Reputation of the Individual Grader is the Key !!!! [GRADY and BAKER]

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Posted By: Tom Lawrie

1. As for number of qualified graders, there are certainly a number of potential people out there who could be expert graders. But instead most potentially qualified people either buy and sell for big auction names (or are the big auction names), or are major dealers, or are rabid collectors (most just figuratively rabid). Additionally, assuming low turnover in the number 2 and 3 graders at these companies, there are bound to be others who become solid at grading vintage cards over time. But just about everyone who works at Mastro (e.g. Kevin Struss etc.) or at the other large vintage businesses such as SportsCards Plus, could step into one of these grading companies and immediately be a top vintage grader. The point is that whoever grades vintage cards needs to have a number of years of experience scrutinizing them (for consignment, resale, collecting, whatever). Most card dealers don't have that experience as most haven't been exposed to the vintage market. And I would guess that many vintage collectors haven't been exposed to enough counterfeits and alterations to really be good at it right away, with the exception of some truly experienced collectors like Pete Calderon, Bob Marquette, John Wojak, Dan McKee, etc.

2. As for Global, it is the very first company in quite a while to achieve immediate legitimacy in the industry (at least as far as the major dealers and/or auction houses go.) There have been some pretty substantial changes on the part of big players in switching in part or in whole to Global. Take a look at SportsCards Plus and Wayne Varner's Shoebox Cards for example. Both now sell a substantial number of Globally-slabbed vintage cards, whereas before they seemed to be exclusively PSA. Apparently that is pretty prevalent among many of the vintage dealers. It may have to do with factors such as pricing and turnaround time, but I'm sure Mike Baker's presence at Global (or absence from PSA) had something to do with it. I would have to guess that PSA is losing some market share to Global and BGC; their stock price is certainly depressed.

Just my opinion,
Tom