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T-Bone76
Posts: 27
Joined: Jul 2017
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Sunday, July 9, 2017 8:38 AM | |
Hey all, first time poster. First of all, this is an amazing site! Easy to add/remove cards to your set and get an approximate value while doing so! Kudos to whoever started it!!!
On to the point, what are your thoughts on having cards graded and how do you go about doing it? Seems like a bit of a gamble to me unless you are 100% positive that it will receive a 8 or higher on grading. Otherwise you are spending the 5-7 bucks per card or whatever they are charging these days for nothing! Seems like there should be a better way, but unfortunately, you just can't take someone's word for it these days like you could in the past.
~ T-Bone ~
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~ T-Bone ~ My ex-wife hated this hobby which only made me like it more!
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Vvvergeer
Posts: 2,057
Joined: Jan 2014
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Sunday, July 9, 2017 8:54 AM | |
First, welcome to the site. You're right. It is amazing.
You've brought up a topic that gets debated here in one form or another every month or so. I'll repeat a few of my thoughts and encourage you browse old forum posts for more.
Grading is expensive and, as you say, risky. Only the top companies can be trusted-- PSA, SGC, Beckett-- and even they have had their troubles. The process also seems pretty subjective. You have to send the cards in and wait. $5-7 would actually be on the low side and shipping and insurance required by the company is high.
If you're grading to resell, well that's your call and might not be worth it. If you're grading cards you'll keep, um, why?
I have a number of graded cards now, all bought that way on eBay, only because I wanted assurances that the cards were authentic. I've broken two cards out of their plastic cages.
Anyway, whatever you decide, enjoy collecting and this site.
V3
Edited on: Jul 9, 2017 - 11:59AM
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T-Bone76
Posts: 27
Joined: Jul 2017
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Sunday, July 9, 2017 8:59 AM | |
I must not have scrolled back far enough in the forum. Like I said, newbie here! :) Thanks for the reply, and I would have to agree completely. Only argument that I would have for it is if you don't have anyone that is interested in obtaining your collection when you are done or pass away, then having the more valuable cards in your collection would make it a lot easier for your family to deal with if you didn't get rid of your collection before your time came.
~ T-Bone ~
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~ T-Bone ~ My ex-wife hated this hobby which only made me like it more!
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Vvvergeer
Posts: 2,057
Joined: Jan 2014
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Sunday, July 9, 2017 10:28 AM | |
Yeah. I understand that. But I'm in the middle of selling my late dad's train collection right now and sold his coin collection years ago. It's all bonus money and I think you'll find that they'll care a lot less about making the cash than you think after you're gone. Enjoy 'em now.
V3
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Mitch
Posts: 258
Joined: Feb 2016
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Sunday, July 9, 2017 10:43 AM | |
As has been said I just can't justify the cost other than to validate something is authentic. I'm sure even that is not foolproof. The ones I have that are graded are because I bought them that way. I feel like they take up a lot more space and are more difficult to store. To me the card would have to be worth a lot in order to justify it.
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RoundtheDiamond87
Posts: 808
Joined: Oct 2015
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Sunday, July 9, 2017 11:51 AM | |
Do they make pages for graded cards? No? Well, then I'm going to have to crack that slab to fit that card into my set binder.
Bonifide Slab Cracker here.
Edited on: Jul 9, 2017 - 11:53AM
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muskie027
Posts: 692
Joined: Apr 2016
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Sunday, July 9, 2017 12:47 PM | |
It is very hard for me to trust the process. I still can't send them away because I worry too much about not getting my card back. Grading isn't really collecting for the hobby as much as it is to lock in higher values on cards if you want to sell them. Any time you get into the money aspects of things, people lose scruples. I fear that if I have a perfect 10 card, one of these "graders" may be holding the same card themselves or from one of their buddies that may grade an 8. They can wait for a 10 to come in, send the 8 back to the paying customer, and then keep the 10 or pass it to the buddy. Until I can watch them grade the card in front of me and hand it back, no dice from my end. Also, I had a buddy send in a purple refarctor Bowman Schwarber SN5 rookie or something similar and when he got it back, it received a 3. He was baffled so he uncaged the card to find that someone had folded it in half in the mailing process. A huge nuisance with insurance occurred and in the ned, he received a few cards that were equal in value, but still, he wanted his /5 purple refractor since it had much more potential to increase in value than what he sent in. I just can't justify putting one of my personal treasures in the mail and praying the process works itself out. If I get anything but a 10, I would always be wondering, was this the card I sent in? And God forbid it came in creased.
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vrooomed
Posts: 14,815
Joined: Dec 2012
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Sunday, July 9, 2017 1:16 PM | |
I've bought about a dozen or so graded cards through the past few years, only because I got them at the price I wanted to pay for ungraded cards. I cracked all but one, only because it's a great card to have on display anyway, instead of in my binders. I'll get cards already graded only if they are the price I'd pay for that card in that condition anyway.
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-- Dan -- Note: Please see my profile for more info regarding trading (section updated 3/4/2024). I have added a large portion of my inventory to the site, and currently have trading turned on (details are in my profile).
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Easy30
Posts: 42
Joined: Jun 2015
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Sunday, July 9, 2017 6:47 PM | |
I am not big into buying graded cards and I have never sent a card in. However, I do buy graded cards every once in awhile for sets that I am working on. I have never understood people who crack open graded cards? Aren't you just losing money by damaging a product you paid for?
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jlcre2003
Posts: 169
Joined: Jul 2015
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Sunday, July 9, 2017 7:25 PM | |
I sent one card to PSA about 6 months back. A 1968 Topps Johnny Bench rookie that I thought for sure was at least a 6. A lady at work wanted to sell it to me. It is in great shape and if it were to be a 6 or higher , I didn't really want to pay her that much for it, but at least she'd know it's worth. With the shipping and cost to have it graded (turned out to be a 4.5 - not sure how). Ended up giving her $60 minus the costs, which ended up being next to not much. Worth more to me than the grade however. I think you'll find disappointment in more instances. Save the $, they are worth more to you than anyone with a magnifying glass.
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