GAI Quality

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Posted By: Chris

What do you guys think of GAI's quality and overall consistency of grading? I have been very pleased with the condition of the GAI cards I have purchased recently. The overall eye appeal for the grade given as well as the price paid for the cards have been very appealing.

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Posted By: Hal Lewis

2 thumbs up for vintage cards graded by GAI.

Have no idea how they are for anything after 1930 or so.

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Posted By: Bryan Long

Not a very big scan but you get the idea.

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Posted By: warshawlaw

bought another rattler over the weekend. Then I got back my N172 Hamilton in its snug, movement-free SGC holder. Boy am I gonna do some cross-over grading.

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Posted By: Peter Thomas

of GAI grading, bought a Ramly 7 for an upgrade that did not have a back scan and there is a small tear. Luckly I was sucessfull in getting a 7, however the GAI would grade a 6 at best and maybe a 5 from either PSA or SGC. Recently I bought a T205 GAI 3.5 and in looking at the card the question is not would it cross to a 3 or 4, but would it cross to a 2 or 3.

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Posted By: Jerry Ficchi

I have recently returned to the hobby after a long layoff (my departure came soon after the founding of PSA) and was wondering about your experiences with holders. I understand the grading characteristics of each of the big three houses, as well as the perception of each when it comes to resale. My query rests solely in the holder for the time being. Aesthetically, I prefer GAI to PSA and SGC. Some have hinted of their concerns with GAI’s holder. Could you please elaborate? Additionally, I’ve recognized that PSA now uses some sort of “baggie” within its holder. Could anyone explain why they’ve come to use them? To me, it’s a complete turn off. The cards are askew and there is no contrast background whatsoever.

Since my focus will remain relatively narrow, specifically limited to a few issues between 1930 to 1950 of a few cards and players I enjoy, I would like to maintain some congruency with their holders. This leads me to a crossover question. How consistent have the companies, mainly GAI, been in maintaining grades when reslabbing?

Thank you for your kind help with this as well as your expertise within all threads.

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Posted By: JimB

I have a handful of GAI graded cards. Most seem pretty accurate to me. On occasion I have noticed instances when they seemed a bit leniant, but not often.
JimB

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Posted By: robert a

I guess it depends on what you have graded, but it seems to me that GAI is way less strict with most candy issues than sgc. Just my opinion.
robert a

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Posted By: Jason

My opinion PSA is terrible. They holder cards in a baggie that allows the t cards to slide around. They also grade terribly trimmed cards. GAI is OKI other than they over grade about half a grade to a full grade sometimes and cards can slide in their holders. SGC is probably the best with the exception of customer service. If you can get by their lack of customer service (being on time and not having the web site working properly) then I suggest SGC. It's all really just one big craps shoot anymore.

Jason

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Posted By: Jason

My opinion PSA is terrible. They holder cards in a baggie that allows the t cards to slide around. They also grade terribly trimmed cards. GAI is OKI other than they over grade about half a grade to a full grade sometimes and cards can slide in their holders. SGC is probably the best with the exception of customer service. If you can get by their lack of customer service (being on time and not having the web site working properly) then I suggest SGC. It's all really just one big craps shoot anymore.

Jason

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Posted By: Tbob

It took a while before it dawned on me that caramel cards are slightly bigger than tobacco cards and hence PSA was placing them in baggies in their slabs instead of their form fitting slabs. Don't know why I was so dense and couldn't figure it out sooner.
I haven't noticed GAI giving generous grades for caramel cards, quite the opposite. The grades I have received from SGC and GAI on caramel cards have been very similar. PSA is the one that is all over the place.
And Adam, you are not the only one still getting rattlers from GAI. Although they claimed to have fixed that problem, my recent shipment from them had a couple of rattlers. Very discouraging. I don't believe I have ever had a single rattler from SGC.

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Posted By: warshawlaw

What we are referring to as "rattlers" are GAI-holdered cards that slide around inside the space. Why this happens is not entirely clear, but it appears to me after looking at my SGC and GAI holders side by side that the following is at work:

1. SGC cuts its templates to a much tighter tolerance than GAI. The margin between the card and the black insert edge in my SGC cards is much less than with the GAI cards. More space is more area to slide around and, more important, more chance for the card to thrash aroumd violently causing damage. I bought a GAI-slabbed Willis T206 that thrashed around so much that the top edge was damaged. I had it reslabbed by SGC only by then it had fallen to good condition.

2. GAI's insert appear to me to be thicker. It is ok for a thick card like an OJ or an N28, but it is death for E and T cards.

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Posted By: T206Collector

First, let me say that I prefer SGC over GAI and PSA. They are my grader of choice. But has anyone noticed that the way SGC inserts are cut leaves a rough plastic edge? In fact, I once crossed a Walter Johnson T206 Portrait GAI 5 into an SGC 60 slab, only to find that the rough edge and tight fit of the SGC insert caused two little impressions to be made on the bottom of the card. I sent the card back to SGC and they refit the card without any grade demotion -- the card was, after all, still in EX condition -- and I have no other complaints. But still, the cut of the plastic insert is not as smooth as say GAI. But, GAI loses points for too thick an insert that allows cards to bang around, and also for cards slipping behind the insert (YIKES!), and also for being a bit too lightweight. SGC holds are just heavy enough, in my opinion.

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Posted By: jay behrens

Jason, is your basis for bad customer suervice just a website that needs to work better and cards not making turn around time? If so, these are not customer service issues, per se. If you have a problem, you can get on the phone or email them and actually talk to one of the top people there, not phone of grading monkey hired off the street. They are very responsive to any problems you might have and will answer any question except why your card that you thought would pull something in the 80s came back a 60 or 70. From reasing testiments here on the board, SGC would appear to have the best customer service of all the companies.

Jay

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

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Posted By: John J. Grillo

If grading accuracy and detailed labeled holders is what your're looking for, SGC is my recommendation. I started with PSA, moved away from them and have since seen a decline in their grading accuracy, then I went to GAI. GAI has a nice holder, very secure and decent customer service, but although capable, I do not feel they are grading as accurate as they could be, especially on the high dollar cards. PSA holders are terrible. They are unsecure, they use mylar instead of notches or borders to hold a card in place, and they do slide around like crazy.

SGC is truly a collector's company for the small time collector and I think they have a loyal following among such. The attractiveness of the slab is only second to GAI imo, but again, they put a lot of detail into labeling cards thoroughly and accurately and are tough on grading (even lower grades as well). Plus they have a small registry in which you can add any cards you wish under "the way I collect" registry, without having to complete a set. Another reason I like SGC, is that I collect vintage boxing, and they seem to know boxing real well.

If I could start all over again, I would have gone with SGC from the beginning.

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Posted By: Chris

I also think SGC is the best grading company. I was speaking strictly from a value stand point. I feel I get more for my $ with the GAI cards I buy. Based solely on eye appeal and overall condition of the card and what I pay for it. Seems like most collectors go for SGC first and I would say I am in the same boat there but it seems to leave some deals to be had on some GAI cards IMO.

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Posted By: Wesley

Some folks mention cards sliding around in GAI holders but I think GAI has taken care of this problem. Mello-Mint cards are a little thinner and my E105 cards that were recently graded do not slide around.

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Posted By: Peter Thomas

is that their holders don't have inserts like SGC and GAI, however for holders where they have the right size such as T 204, 205, 206 & 207 I think their holders are OK. The big problem is cards such as E cards where they are unwilling to spend the $10,000 that it would cost to make the right size holder. Then they use those ridiculous baggies. They will also use baggies when they are out of the right size holders.

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Posted By: Ted

I am new to the board, but not to cards. I have also been watching the whole grading issue with interest. Up until now, I have not had cards graded as I think that is something like petting a cat with gloves on your hands. While it may not make a lot of difference to the cat, I just can't get the same feeling. Living in the Dallas area, I can drop cards off at the offices of Beckett and save a bunch on shipping, insurance, etc. and not worry about losing cards. Any feeling on what kind of job Beckett does on Pre-war cards? I have searched the prior threads and only found a remote reference to Beckett a few years ago. Thanks.

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Posted By: Bryan Long

My personal opinion is that Beckett is forth on the list of grading companies behind SGC GAI and PSA. I don't think I have even seen a pre-war card graded by beckett even though I'm sure that they exist. My 2 cents is that it would be a waste of money - with that said I feel that beckett grades very harshly with the few post-war cards that I have sent them in the past. I tried them once and have never gone back. I will say that I think that they have the best holders when it comes to quality and sturdiness.