Grading tutorial? Advice before you submit?

[butchie_t]

I use a card centering scale, black light, a magnifying glass (5-10x) as well as a digital microscope that has a display unit on it. Works on coins well and a bonus with cards too.

I am also experimenting with a digital readout manual caliper to try and gauge card H x W. I am a bit uncomfortable with this at the moment as I am nervous as to what it may be doing to the card edges. I have been searching for a complete digital measuring version of this that is calibrated well. But I have not found one just yet. There has to be an ‘app for that’ but I have not seen it yet.

Not sure if that meets the OCD bar, but I imagine it is in the ballpark.

With HOF cards that are older, it really does not come into play for me. Regardless of condition, I will tend to grade them. For newer cards in much better condition, I can get a bit more selective with what I will select.

I asked this question here about a year ago and it was pretty much ‘do what you like.’

So I came up with the above.

[hcv123]

1) On a good day the grading companies are inconsistent and on a bad day bordering on incompetent. I can't tell you how many stories I've heard of people cracking and resubmitting - getting the same card back within a 3 grade range!! If you are REALLY good I would say you should be able to consistently land within a 1 grade deviation. Depending what you collect, that could represent some significant price differences, I just don't think it is realistic to get any better than that.

2) Have seemingly changed their standards over the years. Today's "7" looks very different from a 7 graded 15 years ago (with plenty of exceptions)

Tools - DEFINITELY a 10x lighted loupe. A blacklight. sample cards from the years you are looking at to check for sizing.

[Belfast1933]

Originally Posted by hcv123

1) On a good day the grading companies are inconsistent and on a bad day bordering on incompetent. I can't tell you how many stories I've heard of people cracking and resubmitting - getting the same card back within a 3 grade range!! If you are REALLY good I would say you should be able to consistently land within a 1 grade deviation. Depending what you collect, that could represent some significant price differences, I just don't think it is realistic to get any better than that.

2) Have seemingly changed their standards over the years. Today's "7" looks very different from a 7 graded 15 years ago (with plenty of exceptions)

Tools - DEFINITELY a 10x lighted loupe. A blacklight. sample cards from the years you are looking at to check for sizing.

Thanks Howard... yeah, I'd settle to be within 1 grade of actual/received. I'll admit that I have sent in some newer cards (80's rookies, Mattingly, Strawberry, Sandberg) pretty certain they were very high grades and they came back with a big miss (by me).

Total waste of $$.

I've gotten better but I'm not sure I'm a +/- 1 grade DIY expert yet - at least not reliably.

Is this something this forum has ever considered - would we ever "crowd source" grade estimates for each other to see if we can save each other the time/cost to submit? Could get unwieldy, I suppose.

It feels like there may be some way to community-pre-grade somehow.

I'll keep try to learn myself as well.

Thanks again -

Jeff

[Belfast1933]

Originally Posted by butchie_t

I use a card centering scale, black light, a magnifying glass (5-10x) as well as a digital microscope that has a display unit on it. Works on coins well and a bonus with cards too.

I am also experimenting with a digital readout manual caliper to try and gauge card H x W. I am a bit uncomfortable with this at the moment as I am nervous as to what it may be doing to the card edges. I have been searching for a complete digital measuring version of this that is calibrated well. But I have not found one just yet. There has to be an ‘app for that’ but I have not seen it yet.

Not sure if that meets the OCD bar, but I imagine it is in the ballpark.

With HOF cards that are older, it really does not come into play for me. Regardless of condition, I will tend to grade them. For newer cards in much better condition, I can get a bit more selective with what I will select.

I asked this question here about a year ago and it was pretty much ‘do what you like.’

So I came up with the above.

Really helpful advice, Butch... re: your approach to generally sending in older HOFers but scrutinizing the newer ones per your plans above - do you mind if I ask where your cut-off is?

For instance, I was a kid in the 70's and lots of star/HOF cards from that era that are really only worthy of submission if they are at the very highest (8+) grades. I might try some of your techniques listed above for those (Rose, Ryan, Yz, etc)

Where do you cut off where you just submit vs. DIY before you submit?

Thanks again - appreciate the time and advice

Jeff

[butchie_t]

Originally Posted by Belfast1933

Really helpful advice, Butch... re: your approach to generally sending in older HOFers but scrutinizing the newer ones per your plans above - do you mind if I ask where your cut-off is?

For instance, I was a kid in the 70's and lots of star/HOF cards from that era that are really only worthy of submission if they are at the very highest (8+) grades. I might try some of your techniques listed above for those (Rose, Ryan, Yz, etc)

Where do you cut off where you just submit vs. DIY before you submit?

Thanks again - appreciate the time and advice

Jeff

I am a bit more liberal to the cut off. Mid 70s works for me. I get a bit more tweaky from 80's on. And my range of cards that I have stops at 99. I am not inclined to go further unless I am hunting specific cards in which case they tend to be graded already. And for me, personally. I can afford SGC and that is where I send cards when I get enough, which ain't many either. 3-4 tops at a time and not all that frequent.

I am still stinging over the Wild-Card Stockton 1000 point card I recently sent to SGC. It came back as 'A' evidence of trimming. Which, was not the case at all but what do you do with that?