Posted By:
Jon CanfieldI personally believe that all of the 3 major companies (PSA, SGC and GAI) have those that will support them and those that dislike them. I've had good and bad experiences with all three and I would not personally hesitate to buy a GAI graded card albeit as Leon says - buy the card, not the holder.
Also, there are certainly good experiences with GAI. I purchased a raw E95 Cobb for my E95 set. I wanted to make sure it wasn't trimmed so at a show, GAI was doing on-site submissions. I submitted it and it was graded a GAI 1. Later, as I worked towards completion of the set, I started getting the whole set graded by SGC. I cracked the Cobb, sent it to SGC and it came back a 30. Not a bad bump from the company that specializes in pre-war.
Likewise, I purchased a GAI 2 E95 Willis on eBay for something like $60.00 last year. I submitted to SGC for crossover and although they wouldn't give it a 30 (2 equiv), they did give it a 20. Again, I was very happy with an SGC 20 Willis for $60.00.
I trust GAI to get the authenticity of the card correct and I certainly can make a determination as to whether the grade appears to be warranted or not.