Grading 50's & 60's

[blackandgold]

This may be a dumb question, but I have never sent vintage cards to be graded, and I only own a couple, as I prefer ungraded. However, it seems if you eventually want to sell, graded brings better prices, and would make it easier on whoever inherits them.
My question is : at what point does it NOT pay to get them graded ? If they get 5's or 6's, is there really a benefit for graded over ungraded ?
I would appreciate any advice I can get.
Thanks and have a great weekend !
Matt

[Shoebox]

I would say that it would be based more on the value and desirability of the raw card. Vintage HOF rookie cards and other iconic high demand cards are going to see a return on raw almost all the way to 1. With lesser demand star cards I don't know that you turn a profit by grading but it will probably sell faster. Then with commons even if you pop a 10 it is likely only going to be valued by the most obsessive of set builders/registry nuts.

On caveat I would say is if you have a card with great centering/eye appeal but contains a significant technical flaw that will reduced its grade don't grade it. Sell it raw with ful disclosure of the issues.

[steve B]

What Dustin said.

I'm slowly grading a few cards, mostly prewar, and mostly the really nice ones or the special ones.

I think postwar commons need to be either really tough in high grade, or really very nearly perfect to be worth grading. The stars and probably some high numbers it's probably worth it in the long run.

I figure I know cards pretty well. I might do ok selling them ungraded, but would probably not get top dollar.
My wife knows something about cards, and if it was a critical need, she could probably figure out which to get graded.

But unless my kids get into cards or at least pay attention, they won't have any idea. And at that point having them graded will make things much easier as a buyer would have fewer concerns about alterations or the card being real.(Yeah, they all botch a few, but the top three are usually right. )

Steve B

[mintacular]

As others have said, unless major stars (or key rookies, or highly counterfeited cards) like Clemente, Mantle, Ted Williams, etc. that can hit a "7" or higher you'd probably be better off not sending them in. Of course my statement is a generalization and there are exceptions