My GMA Experiment

[drcy]

Originally Posted by Aquarian Sports Cards

What the hell is GMA?

Grand Meft Auto

[Pilot172000]

Its a lower end grading service I found.

[brianp-beme]

I have purchased a handful of their lower condition graded cards over the last few years and it seems like they do a decent job with their grading. Perhaps that WWG DiMaggio should be sent to them to verify trimming.

Brian

[bnorth]

I like them for the service they provide. If you have some cards you want slabbed at a low price to protect them they are great. As far as resale value I don't believe they would be very good for that.

[swarmee]

Guy slabbing cards at his house in Florida. May be cheap, but doesn't increase resale value because nobody trusts him and collectors expect the cards to be altered in the slab.
It's probably lowest on this rung of currently still existing grading companies:
PSA
Beckett
SGC
KSA
BCCG (because of their wacky scale) and collector distrust/disinterest
GMA

Did I miss any? Is KSA (Canadian grader) still in business?

[Pilot172000]

Originally Posted by swarmee

Guy slabbing cards at his house in Florida. May be cheap, but doesn't increase resale value because nobody trusts him and collectors expect the cards to be altered in the slab.
It's probably lowest on this rung of currently still existing grading companies:
PSA
Beckett
SGC
KSA
BCCG (because of their wacky scale) and collector distrust/disinterest
GMA

Did I miss any? Is KSA (Canadian grader) still in business?

I didn’t send them to GMA for resale. I’m a card collector not a card dealer. Usually when I have something I think I may resell I send it to PSA or SGC. I would put them above KSA and BCCG personally. The cards I have sent him with the exceptions of my two Authentic grades have been spot on. I’m just not going to spend $20 a card on grading just in case I might sell it. I could used that money for more cards.

Also I have learned to buy the card not the holder. I got bit one to many times by these grading companies by buying the grades.

[swarmee]

No, I realize; I was answering the guy above that didn't know who they were. Some of the Panhandle guys submit to GMA for mid-grade vintage and cheaper modern cards just because of the quicker turnaround and lower price. But it doesn't normally improve the value of their cards.

[Pilot172000]

I gotcha. I just thought those guys were being sarcastic. I think all the grading companies have their pluses and minuses. I was just glad to find a cheaper alternative for stuff I won’t sell. I love the people at SGC but their holder are so darn bulky.

[bobbyw8469]

Originally Posted by Pilot172000

I didn’t send them to GMA for resale. I’m a card collector not a card dealer. Usually when I have something I think I may resell I send it to PSA or SGC. I would put them above KSA and BCCG personally. The cards I have sent him with the exceptions of my two Authentic grades have been spot on. I’m just not going to spend $20 a card on grading just in case I might sell it. I could used that money for more cards.

Also I have learned to buy the card not the holder. I got bit one to many times by these grading companies by buying the grades.

Grading cards aren't $20. I am all the time getting cards graded for under $10. You have to catch a special, but it can be done.

[Stampsfan]

Originally Posted by swarmee

Guy slabbing cards at his house in Florida. May be cheap, but doesn't increase resale value because nobody trusts him and collectors expect the cards to be altered in the slab.
It's probably lowest on this rung of currently still existing grading companies:
PSA
Beckett
SGC
KSA
BCCG (because of their wacky scale) and collector distrust/disinterest
GMA

Did I miss any? Is KSA (Canadian grader) still in business?

Yes, KSA is still in business. Changed owners a bit ago, but last I heard are still accepting submissions.

Where would you rank GAI graded cards in your list? I believe I've read here some anecdotal comments around early gradings are quite good, but issues with later gradings.

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by Stampsfan

Yes, KSA is still in business. Changed owners a bit ago, but last I heard are still accepting submissions.

Where would you rank GAI graded cards in your list? I believe I've read here some anecdotal comments around early gradings are quite good, but issues with later gradings.

GAI had something in common with GMA. At the end GAI was a guy slabbing cards out of his house. The difference was one is in Florida and one was in Iowa.

[swarmee]

Originally Posted by Stampsfan

Where would you rank GAI graded cards in your list? I believe I've read here some anecdotal comments around early gradings are quite good, but issues with later gradings.

I've heard the same about their cards, but especially their graded packs. Early ones are unopened, many resealed ones got through later on.

I'd say they're close to SGC when they were good, but I don't have personal experience. I've bought some SCD graded 1952 Topps for my PSA set, cracked them out, and they did okay, even with PSA being thought to have tightened their standards:
https://www.blowoutforums.com/showpo...7&postcount=45
Of course, I think I bought them all for around PSA 4-5 prices, so even the ones the dropped still "improved" in value.

[Santo10Fan]

For your consideration, the bottom edge of this Huggins

[Oscar_Stanage]

Originally Posted by Stampsfan

Yes, KSA is still in business. Changed owners a bit ago, but last I heard are still accepting submissions.

KSA has surged recently with the popularity of the Gretzky rookie. I am pretty sure they have graded the most OPC Gretzky rookies and might be the biggest hockey grader in the market. they definitely have a much better reputation under the new ownership and lots of collectors really like them.

They've been around for a long time, and like many TPGs, there are issues/lack of confidence in their older slabs. I have a few KSA cards, and my only issue is with the grading scale. They do not seem to account for centering, and because of this, you sometimes need to reduce the grade by 2 levels. i find that to be annoying- they have some bad cards graded as '8's. Some say that you need to do this with SGC and other graders as well, but I do not see it. It always depends on the card, but I view SGC/PSA to be within 1 grade of each other and it not always in the same direction.

[2dueces]

CSA was a Canadian firm the graded Star Basketball before Beckett.
Not a darn this wrong with their service. Not sure they’re in business
but the grades are pretty much spot on.

[Tere1071]

Originally Posted by Stampsfan

Yes, KSA is still in business. Changed owners a bit ago, but last I heard are still accepting submissions.

Where would you rank GAI graded cards in your list? I believe I've read here some anecdotal comments around early gradings are quite good, but issues with later gradings.

I have purchased a total of four cards in GAI holders, three of them labeled "First Graded." I am well aware of the controversy surrounding their grading practices, but I don't care about their investment potential, so they work for me. If you're thinking about selling them one day, then I would go with one of the more established grading companies which means PSA would be the first choice for many collectors, investors, flippers- you get the idea.

Phil aka Tere1071

[Frank A]

Originally Posted by swarmee

Guy slabbing cards at his house in Florida. May be cheap, but doesn't increase resale value because nobody trusts him and collectors expect the cards to be altered in the slab.
It's probably lowest on this rung of currently still existing grading companies:
PSA
Beckett
SGC
KSA
BCCG (because of their wacky scale) and collector distrust/disinterest
GMA

Did I miss any? Is KSA (Canadian grader) still in business?

Not True. I am now using them for most of my grading and they do a real good job. Their grading is pretty damn good and there is no 3 to 4 month wait. have been selling a number of cards on ebay and they do well. If you have not tried them then you should not condemn them. It just makes you a big mouth with no knowledge of what you are talking about. FRANK.

[swarmee]

Originally Posted by Frank A

Not True. I am now using them for most of my grading and they do a real good job. Their grading is pretty damn good and there is no 3 to 4 month wait. have been selling a number of cards on ebay and they do well. If you have not tried them then you should not condemn them. It just makes you a big mouth with no knowledge of what you are talking about. FRANK.

Thanks. Me from two years ago has been appropriately scolded.