[jeffasmith]

I have been a PSA member for years, recently I bought some BGS graded cards and really like the holder and the fact that BGS gives a better explanation to the grade. BGS doesn't have much going for it after that, I am returning to PSA for several reasons:
1. Psa offers good customer service and easy to contact. BGS doesn't offer any contact info on this site that I have found.
2. The PSA website offers a very good population report search. The BGS population report sucks, it's that simple.
3. PSA has one name with one grading card holder. BGS OR BVG OR BCCG can't make up their mind. With three different names and it seems to be 2 standards of grading BVG/BGS (great standards) and BCCG total crap standards, how can anyone here take Beckett grading serious?
4. PSA membership fees are 110.00, you receive 6 free grades, 1 year subscription to the smr priceguide, and free access to the online price guide of all sports, not to mention access to everything on the psa website. BGS doesn't have a membership fee but to access a price guide you must pay for each sport. Add up those fees for a year and you be the judge.

NOW THAT I HAVE RIPPED BGS IN THE 10 MINUTES IT TOOK ME TO THINK OF THE BGS PROBLEMS. I WANT TO 2 MINUTES TO EXPRESS THE STRONG POINTS OF BGS.
1. If you buy BGS/BVG the cards seem to be a very accurate grade according to grading standards.
2. I really like the way BGS/BVG gives subgrades, this basically tells the buyer or owner of the card the reason for the grade.
3. This is probably the best, BGS offers a grade on the card, then a grade on the autograph as well. This is great for autographed cards...Huge advantage over psa.

1 last rant about BGS, the population report is probably my biggest complaint. I recently bought some BGS graded boxing cards. Try looking up boxing in the population report at BGS, there is not even a catagory for boxing.

[alifaxwa2]

I agree with most of what you said, except that most believe PSA's SMR/Price guide to be utter crap.

[jeffasmith]

(03-05-2011 08:53 AM)alifaxwa2 Wrote:  I agree with most of what you said, except that most believe PSA's SMR/Price guide to be utter crap.

This may be true. I will agree that beckett price guides are better, more in depth. However, I sell a lot of cards on ebay and the smr price guide, (for the most part) is about right for actual selling price. But, a guide is just that, the SMR or Beckett really mean nothing when it comes to pricing. If you want true pricing on cards go to ebay, look up a card under completed listings and there you will find the true sell price range.

[hilfiger1975]

Any truth to a PSA 10 being a BGS 9-10?

I've also heard RUMORS it's easier to get into a PSA holder to swap cards.

[pwskelly]

If you are buying and grading modern cards, stick with BGS. Anything from 1990 and earlier, I stick with PSA.

[jeffasmith]

(03-05-2011 12:55 PM)hilfiger1975 Wrote:  Any truth to a PSA 10 being a BGS 9-10?

I've also heard RUMORS it's easier to get into a PSA holder to swap cards.

I am not sure if there is any truth to being able to get into the holders. I have never had a problem that I am aware, If someone tampers with the psa holder, I would not be aware of a way that wouldn't be obvious. All the cards I have bought graded by psa seem reasonable to the grade. I may not always agree with the grade but I would think if a scam like that existed, there would be people putting 4's in 8 holders. IF BGS WOULD LISTEN TO THE COLLECTOR, THEY COULD RULE THE GRADING INDUSTRY. I saw the list of cards you want. I have the 1986 fleer Jordan in a psa 8, bgs 8.5, and two psa 9's. I collect HOF rookies from all sports, If you have any vintage HOF rookies in a grade of 7 or higher that would equal the Jordan value, I may trade one to you. Generally, this is not a card I would want to trade because I can sell them easily.

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(03-05-2011 01:36 PM)pwskelly Wrote:  If you are buying and grading modern cards, stick with BGS. Anything from 1990 and earlier, I stick with PSA.

You know, I can go with that. I think that makes a lot of sense because so many new note worthy cards are autographed. It is the newest of trends. And BGS, as I said earlier, provides a great service with grading the card and autograph. MY BIGGEST COMPLAINT IS THAT BGS/BVG SHOULD PROVIDE POPULATION REPORTS ON EVERY CARD THEY GRADE

[nolan5000]

(03-05-2011 01:40 PM)jeffasmith Wrote:  I am not sure if there is any truth to being able to get into the holders. I have never had a problem that I am aware, If someone tampers with the psa holder, I would not be aware of a way that wouldn't be obvious. All the cards I have bought graded by psa seem reasonable to the grade. I may not always agree with the grade but I would think if a scam like that existed, there would be people putting 4's in 8 holders. IF BGS WOULD LISTEN TO THE COLLECTOR, THEY COULD RULE THE GRADING INDUSTRY. I saw the list of cards you want. I have the 1986 fleer Jordan in a psa 8, bgs 8.5, and two psa 9's. I collect HOF rookies from all sports, If you have any vintage HOF rookies in a grade of 7 or higher that would equal the Jordan value, I may trade one to you. Generally, this is not a card I would want to trade because I can sell them easily.

---

You know, I can go with that. I think that makes a lot of sense because so many new note worthy cards are autographed. It is the newest of trends. And BGS, as I said earlier, provides a great service with grading the card and autograph. MY BIGGEST COMPLAINT IS THAT BGS/BVG SHOULD PROVIDE POPULATION REPORTS ON EVERY CARD THEY GRADE

Jeff, is this you? The cards are just probably not in the system, yet. But you can use the Graded Card Lookup feature to see the subgrades for modern cards. And for vintage cards, depending on how long ago they were graded.

I'm still waiting on them to add some of my cards to the system., And now, some more of my cards have fallen off of the Pop. Report.

[the cardboard fan]

They are not focused on the grading and report sections of the site with all the corrections they are working on with the organize and trading

I personally use SGC for any vintage so 1980 and older based on the time line of most serious guides and and BGS for my modern cards

I personally am not a big fan of the PSA slabs, the labels, their site, etc.

[brose61]

BGS holders are a million times better than PSA. I bought a PSA card on ebay and when I got it, there was a piece of the card's edge floating around in the case. Not the seller's fault, PSA's fault for being so cheap to protect the cards they grade.

If you send in a Beckett card to PSA to be crossed and it doesn't cross, PSA will give you no explanation as to why the card did not meet their criteria. My experience has shown that PSA loves to say that Beckett cards are trimmed, but leave no explanation as to where the card was trimmed. Beckett will tell you why a card doesn't meet the minimum and if they say a card is trimmed, they tell you where they think it's trimmed. Beckett likes to say PSA cards are trimmed also.

PSA does not grade autos if they are manufacturer certified. I sent in a 2001 Drew Brees Bowman Chrome Auto recently to beckett. The auto apparently was wiped (because they are all faded anyways) and resigned by whoever (I got my money back from the seller BTW). PSA would've graded the card no problem since it was certified as authentic. How many rookie premieres 07-09 do you see graded by PSA vs. Beckett?

[jeffv96masters]

Lets address some issues,,,,

First,,,, the "How to contact",,,,,,

Front page of the site--- bottom area ,,,,, tab the area you want to contact it changes the "green" area to the appropriate party,,,, type email,,, hit enter,,,,,




Then-- if you have specific issues on stuff,,,,,

Grading questions = Grading@beckett.com or post it here it gets answered,,,, and you can always email me,,,,,
Registry questions = registry@beckett.com or email me directly I will get it solved,,,,

Now about the other comments,,,,

Registry & grading sections are undergoing a major site overhaul,,,, no comment until its completed,,,, suffice to say your boxing card pop reports and the like will be there,,,,,,,, I use total access as buying by sport makes no sense at all to me,,,,

The rest of your post is personal opinion no help required there use who your happy with,,,,,

Me