[the cardboard fan]

(04-17-2011 06:02 AM)hyperchipper Wrote:  and yet that same raw card which most would consider a 9(mint) could possibly be graded a 10 by SGC/BGS/PSA. Really strange when you think about it

Yes it always could be but more times than not it won't so most won't take the chance to over pay as it would be impossible to tell especially over the internet

[akalepos]

I don't even bother with grading cards any more. I did when the idea was first catching on. I wanted to grade what I thought was the best of what I had.

I did it to enhance my collection and for the sake of the value of the graded cards. Gem cards always seemed to go through the roof. I can't lie about that. It really always is about the value.
I know lots of people pretend otherwise, but whatever...

I think the idea that different grading companies ought to be looked upon with suspicion has an urban legend quality. There may be anecdotal instances where possibly some ABC company's graded 9 or 90 or 10 or 100, was sent somewhere else and received an opposite grade. Yet we do know that all grading is done by people and people have off days. It's just a fact. So a BGS 10 could end up a 9 somewhere else. Also it is illegitimate to take one or even two instances like that and apply it generally.

I am sure that these instances have been used as astutely as any political propaganda ploy in order to disrupt the operations of the competition. Be that as it may, so many people fall for that trick, that their thinking becomes narrow on a topic like this.

That's one problem with grading.

Another of course is perceptive value. There is a Bonds 93 Finest All Star posted around here that the guy paid approximately 220 for. Many people would not value the card that precious. The owner of this one did and that's ok.

Once I decided to start selling off my collection and then doing research, by looking, at what graded cards are sometimes selling for, I see a pretty bad disparity. For example, some RCs of good players that are graded aren't even selling at high book. I'm talking about 9's here.
But suppose you have RC "X", and it books at 10.00, and you have sent it off to get it graded at a cost of 10 or 15 dollars. If you sell that at book, you lose money. Let's face it, money is important, so why would you want to throw it away?

I know it's the buyers who are driving this. But this shows something else: a distinct lack of respect of graded cards, at least on the surface. It seems to be rather simple to understand that if you want a graded card, that in some way, you will need to pay from the grading. I am not talking here about cards that sell for some uber value. I am talking about the rather average graded cards that you will see if you start looking around. To me, its pretty sad.

It is because of what I seem to be seeing, the expense that I have gone through to get cards graded, that I gave it up a long time ago. It took on this "scam" quality for me.

I am not trying to convince you of anything.

I'm just telling you what I think about it.