Pics added of first 2 PSA cards ... Which would be better investment?

[jchcollins]

Originally Posted by wdwfan

Looking at the SGC, I think they look really nice. But I'm not sure once I get it in hand. However, I know they sell for like half of what PSA does. Can anyone explain this to me?

I don't know that the average (for vintage, anyway) would be "half" of what PSA goes for, but yes - SGC on the whole does not have the same resale value.

It's a number of things. PSA was the first recognized major third party grader, and they set up their "registry" system which was basically allowed collectors of graded cards to compete with each other early on as to who had the best and baddest slabs. Genius marketing idea. That and just the pervasiveness today, the widespread availability of cards graded by PSA I think does it.

On the flipside - I'm an SGC fan, I think for vintage and especially lately they are a more consistent and slightly tougher grader than PSA. Their slabs to me look better and are a more impressive product. So it doesn't bother me so much that SGC slabs are not at a premium compared to PSA, because I prefer them - but I think there are several reasons for this. One, no registry. One has been promised in one form or another now for decades, but it has yet to happen. Two, just a different culture of customer service. SGC is more laid back, and I've seen analogies comparing the two companies which say PSA is the corporate suits, while SGC's staff are the college potheads. Who knows. From my perspective, PSA / Collectors Universe (their parent company) have several things going against them right now, the largest of which is their alleged participation in the PWCC alteration scandal, and giving larger customers preferential treatment. Oddly enough, this has yet to even put a noticeable ding in their reputation since that scandal broke in 2019. To me, PSA's public persona is just a bit shady, with former president Joe "Never Get Cheated" Orlando failing to really even address the issue. If you've been collecting vintage for any length of time, you know full well that there are altered cards in many numbered PSA slabs. The first card they ever graded back in the 90's is now known to have been altered, and well - yeah on a macro level - nobody really cares. There are just some things that don't add up to me. But I digress...

Go SGC and save some $$ if you like. They are A-level graders with a rock solid reputation and just because they are not PSA doesn't mean they aren't legit.