General Forum

It will drive up prices for those that believe it will or those who collect graded cards. For those who think grading is a sham, it wont.  I grade my cards because I like the look and the registry, especially if I added the set and built it from scratch.

Ditto to what V3 said. I don't care for graded cards generally, but if I'm buying vintage cards, I'd prefer they be graded. At least I have a pretty good idea that they are real. I've also never sent a card in for grading (mostly b/c I'd rather keep the card in my hands), but I have considered getting a few graded (mostly for protection of rare or high-BV cards). I have a handful of graded cards, but most were from trades where I didn't give anything extra or collections that I bought. The Top-2 that I did buy Graded are Stan Musial vintage cards.

I get only rare cards/unreleased cards (stuff I collect) slabbed for organizing and encasing protection. 

I have a few in my collection more by chance then anything. I think it’s a little crazy overall but I did send some in for the first time to protect my Jerry Rice rookie cards. It was a little pricey but I don’t plan on making a habit out of it. But if you really want to protect a card I don’t think there is a better way.  But in the end it’s just another “to each their own thing” if you want to spend the money to protect your cards go ahead, if you want to feel the cardboard of a raw card good for you. But I won’t knock you either way just collect and have fun. 

I started getting into graded cards a few months ago, and I really like them. I just do PSA only though.

At one point one of my card collecting goals was collecting rookie cards of NFL Hall of Famers and I began to wonder about authenticity as I went further back (60's and 70's). So buying graded was one way to ease my fears, but the prices escalated with them being graded.

I moved on from that last goal and would just pick up any Hall of Famer (any sport) that I could afford. Not a very focused goal, but it led me to the PSA registry which fueld my OCD. 

But, in the end I like both graded and ungraded. 

I store all my nm-mt+ cards in penny sleeves, inserted into top loaders, wrapped in team bags and then stored in shoeboxes (sorted by team/year with dividers marked with Dymo tape). 

I store all the cards I need to upgrade in penny sleeves, insterted into pages and then in binders. 

I used to only collect PSA cards but have since realized I like to enjoy my cards and touch them on occassion.  My collection costs much less now, takes up less space and is a much more enjoyable hobby (to me/for me).

My philosphy is 'buy the card, not the holder'. In other words, I won't spend any more on a graded card than I would a raw version of it. I also don't like the clunkiness of graded card holders...you can't organize them in any appreciable way if you are used to using binders, regular size storage boxes, etc. I have actually removed graded cards from their holders because of this. A pair of pliers, a dremel tool, and a flat head screwdriver are all you need.

I can store my cards and keep them in mint condition without having to pay a premium. As was said above, penny sleeves and toploaders and team bags do the trick.

I have never had a card graded, but I am ok with buying them graded. I only have about 10-15 graded cards and they are mostly more rare cards (or young stars) that I want to ensure are authentic and to keep them in safe condition.

If the reason is get a card authenticated or to keep safe, isn’t it better to send a card off to GMA and pay a lot less than what PSA charge? 

This sounds exactly like something the one and only GMA employee would post.  Their shipping address is a 3 bed/2 bath residence.