For me, grades are only so important. As has been said, buy the card, not the plastic.
And for me, it's all about eye appeal and centering. I'm doing the 52 Topps set, and I'll take a centered PSA 5 over an offcenter 8 any day of the week. And even along the same grade, there can be differences. I've seen 5s that are an ugly off white with mangy corners, and 5s that look like they could be 7s....great color and corners, but usually marred by a subtle flaw like a crease or something.
The main reason I buy graded is two fold: 1) In my area, there simply cannot be found quality vintage cards. There are a few dealers, but most deal in the new junk, and if they have vintage, it's in abhorrent condition, yet priced at NRMT levels. And they have no education. One dealer I encountered has a nice range of vintage, including some Goudey 33s, but they were all PO1s, and the key cards he had were so badly trimmed I had trouble believing he could be so ignorant.
So online is pretty much the only way I can get good vintage, and being unable to visually inspect and measure the cards to ensure they are original, I opt for the security of graded.
Now of course there is the danger of cracked card housings, but I've so far avoided this pretty easily by only doing business with dealers who specialize in vintage wares.
I have little sympathy for people suckered into buying bogus 52 Mantles in cracked holders, when the seller deals in Nascar merch and cards dating no earlier than 1995. Raises a big red flag right there. Dealers are not all created equal.
So as they say, buy the card not the plastic, but when you can't hold the card in your hands, get it wrapped up in plastic...you don't know where it's been :P
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