Beckett vs SGC for value in post war....

[MCoxon]

I nearly always go with PSA for the vague notion of brand (the image of product quality in my own personal view, and the network effect from it being the dominant platform in the eyes of the postwar marketplace, and the liquidity that being the "common currency" provides for PSA cards)


But I'll buy SGC (if centered) when the price beats the price of the same card in a PSA holder, with similar eye appeal, by a material amount. Eg, a 1969 SGC 84 Mickey Mantle Yellow Letter for $225 a while back.

I'll go with BVG, if the specific card has eye appeal and I just can't find a reasonable PSA or SGC version anywhere near SMR. My example here was a 1952 Topps Al Rosen. While SMR is $135 for a PSA 6, I spent months looking and bidding on decent PSA 6s that closed at over $250/300, with BINs in the $300-450 range. Finally, I found a nice centered BVG 6 for $125 and snapped it up.

[glynparson]

But my friends auction does great with bvg

[steve B]

I only have a handful of graded modern cards. A couple that came in packs, a couple that came with other stuff or were less than the grading would be. All three companies, and maybe a couple from some random brand X grader (From the local guys dollar box, and cards I'd have paid a dollar for anyway) and a few I sent in to SGC when they had a special for modern cards at I think $5 each. The ones I sent in I checked the populations with PSA, and all of them were pretty low in high grades. Of course, they didn't do all that well even though I thought they were really in great condition - Nice corners, centered, etc.

There's a few I might break down and send to PSA. I hate the whole concept of paying someone so I can pay them more.........But the difference in price will probably make the difference.

Overall I'm not too picky about grades and who graded it. If I like the card at the price there's a decent chance I'll buy it.
The value also isn't a big thing for me within reason. Having collected a lot of my stuff back when it was nearly worthless - And a big portion of the rest that was not expensive but is now nearly worthless- the price is just a way of keeping track of things. Most of the stuff I really like I'd still keep if it became entirely worthless. 88 Donruss anyone? Ok, pretty close to worthless, and if the good stuff becomes worthless those might be worth more as heating fuel.

Steve B

[DBesse27]

PSA is king. You don't have to like it, but that doesn't make it untrue.