Sorry, just venting here about card grading

[Howe’s Hunter]

At one time, I sent six cards to SGC for grading. Wasn't in a hurry, got my cards back, no big whoop. Think I paid maybe $6 a card to have them grading, plus postage.

There is now an opportunity for me to make a trade for some cards that I would never otherwise be able to get. I have five non-Howe stamped cards that I've had for almost 30 years, and they are all HoFers. One big one. The person who says they may trade has two cards I would be interested in. Both have damage to the front and a stamp on the back. Although I've not really ever been big on graded cards, I do understand this gentleman's point of making sure we both know what each other's cards might be worth. Get them all graded by PSA, then use SMR as a guide to determine value.

So I would have five to get graded, in hopes a reaching a value equal to his two cards. Honestly, I think I have him beat and he might owe me in the long run. But this is the first time in more than 20 years I've looked at pricing of having a card graded, and I can't believe it. A card with your estimated value of more than $500 has to be graded at a higher service level than a card valued at less? Are they going to spend more time looking the more expensive card over than the less expensive card? If that is the case, why would you ever bother to have a card less than $500 in value graded? It sounds like they don't really care about it as much and those prices only go up from the more than $500 level.

Guess I've lived in a top-loader, binder sheet vacuum for too long.

[swarmee]

PSA charges differently for higher valued cards because of their grade guarantee. More expensive cards have higher liability if they damage them or grade them incorrectly. They also come with quicker grading times so that you get them back faster.
All companies have raised their rates lately, but most give discounts to bulk submitters. You can still grade for $6-7 a card with PSA or SGC, but for lower valued (under $99 raw usually).

[bnorth]

Just my honest opinion. Just forget about the trade unless done without grading. What happens when they over grade one persons cards and under grade the other persons. Then you have the wait to get them graded. Then after spending the $ for grading the other person pulls out and you are stuck spending $ you did not need to.

I have had the get them graded and I will buy them deal before. After I wasted the $ on grading it was nothing but crickets from the buyer.

Good luck on adding the Howe cards without the hassles.

[rdixon1208]

Just an idea, but you could ask for a sale price and try to sell your cards on the BST to come up with the cash.

[Fred]

Seriously, you'd go through that hassle? Tell the other guy to use SGC (or PSA), that way only one of you has to get the cards graded. If he wants to cross them later, then that's up to him.

[CobbSpikedMe]

I've never heard of such a request to make a trade by getting the cards graded first then comparing SMR. Sounds like a lot of work and money before a deal is even made. I'd never agree to it myself. I hope you do end up with the cards you want somehow though.

[egbeachley]

They are already graded. Both SGC and PSA are fine. Don’t send them in again. A reasonable person should be able to match values for a trade. If they can’t then grading again isn’t likely to help both sides.