SIGNIFICANCE OF "HIGHEST SGC GRADE"

[Archive]

Posted By: Jay Miller 

I just was looking at some Old Judge on ebay and I noticed that someone had an SGC40 Ewing listed as highest SGC graded (1/3). Along the same lines as Joe's string, does this guy actually believe that this is the best, one of the best, or even a really nice Ewing, or is he simply trying to hype an otherwise ugly card. SGC does a great job slabbing cards but I believe that for many cards being the highest graded is pretty well meaningless. What do you guys (guyettes) think?

[Archive]

Posted By: Jason Smith

Even if there are some nicer ungraded cards out there, telling perspective buyers that the card is highest rated is a good idea. Anything that's true that will help you sell your card is valuable information. For the buyer it doesn't tell the seller, and it's not necessarily meant to tell them that it's the "best card of it's kind" in the world, but it at least tells them that that card is pretty difficult to find in better condition. When I see descriptors like that, I don't think the seller is trying to scam anyone, but just trying to get the best price that he/she can. I would do the same. Does it mean that the card is the best of its kind - no. I am sure that for every card I've bought in "PSA 5" there are 2 people out there that haven't graded their potentially PSA 6, 7, 8 or whatever cards, but at least both the buyer and seller know that a 3rd party has looked at the card and graded it. That's why I buy graded cards, because I buy them on ebay, and I have a better trust that I'm buying the real thing if it's graded.
Well, I started rambling there...
Jason

[Archive]

Posted By: John/z28jd

For older cards when there isnt many graded examples,its only significant when its a high grade and then it obviously doesnt need the hype of being the best graded.Also for older cards,they should include other grading companies pop. reports for the card

When its a newer set and theres plenty of examples graded then i think it matters.For example,if theres a short print 1971 topps card,and because of the black border its hard to find in a high grade then it would matter that its the nicest.

[Archive]

Posted By: The Other One (Julie)

anything truthful that will help a grading company sell a card is fair. SGC's cards are still occasionally found in "highest graded" holders, since they're relatively new. I'm sure it's not NOW the highest graded SGC Ewing in that pose! After all, once they've put the holder out, they can't recall it--it's sort of annoying. Mine's certainly nicer (same pose)--ungraded.

I am NOT a "guyette"!

[Archive]

Posted By: warshawlaw

the pop reports are irrelevant on a per company basis, as all they show is how many have been sent to that company. As owner of many 1/1 cards with SGC, I wish it was the case that the pop was significant. Now if someone can say that there are a total of "x" graded in all major companies' pops and there have been only "y" number of ebay transactions of the card and "z" number of auction sales, then sure, we can attribute some rarity to it.

[Archive]

Posted By: honus3415

What really does have significance?

Pop Reports? --- They do give collectors an abstract way of determining the scarcity of an item. Although as far as I know these reports have no way of adjusting for opened slabs. Which judging from posts on this board, whether just freeing your card or cross-over-grading, seems to be a fairly significant amount of the vintage population of some items. So maybe a 1/3 is really a 1/1 ... no one knows for certain. And maybe one company's highest graded just happens to be the same one reported elsewhere.

Grades? --- We have all seen questionable "PROFESSIONAL" OPINIONS from the four major graders. Plus, I'm not positive but I would think any slabbed card could degenerate in quality if stored improperly (mainly but not limited to light/sunlight).

SMR / Book Pricing? --- There have been several threads on this topic and I personally have yet to see any correlation to actual occurrences (facts) that would lead me to believe that these are anything more than guess-timates.

So basically when seeing ANY data from these catagories, we should remember that just because it is printed somewhere doesn't necessarily make it a fact worth repeating.

Now, like Mom always told me...."If you haven't got anything GOOD to say, don't say anything at all."

I'll shut up now.

[Archive]

Posted By: The Other One (Julie)

He took a lot of TIME, looked at a lot of CARDS, and made a tentative population report. Also advanced a nifty theory why there were so few great players ion the set...

ALL statistic gathering doesn't go for naught.

[Archive]

Posted By: Gilbert Maines

"Highest Graded" is a designation that can be beaten by a later submission that is better. Therefore, to me, a designation such as "first ... fourteenth ... graded is far more valuable, since it is permanent. But I don't think an actual dollar premium should be associated with either designations - there does not seem to be any real snoot appeal. But then again ... snoot is in the eye of the beholder.

[Archive]

Posted By: jay behrens

I thought GAI's "1st graded" schtick was neat idea until I learned they do it for evry single grade for each card. That's just stupid. Oh boy, I've first grade GAI 1.5 33G Gehrig. But there were probably 50 other 33G Gehrigs graded prior to that. It would be a bit more inpressive it was actually the very first 33G Gehrig of any grade graded. Insted, they've rendered the "1st graded" tag totally meaningless.

Jay

I like to sit outside, drink beer and yell at people. If I did this at home I would be arrested, so I go to baseball games and fit right in.