bounty37h (03-07-2021),Redsfaithful (04-19-2021)
this thread caused me to go down quite the rabbit hole ... and caused me to break my old baseball cards out which was quite fun. hadn't done that in a while.
as for the thread topic, after doing some research, it sounds like unless you have an extremely rare card or cards you are trying to sell, it's usually better to sell them ungraded because there is a good chance you will not recoup the money that you spend getting them graded. so, if i'm trying to tell my 1972 pete rose card, it sounds like i would be better off posting as many pics of it as possible, allowing the buyer to "grade" the card themselves so to speak, and then they are getting the card cheaper than they would if it was graded, and i am getting more money overall because i didn't spend $17 getting it graded. same deal for the many ken griffey jr. upper deck rookie cards i have.
now, if i had a 1956 mickey mantle (or any card of that ilk), i would get that graded in a heartbeat.
i'm just glad the value of my cards have rebounded after all these years. i never thought i would see the day when it happened.
but you're going to pay a lot more than $5-6 per card when you factor in shipping and handling costs. i've read that's where they really get you. again, i'm just learning about all of this myself -- i have no first hand experience -- but i did do a bunch of research yesterday after seeing this thread.
but i've read a lot of first-hand accounts of people saying they basically paid $17 per card when factoring in all the fees.
yeah, that's why it sounds (to me, at least) that unless you have cards you think are extremely rare, it's probably not worth it to get them graded. i'm sure someone on here can correct me if i'm wrong, but that's the strong vibe i get. and perhaps "extremely rare" is a misnomer on my part. basically any card i thought was worth $300 or more, i would get graded. but i'm not going to get a roger clemens rookie card graded -- i would just try and sell that as is on ebay for $50 or something because i might not recoup the money i spent to have it graded.
Last edited by JFLegal; 03-07-2021 at 11:45 AM.
REDREAD (04-19-2021)
Yes, a highly graded card will carry a significant premium and for high value cards you almost have to have them authenticated to sell for anything approaching FMV.
That being said you’re way off on the grading fee structure. With PSA you’re looking at $20+ per card and you have to factor in the cost of shipping both ways and be cognizant that you may not see your cards returned for a year.
https://www.psacard.com/pricing
REDREAD (04-19-2021)
If you’re REALLY sure it’ll get a 10, it’s worth it, but keep in mind there might only be 3 10/10s on the entire planet, so it’s pretty unlikely you have one. Topps quality control was terrible, that’s why it’s rare.
First, I would recommend PSA as your grader, they are the gold standard and cards graded by them are the only ones that really get the high prices. Beckett is next best, but a card graded by Beckett with an “8” grade will usually be worth less than a PSA card with the same grade. I wouldn’t use any other grader.
PSA is also the most expensive, by a lot. It’s $100 a card for one, but you can get a deal of $20 a card if you send in 10 or more. So you’re correct that you only want to get the most valuable cards graded.
However, if you can do the 10 for $200 deal, there are many mid range cards that could be worth grading, depending on their condition and their price. I recommend going to Ebay and searching for what your card goes for graded and ungraded in the grade you think it is in.
For instance, I have a 1974 Topps Mike Schmidt, that is in at least ExMt condition. If I sell it on EBay as is, I get maybe $10. If I get it graded, and it gets a ExMt grade (6), then I can sell it for around $50. If I get lucky and it gets a NM (7) grade, I can sell it for close to $100. So it’s worth spending the $20 to get it graded.
Concerning your 1972 Pete Rose, if it’s in EX condition or better, you probably should get it graded. It would sell in Ex ungraded for around $15-20. Graded with a Ex (5) grade, it would sell for around $50, more if you get a higher grade.
My general rule is to grade every HOF card from the 50’s regardless of condition. Every HOF card from the 1960’s in at least VG/EX condition, and every HOF card from the 70’s in at least EX/Mt condition. Anyway, good luck with whatever you decided to do.
Hoping to change my username to 75769024
I saw a guy on YouTube using a MUCH cheaper service called GMA, but he got so many 9s and 10s back it was ridiculous. There's no way such a lenient service will ever gain traction no matter how cheap it is.
Using anything other than one of the established services is essentially lighting your money on fire, as they typically won’t command a premium over raw and in some cases would command less because of concerns about authenticity. As others have mentioned PSA is the gold standard but SGC is good for vintage too and for modern cards Beckett may be a better option since they offer component grading and half point scales and a 9.5 BGS will outsell a PSA 9.
757690 (03-07-2021)
I don’t get this joke, but my dad did a plumbing job a couple years ago for a retired Doctor in Toledo that sold a rare Porsche to Jerry Seinfeld. Jerry flew in on a private jet to check it out, hung out with the guy as the money was getting wired to him and then drove off in the Porsche.
Anyways, nah, my dad sold his GI Joes to some random dude from North Carolina. The guy said he and his wife just had their first kid. Can’t imagine telling a woman who just went through labor and was potentially dealing with some postpartum depression “hey, I’m gonna go drop a bunch of cash on some toys - see you tomorrow!” Lol
Last edited by RedTeamGo!; 03-07-2021 at 12:51 PM.
What would you say.....ya do here?
I used to put the cards that Beckett said were the most valueable in hilarious hard case contraptions that required 4 screws and a screw driver to assemble. It was like having a sack of plastic bricks when u moved your cards
Also worth mentioning is, the return time for PSA graded cards is ~ 8 months last I checked.
So send yours in now and get them back just in time for the card boom to be over.
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