GAI - What GRADE IS THIS?

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Posted By: Anonymous

YOU:
Mike I don't think anyone here thinks for a second you are pro-SGC or pro-GAI. When it comes to vintage cards, these two companies are the best in the business at consistent grading and also the most consistent and the toughest graders of pre-war cards.

ME:
Well, it depends on what you mean by "PRO-" As I stated earlier, when I search for certain players (dimaggio, cobb, cy young, christy matthewson, walter johnson, etc...) I include SGC in my search. My oldest cards are T206 Ty Cobb and Cy Young, and a 48 Leaf Jackie Robinson, are all very nice SGC. I am sincere that I remain unbiased, and the main purpose of my initial post, was to see if I would include GAI in my searches. At this point, I am not ready to do that, and the responses I have seen here have driven me further from trust than closer to trust.

It is obious that there are a lot of "GAI" biased opinions here, and submissions/reslabs for me will need to be conducted for me to formulate my "own" opinion, without outside influence.

YOU:
The GAI Doc White card you posted elsewhere is an abberation. I can show you many GAI 2s and 3s from my collection which look gem mint compared to that example.

ME:
As small as GAI is, I would think they should be a little more consistent, especially during their start-up phase. I know I have seen MANY PSA cards that were over-graded, but they have graded "MILLIONS", and their "percentage of accuracy" is respectable.

The fact that GAI and a lot of "MAJOR DEALERS" are obviously in "Bed" with each other, and that it is a "start-up" by an "individual", all scares me just a tad...but I will give them every opportunity to prove themself in my book.

YOU:
Until Beckett lands someone with expertise and knowledge of pre-war cards they can not be comared in the same breath with SGC and GAI when it comes to grading and I think even you'll admit that.

ME:
Personally, I only own 4 BVG cards, BVG 7.5 to 9, of rookies of Yastrzemski, Nolan Ryan, Eddie Murray, and Rickey Henderson, and they are all BEAUTIFUL! I had a 58 BVG 8 Mickey Mantle that I sold when I was broke, and wish I hadn't. Some big dealer bought it from me, and I wouldn't be surprised if it ends up in a psa 9 slab selling for thousands more than I got it for.
The vast majority of my vintage rookies are psa 7's and 8s, and the vast majority of my modern era cards are bgs 9/9.5. This should show very clearly that I am not PRO-BECKETT, SGC, or PSA. I trust they all do what I pay them to do, and that is to be as accurate as they know how and be 99% accurate against altered or counterfeit.

YOU:
What you may or may not admit is that PSA is now grading cards which were sold through major auction houses as trimmed or altered. That is a fact, not an opinion. If you don't believe me, do a search of the altered caramel card lot from the last Mastro auction and see how many of them are currently residing in PSA holders.

ME:
I have no reason to doubt what anyone says. I have witnessed quite a few things on my own, including the insertion of inferior cards into PSA holders by a major dealer. I am basically a very trusting person, until I discover differently. Please provide a link to what you are talking about...I would be interested, as I do have some T206 cards I still need, and do not desire to be the end of a bad deal.

Sincerely,
Mike