Grade the graders
 

Posted By: <b>nbrazil</b><p>Bear with me...<br /><br />I'm a numbers guy and like to frame ideas and thoughts in data. There has been a lot of talk on these boards about how one grading company is better than another. What do these opinions look like from a numerical perspective?<br /><br />From a scale of 1 to 10, rate the following grading companies according to your confidence in the company's ability to correctly grade pre war cards. A one represents no confidence whatsoever...I would NEVER send a pre war card to this company. A 10 represents 100% confidence...I would not hesitate to have any pre war card sent to this company for grading. A five represents neutrality...I have some confidence in the company's ability to correctly grade a pre war card, but have an equal amount of reservation.<br /><br />Here are the companies...<br /><br />BVG<br />GAI<br />PSA<br />SGC<br /><br />Once I get a critical mass of responses, I'll summarize how the board, from a numerical perspective, feels about each company. This is not meant to be scientific in any sense of the word...just personal curiosity.

Grade the graders
 

Posted By: <b>Jason L</b><p>SGC = 10<br />PSA = 7<br />BVG = 5<br />GAI = 0<br /><br />Edited to Add:<br />GAI originally got a 1 in my tally, but I docked them a point for not staying in business consistently. Alledgedly.

Grade the graders
 

Posted By: <b>Eric Brehm</b><p>PSA - 9 (90% confidence)<br />SGC - 9<br />GAI - 8<br />BVG - 8

Grade the graders
 

Posted By: <b>T206Collector</b><p>SGC - 9<br />PSA - 5<br />BVG - 5<br />GAI - 3<br /><br />

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Posted By: <b>Marc S.</b><p>SGC - 92 / 8.5<br />PSA - 8<br />BVG - 3 (as I've seen them miss alterations)<br />GAI - 1.5

Grade the graders
 

Posted By: <b>Wesley</b><p>SGC 9<br />PSA 9<br />GAI 8<br />BVG 5<br /><br />According to your instructions, we are to rate confidence in the company's ability to correctly grade pre war cards. Customer service would be rated a little differently.

Grade the graders
 

Posted By: <b>Jeff Prizner</b><p>SGC - 9<br />PSA - 8<br />GAI - 2<br />BVG - 1<br />

Grade the graders
 

Posted By: <b>nbrazil</b><p>"Customer service would be rated a little differently."<br /><br />Yes...disregard customer service. Just the company's ability to correctly grade the card.

Grade the graders
 

Posted By: <b>JK</b><p>sgc - 9<br />bvg - 6<br />psa - 5<br />gai - 3<br /><br />I rate bvg slightly higher than psa only because I believe Im more likely to get an undergraded card rather than an overgraded card from them. That card can then be safely crossed to sgc. I have very little confidence in psa graded cards - particularly those graded higher than a 4.

Grade the graders
 

Posted By: <b>Jason L</b><p>since that is the service they are providing.

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Posted By: <b>Rob Dewolf</b><p>SGC -- 8<br /><br />PSA -- 7<br /><br />BVG -- 4<br /><br />GAI -- 3

Grade the graders
 

Posted By: <b>Jon Canfield</b><p>SGC - 8<br />PSA - 8<br />GAI - 7<br />BVG - 6<br /><br />

Grade the graders
 

Posted By: <b>steve</b><p>PSA - only one I send to - gets best prices (generally)<br /><br />SGC - gladly buy, but too tough to send in cards<br /><br />BVG - blue moon occasion - will buy card, not case - never send<br /><br />GAI - too much other stuff to gamble - bad crossover experience going to PSA - never send<br /><br />steve

Grade the graders
 

Posted By: <b>Steve Murray</b><p>BVG (I have no experience with this company)<br />GAI 6<br />PSA 6<br />SGC 9<br /><br />Though you didn't ask:<br /><br />PRO 1<br />CSA 2<br />

Grade the graders
 

Posted By: <b>Alan U</b><p>BVG = 3<br />GAI = 3<br />PSA = 8<br />SGC = 8<br /><br />As to high end stuff (PSA 6-7 or better) my confidence is much lower on vintage cards for all companies, due to the liklihood of card alterations and the money involved.<br /><br />

Grade the graders
 

Posted By: <b>Frank Wakefield</b><p>SGC - 9<br />PSA - 7<br />BVG - 6<br />GAI - 4<br /><br /><br /><br />I started to rank GAI a bit better... but then it seems that they get sent cards with problems more often than the other guys, when the submitter has hopes of just getting the card into a slab. Once slabbed, some buyers buy the slab instead of the card, to their own detriment.

Grade the graders
 

Posted By: <b>Rob</b><p>imo, "grading" a card is fairly easy. its just the condition the card is in. all of them can do it well, but some are more consistent than others.<br /><br />SGC - 9 (tough graders, miss very little IMO)<br />PSA - 6 (occasionally overgrade, IMO)<br />GAI - 5 (inconsistent)<br />BVG - 7 (before going to BVG, Beckett did well at grading vintage cards and were tough - I'd give them a 9 - but they are much more lenient with their more recent BVG system and sometimes inconsistent)<br /><br />some side notes:<br />1) the above is just "grading". determining authenticity is a different subject. i'd put the most trust in SGC, then BVG, then PSA, then GAI.<br />2) slab LOOKS, i'd rate them SGC by a long shot, then PSA, then GAI and BVG<br />3) slab protection, i like BVG the best. you don't have to worry if your beckett slab has been tampered with, cuz the thing is bulletproof. Though I've never tried tampering with a slab, the general consensus seems to be PSA is next-toughest, and SGC is pretty easy to get into. no idea about GAI.<br /><br />Rob<br /><img src="/images/happy.gif" height=14 width=14><br />

Grade the graders
 

Posted By: <b>keyway</b><p>SGC=9.5 CSA=8.5 PSA=8 GAI=7.5 BGS=5 Since I have no faith in BGS grading of early cards I gave them a low grade.

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Posted By: <b>JimCrandell</b><p>GAI 9<br />PSA-8<br />SGC-8<br />Beckett-2

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Posted By: <b>Dave F</b><p>SGC 9<br />PSA 7<br />BVG 4<br />GAI 2

Grade the graders
 

Posted By: <b>Matt</b><p>keyway - you have more confidence in a CSA slab then a PSA slab?

Grade the graders
 

Posted By: <b>Turner Engle</b><p>SGC 9<br />PSA 8<br />BVG 5<br />GAI 2

Grade the graders
 

Posted By: <b>bigfish</b><p>SGC 10 out of 10 - top notch<br />PSA 5 out of 10 - too many mistakes. Example: paperloss on the PSA 5/6 example. A few examples in current auctions.<br />BVG 4 out of 10. Getting better in my opinion.<br />

Grade the graders
 

Posted By: <b>Erick Lewin</b><p>SGC - 9.5 The Best<br />PSA - 8<br />GAI - 6.5<br />BVG - 5 due to inexperience in pre war (would rate 8 or 9 for new cards)

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Posted By: <b>leon</b><p>Is it Monday yet?

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Posted By: <b>Alan U</b><p>Leon, this might be a stupid question, but what's happening on Monday?

Grade the graders
 

Posted By: <b>leon</b><p>Sort of an inside Net54 board joke. GAI was supposed to be open for business several Mondays ago. A few Mondays passed and nadda. So it's sort of a running joke "Is it Monday yet?" I understand they are supposed to be back open now but I haven't really heard anything more. regards

Grade the graders
 

Posted By: <b>quan</b><p><br />SGC...9<br />PSA...8 not happy lately<br />GAI...5 overgrade imo<br />BVG...5 good value when they're right, still grading reprints???

Grade the graders
 

Posted By: <b>barrysloate</b><p>SGC 9<br />PSA 7<br />GAI 5*<br />BVG 4<br /><br />* assuming they are still in business.

Grade the graders
 

Posted By: <b>Scott Mt. Joy</b><p><br />PSA 8<br />SGC 8<br />GAI 4<br />BVG 2<br />

Grade the graders
 

Posted By: <b>sagard</b><p><br /><br />PSA - 8. More likely to get an overgraded card.<br />SGC - 7. More likely to get an undergraded card.<br />GAI - 1. Can't be trusted at this point.<br />BVG - 1. There has to be a reason for the card not sitting in a real holder.

Grade the graders
 

Posted By: <b>JimB</b><p>SGC 8.5 (Knocked down a notch for their nasty habit of undergrading cards - a wrong grade is a wrong grade - but otherwise great)<br />PSA 8 (used to be better, but I think sheer volume has taken its tole on consistency. WIsh they would have designated graders for different eras of cards.)<br />GAI 2.5 (Don't trust them on so many levels).<br />BVG ?? (Never used them, never owned a card graded by them)<br /><br />JimB

Grade the graders
 

Posted By: <b>Jerry Hrechka</b><p> SGC - 8<br /> PSA - 7<br /> GAI - 3<br /> BVG - 3<br /><br /> Then there are the guys who decide what mistakes the above 4 make & what grades do the "Graders of the graders" get, but that's whole 'nother thread.

Grade the graders
 

Posted By: <b>Fred C</b><p>SGC = 9.5<br />PSA = 9.0<br />SCD = 9.0 (the old SCD)<br />GAI = 7.0<br />BVG = 7.0<br />

Grade the graders
 

Posted By: <b>David B</b><p>SGC 10 - Was going to go 9 but with their guarantee can't go wrong. Could be less harsh grading certain issues. The company I trust above all others.<br />PSA 7 - Have seen more overgraded cards from PSA than the others.<br />GAI 4 - Was a 6 until the recent events.<br />BVG 6 - With reservations. Only owned a few but they were accurately graded.<br /><br />Just my humble opinion

Grade the graders
 

Posted By: <b>Tony Andrea</b><p>SGC - 9 (Harsh graders but still the best by a mile)<br />PSA - 7 (Due mostly to poor customer service)<br />GAI - 6 (I still have no problem buying a GAI card)<br />BVG - 1 (Not confident with their expertise when it comes to pre war)<br /><p>Tony<br />

Grade the graders
 

Posted By: <b>Dave S</b><p><br />SGC 9 Tough, but consistent<br />PSA 6 Re$ale, but agree with tendency to overgrade<br />BVG 5<br />GAI 5, if buying...<br />GAI 1, if slabbing my own

Grade the graders
 

Posted By: <b>dan mckee</b><p>BVG N/A<br />GAI 2 <br />PSA 4<br />SGC 6<br />

Grade the graders
 

Posted By: <b>Joe_G.</b><p>I'll bite as well (from the perspective of 19th century sets). . .<br /><br /><b>SGC 8.5</b> The best, but no one gets it right all the time, even SGC has room to improve.<br /><b>PSA 4.5</b> PSA just doesn't understand OJ & GQ, two of my favorite sets. With greater frequency than the others, they mis-label, grade altered, and don't even try to hide how clueless they are. Case in point, the N173 Connor on eBay (not the GQ mistake that lists a small GQ as large). PSA decided to list the pose which is a cool idea but "BATTING OUTDOOR SCENE"??, come on! Connor has 3 batting poses, all shot in a studio indoors. The correct pose description (Cartophilic listing) would be "Bat at ready, L/profile". There is a good reason why a much smaller SGC has graded more than twice as many OJs than PSA. Unless something drastically changes to either SGC or PSA, that gap will only grow.<br /><b>GAI 6.0</b> A host of issues themselves but certainly better than PSA if for no other reason that their cards don't slip around.<br /><b>BVG ?.?</b> I don't have enough experience with BVG to fairly grade them.<br /><br />Best Regards,<br />Joe Gonsowski

Grade the graders
 

Posted By: <b>Jeff Lichtman</b><p>SGC 9<br />PSA 6<br />BVG 2<br />GAI 0<br />PRO 0

Grade the graders
 

Posted By: <b>Larry</b><p>SGC = 4<br />PSA = 3<br />SCD (red label) = 2<br />BVG = 2<br />KSA = 1<br />ASA = 1<br />Old CSA = 1<br />PRO = 0<br />GAI = 0

Grade the graders
 

Posted By: <b>George</b><p>SGC 9<br />PSA 7 (not consistent in my opinion)<br />GAI 4 (most GAI graded cards I have either look trimmed or do not fit the grade)<br />BVG 2 <br />PRO -10 (not on the list but have a 1 PRO beauty graded a whopping 9.5...NOT!)

Grade the graders
 

Posted By: <b>1880nonsports</b><p>descriptively but my hierarchy/ranking a bit different:<br /><br />SGC - 9. More likely to get an undergraded card.<br />PSA - 6. More likely to get an overgraded card.<br />GAI - 2. Can't be trusted at this point.<br />BVG - 1. There has to be a reason for the card not sitting in a real holder. My one and only experience - I own one N29 in BVG and it looks pretty good to me. I never saw the card out of the holder however).<br />CSA/ASA/PRO and a host of others - (-9)<br />You are REALLY taking chances with the others<br /><br />my biggest problem with SGC is that I think their grades are a bit harsh when it comes to differentiating what deserves to be lowered and to what degree... example might be a card with all the atributes of a nearmint card in the N28 series given a 30 for a head-of-a-pin sized spot of loss on a blank portion of the reverse - or some of my N43's in clearly exmt condition (or better!) save a lightly penciled "7" on the back graded "40". I erased the mark on the back of one with an eracer and with a special powder on the other. One got a "40" and the other a "30". Still feel they are the most diligent.......<br /><br />(edited for clarity)

Grade the graders
 

Posted By: <b>dan mckee</b><p>Someone with nothing but time on their hands should tally these stats for an overall average of each. Dan.

Grade the graders
 

Posted By: <b>1880nonsports</b><p>and little life.<br /><br />THE RESULTS:<br /><br />SGC - head and shoulders abopve the rest. Buy SGC for your collection of pre-war baseball cards.<br /><br />PSA - for now continue to sell PSA but see above as confidence wanes and the gap narrows. They are a high volume service and don't pay enough attention to the details. Sole issue as I see it is the registry.<br /><br />The rest - ya pays ya money and takes ya chances..... Buy the card but FEAR the holder.....<br />

Grade the graders
 

Posted By: <b>Eric Brehm</b><p>&lt;deleted&gt;

Grade the graders
 

Posted By: <b>steve yawitz</b><p>SGC - 8<br />PSA - 5<br />BVG - 5<br />GAI - 2<br />

Grade the graders
 

Posted By: <b>Anonymous</b><p>Mine November 27 2007, 1:42 PM <br />********************<br /><br />SGC - 92 / 8.5<br />PSA - 8<br />BVG - 3 (as I've seen them miss alterations)<br />GAI - 1.5 <br />**********************<br /><br />Funny stuff Mark S !!!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />

Grade the graders
 

Posted By: <b>Frank Evanov</b><p>PSA 8<br />SGC 7<br />BECKETT 5<br />GAI 1<br><br>Frank

Grade the graders
 

Posted By: <b>Andrew</b><p>SGC: 9 (the best by far in my opinion)<br />PSA: 7 (not nearly as consistent as SGC)<br />GAI: 5 (why do they treat paper loss so differently than SGC and PSA?)<br />BVG: n/a