1939 Play Ball Dimaggio

[Davidlisa]

I've been looking for a PSA 5 of this card. At the Strongsville show today I saw an SGC 70 / 5.5. It's a really good looking card. Does anyone have any experience with crossing over from SGC to PSA. The price is $900. Thoughts ?

[53Browns]

I also have a card I'm interested in crossing over from SGC to PSA and would be very interested to hear how it's done and experiences.

[Sean]

I recently crossed eight SGC and one BVG to PSA. PSA graded eight of the nine cards lower, and one got the same grade. They dropped anywhere from 1/2 grade to two grades.

[swarmee]

Well, the process is to send as a crossover submission, inside the SGC slab. PSA will evaluate it and determine what grade they believe it deserves. They then enter that into the computer and the person processing the order checks the PSA determination against the Minimum Grade you entered on your submission form. As in, if you want it crossed to PSA if it garners at least a 4.5, then you list 4.5 as the MinGrade you will accept. If for some reason PSA grades it a 4, they will return it to you still slabbed by SGC.

My advice: look at the card critically. An SGC 5.5 should have no surface wrinkles or creases, so that's a good place to start. PSA is pretty tough on corner wear, but at a PSA 5 level, all 5 corners could be nicked, but not enough to have surface creases. PSA cards grading at a 5 should have at least 85/15 front centering, which is pretty far off. It means one border can be almost 6 times the border on the opposite side of the card. Back centering of at least 90/10. If the card is miscut (meaning the card shows part of another card on the front or back), it would likely get the MC qualifier and detract approximately 2 points from the original grade.

PSA is also tough on "MINSIZREQ" meaning a card cut short from the factory, but not trimmed later, will still probably not get graded. So make sure the card is also the right size for the issue before you mail it in.

Post a picture of the card you're considering and we can give better advice if it will cross. To stay a 5.5, it needs to have some quality (usually centering) representative of a much higher grade. So if it's 45/55 centering on front, it might get a 5.5.

It's possible it could get a 6 from PSA, but I haven't heard of cards crossing higher without being cracked out.
https://www.psacard.com/resources/gradingstandards/

[BruceinGa]

I have one graded by SGC at 80 (6). Maybe I should consider getting it crossed over.

[HawkFan70]

I have a small sample set but I've had far better luck with crossing SGC than Beckett.

SGC - Crossed an SGC 60 to a PSA 5

Beckett - Crossed 2 BVG 8's to a PSA 7 and 6. BVG 6 did not receive a minium grade of PSA 4.5.

[Scocs]

What’s wrong with an SGC 70 as it is?

[PiratesWS1979]

Originally Posted by Scocs

What’s wrong with an SGC 70 as it is?

$$$$$!

[swarmee]

My SGC to PSA crossover results so far:
1909 T51 Murad College Series Tufts College SGC 5 Crossed at PSA 5
1910 T51 Murad College Series Dickinson College-2nd Edition SGC 4.5 Crossed at PSA 4.5
1976 O-Pee-Chee 175 Ken Singleton SGC 98/10 DID NOT CROSS to PSA 10
1972 Topps 55 Archie Manning SGC 7 Crossed to PSA 7
1933 Sport Kings 38 Bobby Jones Golf Auth SGC Crossed to PSA AUTH

All the rest I've cracked out.
1952 Topps #54 Leo Kiely SGC 4 became PSA 4
1952 Topps #68 Cliff Chambers SGC 4.5 became PSA 5
1952 Topps #195 Minnie Minoso SGC 3 became PSA 3
1968 Topps #66 Casey Cox SGC 1.5 became PSA 5 (had marker on it that PSA didn't catch or give a qualifier to)

[swarmee]

*double post*

[glynparson]

If you feel the card meets the criteria for a 5 it will probably cross. If you want it to cross to the 5.5 it currently has this may be more difficult as psa is fairly strict on half grades. At least for me.

[Frank A]

Never, never, never send a card in for crossing in another companies holder. Crack it out and send it.

[1952boyntoncollector]

Originally Posted by swarmee

My SGC to PSA crossover results so far:
1909 T51 Murad College Series Tufts College SGC 5 Crossed at PSA 5
1910 T51 Murad College Series Dickinson College-2nd Edition SGC 4.5 Crossed at PSA 4.5
1976 O-Pee-Chee 175 Ken Singleton SGC 98/10 DID NOT CROSS to PSA 10
1972 Topps 55 Archie Manning SGC 7 Crossed to PSA 7
1933 Sport Kings 38 Bobby Jones Golf Auth SGC Crossed to PSA AUTH

All the rest I've cracked out.
1952 Topps #54 Leo Kiely SGC 4 became PSA 4
1952 Topps #68 Cliff Chambers SGC 4.5 became PSA 5
1952 Topps #195 Minnie Minoso SGC 3 became PSA 3
1968 Topps #66 Casey Cox SGC 1.5 became PSA 5 (had marker on it that PSA didn't catch or give a qualifier to)

crossing over a 30 dollar card isnt the same thing as crossing over a 500 dollar card..

i would think the low value cards are much much easier to cross over...but i have no evidence of it..i just think that a business would have no downside from taking 10 dollars from you or whatever to cross over a 20 dollar card to a point to encourage it..without watering down the grade because the card at issue could have 5000 more added to the POP and noone would complain that had the card...

[BruceinGa]

I was ready to respond to Frank's post, asking for his reasoning.
I now see 1952boyntoncollector's response and can see his reasoning.
So, Frank, do you see it the same as 1952boyntoncollector?

[Scocs]

I still think it’s pathetic, unless you’re a registry collector. SGC isn’t some fly-by-night company or has problematic issues like a GAI. If the card is in Excellent Plus condition (70/5.5), you should be happy about the fact that respected professionals authenticated the card and believed it deserving of a mid-high grade....

[Davidlisa]

Bottom line is that PSA is more respected and someday my kids will have to sell this stuff so I'm just more comfortable with PSA.

[BruceinGa]

Originally Posted by Davidlisa

Bottom line is that PSA is more respected and someday my kids will have to sell this stuff so I'm just more comfortable with PSA.

+1

[sterlingfox]

I know which card you're referring to. If that dealer took PayPal or credit cards, it would have been mine. Someone else bought it. Very nicely centered example and great price.

[orly57]

Originally Posted by Frank A

Never, never, never send a card in for crossing in another companies holder. Crack it out and send it.

+1

And I don't see how Frank's post relates to Jake's. I think it is probably innate in a grading company, even if subconsciously, to want to appear tougher than its competitor. It's best they didn't even know their competitor's position.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Davidlisa

Bottom line is that PSA is more respected and someday my kids will have to sell this stuff so I'm just more comfortable with PSA.

And after you spend the money to cross it, even assuming it crosses, what's your gain on a PSA 5 over an SGC 5.5? I would think not much.

[swarmee]

Again, crackouts are not without risk as well. You could lose 90% of your investment if the card is determined to be trimmed or minsiz after broken out of a number slab. You could also damage the card during the process.
The higher value card, the more likely I am to send for crossover rather than cracked out raw.
All depends on your personal risk tolerance.

[conor912]

Don't they crack the card out to grade it for crossover? The risk is all still there either way. I guess except for the damaging the card, but that's happened plenty of times by TPGs.

[swarmee]

No, they review the card inside the slab. If it meets the min grade requested, then and only then do they crack it out (or unseal it with a device most collectors don't own). If it doesn't meet the min grade, you get it back in the original slab.

[Peter_Spaeth]

I could be wrong but I don't think they will crack it out unless they have determined it will cross. Which I don't understand, because it seems to me direct examination of the edges which can't be done in the holder is important in some cases.

[Jewish-collector]

How do the TPGs crack out a card ? What device do they use ?

[ullmandds]

Originally Posted by Jewish-collector

How do the TPGs crack out a card ? What device do they use ?

Im guessing similar tools that any of us use...which is one reason cards get damaged by them.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Jewish-collector

How do the TPGs crack out a card ? What device do they use ?

A chainsaw.

[Hxcmilkshake]

Originally Posted by Davidlisa

Bottom line is that PSA is more respected and someday my kids will have to sell this stuff so I'm just more comfortable with PSA.

Today yes. In the future? Maybe, maybe not.

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk

[conor912]

Originally Posted by Hxcmilkshake

Today yes. In the future? Maybe, maybe not.

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk

+1

It's only a matter of time before some mainstream media nerd with a baseball card fetish gets a hold of an expose assignment and PSA gets put through the wringer.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Don't underestimate the resilience of PSA or how entrenched it is among collectors. They have survived a lot already -- the Wagner, the WIWAG scandal, the rebacked Plank they graded that was revealed in the Mastro proceeding, the Mexican cards, lots of other stuff too.

[pokerplyr80]

Originally Posted by Frank A

Never, never, never send a card in for crossing in another companies holder. Crack it out and send it.

That depends on the card and your risk tolerance. I would say there are plenty of cards I wouldn't risk cracking out before submitting. I have heard a few stories about guys who got burned that way.