I give up, I know when I'm whipped....

I agree with Kevin PSA grades smarter and tougher . Their cards routinely sell for more to set registry collectors and others. It is a safer and better investment to collect PSA. I bought 4 cards in the Saco River auction 2 out of the 4 did not cross evenly. An SGC 60 Gandil with the AB back was given a PSA 4 . Their S74 silk grading is all over the board and inconsistent. Factory folds get a 40's but horribly frayed silks get 5's. They routinely miss problems with Fatima T200's which never cross to PSA.

The fiasco with the forged Standard Biscuit cards is outrageous . They graded a large number of forged W575-1 strip cards that were crudely cut . The edges were jagged on two sides and the back crudely stamped and smudged. I bought one and it was obvious without a loop in person. Missing this forgery was ridiculous and is proof that the very basic fundamental task of authenticity was missed let alone grades of SGC 84's . I don't know if anyone stopped the Ruth card that was over 50,000.00 in Hunts auction. SGC is easier to deal with, less money and more card friendly but unfortunately they often misjudge altered cards and over grade

Let's not overlook the fact that PSA screwed up on their first ever graded card...the TRIMMED PSA "8" Honus Wagner.

Way to start your company off with a forgery bang.

You mean their company was built on a lie? :eek:

Hey Rick
You probably need your name out here to post that kind of opinion. Same with everyone in this thread. If you give an opinion you need your name in your post/sig line/thread, per forum rules.

As for mistakes. We/they all make them. It's how they are handled that set folks apart. Think about that for a while....

Just to stir a bit more - I prefer the look (and consistency) of SGC. Personal experience for me is that roughly 25% of PSA 7s will cross to an SGC 84 and have only had 1 ever cross from a 7 to an 86. On the plus side - well purchased PSAs are pretty easy to flip when they dont cross. I like moonshine.

my 2 cents
 

I have crossed over a couple cards from PSA to SGC and here are the results.

1933 Goudey PSA 1.5 (MK) to SGC 2

1980 Topps PSA 7 to SGC 8.5

And
1949 Bowman SGC 1 to PSA 1

In my opinion PSA grades cards tougher than SGC or BVG and that is why a SGC 7 is priced slightly higher than a PSA 6.

I think some of this is because the two main grading companies place more emphasis on different things. I think for prewar PSA is more forgiving of creases. I'd always thought that a visible crease would keep a card out of VG unless the rest of it was really great. But I see a lot of PSA cards that have a visible crease and are graded VG.

They also seem to be lenient on minor paper loss. SGC hits even really small bits of paper loss on the back more harshly.

Neither company is as consistent as I'd like to see especially on mid grade cards. Lately I've seen a lot of corners on SGC 50's that I think are just too worn for VG-EX. And I've gotten a couple grades from them that puzzle me but are in my favor. The few I thought were undergraded were explained pretty quickly when I asked in person, and they easily pointed out things I hadn't noticed. A Tiny crease one a 50 that looks much nicer, and an erasure of a very light pencil mark on a 40 that I've owned since probably 83 and figured for a 50. Knowing they spotted stuff I didn't even when I looked pretty closely before sending them in made me feel a bit more comfortable about the grades.

But such things are subjective, and the grading involves people, so it will be inconsistent. And that applies to ALL grading.

I chose SGC mostly because I wasn't keen on PSAs model of paying $100 up front for the privilege of spending even more with them. Sure you get free submissions, but when I wanted to send in a few cards to try it there just weren't enough to cover the 100 if I didn't want to do more than the first few. I've done more since, figuring that if the kids aren't into cards at all when I'm gone they'll have an easier time unloading the stuff. But many of my cards don't require grading. Mostly commons that would grade from A to about 2 - They're pretty much what they are and grading is currently pointless.

I may eventually do some more modern stuff through PSA, since the resale is a bit better with the registry stuff. Oddly, the modern cards I've sent to SGC really didn't do well. (The nicest 81 Donruss I've ever seen including ones straight from the packs when they were new and it only got an 8?!)

The other puzzle is that the stuff that slides by at VG for prewar wouldn't even get close if it was a postwar card.

Steve Birmingham

Absolutely agree.


Attachment 180228

PSA has a monetary reason for grading harder than the other companies. The set registry and the continued pursuit for the world's best set. The only thing that both companies should strive for is consistency in grading...not necessarily with each other, but today's PSA 4 should look like yesterday's PSA 4.

You hit it right on the head with PSA and the monetary aspect--also their registry--todays psa 4 looks like 5-10 years ago psa 6. Don

You snagged a lot of the Saco haul this last time. Good luck on the sales.

Amen on the crease aspect
 

Completely agree, e.g.

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x...s59444fd4.jpeg

There seems to be an uncomfortable anti-dentite undercurrent running through this thread. Remember when we first became aware of anti-dentite discrimination that exists in this country:

Kramer: You think that dentists are so different from me and you? They came to this country just like everybody else, in search of a dream.

Jerry: Kramer, he's just a dentist.

Kramer: Yeah, and you're an anti-dentite.

Jerry: I am not an anti-dentite!

Kramer: You're a rabid anti-dentite! Oh, it starts with a few jokes and some slurs. "Hey, denty!" Next thing you know you're saying they should have their own schools.

Jerry: They do have their own schools!

Yes I did 16 single cards included a few scarce versions and the 1912 World Series program along with the Ruth/Gehrig ball. There is a high end collector from North Carolina who flys up for the auction and he spends around 30K-35K per auction---he is working on the El Principe De Gales back set---Tough to beat him when he wants a card or 10 card sheet.--I am looking forward to the next auction.

Just my opinon on this:

Fact 1:

If you are really going to love your country, you are going to have to love moonshine.

Fact 2: PSA cards do sell higher than SGC. I know that from many years of collecting. My personal cards go to SGC and flips go to PSA.

I don't really know why, but the public perception seems to be that PSA is better... more accurate.

And perception, even if unfounded, is reality.