Grade your beaters?

[Archive]

Posted By: Joann

Generally no.

To me there are only two reasons to grade a card. One is to sell it, for all of the reasons stated above.

The other is for additional protection for a card that is more valuable. I have an N28 Bennett that would probably go VGEX or better that I might have slabbed just to be abundantly cautious with it. Once in awhile a beater might fall into this category if the card is rare enough, but not usually.

Other than that, forget it. I was going to have every card slabbed except one of each type, until I realized that when I look at my cards the graded cards sit on the counter, but those in toploaders I pick up, take out, turn over, hold into the light, look at directly without plastic and scratches (toploader or slab) to interfere. In short, I seem to appreciate them more as as cards. Kind of like a vintage car that you can get right up to, look in the window, maybe even sit in or drive, as opposed to seeing the same car in a museum behind velvet ropes. Both appreciated, but in different ways and with different risks to the car.

I have started breaking graded cards below about a 4 that I intend to keep out of their slabs and putting them in toploaders. I just like to be able to take them out and see them directly. Broke an E93 Donovan out of a PSA 1 holder tonite. If I ever want to grade it again, I can. Not like I'm risking going backwards by breaking out a PSA 1. I do really really love the way just about any card looks in an SGC holder, but decided that I like the ability to take them out of toploaders better.

Joann