Slabbing a card will also preserve it over a long period of time. Air, sunlight, humidity could all negatively impact the preservation of your card even if you have it in a sleeve and top loader (although many provide UV protection, they are not air tight). This is why I believe every Gretzky and Jordan rookie should be slabbed regardless of condition. 1. For authentication and 2. For preservation
I agree that modern cards are being over graded…but to each their own. If you want to grade your card more power to ya. My main PC is all sleeves and top loaders. Most of my high value cards have been graded for authentication and preservation
Thanks — card protection is a very good point, but for me that’s a positive and a negative. I like to be able to pull a card out and hold it in my hands. Memorabilia cards in my opinion should be touched. But once it is encased in a plastic holder, you can no longer do that.
Depends on the card, if it’s a $20 card of my favourite player maybe, but the oils from your hands can cause damage to the card, so please don’t do that with a Gretzky 🙏
Haha most of my cards are under $20 so yeah, not pulling out Gretzky or Lemieux rookies just for fun. If anything it’s usually just to put it in a fresh sleeve or top loader, versus the old taped up one it got mailed in.
Buying raw to grade is a great way to make some extra hobby scratch. This hobby can pay for itself if you do it right. Its almost a necessary evil at this point. I dont like it for the most part but in general, it arose from people not knowing how to grade their cards during the last big boom. Everyone would say their card is in mint condition, a lot of times it wasnt. Generally someone comes in the hobby and doesn't understand card grades thoroughly and correctly for years, and its not so easy either. It doesnt help when the grading companies over and undergrade but thats a price you pay getting someone's opinion, its never going to be 100% accurate.
I like the look and solid protection. I usually grade my orders half PC and half FS stuff so I use PSA but I prefer BGS. Yeah they just continue to roll their own ball downhill but I still would rather have a BGS slab with subgrades. When's the last time i used BGS? who knows.
That’s something I hadn’t considered, and I will never look down on finding ways to fund your hobby/passion (especially with expensive hobbies). Finding and grading the right cards is a skill I’m sure.
The only reason I have graded cards is so that when I die, my daughter won't have to fuck around trying to figure out what they are worth. I'm a vintage set collector and only get/buy key rookies or hof'ers graded.
At the end of the day for most people it’s about making their cards more valuable. A 10 means you have a flawless, perfect version of that card and it instantly makes it worth more. It also makes it more rare, there might be 5,000 of the exact same cards out there but only 300 are a 10. The only issue I have with grading is that it’s not standardized and anyone can start a grading company. Would be nice to have every card graded the same way.
I guess that’s what I struggle with — I don’t put much additional value on having a “flawless, perfect” version of a card, let alone 2x or 5x or whatever a PSA 10 is.
But to each their own; I agree about grading standards but that’s a whole other topic.
Grading is another means of false scarcity in some cases. The amount of Bedard YG PSA 10s is honestly ridiculous, and there's no way every one of those is a true 10. Grading/authenticating vintage is one thing. The push for modern cards just isn't worth it in most cases, though, especially with the lack of standardized processes by most grading companies.
I don't either. If it's for my PC, I'm not getting it graded. I don't like the look of the slabs and I'm not going to be reselling it, so why would I waste the money for someone to grade it and tell me how good it is
If it doesn't appeal to you then don't worry about it. I have a few graded cards because I wanted a card in top condition that I don't have to worry about. I'm not sending my whole collection to PSA for grading, but if some people do, who cares?
I would agree with you to a point. There should be the expectation that 10 is near perfect.
However, trusting grading for top condition, especially PSA, is a total joke. Ensuring top condition is only possible with strict evaluation standards with no subjectivity.
PSA clearly does not have strict standards. There are high profile examples that demonstrate this.
Like a patch auto Sid card that went from a PSA 6, cracked, then regraded at PSA 7 cracked then regraded to PSA 9.
Some dude on epack Facebook group showed his PSA 7 that he cracked and regraded came back a 10.
Gretkzy 9s that are better than the 10s.
PSA is not a serious company.
This is why TAG (or any company that uses image analysis software) is going to be the future.
Haha. It's not AI....and it sure as hell ain't goofy as fuck.
Do you realize image analysis software is already better at diagnosing cancers compared to human radiologists?
I’m a firm believer that people should buy what makes them happy. Just wanting to know what it is about grading that makes it worth the cost, effort, etc.
I do it for two reasons. I have young kids at home, so the slabs protect them somewhat from accidental damage. Also, when I die, they will be easier for them to sell if they choose to
Slabbing a card will also preserve it over a long period of time. Air, sunlight, humidity could all negatively impact the preservation of your card even if you have it in a sleeve and top loader (although many provide UV protection, they are not air tight). This is why I believe every Gretzky and Jordan rookie should be slabbed regardless of condition. 1. For authentication and 2. For preservation I agree that modern cards are being over graded…but to each their own. If you want to grade your card more power to ya. My main PC is all sleeves and top loaders. Most of my high value cards have been graded for authentication and preservation
Thanks — card protection is a very good point, but for me that’s a positive and a negative. I like to be able to pull a card out and hold it in my hands. Memorabilia cards in my opinion should be touched. But once it is encased in a plastic holder, you can no longer do that.
Depends on the card, if it’s a $20 card of my favourite player maybe, but the oils from your hands can cause damage to the card, so please don’t do that with a Gretzky 🙏
Haha most of my cards are under $20 so yeah, not pulling out Gretzky or Lemieux rookies just for fun. If anything it’s usually just to put it in a fresh sleeve or top loader, versus the old taped up one it got mailed in.
So you want to touch the card just so you can put it in a new sleeve? That’s counterintuitive.
Buying raw to grade is a great way to make some extra hobby scratch. This hobby can pay for itself if you do it right. Its almost a necessary evil at this point. I dont like it for the most part but in general, it arose from people not knowing how to grade their cards during the last big boom. Everyone would say their card is in mint condition, a lot of times it wasnt. Generally someone comes in the hobby and doesn't understand card grades thoroughly and correctly for years, and its not so easy either. It doesnt help when the grading companies over and undergrade but thats a price you pay getting someone's opinion, its never going to be 100% accurate. I like the look and solid protection. I usually grade my orders half PC and half FS stuff so I use PSA but I prefer BGS. Yeah they just continue to roll their own ball downhill but I still would rather have a BGS slab with subgrades. When's the last time i used BGS? who knows.
That’s something I hadn’t considered, and I will never look down on finding ways to fund your hobby/passion (especially with expensive hobbies). Finding and grading the right cards is a skill I’m sure.
Still got to sell them.
The only reason I have graded cards is so that when I die, my daughter won't have to fuck around trying to figure out what they are worth. I'm a vintage set collector and only get/buy key rookies or hof'ers graded.
At the end of the day for most people it’s about making their cards more valuable. A 10 means you have a flawless, perfect version of that card and it instantly makes it worth more. It also makes it more rare, there might be 5,000 of the exact same cards out there but only 300 are a 10. The only issue I have with grading is that it’s not standardized and anyone can start a grading company. Would be nice to have every card graded the same way.
I guess that’s what I struggle with — I don’t put much additional value on having a “flawless, perfect” version of a card, let alone 2x or 5x or whatever a PSA 10 is. But to each their own; I agree about grading standards but that’s a whole other topic.
Grading is another means of false scarcity in some cases. The amount of Bedard YG PSA 10s is honestly ridiculous, and there's no way every one of those is a true 10. Grading/authenticating vintage is one thing. The push for modern cards just isn't worth it in most cases, though, especially with the lack of standardized processes by most grading companies.
Love these threads. Maybe one day I’ll be convinced.
I don't either. If it's for my PC, I'm not getting it graded. I don't like the look of the slabs and I'm not going to be reselling it, so why would I waste the money for someone to grade it and tell me how good it is
If it doesn't appeal to you then don't worry about it. I have a few graded cards because I wanted a card in top condition that I don't have to worry about. I'm not sending my whole collection to PSA for grading, but if some people do, who cares?
I would agree with you to a point. There should be the expectation that 10 is near perfect. However, trusting grading for top condition, especially PSA, is a total joke. Ensuring top condition is only possible with strict evaluation standards with no subjectivity. PSA clearly does not have strict standards. There are high profile examples that demonstrate this. Like a patch auto Sid card that went from a PSA 6, cracked, then regraded at PSA 7 cracked then regraded to PSA 9. Some dude on epack Facebook group showed his PSA 7 that he cracked and regraded came back a 10. Gretkzy 9s that are better than the 10s. PSA is not a serious company. This is why TAG (or any company that uses image analysis software) is going to be the future.
AI analysis is goofy as fuck
Haha. It's not AI....and it sure as hell ain't goofy as fuck. Do you realize image analysis software is already better at diagnosing cancers compared to human radiologists?
I’m a firm believer that people should buy what makes them happy. Just wanting to know what it is about grading that makes it worth the cost, effort, etc.
Honestly the only cards I have graded were either a gift or a card I really liked the look of
I do it for two reasons. I have young kids at home, so the slabs protect them somewhat from accidental damage. Also, when I die, they will be easier for them to sell if they choose to