Which Grading Company Is Most Reputable

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Posted By: mike

I been resisting having my cards graded for years.
I have a large collection of about 400 Brooklyn Dodgers/
Brooklyn teams from Tabacco to the late 1950's. I started collecting them in the mid 80's when I was 15 and practically paid very little for them I'm know 35. I was a major stickler for condition and can honestly save the the majority of my cards are NEAR/MINT TO MINT. I see the
astronomical prices that are being paid for graded cards that are 7,8,and 9in todays market. I have many multiples of the same players from all years and would like to have those graded, and then put them up for sale, then use the money to purchase cards and Memorabilia that I don't have.
I hear many opinion of PSA BGS AND GAI AND JUST MAKES MATTTERS FOR CONFUSING. Any honest/unbiased info would begreatly appreciated by all. I welcome all opinons

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Posted By: jpaol99

I would personally have anything 1930's through 1950's graded by PSA, and anything earlier by SGC. Most 30's through 50's will bring a premium in a PSA holder because of the set registry guys.

Justin

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Posted By: David Vargha

"Reputable", meaning best $ return for your cards or "reputable", meaning they do the best job? PSA for the most part for $ and SGC for the company that does the best job.

DavidVargha@hotmail.com

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Posted By: Lee Behrens

This question seems to pop up frequently. How about using the poll question as to what grading company you prefer. I think it would be interesting considering that most of the support on this board is for SGC, but I think alot do not say anything because they feel in the minority.

I think if you are looking to get them graded for yor own purposes to use SGC much more attractive, but sad to say PSA is where the money is right now. I think the day will come when the collectors wise up and realize that SGC does a better job of grading and does not hand out 10's like they are tickets to the local strip joint.

Lee

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Posted By: davidcycleback

PSA, GAI and SCG are all reputable card graders.

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Posted By: Scot

I use PSA and SGC. PSA has smaller holders. They both have been consistant for me on grading. Both have provided problems as well but, both made the mistake right. I like the set registry competition, both provide this service as well.

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Posted By: Judge Dred (Fred)

I like Lee's idea - poll it. This should be fairly interesting. It's too bad you couldn't set up the poll for different questions like the ones mentioned:

Which grading company would you use if you were going to sell a card?

Which grading company would do you feel is the best overall?

Which grading company has the best holders?

What features do you like about the holders? I wish that all of the companies would do what GAI does with that little label on the top of the holder.

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Posted By: steve f

BUYING; BVG or SGC -both have been very strict with our prewars'

SELLING; PSA or GAI -several SGC and BVG's break-outs sent to PSA and a few to
GAI, approx 7 of 10 returned higher. None lower nor rejected.

PSA holders are the lightest/slimmest and reportedly easiest breached. Still, my favorite.

SGC holders help vintage standout better.

BVG bulky

GAI The chrome flip looks chincy though the index topper is handy. Their "oversize" holders (glorified shrink wrap) -least fav.

*I believe BVG is underrated.

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Posted By: Al Crisafulli

You'll get lots of different opinions when you ask a question like this, because so much of it is subjective. For example, some people have mentioned the Global flip, where you can see the name of the card just by looking at the slab, as a good thing. I think that anything that's designed so I don't have to actually look at my cards is a BAD thing.

Anyway, the question really has two answers, depending on why you're asking. Are you asking because you've got some cards that you want to have graded for resale, or are you asking because you're a card collector and you want to have your own cards graded, ACCURATELY, consistently, and then protected in an attractive holder?

If your answer is the latter, then you can't go wrong with SGC. PSA is also a very good bet. SGC tends to be more popular on this board, since SGC owns the prewar market and this is a prewar board. PSA is stronger as you get to more postwar issues, particularly 1960-80 or so. Some people think that SGC is a tougher grader, which is a good reputation for a grading company to have, I think. PSA has been around longer, and thus has graded more cards, and is a larger company.

If your answer is the former, there's probably someone better qualified to answer it. I don't collect cards to resell them; my cards are worth whatever they're worth, and I reject the silly notion that one piece of plastic will make them worth more than some other piece of plastic. I don't collect cards where the value is created by the plastic - I collect cards where the card INSIDE the plastic has the value, whatever that value may be - a dollar or a thousand dollars. If I have a realistic asking price for a card, someone will pay it, regardless of which holder it's in.

-Al

EDIT - for disclosure - I submit cards to SGC and PSA exclusively, would never think of using any other company, and the company I work for does work for SGC.

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Posted By: John J. Grillo

I agree with Al, the plastic shouldn't be a determining factor unless that company that encapsulates the card in the plastic isn't reputable. Based on your choices, PSA, GAI, or SGC...all 3 are reputable. Can't go wrong with either of the 3.

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Posted By: JimB

"SGC owns the prewar market"

This seems to me to be an obvious overstatement. Just to check my instincts, I went to ebay to compare how many PSA graded T206s there are currently with how many SGC graded T206s since this is the most popular vintage set.

878 PSA graded T206s on ebay
97 SGC graded T206s on ebay

These are not the totals one would expect to find for the company that "owns" the pre-war market. I am not making any claims about the quality of PSA vs. SGC. I personally use both companies. But let's have a little truth in advertising here. I am sure there are some sets where SGC has graded more. N172s might be such an example (I am not sure). But why don't we temper the hyperbole a bit.
JimB

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Posted By: Al Crisafulli

With all due respect, my post was meant to be interpreted as my opinion, given to the original poster of this thread about reputable grading companies. However, I'm not sure there was much hyperbole in my statement, nor was it meant to be any sort of indictment of PSA. And there certainly was no "advertising" in my statement, it was my opinion as a collector of graded cards.

Edited version of a longer post:

PSA has an 8 or 9-year head start on SGC. Typical pre-1930 Ebay listings have a PSA-to-SGC ratio of between 2:1 and 4:1 (it's a little heavier now, due to last week's ten-cent listing day). Total T206 populations run less than 5:1 PSA-to-SGC. A company would need to have some serious momentum - perhaps even "ownership" of the market - to close a 9-year gap that quickly.

Again, I use PSA for prewar cards, too. I use SGC for some postwar cards. Depends on what I'm collecting and how I've chosen to collect it. I have no problem with either company.

Certainly didn't mean to ruffle any feathers, and sorry for the thread hijacking.

-Al

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Posted By: jay behrens

Take a look at less mainstream sets and you'll see that PSA does not have anywhere near the dominance it does with t206. This can be mainly attributed to the set registry. If there isn't heavy competition in the set registry, then you are not going to see many cards headed towards PSA. Looks at all the recent uncatalogued cards and see who graded them. Most went to SGC. The 4 I owned went to SGC and I know they won't be leaving those holders any time soon.

Jay

I've just reached Upper Lower Class. I am now officially a babe magnet for poor chicks.

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Posted By: Steve K

Use PSA and overall you'll receive the best prices for your cards. Case closed.

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Posted By: steve f

PSA is best bang for your buck -selling at least, but you've gotta like SGC's standards and consistency.

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Posted By: Lee Behrens

What I get a kick out of is how most of the people on the board like SGC but when it comes to selling time alot of them will go with PSA for the extra buck even though they don't believe and question their product.

I don't understand why you would support a company you have little to no faith in (other the fact their are blind PSA buyers). I personnally submit all my cards to SGC and never intend on submitting to PSA. I like the almighty dollar just like the next guy but to support a company that has the poor reptuation it does is not for me.


Lee

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Posted By: warshawlaw

Lee, you just answered your own question. When a collection turns into an investment, you have to maximize your returns. I may hate PSA's product but if I was in the business of grading for investment purposes only I would opt for whatever service gives me the best return.

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Posted By: Dr Taylor

For my money psa and gai because of mike and danny and there service.