Thanks for your help.....

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Posted By: Scarecrow 

It appears that SGC is the way to go. One question, if GAI is considered a better vintage grading company, is worth buying GAI cards at this time considering the same carded graded by PSA is worth more? Thanks again

[Archive]

Posted By: warshawlaw

As a SOCAL, I run across GAI a lot--they appear at the local card show we have here every month, so they draw a lot of business in town here. As noted in a different string, my view is that SGC is setting the best standard for vintage grading and all things being equal I would favor them for grading my vintage cards. GAI I would place a strong second. I find PSA's grading to be irritatingly inconsistent on vintage cards and their slabs for "non standard" cards to be appallingly amateurish in design. GAI appears consistent in the application of their grading system from the several examples I have purchased and the hundreds more I've looked at in person, but I feel that their grading standards are typically 1/2 grade less stringent than SGC (i.e., IMHO they give a 0.5 better grade than SGC on typical cards from the prewar era). Therefore, unless I can see the card really well in a scan or in person and make a careful judgment, I would tend to discount a GAI card by 1/2 grade with the typical ebay fuzzy scan.

So, to answer the question, if I had a typical card that sells for $500 in PSA 4 and $200 in PSA 3 and I saw a GAI 4 selling for $200, I would think it a good deal. If the GAI 4 was $400, not. Of course, the issue is kind of academic since PSA'S current crew is so talent-challenged that any card is liable to come back from them in any grade give or take 2 levels, so I'd NEVER risk a cross-over to PSA from GAI.

[Archive]

Posted By: warshawlaw

As a SOCAL, I run across GAI a lot--they appear at the local card show we have here every month, so they draw a lot of business in town here. As noted in a different string, my view is that SGC is setting the best standard for vintage grading and all things being equal I would favor them for grading my vintage cards. GAI I would place a strong second. I find PSA's grading to be irritatingly inconsistent on vintage cards and their slabs for "non standard" cards to be appallingly amateurish in design. GAI appears consistent in the application of their grading system from the several examples I have purchased and the hundreds more I've looked at in person, but I feel that their grading standards are typically 1/2 grade less stringent than SGC (i.e., IMHO they give a 0.5 better grade than SGC on typical cards from the prewar era). Therefore, unless I can see the card really well in a scan or in person and make a careful judgment, I would tend to discount a GAI card by 1/2 grade with the typical ebay fuzzy scan.

So, to answer the question, if I had a typical card that sells for $500 in PSA 4 and $200 in PSA 3 and I saw a GAI 4 selling for $200, I would think it a good deal. If the GAI 4 was $400, not. Of course, the issue is kind of academic since PSA'S current crew is so talent-challenged that any card is liable to come back from them in any grade give or take 2 levels, so I'd NEVER risk a cross-over to PSA from GAI.