Posted By:
RichardI currently have a lot of Beckett Vintage Graded cards and BGS graded cards and have also crossed over BVG cards over to PSA and GAI so I think I can add something to this discussion.
I have read and heard about the bias against BVG over the past few months on this board and the PSA board, and I feel that a lot of it is unwarranted. Beckett does have a lot of vintage graders who lack the experience of those at PSA GAI and SGC, but I do believe that they are learning / have learned very quickly.
Does Beckett grade sheet cut cards? Yes, absolutely. Can you tell which cards in BVG holders were cut from a sheet? Yes, absolutely. Simple solution - just don't buy those cards.
Has Beckett graded altered cards? Yes, absolutely. But the percentages that are making it through their system are probably now in the ballpark of what gets past PSA. (In the ballpark does not mean equal to) Keep in mind that a BVG grader has seen plenty of 68 Ryans and 54 Aarons and 63 Roses. They know enough about these cards to spot altered or fake cards. Would I send an e95 Cobb to BVG for grading? Heck no! Would I buy an e95 Cobb graded by Beckett? Heck no! What would a BVG grader do a year ago if he saw an e95 Cobb? He would probably grade it using his modern card skills. What would a BVG grader do today if he saw an e95 Cobb? I believe he would be very cautious, do some research and seek multiple opinions. Perhaps even send the card back as "questionable" if there was any doubt.
Personally, I like Beckett cases the best. They are the most secure and look the best imho. I feel that their subgrade system, while you may not like it as a seller, is great as a buyer. For my personal collection, I don't mind having BVG slabs.
I also believe that BVG, in many cases, severely undergrades cards. I have never tried to cross over to PSA in BVG slabs, but I have cracked out several cards with good results. Such as:
61 Oscar Robertson BVG 6 to PSA 8
63 Bob Lilly BVG 6 to PSA 7
I also had several crack outs graded by GAI:
52 Willie Mays BVG 4.5 to GAI 6
58 Jim Brown BVG 5 to GAI 6.5
and a couple slab reviews bumped by GAI:
76 Walter Payton BVG 6.5 to GAI 7
66 Topps Test Bobby Hull BVG 6.5 to GAI 7
Of course, these were cards that I felt were severely undergraded by BVG so the results look skewed.
As for altered cards in BVG holders . . . I have a nice 57 Mantle/Berra that once resided in a BVG case which has a nice power erase on the side . . . anyone interested? All of the big companies make mistakes. I have cards rejected by Beckett for trimming sitting in PSA cases, and the other way around too. Are they really trimmed? Or are the graders being overly cautious?
Happy collecting!