PSA/SGC grade est. - Aim high or low?

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by scomeau

I want an accurate grade and that's all.

HELP!

If this is truly all you want send them to SGC. As far as pricing each card on the submission form put in the price you would need to replace it. The card is raw now so graded prices are irrelevant. It really is that easy. Good luck on whatever you decide.

[scomeau]

Ben,

Your reply is good advice - particularly if I had recently purchased a card at a specific price. I took many of my 50's cards out of the wax back then. How do I assign a value to that?

The grading subjectivity is so tough to anticipate. The perfect answer would be that they take a card, grade it, and then charge you an appropriate fee. Of course this could clearly be accused of grading high to maximize their revenues. I don't think that's their goal. When I have a chance, I meet with graders at shows, and they are helpful, but not always possible for me.

I just wonder what the grader does when they get a '6' submitted as if it were a '4'. And/or what the grader does if they get a '4' submitted as a '6'.

I think the graders aren't quick with advice because there's no good answer that preserves their integrity.

I think the system is bad, but it is institutionalized, and I don't see it changing.

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by scomeau

Ben,

Your reply is good advice - particularly if I had recently purchased a card at a specific price. I took many of my 50's cards out of the wax back then. How do I assign a value to that?

The grading subjectivity is so tough to anticipate. The perfect answer would be that they take a card, grade it, and then charge you an appropriate fee. Of course this could clearly be accused of grading high to maximize their revenues. I don't think that's their goal. When I have a chance, I meet with graders at shows, and they are helpful, but not always possible for me.

I just wonder what the grader does when they get a '6' submitted as if it were a '4'. And/or what the grader does if they get a '4' submitted as a '6'.

I think the graders aren't quick with advice because there's no good answer that preserves their integrity.

I think the system is bad, but it is institutionalized, and I don't see it changing.

This is what I have done and yes it is time consuming. I look up each card on eBay advanced search sold listings. I have them listed low to high in price and when I start seeing cards in the same condition that is my value.

[conor912]

Originally Posted by scomeau

I think the system is bad.

Well, you could, I don't know....leave them raw.

[Jobu]

Don't risk going too high. If you have underestimated the value of the card(s), the grader will call you to tell you that you owe them more money. I have never heard of anyone getting a call offering a refund bc they could have submitted at a lower tier (doesn't mean it hasn't happened). Also, don't put down 1/3rd of what they are clearly worth and piss someone off. These guys understand pricing and the impact grades have on that - they also know an honest pricing effort on your part.

[scomeau]

That sounds like a good common sense approach. Good to hear that they'll sometimes alert if too low rather than grade it artificially low.

So, if I have a card that could be a 4, 5, or 6. Better estimate a 5 and submit accordingly. If it's a 7, they'll probably contact me. If it is a 7, I'm happy to pay. They have reasons not to subvert their consistency for a few bucks.

Thanks.

[swarmee]

No no no, price it as a RAW card in the same condition, not an already graded card. Check eBay sale values or COMC list prices to see raw card values. The replacement value of a raw card is a raw card.

[scomeau]

Took me a while to remember who Jobu is. Ha! Good pick!

[PhillipAbbott79]

Originally Posted by bnorth

If this is truly all you want send them to SGC. As far as pricing each card on the submission form put in the price you would need to replace it. The card is raw now so graded prices are irrelevant. It really is that easy. Good luck on whatever you decide.

I think Becket is gaining ground on respect. Their standards have stiffened and their pricing I believe is cheaper than PSA. I think they have a flat fee if I am not mistaken and its not that much, where the majority of the cost is insurance to ship the card back. Unsure about SGC. I will not use SGC at all.

I asked Beckett why I had to commit to determining value before knowing if something was trimmed or not, and never got an answer, as the card was in fact trimmed(it was a re-grade). You could tell he really did not want to answer that question. In all, to get a 10,000 dollar card graded and shipped, insured, it would have been something like a hundred and change. Uninsured something like under 30 bucks if I recall.