Does it make any difference if I grade this?

[G1911]

Originally Posted by raulus

Unless I’m totally off my rocker, a card with writing, a stamp, and a postmark on it like this is probably going to grade as authentic or 1. Unless the grading standards change between now and then, I suspect that a different grading system isn’t going to result in much of a difference that way.

If we were talking about a different piece with a potential for a higher grade, then I totally agree.

I suppose there’s still always the possibility that you raise that the most valuable case today might change over the next 15-20 years or more, so that might be reason enough to wait just to see where the market goes.

I mean obviously this exact card is a 1 in any real system. I never contradicted that at all. The recent posts have been giving reasons to or not to grade cards one doesn't immediately plan to sell. I never said this card might be a 2 in 10-15 years... The market shifts with new slabs and new companies. In 15 years if AI grading is the rage, people won't want PSA. Obviously this card is a 1. Set registries and people wanting the current thing will have the same impact; if people have moved away from PSA and into AI, then they won't want PSA eye graded slabs. Others even want the current gen slab regardless of the number. A slab is not a card, it is following the herd to whatever the hot thing of the moment is. That hot thing probably won't be the same in the future. Thus it is a waste of cash to pay to grade twice if one is not selling in the next few years.

[raulus]

Originally Posted by G1911

I mean obviously this exact card is a 1 in any real system. I never contradicted that at all. The recent posts have been giving reasons to or not to grade cards one doesn't immediately plan to sell. I never said this card might be a 2 in 10-15 years... The market shifts with new slabs and new companies. In 15 years if AI grading is the rage, people won't want PSA. Obviously this card is a 1. Set registries and people wanting the current thing will have the same impact; if people have moved away from PSA and into AI, then they won't want PSA eye graded slabs. Others even want the current gen slab regardless of the number. A slab is not a card, it is following the herd to whatever the hot thing of the moment is. That hot thing probably won't be the same in the future. Thus it is a waste of cash to pay to grade twice if one is not selling in the next few years.

Do you feel like the market places a premium on newer slabs simply because they are newer/shinier?

Or is it because there is a perception that older slabs have less stringent grading?

Or maybe both?!

In this specific case, if the reason for the difference is due to changing grading standards, then maybe there wouldn’t be a difference, simply because this is a 1/auth either way.

Naturally, if it’s a situation where a shiny new case is more valuable simply because it’s new and shiny, and you’re decades away from selling, then waiting makes total sense.

[G1911]

Originally Posted by raulus

Do you feel like the market places a premium on newer slabs simply because they are newer/shinier?

Or is it because there is a perception that older slabs have less stringent grading?

Or maybe both?!

In this specific case, if the reason for the difference is due to changing grading standards, then maybe there wouldn’t be a difference, simply because this is a 1/auth either way.

Naturally, if it’s a situation where a shiny new case is more valuable simply because it’s new and shiny, and you’re decades away from selling, then waiting makes total sense.

Effectively both. It begins with the perception that todays standards are better, and people gravitate to that. Whether it is true or not doesn't seem to matter. It pushes down into the lower grades as the thing to have (a 1 from 20 years ago doesn't fetch the same as a 1 graded now, and a 1 graded by PSA sells higher than a 1 from SGC or a raw 1 even if a card is very obviously authentic and a 1).

If there wasn't a slab difference for 1's, people wouldn't need to grade 1's for money at all. I think the grading game is a silly absurdity of a measuring contest and crack all my graded cards (except for a few in my trade bait box that I have raw versions of) personally, but it is what it is. If you're trying to make money, people want the new slab of the time you sell it, and of the top grader at that time. PSA's dominance doesn't look assured with the rise of more serious competition and the clear future direction of computer grading. The money you might save by grading now rather than later as prices increase over time and gambling nothing changes in the future seems more risky than to just hold raw and grade right before you sell off.

[perezfan]

I would just do what YOU want to do, and not let others’ perceptions or herd-like mentality dictate what you do with your card. It’s a nifty one, whether or not you give your money over to a grader who thinks it’s a “1” at best.

[Rad_Hazard]

I would definitely get it slabbed. Mostly because I like the looks of stuff like that in an SGC tuxedo, but also it's easier to move down the road if you decide to sell it. I've told myself multiple times that certain cards are "mine forever", but then I moved them a month later.

[jimq16415]

Thanks for all the advice! I like it better slabbed, and other than a few anxious moments due to the idiots at USPS it was painless. Best of all, if something happens it will be easier for the wife.img176.jpg

[Fred]

How much did it cost to have encapsulated?

I haven't had anything graded in a while and if I'm hearing correctly, the grading fee may be dependent upon the value of the card. I kind of get that, but what happens if you have a card that you think is an "8" and at that valuation it is $10K, but when you receive it, the label indicates "7" and the value of the card at that grade is half. Does that mean you paid a higher grading fee for the card? I'm totally lost these days when it comes to grading.