Dan- I think it's a damn shame. Barry is right when he says he wishes all grading companies use the same criteria, but they don't. Ask Steve M., or Peter T. or myself about how SGC brutalizes 1911 and 1912 Zeenuts with tiny writing on the blank backs, having PSA 5 and 6 MKs go to SGC 20 and 10, it's just the way they grade. Since I like the SGC holders better for the way cards fit and display and now that SGC is catching up in many collector's minds with the value of pre-war cards in their holders, I use SGC exclusively. The caveat is the expensive card in a PSA holder that you would like to get in to a SGC holder but you fear the drop in grade because of a mark on the back or a tiny bit of back paper loss which will cause the grade to plummet. It's a quandry.
The two suggestions made above which I feel are most worthwhile:
1) ALWAYS use minimum grades for a crossover and/or
2) NEVER submit anything to either PSA or SGC in a holder from another company, always break it out and submit it raw if you truly want that company's holder on it.
As Quan can tell you, years ago I was in the "Frank" camp and hated having cards slabbed at all but for protection purposes, display purposes and because of the card is worth much more slabbed, I gave in. I have 100% of my caramel cards slabbed and about 70% of my tobacco cards.
One last note on GAI slabbed cards- I don't use them anymore but I have some beautiful caramels slabbed in GAI holders and properly graded because at one time they were very good at correctly grading cards. I crossed some over and 50% stayed the same, 25% bumped up slightly, 25% bumped down slightly or more. I think the GAI slabbed cards from 2000-2005 get a bum rap, but that's just my personal opinion.
