General Forum

Hello all and thank you for what looks like a great site for conversation and tracking of collections. Jumping back into the card scene after a 45 year self imposed exile, I'm learning about the authentication business and card grading. The more I dig into it, the more I'm learning of severe issues in the whole industry. My hobby card store is telling me to get PSA graded on my best few cards, but since I'm not in this to sell them or treat them as an investment, I'm wondering why I should bother. In addition, to set up a PSA set collection on their site, does one need to get PSA to grade every 600+ card in ones set? If that's the case, I'm all in on this site and PSA can take a hike.

Welcome to the site! 
 

Really, it's all up to you. Personally, I just don't like the way graded cards look. So I don't bother with it. 
 

Only time grading matters to me is with the highly sought after vintage cards. They are often times reprinted/counterfeited. So if I am going to buy one, I want to make sure it's a legit card, which the grading company would do.  
 

A high grader card can certainly increase its resale value, but if the collection is for you and you only, then it's really all up to your preference. 
 

I know there are ways to submit cards to bulk submission places so you don't need to set up your own account and spend hundreds of dollars to just get a few cards graded, but then you are also adding a middle man where issues could arise. 
 

hope this help! 

Of course it is all personal choice as far as what you want to do with your cards.  It does sound like you have a vintage collection tho.  Being out of the hobby for 45 years , you collection has to be mid 70's and earlier.  I know you said you do not treat these as investments but you could easily have thousands of dollars worth of cards.  Depending on condition of your collection it could be worth your time.   Search ebay sold listings for some of the cards you have in your collection, then compare the values of raw vs the graded cards.  Also as previously mentioned, just the authentification of the vintage cards sets a lot of buyers at ease.  

Hi,

I have started sending my cards in to PSA not for value but for the protection of my cards. I use Mike O on Facebook PSA group a bit cheape. As for vintage cards, in today's world its a risk to buy them due to all the tricks being used in the market to make money, even a PSA 10 could be altered or trimmed this is the risk when buying graded cards. There are those collectors who are making a stab at completing full PSA sets and that is big bucks more than my pocket could do.. Any way, this is my two cents.

Hello and welcome.

I'll just echo what others have said. I pretty much hate the grading system and never thought I'd have a graded card. The grades are inconsistent and artificially raise the price of cards and decrease the value of non-graded cards. And, as many have said here, I can tell the quality of a card all by myself. And the card is stuck in plastic, can't be put in a binder, or even fit on the shelving unit I made.

BUT, because I buy many of my cards on eBay, and I buy vintage, I now own dozens of graded cards, because I just don't trust that I'm not buying fakes otherwise. I'm sad that I have lingering doubts about a few of the non-graded vintage stars that I have. If I'm buying from my local card shop, I don't care about grading at all. I trust them. I am unlikely to ever get a card graded, though I have a little list of candidates. I suppose if I could walk into a place, leave my cards for a day, and come back and pick them up all graded and sealed for $10 a card, I might do that. But send them across the country, pay for required insurance, probably pay more than that? Nah. I'm 98% sure they're authentic, and I'm not selling them. I broken some non-stars out of their plastic prisons, but I can't quite bring myself to free my 1959 Koufax....

If you're reselling, grading may well be very useful. If you're unsure of authenication, grading adds a modicum of insurance. If you're just collecting and trust the cards  you have, forget the graders...

Anyway, do what you're most comfortable with and enjoy the hobby.

Again, welcome.

v3

I do like getting cards graded when it is convenient.  For example, every spring there is a big card show out in Monroeville, PA.  I usually take a handful of cards to get graded just cos they are cards I like.  I always go with SGC because I like the holders better than PSA.  Also got a few graded by beckett when you could send them in through your comc account, hope they get that going again soon.

Thanks all. Think I'll get my Mike Schmitt rookie card graded, just to be able to say I've done it. Other than that, the money going to psa will be saved up for a card I really desire. And I'll be getting it raw so I can hold it and pass it around..... It's a hobby for me. 

Regarding a PSA set collection on the site, simply list all the cards in a set and go to the drop down arrow and use edit details.  You can load in serial numbers of cards, whether its graded and the grading information.  So the site is very flexible to partial graded sets.  Some people use the serial number spot to and the PSA or BGS indentification number for their tracking.  Make it yours and good luck on the Schmidt rookie.

Regards, Greg