BVG Crossover .... any success?

[Neal]

I collect both PSA and SGC cards, and they make up 100% of my graded collection.
With eBay offerings at a minimum for what I am looking for, I have noticed a few cards in the BVG slab that I have considered purchasing with the intent of a cross.

Are there any success stories out there? Better yet, is BVG a legit grader? I understand modern collectors prefer Beckett over PSA, but I am not sure if Beckett and BVG follow the same guidelines.

It seems that these are usually offered up with a lower BIN, and could be a more affordable way to add to the collection.

Thanks

[mid50sbaseball]

my understanding (and I could be dead wrong) is that BGS (the modern Beckett grading) and BVG are essentially one in the same. They simply use a different slab/label for vintage cards and they don't include sub-grades on the labels for vintage like they do with moderns.

If you do end up submitting one for cross I'd be very interested to see how it turns out. I have seen that BVG typically tends to sell a little below PSA/SGC levels for the same card and grade so will be curious to see if there's good reason for that.

Just stay away from the BCCG stuff...I have no idea what the hell the point of those is supposed to be...

[pokerplyr80]

BVG is a legit grader but have a reputation for being more lenient. If you're buying a vintage BVG card I would recommend paying no more than the going rate for a PSA card one full grade lower. Don't expect it to cross unless you crack it before submitting. Higher risk but higher potential reward.

Personally I tried to cross twice without cracking first. Went for half a grade lower, BVG 7.5 to PSA 7. No luck.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Just my personal opinion, I would not go there for any reasonably significant card.

[jfkheat]

The first time I sent cards in to any company for grading was probably close to 15 years ago. I sent my nicer looking cards to Beckett to be put in BVG slabs. I was very happy with the grade the cards received. This was when they used sub-grades. I sent more cards in that were just as nice but were not centered as well. This order was 8 to 10 cards, mostly Mantles. The centering killed the grades. I busted most of these out of the slabs and sent them in to PSA. Every card I sent to PSA graded higher. The biggest jump was a 1956 Mantle that went from BVG 4.5 to PSA 7. I forgot what all the sub-grades were but do remember that centering was 4. At the time BVG wouldn't give any card a grade more than .5 higher than the lowest sub-grade.
James

[glynparson]

then you can buy bvg. If you have trouble telling a factory cut and that matters to you avoid them. This has been my experience, they will catch coloring and counterfeits but often miss non factory cuts. The grading tends to run the same to +/- a grade exempting the factory cut thing.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by glynparson

then you can buy bvg. If you have trouble telling a factory cut and that matters to you avoid them. This has been my experience, they will catch coloring and counterfeits but often miss non factory cuts. The grading tends to run the same to +/- a grade exempting the factory cut thing.

That sounds like a good recipe for someone I know of.

[Neal]

Interesting about the cuts ... thanks for sharing.

I think I have a pretty good eye for cards, including cuts, but I prefer not to drop 500 for a card that is not SGC or PSA. My intent, solely, would be to cross to one of the two.

In either the PSA or SGC slab, the card is an 800 dollar purchase all day long.