Quote:
Originally Posted by bobbyw8469
So...they are better than PSA except for the most important metric of all. Got it.
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That depends on how you define the most important metric though. If your goal is profit from a card that is worth ~$5k raw by getting it graded, then perhaps the resale value of getting it grades by PSA vs SGC is most important. But that's not the only relevant factor in the equation to me. You also have to take into account the cost of grading, the turnaround times, and the actual grades themselves. Recently, PSA has been extremely harsh with their grades. To the point where what used to be a 9 is now an 8, and what used to be a 5 is now a 4 or sometimes even a 3. I've also seen numerous cards with minor creases that used to get 4s now getting 1s and 1.5s. If you were to submit these same cards to SGC and received a more fair and consistent grade (which they have definitely been more consistent and reliable recently, in my experience) then the resale value of an SGC 8 vs a PSA 7 all of a sudden matters. It's not just about comparing SGC 10 vs PSA 10 prices. Sometimes it is, but it's often not.
Also, what if you're looking to get this graded for your PC? Maybe you don't want to shell out $300 to have it graded? And what if you're looking to hold it for 5+ years? If SGC continues to gain market share, then the price gap between them and PSA will continue to narrow. 5 years down the line, the differences might not be as drastic.
Resale prices matter, but it's not always an apples to apples comparison. I can't tell you how many truly perfect cards I've had over the years in PSA 9 holders. Sure, most 9s have some minor flaw, but there is no shortage of gem mint cards in PSA 9 holders. I've cracked out a lot of them and crossed them over to BGS or SGC and they were given the gem mint grades they deserved and ended up selling for significantly more than they would have in their PSA slab.