PSA. BVG. SGC. Where to grade?

[I Only Smoke 4 the Cards]

I think SGC displays better.

[AMBST95]

If you are looking at resale value, go PSA. If its produced in the last ten years though, go Beckett. I would add that if you're going to hold it for a long time (personal collection) either keep it raw or go Sgc because their prices are reasonable and if you go raw and decide to sell, you can grade in the holder that at that time holds the most value, maybe a new guy will come along and become king.

[steve B]

To me it also depends on just how nice they really are. I sent my Jeter rookies to SGC on a special, and they sold for about the same as any others graded 8. Probably roughly broke even compared to raw. If they'd made 9 it would have worked out better. Sending them to SGC if you're new to it is a good idea, especially if they fit one of the specials. You'll get some idea of just how good your eye for condition is. (Although I've sent in maybe 40 cards and still get puzzled by some grades. )

Whichever company you choose if you're doing it for resale take a long second look at what you want to send in and look at prices for that card in different grades. There's always a grade where the value of grading changes.
Sometimes the prices of a crard that's VG-EX is more raw since some people like to take the gamble on what it will grade.

So if a card looks like it might be VG-EX but someone likes it enough to think it's EX it might not be worth grading. The Jeters are a great example,93 Upper Deck 8s are about $10 Raw are usually 6-10. Sometimes less. So grading on a $5 special is basically a losing thing unless like me you got them for very little. But 9s are about double, 10s over a hundred. So it's probably a good gamble at a maybe $1 loss. But if it's got any problem at all it's much better to sell it raw. A beckett 6.5 sold for just over $3.

If you've got a good eye for grades you can do well, if not it might not be worth it. (except for the expensive stuff where even a not so good grade will do much better than a raw card that many will see as suspect -like a 52 Mantle)


Steve B



I do this with T206s, And I've had some really nice ones and a few failures- Ones that were either trimmed or in one case a very nice looking 3 that is a 3 because of a light crease. Still a nice looking card, just not one that would bump to vg-ex. Since I paid a VG price I figure it's ok. The upside is the couple raw cards bought for just under the usual VG-EX price that came back as 80s.

[t206blogcom]

SGC for pre-war and vintage. 1980-present go with PSA.

[conor912]

PSA to sell, SGC to own

[pcoz]

For vintage cards, I've gotten similar prices to buy/sell PSA & SGC cards. SGC to me is the prewar king though, as I trust them more in various areas. PSA for postwar. I think SGC is the most accurate and display better as well. The card floating around in the PSA holders drive me nuts. BGS is by far the best for modern cards. They used to be even more stringent than they are now, and since they make the modern day price publication, seem to bring more on resale.

[yanksfan09]

Originally Posted by conor912

PSA to sell, SGC to own

I don't disagree. I've never submitted to PSA. I don't want to pay to be a member somewhere to have the privilege of spending more on their products. But anyway, that's besides the point...

I just don't understand, that if so many people have this exact sentiment, why is this the case then? If most pre-war buyers like SGC more or at least the same as PSA, why then don't their cards sell for the same money?

Do you think the price difference is mostly just with more common issues like T206 for example? I haven't noticed PSA selling for more than SGC for more obscure issues. Maybe they do but I've never noticed that. I've seen it at times with common issues like Goudeys, t206 etc....

Personally I much prefer SGC, but will buy any card, raw or from another company, if it looks good and is priced right. But all things being equal, I prefer SGC and would pay very slightly more for an SGC graded vs. PSA card.

[bunst]

Originally Posted by yanksfan09

If most pre-war buyers like SGC more or at least the same as PSA, why then don't their cards sell for the same money?

Good question

[freakhappy]

[QUOTE=yanksfan09;1109902] I just don't understand, that if so many people have this exact sentiment, why is this the case then? If most pre-war buyers like SGC more or at least the same as PSA, why then don't their cards sell for the same money? [QUOTE]


Registry? That's my only guess.

I don't hate PSA, but they seem inconsistent to me. I will buy BVG, SGC, or PSA if the card looks good to me, but when it comes to resell, PSA seems to be ahead in the race.