AGS slabbed card

[theshleps]

I have a chance to trade for a signed Billy Southworth card- which is something I need for my collection. It was slabbed by AGS. Was (Is) this a legit company that you can trust their opinion on? I know all companies have big issues but just wanted to make sure these guys aren't like coaches corner etc.
Thanks
I don't have the ability to post a scan so just wanted your opinion on the company

[Robert_Lifson]

Not overgraded. Not misgraded. But total out-and-out fake cards that have been created to fool people, and then encapsulated in "AGS" holders (with labels that have a color scheme and design slightly similar to SGC holders). Some of these "cards" look pretty good and you couldn't tell from a scan alone. If you know cards, and have these fakes in person, you can tell, but it is also easy to see how someone could be fooled. The fakes of the modern "cards" seem thinner than real cards by the way, but when cards are in holders, of course, you can't feel the thickness of the card.

We tried to locate "Authentic Grading Services Inc" and were unsuccessful. Every single "AGS" card we have seen (thirty cards, reprints representing cards from the 1910 era all the way up to the 1970s) were total fakes. If the cards we were sent were real, they would have been worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Law enforcement is very aware of the issue. The cards sent to us are or will be destroyed but there are obviously others. We'd like to know who is making these fakes. If you have any information, please contact us so that we can provide the information to the proper authorities or put you in contact directly.

Sincerely,

Robert Lifson

Robert Edward Auctions LLC

www.RobertEdwardAuctions.com

[Paulanthony]

Originally Posted by theshleps

I have a chance to trade for a signed Billy Southworth card- which is something I need for my collection. It was slabbed by AGS. Was (Is) this a legit company that you can trust their opinion on? I know all companies have big issues but just wanted to make sure these guys aren't like coaches corner etc.
Thanks
I don't have the ability to post a scan so just wanted your opinion on the company

Every HIGH END AGS Slabbed cards I have seen are Reprints. The Pete Rose Rookie Sold at Auction for $500.00.

Fake Rose tip Off (Black outline around Rose’s hat. (In my opinion they all have the line) The card is transparent when you hold it up to the light 25% lighter than a standard card from ’63( In a slab using a Scan is impossible to judge the card.) Too perfect of condition (This Rose RC looks like a 10)

I contacted the Auction House and told them To have a Qualified Dealer examine all the AGS cards in Their Auction. They had over (35 Cards) All high End. I singled out Rose and told them the Pete Rose has been counterfieted over 10,000 times.

[Santo10Fan]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1969-TOPPS-...59.m1431.l2649

[toledo_mudhen]

Found this list of Card Grading companies on the Inter Webs so it appears that we have lots of "choices"

AGS - Advanced Grading Specialists

ASA - Accugrade, Inc.

BGS - Beckett Grading Services

BSGS - BearStats, Inc.

CBCS - Certified Baseball Card Service (Thanks trdcrdkid)

Collectionmonster - Card Collector Services, Inc.

CTA - CTA Grading Experts

FGS - Finest Grading Service

GAI - Global Authentication Inc.

GEM - Gem Grading Services, Inc

GMC - Grade My Cards

ISA - International Sports Authentication

KSA - KSA Sport Card Certification Service

MAP - MAP Industries

MINT - Mint Grading Service

NASA - North American Sportscard Authenticators

PGS - Professional Grading Services

PRO - PRO Sports Grading Inc.

PSA - Professional Sports Authenticator

PS – PS Grading

SCD - Sports Collectors Digest

SGC - Sportscard Guaranty

TFA - The Final Authority

WCG - World Class Grading, Inc.

[Leon]

That is a lot of companies. It is sort of surprising there are really only 3 accepted as mainstream (to me).

Originally Posted by toledo_mudhen

Found this list of Card Grading companies on the Inter Webs so it appears that we have lots of "choices"

AGS - Advanced Grading Specialists

ASA - Accugrade, Inc.

BGS - Beckett Grading Services

BSGS - BearStats, Inc.

Collectionmonster - Card Collector Services, Inc.

CTA - CTA Grading Experts

FGS - Finest Grading Service

GAI - Global Authentication Inc.

GEM - Gem Grading Services, Inc

GMC - Grade My Cards

ISA - International Sports Authentication

KSA - KSA Sport Card Certification Service

MAP - MAP Industries

MINT - Mint Grading Service

NASA - North American Sportscard Authenticators

PGS - Professional Grading Services

PRO - PRO Sports Grading Inc.

PSA - Professional Sports Authenticator

PS – PS Grading

SCD - Sports Collectors Digest

SGC - Sportscard Guaranty

TFA - The Final Authority

WCG - World Class Grading, Inc.

[irv]

Originally Posted by Leon

That is a lot of companies. It is sort of surprising there are really only 3 accepted as mainstream (to me).

Me too, but what is likely the case, like me, I wasn't aware so many existed.

Bottom line. Go on any forum and 99% of the talk is about PSA, SGC and Beckett so any newcomer would think, for a bit anyways, that those are the only 3.

[trdcrdkid]

That list doesn't even include the very first card grading service, Certified Baseball Card Service (CBCS), which was started by John Bottorff in late 1987. The April 7, 1989 Sports Collectors Digest had a long article that included an interview with Bottorff. I posted that article here, though the photo quality is pretty poor (sorry -- I'll have to post better pictures sometime).

http://net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=223192

At the time, CBCS was still the only card grading service, but later in 1989 Alan Hager founded the second one, Accugrade Sportscard Authentication (ASA). Hager came up with the 1-10 grading scale that's familiar today, and I believe he patented it or something, so that when David Hall started PSA in 1991, he had to pay a licensing fee to Hager. By the mid-90s, PSA and ASA were the two biggest card grading services, with many other small ones trying and failing to gain a foothold. But Hager was kind of a skeevy character; I don't remember all the details, but ASA eventually crashed and burned, leaving an opening for SGC to come on the scene in the late 90s.

The early history of card grading companies is another area of hobby history that I'd love to write up if/when I ever have the time.