PSA v SGC

[lampertb]

Having submitted to both, and having put together a number of sets from all eras (1887 - 1971), I can say that at least in my experience...

1) SGC submissions are always easy
2) SGC's customer support (i.e., on the phone) is easier and better than PSA's
3) If you are concerned with resale, then you are better off using PSA if cards are from the 1930s to the present, and probably with T206s too; the only cards on which I have NOT found a huge difference in prices between the two slabs have been on 19th century cards. Otherwise, PSA gets the better price every time. (To illustrate, check out some high-grade 1971 Topps cards in both slabs... huge gap!)

[Snapolit1]

I'd wait for a show and get them done on site. Whole idea that you have to wait a month to get cards back unless you want to pay for rush service is ridiculous. And my experience is that when they say 30 days or 21 days they are never early. I guess some guy picks up the box on what's been calendered as 30 days and then spends 10 minutes with your cards.

Like most I prefer SGC on pre war cards. Just look so much better. But difficult to argue that PSA doesn't get a real premium in most cases. I guess guys who are into the whole registry thing will pay a big premium.

[nat]

The registry would explain high-grade cards. Do lower-grade cards also get a big premium in PSA slabs, even though people competing in the registry aren't going to be interested in them? (With the exception of really rare stuff which might only be found in low grades.)

[botn]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

I'd wait for a show and get them done on site. Whole idea that you have to wait a month to get cards back unless you want to pay for rush service is ridiculous. And my experience is that when they say 30 days or 21 days they are never early. I guess some guy picks up the box on what's been calendered as 30 days and then spends 10 minutes with your cards.

Like most I prefer SGC on pre war cards. Just look so much better. But difficult to argue that PSA doesn't get a real premium in most cases. I guess guys who are into the whole registry thing will pay a big premium.

Ummmm...the other person has 300 to 500 cards to grade. The lowest show service is probably $35 to $40 a card for onsite compared to the $5 or $8 fee he is looking to spend.

[sterlingfox]

I just did an SGC submission of 10 cards in April, and got my cards back in less than 3 weeks for their slowest service ($10 per card for a non member, minus a $20 off $100 SGC submission coupon that Probstein sent me with an eBay purchase).

Well worth the wait for saving over $20 per card vs getting them done at the show where I submitted them.

I did get one card reviewed at the show, and that took the full 7 hours that I was there. It was promised in 2 hours. Didn't get the bump after all that waiting anyway...

[Snapolit1]

Originally Posted by botn

Ummmm...the other person has 300 to 500 cards to grade. The lowest show service is probably $35 to $40 a card for onsite compared to the $5 or $8 fee he is looking to spend.

I had cards graded last year by SGC at the National and believe it was $8 a pop. Maybe a few bucks more.