MBA Opinions - Mike Baker Authentic

[Brent G.]

Originally Posted by rand1com

It is all in perspective.

I bought the 1954 Red Heart Mantle GAI 8.5 for roughly what a PSA 4 would have sold for at that time 4 months ago, $2000. I spent $250 to crossover and sold it for $4500. So, a $2250 profit was pretty good. Wish I could buy already graded PSA cards and more than double my money. The key is in the serial numbers. The early ones before they blew up are good as far as being gradable cards. Granted, their 8.5 from 20 years ago was only a PSA 7 today but PSA 8's from 20 years ago would be lucky to get a 7 today.

So, for the time period when they first started and for about a year or two, they were pretty consistent and legit.

They were actually the Host Sponsor at the National one of their early years so at that time they were pretty well respected.

Obviously, as time passed they became really bad and there are a lot of trimmed cards in GAI holders.

But, like this Mantle, there are cards in their holders that are still pretty valuable if crossed over or simply broken out and resubmitted.

But again, the serial numbers are the key to finding cards that will grade and they will still be 1-3 grades lower than the GAI grade on the old holder.

Hey Randy, what would be the serial number range that'd indicate a likely good GAI grade or authentication?