhat higher
price. However a big blow-it was the fact that GAI actually graded a counterfeit card (-3) a few years
back. It was a 1963 Bazooka and they graded and slabbed at least one example. It was reported in
Sports Collectors Digest and was very embarrassing for GAI. Oops. If they can grade one fake card as
being "authentic," then that really raises our eyebrows as to who exactly is grading their cards. Mr.
Magoo???
HOW WE SCORE 'EM
Pluses (+) 4: Customer service, custom inserts, attractive holders, in-between grading.
Negatives (-) 5: No sub-grades, authenticated a fake card (-3), yearly membership fees.
FINAL ASSIGNED GRADE: GAI 4.5 VG/EX +
Pluses (+) 4: Customer service, custom inserts, attractive holders, in-between grading.
Negatives (-) 5: No sub-grades, authenticated a fake card (-3), yearly membership fees.
FINAL ASSIGNED GRADE: GAI 4.5 VG/EX +
1935 Diamond Stars #44 Rogers Hornsby GAI 4.5
VG/EX+
VG/EX+
A Bit On Grading Services NOT mentioned here- There are a slew of them, CTA, MINT Grading Service, PRO, FGA, and a lot more. You really need to
be skeptical when purchasing these cards as most are OVERgraded and some may even be counterfeit (FGA has slabbed numerous counterfeit issues in
their shady history). We are not saying these services are all bad, but you really need to be careful when purchasing them. Also keep in mind cards graded
by these services tend to have an extremely LOW resale value. One grading service that (I thought) did a good job but pulled out early in the grading
business was SCD Authentic (Sports Collector's Digest Authentic). At one time I endorsed them, but after purchasing a couple examples recently I have
since changed my mind. In particular a 1968 Topps #280 Mickey Mantle graded by SCDA as being "5 EX." However there is a slight crease running
horizontally through the card and as such I don't see how ANY grading service could give a creased card an EX grade. That latest example sent me over
the edge and I know say that SCDA maybe was smart to pull out before they got a bad rap in the hobby. Keep in mind there is another service out there
also called "SCD Authentic" (Sports Card Direct Authentic, or "Screw Collectors Daily," see pic below) and these look identical to the Sport Collector
Digest Authentic. Very clever. However they are a completely different company and they seem to be very generous with their grading!
be skeptical when purchasing these cards as most are OVERgraded and some may even be counterfeit (FGA has slabbed numerous counterfeit issues in
their shady history). We are not saying these services are all bad, but you really need to be careful when purchasing them. Also keep in mind cards graded
by these services tend to have an extremely LOW resale value. One grading service that (I thought) did a good job but pulled out early in the grading
business was SCD Authentic (Sports Collector's Digest Authentic). At one time I endorsed them, but after purchasing a couple examples recently I have
since changed my mind. In particular a 1968 Topps #280 Mickey Mantle graded by SCDA as being "5 EX." However there is a slight crease running
horizontally through the card and as such I don't see how ANY grading service could give a creased card an EX grade. That latest example sent me over
the edge and I know say that SCDA maybe was smart to pull out before they got a bad rap in the hobby. Keep in mind there is another service out there
also called "SCD Authentic" (Sports Card Direct Authentic, or "Screw Collectors Daily," see pic below) and these look identical to the Sport Collector
Digest Authentic. Very clever. However they are a completely different company and they seem to be very generous with their grading!
1957 Topps #400 Dodgers Sluggers 6.5 EX/NM???
Here is an example of a "Sports Cards Direct Authentic" graded card. I would rate this as a 3rd rate service which means don't waste your money. Notice the grade,
6.5 EX/NM (Excellent to Near Mint) which is essentially a NM card. However look at the centering side to side; it is way off! This company gave it a 6 on centering, which is
pretty damn generous! Now if this card were to be sent to other grading services here is how I think it would grade (assuming the corners and surface are EX/NM):
Becketts 2.5 Good to Very Good or 3 Very Good (Becketts is extremely tough with centering; if Becketts gives the card a 2 for centering, the highest grade it could
get would be 2 grades higher, or a 3 Very Good), GAI 4.5 VG/EX+ or maybe 5 EX, PSA 5 EX or 6 EX-MT with an (OC) qualifier, SGC 50 VG/EX to 60 EX. Granted this
is an educated guess but you can see that probably none of these companies would give this card the grade Sports Cards Direct Authentic did. As such this card has
been misrepresented and essentially whatever fees (grading fee, shipping fees, etc.) the person paid to this service is essentially WASTED! In fact this card sold on ebay
for $30.57. If it were really an EX/NM card it would have sold for at least $100. So in conclusion, I would not waste my money sending cards to this service and if you are
considering purchasing a card graded by Sport Cards Direct Authentic bear in mind that the chances are the card is OVERgraded and bid accordingly (like the winner of
this card did, he got a good deal!).
6.5 EX/NM (Excellent to Near Mint) which is essentially a NM card. However look at the centering side to side; it is way off! This company gave it a 6 on centering, which is
pretty damn generous! Now if this card were to be sent to other grading services here is how I think it would grade (assuming the corners and surface are EX/NM):
Becketts 2.5 Good to Very Good or 3 Very Good (Becketts is extremely tough with centering; if Becketts gives the card a 2 for centering, the highest grade it could
get would be 2 grades higher, or a 3 Very Good), GAI 4.5 VG/EX+ or maybe 5 EX, PSA 5 EX or 6 EX-MT with an (OC) qualifier, SGC 50 VG/EX to 60 EX. Granted this
is an educated guess but you can see that probably none of these companies would give this card the grade Sports Cards Direct Authentic did. As such this card has
been misrepresented and essentially whatever fees (grading fee, shipping fees, etc.) the person paid to this service is essentially WASTED! In fact this card sold on ebay
for $30.57. If it were really an EX/NM card it would have sold for at least $100. So in conclusion, I would not waste my money sending cards to this service and if you are
considering purchasing a card graded by Sport Cards Direct Authentic bear in mind that the chances are the card is OVERgraded and bid accordingly (like the winner of
this card did, he got a good deal!).
This service is even below 3rd rate. This one was on eBay recently. Who in the hell is
"Sports Collectors Dimension???" Instead of "Dimension," this company should use the
word "Dementia" as anyone crazy enough to send an authentic 1952 Topps #311 Mickey
Mantle to this rinky-dink, bottom feeder of a grading service is either a scam artist or just
plain crazy. This card sold on eBay for $1000 with just two bids, but if it was slabbed by a
reputable service it would have fetched at least 6 times that amount, if not more. Chances
are very high that this card is either a fake, trimmed, or altered in some way. Chances are
also very high that this grading disservice is either out of business already or on the brink of
being so. Buyer beware!!!
"Sports Collectors Dimension???" Instead of "Dimension," this company should use the
word "Dementia" as anyone crazy enough to send an authentic 1952 Topps #311 Mickey
Mantle to this rinky-dink, bottom feeder of a grading service is either a scam artist or just
plain crazy. This card sold on eBay for $1000 with just two bids, but if it was slabbed by a
reputable service it would have fetched at least 6 times that amount, if not more. Chances
are very high that this card is either a fake, trimmed, or altered in some way. Chances are
also very high that this grading disservice is either out of business already or on the brink of
being so. Buyer beware!!!
Sports Collectors Dimension???
In summary, grading services where supposed to take the guess "work out" of grading. But instead they cause just as much confusion as before
grading services! When you have 4 major services and 4 different grading guidelines, how exactly does this unify grading? It doesn't. Just like one
collector may grade a card "NM," and another collector grades it "EX," so you have BVG calling a card "EX" and PSA grading it "EX-MT." It is all
subjective. The only real benefit of a grading service is this; a plastic holder to store and display your cards. Nothing more and nothing less. Cards
graded GEM MINT were MINT before they were slabbed weren't they? Vintage cards have somehow survived in high grades (take for example the
highest graded T206 Honus Wagner, a PSA 8 NM/MT, how did this card survive nearly 100 years without being "slabbed?") without the benefit of
tamper-proof, protective pieces of plastic. The reason for these services is simple; to make money providing a service you can do yourself (with a
little knowledge). There are also plenty of protective sleeves and holders to protect your cards without costing you $6 to $10 (or more) per card to
slab. So consider these things before shelling out hundreds of dollars which otherwise could be used for buying... more CARDS!!!
grading services! When you have 4 major services and 4 different grading guidelines, how exactly does this unify grading? It doesn't. Just like one
collector may grade a card "NM," and another collector grades it "EX," so you have BVG calling a card "EX" and PSA grading it "EX-MT." It is all
subjective. The only real benefit of a grading service is this; a plastic holder to store and display your cards. Nothing more and nothing less. Cards
graded GEM MINT were MINT before they were slabbed weren't they? Vintage cards have somehow survived in high grades (take for example the
highest graded T206 Honus Wagner, a PSA 8 NM/MT, how did this card survive nearly 100 years without being "slabbed?") without the benefit of
tamper-proof, protective pieces of plastic. The reason for these services is simple; to make money providing a service you can do yourself (with a
little knowledge). There are also plenty of protective sleeves and holders to protect your cards without costing you $6 to $10 (or more) per card to
slab. So consider these things before shelling out hundreds of dollars which otherwise could be used for buying... more CARDS!!!
HOW WE SCORE 'EM
Pluses (+) 3: Longevity, qualifiers, high resale value for high grade cards.
Negatives (-) 6: Horribly inconsistent, qualifiers = lower resale value, no in-between grades, generic holders, sloppy labels, yearly membership fees.
FINAL ASSIGNED GRADE: PSA 3 VG
Pluses (+) 3: Longevity, qualifiers, high resale value for high grade cards.
Negatives (-) 6: Horribly inconsistent, qualifiers = lower resale value, no in-between grades, generic holders, sloppy labels, yearly membership fees.
FINAL ASSIGNED GRADE: PSA 3 VG
1953 Bowman Color #117 Duke Snider
1971 Topps #20 Reggie Jackson