[xstreaminsanity]

I got an email today reminding me of a grading promotion that I've been meaning to do along with the $100 grading certificate I have. If I pay $25, I get $50 worth of grading for free (unless I use some of it on shipping and insurance). From what the person told me, with me doing the 20 day service (I want to do that to get as many graded as I can since it's only $9 a card), she said I could get 14 cards graded and use the rest for shipping and insurance. Originally, I was going to get some older rookies graded, but now looking at them, while I don't exactly care about the grade, I figure if I am going to use this to get something graded, I should at least start with the ones that will likely grade the highest and then work my way down.

My dilemma is that I was thinking of starting with the lowest serially numbered cards (I have only one 1/1 that isn't a plate) and go up from there. However, I have two /10 cards that aren't AU or GU and not too exciting to look at, quite a few /25 or less and some have AU and GU, so on and so forth. If I get a few of them as autographs, I think it's $2 an AU so I'd only be able to send 13 or fewer cards.

My questions for you are:
If all card conditions were equal (say they're all Pristine) would you get your AU, AU GU, GU (Patch preferably) or low numbered base/insert parallels graded first?

Thanks.

[crimedawg47]

I'm iffy on grading either way. To me if it's PC cards and I think they look to be in decent shape I dont necessarily care if they are graded. The cards will sit in the top loader or one touch forever and the chance the condition will deteriate is slim to none. The only thing that turns me to grading is if I'm trying to sell and think the grade of the card will give me a significant bump in my bottom line.

If I was in your situation I'd go with autographs first, then any rare 90's inserts you got, followed up by low serial numbered cards. Cant go wrong if you got a rare 90's insert with a high grade.

[xstreaminsanity]

Well none of them are going to be for sale as they will all be PC. I don't think I have any cards for trade that book over $15, so it'd be pointless to get those graded.

I know it's OCD, but eventually, all of my Pistons PC cards will be graded for a few reasons; insurance reasons, durability, labeling, display purposes, and I like the way they look. However, I'm at almost over 3600 different Pistons cards right now, so I can't afford to get them all graded. lol. I have come up with what I think I should go with, but only one of the cards is a 90's card (Grant Hill Finest RC). I have some other cards from the 90's that look ok and book between $20 and $40, but the ones that look best from the 90's (of what I have) book for less than $10. If I go with the list I wrote up, I'll have to pay a little extra because I went with 13 cards, 6 of them being Autographs, most of them having patches. I just know going forward it's going to get harder and harder to decide. Can someone lend me the $20,000 it's going to take to get my cards graded? lol.

[kevinr]

Wish I could help you decide but I am trying to decide the same thing myself, I have some AU that I know I am going to grade with my first bunch but after that I am stuck. I am leaning towards some of my Jordans that have a high beckett value that aren't AU or GU(I don't have any AU Jordan and only a couple patch). So when you decide then HELP me...............

[xstreaminsanity]

Well here's my tentative list:

1. 2009-10 Certified Mirror Black #115 Rodney Stuckey (/1)
2. 2010-11 Playoff National Treasures NBA Gear Trios Prime Signatures #12 Greg Monroe (/49)
3. 2007-08 Bowman Elevation Rookie Writings Relics Blue #RWRS Rodney Stuckey (/19)
4. 2010-11 Playoff National Treasures Century Materials Prime #28 Ben Gordon (/25)
5. 2009-10 Panini Threads Legends Materials Prime #5 Isiah Thomas (/25)
6. 2008-09 Topps T51 Murad Silk #169 Isiah Thomas (/25)
7. 2009-10 Timeless Treasures HOF Combos Materials #3 Joe Dumars/Isiah Thomas (/50?)
8. 2008-09 UD Black Rookie Signed Jersey Pieces #SJRWS Walter Sharp (/99, because it's UD Black)
9. 2007-08 SPx Winning Materials Combos Patches #WW Chris Webber/Rasheed Wallace (/50)
10. 2010-11 Panini Gold Standard Gold Team Logos #9 Bill Laimbeer (/199)
11. 2010-11 Panini Gold Standard #219 Greg Monroe AU RC (/299)
12. 1994-95 Finest #240 Grant Hill RC
13. 2003-04 Upper Deck Legends Legendary Signatures #CD Chuck Daly

The way I decided was that I wanted to get whatever was higher in value, possibly condition sensitive, had meaning (Daly AU) and would look really nice in a BGS holder. The next round I do, whenever that is, is going to be tougher, especially when I run out of AU and GU to get graded, then it's whatever looks best and has value.

[libs021]

don't you have some 1986-87 fleer to send in the dumars and Thomas should never be left ungraded in my opionion

[xstreaminsanity]

don't you have some 1986-87 fleer to send in the dumars and Thomas should never be left ungraded in my opionion

I do have the Dumars, but it's probably a 6 at best.

[buckunteer]

I'm putting together a group of cards to submit for the first time and, personally, my philosophy has been pretty similar. I'm trying to put in the most valuable (3 Jordan refractors, one of which books at $200), condition sensitive (couple Jordan die-cuts, a rare Grant Hill RC Skybox #GH0) and that I think would just look great graded, like the 95-96 SP Michael Jordan base card which is my favorite card despite it's low BV.

I also agree, however, that if a card is going to grade comparably low for it's era or compared to the population report, it's not worth it. I have 3-4 in that category that I'd love to get graded, but their 90's inserts that would be fortunate to get anything above an 8 so I will probably just keep them in the penny sleeves/top holders.

haven't settled on 20 cards yet to take advantage of the January offer so I may wait for a different deal! Your list looks pretty good to me though xstream...good luck!

[xstreaminsanity]

I'm putting together a group of cards to submit for the first time and, personally, my philosophy has been pretty similar. I'm trying to put in the most valuable (3 Jordan refractors, one of which books at $200), condition sensitive (couple Jordan die-cuts, a rare Grant Hill RC Skybox #GH0) and that I think would just look great graded, like the 95-96 SP Michael Jordan base card which is my favorite card despite it's low BV.

I also agree, however, that if a card is going to grade comparably low for it's era or compared to the population report, it's not worth it. I have 3-4 in that category that I'd love to get graded, but their 90's inserts that would be fortunate to get anything above an 8 so I will probably just keep them in the penny sleeves/top holders.

haven't settled on 20 cards yet to take advantage of the January offer so I may wait for a different deal! Your list looks pretty good to me though xstream...good luck!

Thanks. Like I said, I eventually would love to get them all graded, it's just that if I'm going to be getting some graded now, I might as well get the ones that should get good grades graded now. Then maybe I can find replacements for the ones that wouldn't get such a great grade. And maybe by the time I'm rich enough to get like 1000 done at a time, all of my $0.10 cards will be worth about $10 (mind you, that would be about 30 years from now, lol).

[kevinr]

Yes nice list I like the Isiah cards especially the Dumars/Isiah HOF can you put a scan of that card up I would like to see it, always liked those 2 guys. So can someone tell me about the January special Beckett grading has and how do you get it, I am not familiar at all with the grading part.