Harsh SGC grades

[irv]

I've always said SGC grades cards harshly but they'd be the company I would choose to send my cards to.

[iowadoc77]

The E95 Cobb is really cool. Nice big borders on that one!

[Pat R]

We see cards that look over and under-graded by all the TPG's
but it's funny you started this thread about the harsh grades.
When I saw this Tenney I was thinking how did it get a 7
with those corners especially the top left.
Tenney.jpgTenney Back.jpg

[Throttlesteer]

The top right and bottom left corners on the Ruth. It also seems to have some surface wear and possibly a small wrinkle on the bottom right, maybe 1/10 of the way up. Honestly, the only one that jumps out at me is the E95 Cobb. But, as pointed out, there may be surface wrinkles not obvious in the scan. The WaJo might actually be overgraded, given the corner wear and toning spots.

[rats60]

The upper right hand corner of the Ruth is missing the top layer of the card. The Cobb has wear on all 4 corners and is missing part of the top left corner. The Johnson has some minor wear on all 4 corners. I have had cards nicer than those receive those grades or lower.

[RedsFan1941]

every card ever submitted has been undergraded, according to the submitter.

every card being offered for sale is undergraded, according to the seller.

Every card being offered for sale is overgraded, according to the buyer.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by rats60

The upper right hand corner of the Ruth is missing the top layer of the card. The Cobb has wear on all 4 corners and is missing part of the top left corner. The Johnson has some minor wear on all 4 corners. I have had cards nicer than those receive those grades or lower.

Man, if you were a grader nothing except a 2018 card out of a pack would ever get a 9 or even an 8. Brutal assessment lol.

[lowpopper]

Man, I didn't like this whole sticker thing at first, but now I like it.

[rats60]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Man, if you were a grader nothing except a 2018 card out of a pack would ever get a 9 or even an 8. Brutal assessment lol.

No, I just don't like pieces of the card missing. Cards getting above 6.5 should look like this

[orly57]

I’m loving the new SGC flips. And the SGC holders frame cards so beautifully.

[irv]

Another example of SGC harsh grading.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1952-Topps-...r&LH_Auction=1

[RedsFan1941]

here’s the thing: these examples of “harsh” grading likely are actually examples of why TPG’s can save a collector from overpaying for an overgraded card. does anyone really think that SGC or PSA haphazardly slaps a 4 on a card that appears to be a 7 or 8? i see a card like that and i think there’s obviously a reason the card isn’t a 7or 8 and I just don’t or can’t see it in a scan. I couldn’t care less about the subtle difference between a 5 and 6. but when i see something like the examples in this thread, I’m happy there is professional grading.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Originally Posted by irv

Another example of SGC harsh grading.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1952-Topps-...r&LH_Auction=1

While I dont think it would look out of place in a "5" holder. with all the border damage (possibly rubber band?) a 4 isn't a travesty of justice.

[sportscomicfantasy]

Originally Posted by irv

Another example of SGC harsh grading.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1952-Topps-...r&LH_Auction=1

There appears to be touches of damage to all three corners and also small damaged spots along the right hand border especailly.

I personally find that PSA is the easiest of the three big ones, and beckett on averages percentage wise I have taken on older cards is the harshest of the three with SGC closer to Beckett in harsher grading than it is to PSA.

If I was going to grade a card to sell, I would likely send it to PSA thinking I am more likely to get a better grade, easier to sell and get more money. If it was a card I want to keep, I would likely send it to one of the other two as I think they are closer to how I would grade if I had a good pair of eyes still.

[toledo_mudhen]

Not that it should matter but the Tenney SGC slab is circa 2005-2008

Originally Posted by Pat R

We see cards that look over and under-graded by all the TPG's
but it's funny you started this thread about the harsh grades.
When I saw this Tenney I was thinking how did it get a 7
with those corners especially the top left.
Attachment 327352Attachment 327353

[glynparson]

The cards look accurately graded from the pictures. The Ruth looks like it could be a 5 to me from the pic so a 4.5 is a tiny bit low but the others look right on point. And in hand it could easily look like a 4.5. The other 2 i honestly think PSA would have the same grades minus the .5 bumps. Cards have some definite issues. THe Johnson is nowhere close to a 7. They have nice to decent eye appeal but like i try to often point out eye appeal is not the same thing as technical grade.

[autograf]

I think the Johnson T206 is spot on to a little generous. Ruth looks under and Cobb no more than .5 under.

[benjulmag]

I do not question the explanations of why these cards received the grades they did. But, damn, these are nice baseball cards, which in the era I started collecting would be regarded as near flawless gems! Discussion about them would be centered on how beautiful they appear and the attributes they possess, as opposed to what they lack.

So in today's world we slab them (and yes, I recognize the need for TPG of SOME KIND), the result being we focus on the grade, not the beauty of the card. It makes me think this forces many collectors to miss the forest from the trees. One of my father's favorite expressions was to focus on the donut, not the hole.

I think many people would enjoy the hobby a lot more if they took their cards out of the slabs and displayed them as raw cards. Keep the slabs if you want a record of their technical grades, but if you display them raw without the ability to focus on what the grade signifies they lack, they might appear even more beautiful.

[BigBeerGut]

Originally Posted by Pat R

We see cards that look over and under-graded by all the TPG's
but it's funny you started this thread about the harsh grades.
When I saw this Tenney I was thinking how did it get a 7
with those corners especially the top left.
Attachment 327352Attachment 327353

Fact old gold sgc encasing is no bueno