Grading Alternatives - Frustration

[scomeau]

Can't live with them; can't live without them.

The whole 'subjective' grading process leaves way too much room for:

• Business model flaws related to impartiality (submitter favoritism; high grade implies high price to encapsulate, etc.)
• Poorly trained graders who are undoubtedly pressured to work as quickly as possible
• Fuzzy grade distinctions and no transparency

I live on the 'buy' side, usually. I am a long-time collector - not really an investor. Therefore, I am more often a buyer of graded material than a 'submitter' for a grade. When I obtain 'classic' cards, I'm afraid to buy 'raw' cards. I have the scars to justify that fear. So, I must purchase based on a trustworthy service.

I guess I'm looking for what amounts to a reliable service that:

• Encapsulates indicating as 'Authentic, UN-altered', and either eliminates numeric grades, or has far fewer like 'High, Avg, Poor'. I would love to apply the good advice: 'Buy the card not the grade...' Fewer arguable boundaries and beauty left to the beholder's eye.
  
• I might even be OK with 'Authentic' for such purchases if I knew why a numeric grade was withheld - reason(s). Seems like all of the prominent services love to be vague and opaque.

I know. I'm spitting into the wind, but this hobby is headed to a club of billionaires or angry collectors. The grading companies have us over a barrel and it hurts. High prices, questionable grading standards, poor service, and almost zero transparency.

It seems to me that if judging authenticity/alterations were the principle goal of the authenticator, rather than how pretty in nano-increments, their efficiency would improve greatly; they could grade more quickly, with less ambiguity, for less time and cost to them. Sounds like a business model.

Let hi-resolution images, auction reserves, and a fair return policy drive the fuzzy end of the price spectrum. If you have what you think is an investment caliber Cobb/Tolstoi, or a special Trout Refractor, take a chance on getting a numeric grade if you must.

Spleen vented.

[maniac_73]

I can and do live without them especially as Im a collector and not an investor

[cardsagain74]

My "can't live with them, can't live without them issue" revolves a lot more around having your best cards slabbed in something sturdier than a top loader (especially for '52 to '56 Topps, since the top loaders won't work well with those if you also use a penny sleeve, screwdown holders aren't a very good idea, and one touches don't fit them).

It makes me feel like the only way to put my cadillac cards away safely enough for the long term is to get them graded. I REALLY wish there was a convenient way to slab like the big 3 graders do (on your own)

[irv]

Originally Posted by cardsagain74

My "can't live with them, can't live without them issue" revolves a lot more around having your best cards slabbed in something sturdier than a top loader (especially for '52 to '56 Topps, since the top loaders won't work well with those if you also use a penny sleeve, screwdown holders aren't a very good idea, and one touches don't fit them).

It makes me feel like the only way to put my cadillac cards away safely enough for the long term is to get them graded. I REALLY wish there was a convenient way to slab like the big 3 graders do (on your own)

I'm in the same boat!

I've debated now for 3 yrs about getting my "Cadillac" 52 Topps cards graded but just can't pull the trigger due to a variety of reasons.

Currently, all mine reside in Vintage card sleeves and vintage card top loaders, which, as you may not know, work great for 52 Topps cards. (Ultra Pro 2 5/8 x 3 3/4)

Those are all I buy and use now. I put everything into them, including smaller cards. Just easier that way, imo.

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by cardsagain74

My "can't live with them, can't live without them issue" revolves a lot more around having your best cards slabbed in something sturdier than a top loader (especially for '52 to '56 Topps, since the top loaders won't work well with those if you also use a penny sleeve, screwdown holders aren't a very good idea, and one touches don't fit them).

It makes me feel like the only way to put my cadillac cards away safely enough for the long term is to get them graded. I REALLY wish there was a convenient way to slab like the big 3 graders do (on your own)

I have/had the same delima. I got a complete vintage NrMint set graded a few years ago for that exact reason. I have also had a few other rare/high end cards graded for the same reason.

There is a few DIY options but buying the slab sealer was the deal breaker for me.

[cardsagain74]

Originally Posted by irv

Currently, all mine reside in Vintage card sleeves and vintage card top loaders, which, as you may not know, work great for 52 Topps cards. (Ultra Pro 2 5/8 x 3 3/4)

I use the slightly larger ultra pro sleeves (something like 2 3/4 x 3 15/16) for '52 through '56 Topps since I don't like the entire upper edge protruding out of anything. But those don't fit right in top loaders.

So I've resorted to using card savers w/ that size penny sleeve for those years, and top loaders/standard sleeves for '57 and newer. Still not the end solution I want at all, especially for the bigger cards.

[G1911]

When I was using holders for my cards, I used the larger 52-56 size penny sleeves from UltraPro with the larger size CardSaver II's for those years. Standard size penny sleeve + top loader for 1957-on and the smaller-size Bowman issues. I was never happy with the options I found for 1948-1952 Bowman's, as a standard sleeve and top loader are way too big, and the smaller options are/were for tobacco size cards.


My cards are low grade (don't have to worry about investments, dropping a card, or card doctoring scandals that way), so I gave up on managing the holders and now they all sit raw in shoeboxes.