Global's (GAI) Status????

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Posted By: Tony Andrea

I keep hearing these horror stories of how Global has let many of us down the last year or so in some way. I like many, have about half of my cards in their holders and would like to know from some fellow forum members on what they think
about them today compared to how they were a year or so ago.
Do you see a card potentially having a chance of being worth less if it is in one of their holders -vs- SGC's or PSA's.
God I hope not!!!!!!!!!!
Prices on Ebay and various auctions still show their prices bringing as much as SGC's and PSA's on big money cards.
I recently sent a BVG-4 T206 Cobb (green port) in for cross-over review and got in reslabbed into one of their holders and returned in (2) days and was even bumped to a (4.5).
They even called me when it was received, which shocked me.
I guess for every bad story, there's a good one huh??
SOOOOOOOOO, what are some of the board members doing with higher valued cards
in their collection that are in GAI holders such as the one I mentioned.

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Posted By: Judge Dred (Fred)

Less than 1% of my cards is GAI encapsulated. Distribution for me is about 65% SGC and 35% PSA.

I do like those little GAI tabs at the top of the holders which tells you which card is in that holder but not to the point where they get my submissions. The only GAI card I own was won on ebay. I have no plans to have it crossed over.

SGC has worked well for me.

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Posted By: Rick

I own one GAI graded card ...bought for my collection and i dont intend to cross it or sell it.

I think their grading its OK...but i would only but their cards at a discount to PSA.

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Posted By: warshawlaw

Typically, a GAI card is 0.5 grades overgraded and many thinner issues rattle badly in their holders (as we've discussed before). Anything bigger than a modern Topps card goes into a bilster pack that looks like crap. Lots of trimmed and altered cards make their way into GAI holders too. Despite them being local and at every Hollywood Park show, I refuse to submit anything to them.

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Posted By: Anson

So you're saying that you like em?

I haven't seen any more consistency issues with GAI than any other grader. I have had some issues with their service, though.

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Posted By: leon

Personally I am not a GAI fan. They are .5 grade to a grade more lenient than the others which is no big deal if they are consistent. My biggest issue is the fact that, except for Mike Baker (I guess, I don't know him), they don't grade well....I have less confidence in their abilities than I do SGC or PSA. I know of favors given on grading AND their whole grading of tobacco packs lost my confidence too. I won't usually buy GAI cards unless I can see them in person or they are a real good buy......I do like their presentation of their holders as long as the cards don't jockey around in them...which has been a pretty big problem in the past. I don't see myself ever sending a card to GAI to be graded......regards

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Posted By: Wesley

I only have a handful of GAI cards. The ones in my collection appear to be graded accurately and I have no intentions of crossing them over to different holders.

IMO the GAI holder for regular size cards is the nicest in the business.....nicer than that of PSA or SGC. The holders for oversized cards on the other hand do not look very good.

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Posted By: Jim Crandell

Leon,

Can you speak in more detail about the favors on grading that they have given? Are you speaking with specific knowledge?

Baker is thought by most dealers as the premier grader in the business. I would like to see all the "trimmed" cards in GAI holders. I think Baker would look at every true vintage card they graded.

I think GAI is going fine and there is room for 3 companies in the market. I would not be concerned with GAI going out of bus. and if they do in the future you can always get the cards regraded.

Jim

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Posted By: leon

As a matter of fact I can. One of our frequent board members, whom I will not name publicly, had a card that had a chip off of it. He glued it back on. He gave it to GAI to holder. It came back altered and not holdered. He spoke to one of the employees in person and told him of some previous fiasco's he had with them. He handed it back to them and they gave it back to him in a 2 holder....with a smile.....take care....

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Posted By: Dan Koteles

are good people with the ugliest holders in the business . Perhaps that is what
most really do not like.

I do think that a folded flap up top looks horrible ,other then that I have about 15 GAI and they are accurate.

later

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Posted By: Marc S.

There were a lot of concerns raised about this card [sorry, I know it is post-war] that was recently sold on Ebay:



The card was thought, by many, to be noticeably short. And it is perhaps unsurprising to report that this card realized a value of approximately $1,200 - which is approximately 20% less than the prescribed value for a straight PSA 8 NM/MT card - and this GAI example is supposedly half a grade higher

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Posted By: Peter Spaeth

It has been my admittedly unscientific observation that at least post-war GAI HOF type cards are generally selling at deep discounts to comparably graded PSA cards. I am not sure the extent to which this apparent trend also affects pre-war.

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Posted By: Judge Dred (Fred)

There is another GAI thread regarding the holders for "off size" cards. I definitely wouldn't submit any "off size" cards to GAI for the reasons stated in that thread.

Why would a company resort to using such aesthetically unpleasant holders?

Did they think that nobody would care? It's so different that you would have thought that they would have done some basic market research before subjecting there customers to something so radically different from the norm.