Posted By:
PCUnlike mid to low grade graded cards -- which often sell at a steep discount to the NM "book" value (whatever that means) -- I have seen the mid-size/large items go for premiums because they are slabbed, even for the lower to mid-grades.
As a buyer, I'm not going to pay the EX-NM price for a Kashin or Fine Pen graded 3 by PSA or SGC, when the unslabbed version goes for half the price (which is what a VG item should sell for). Not sure why the market is behaving this way, but my guess is that mid-size to large premium issues are still rare in PSA and SGC slabs, and some collectors are paying up for the slab (for registry purposes, or simply for the confidence the graded item brings to the transaction).
So, for the time being, the slab certainly brings in more money for the seller, even for off-condition material. I doubt that will last. Of course, the NM+ slabbed stuff will always sell at a premium, but that seems fair to me. And since I don't have much in the NM+ category, I doubt I'll ever be sending my Butterfingers, R303s and R311s in to be slabbed (since in the future, the slabbed grade may only serve to drive the price down).
But in the event the PSA, SGC and (*ack*) GAI slabs are discontinued, they can always sell the unused slabs to schools as cafeteria trays.