Grade your beaters?

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Posted By: robfouch

Do any of you get your beaters graded, knowing that they'll come back as poor/fair?

I collect T206s and am on PSA's set registry. I've debated whether it's even worth the 10 bucks to have my beater commons slabbed. I have probably 30 or 40 that are very low grade. It would probably move me up a good ways in the registry ranking but I don't know if it's financially smart since I hope to upgrade most of them down the line. (FYI: I get all my HOF'ers graded, regardless of condition.)

Any thoughts?

Are many of you on set registries? Or is that looked down upon? Not that I care, really. At first I wasn't sure how I felt about the idea of people competing in the registries, but I have to admit it's kind of fun to try and move up, particularly considering my limited finances. Right now on the registry, it says my set is 13.5 percent complete, but with my beaters it'd probably be closer to 25 percent. Should I have them slabbed?

Thanks in advance for any input.
Rob

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Posted By: Bob

2 reasons: if you are going to sell them they will do better than raw beaters but remember to factor in the cost of slabbing; on scarcer cards slabbing makes them more eye appealing and presentable plus offers protection from daily miscues.

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Posted By: steve yawitz

I guess it goes without saying, but ultimately you'll have to answer the question yourself, but as a fellow limited-budget collector, I'd recommend against submitting your low-end commons.

I used to submit just about everything in my collection to PSA because I enjoyed the Registry for its checklist-like aspect and its image hosting. Not to mention the fact that I can be totally neurotic about conistency, which is odd because I'm really sort of a neo-hippie slacker when it comes to non-collecting behavior.

But I've since stopped submitting to PSA, delisted almost all of my cards from the Registry and have even cracked out a lot of my stuff from their slabs. In hindsight, it was probably incredibly foolish submit commons that were no better than 3's. At that condition level you're not really adding much "value" by slabbing, so you're basically paying PSA for a small amount of file space and an online checklist. At $10-15 a pop, I don't think it's really worth it. And I have much more fun maintaining my own site, which basically costs me per year about the equivalent of two or three cards submitted to PSA.

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Posted By: T206Collector

I try to only grade common T206 cards that will grade an SGC 40/VG/3. I have less strict rules regarding HOFers and Southern Leaguers. I am trying to maintain an average grade of 40 or higher on the SGC Set Registry. I have about 200 cards that I could get graded to move me up the registry, but it would be at the expense of my average grade. Also, it would be very expensive and not particularly worth it in terms of resale value when I upgrade those beaters.

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Posted By: David Vargha

For low grade commons, save the grading fees and get more cards; especially if you are on a limited budget as you say.

DavidVargha@hotmail.com

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Posted By: Al C.risafulli

I guess I'm in the minority in that I like to grade prewar beaters so they don't get, well, more beaten.

Plus I think they look dynamite in SGC slabs. In my opinion, they store better, they display better, and they look awesome. Every one of my low-grade T205s is in an SGC holder.

I wouldn't think of grading a beat-up 1965 Topps common, but I want a 100-year-old card in a slab, wherever possible.

-Al

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Posted By: David Vargha

But Al, aren't your beaters all HOF'ers? That's a different story.

DavidVargha@hotmail.com

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Posted By: steve f

There is a generally implied "no return" when selling graded cards. (Only once have I had a graded returned) The buyer can't complain, "I couldn't tell from the photo that it was p-f, g-ex, nmt etc". Also, why risk selling a fake, trim or altered card and risk getting a slanderous negative jeopardizing future sales.

In addition, selling raw, you risk dealing with additional wear and the ol' switcheroo.

Take advantage of the occasional graders specials, send in a large order and it evens out. A sensible buyer would pay a bit more for a slabbed Poor than risk a Reject.

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Posted By: DJ

I have the same issue Rob. I like the idea of a complete SCG graded set but it's simply too much when it all comes down to it. 524 (eventually) graded cards...how? Stacked? In like fifty binders? I am going to eventually go completely raw (most raw now) and binder the cards. No real reason (I believe) to have a goofy grinned Egan in a 10 holder for $10 when four slabbed cards could go to adding a common card to my set. Especially since you use the word "limited finance" which is my life and in this hot market, I'm adding at a turtle's pace. Good luck.

DJ

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Posted By: Joann

Generally no.

To me there are only two reasons to grade a card. One is to sell it, for all of the reasons stated above.

The other is for additional protection for a card that is more valuable. I have an N28 Bennett that would probably go VGEX or better that I might have slabbed just to be abundantly cautious with it. Once in awhile a beater might fall into this category if the card is rare enough, but not usually.

Other than that, forget it. I was going to have every card slabbed except one of each type, until I realized that when I look at my cards the graded cards sit on the counter, but those in toploaders I pick up, take out, turn over, hold into the light, look at directly without plastic and scratches (toploader or slab) to interfere. In short, I seem to appreciate them more as as cards. Kind of like a vintage car that you can get right up to, look in the window, maybe even sit in or drive, as opposed to seeing the same car in a museum behind velvet ropes. Both appreciated, but in different ways and with different risks to the car.

I have started breaking graded cards below about a 4 that I intend to keep out of their slabs and putting them in toploaders. I just like to be able to take them out and see them directly. Broke an E93 Donovan out of a PSA 1 holder tonite. If I ever want to grade it again, I can. Not like I'm risking going backwards by breaking out a PSA 1. I do really really love the way just about any card looks in an SGC holder, but decided that I like the ability to take them out of toploaders better.

Joann

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Posted By: Al C.risafulli

David:

They're not all HOFers. Mostly, yes, but I've got about 20% of a low-mid grade T205 set all in SGC holders, and I've got about 75 mostly beat-up T206s that I'm planning on sending them someday, to go along with the 20-30 I already have. I've also had scads of beater '38 Goudey commons graded as well.

I just like having the cards slabbed that I like best. I guess you could say it's a waste of money to spend eight bucks to grade a $10 beater, but then again, there are people out there that would say that spending $10 on a baseball card is a waste of money in the first place. To each his own, I suppose.

-Al

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Posted By: James Gallo

I do get my beaters graded. I agree with Steve F above in that they are much easier to sell and are protected much better.
I also find that for the most part you will get your grading fees out even of a low grade card.

So if you have a $10 raw card you can probably get $18-20 for it in a SGC or PSA holder.

Also the problems wiht selling raw cards were stated above.

I think if the card presents well, that you should wait for a special and get a bunch graded at once.

Good luck.

James Gallo

Looking for 1915 Cracker Jacks and 1909-11 American Caramel E90-1.

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Posted By: Josh K.

I grade mine all the time for numerous reasons. (1) they look better in the sgc slab than if they are not slabbed; (2) offers greater protection; (3) easier to sell if I choose to do so. Finally, there is no question about grading when they look like this:

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Posted By: Mark

I would sooner beat my graders.