How do you get a grading company to communicate with you? (Photos further down the thread.)

HalfNipponese

The title pretty much explains what I'm looking for. I'm going to spend between $500 and $1000 dollars to grade 11 cards and I can't get in touch with an actual person to contact me back. So far, I actually reached out to a sales director at one company and he pretty much blew me off with a one word response "Okay." I sent another email to the other directors in hopes of some assistance. COVID has probably changed things a lot so I understand the robo responses. Any info I can get on the big three would be greatly appreciated. It's been 20 years since the last time I graded cards so maybe a blind leap of faith how it is now. I'm just uncomfortable sending thousands of dollars worth of cards without communicating first.

DotStore

I agree that COVID has probably impacted their support desk. Did you list the cards you plan to send in? It sounds like there's some high-value cards in that batch -- so maybe listing them will get their interest (example you're submitting high-end Vintage or a batch of rookie cards that sell for thousands of dollars). Or maybe a One-of-23 Lebron James Autographed RC's like the one that recently sold for $1.8 Million...

JoeBanzai

The grading companies are beyond busy.................they are overwhelmed.

Submitters are calling to inquire about where their cards are and why they are "sitting" so long in a specific stage of the process and that is slowing things down even further.

Ask your questions here and you will probably get some great answers.

blurryface

I use hand signals. But for laughs, what exactly are you trying to communicate?

dictoresno

honestly, what do you need to contact them for? its usually as simple as filling out the submission form, packing them up and shipping them off. theres really no need to communicate with them before doing that. is there some oddity with your submission that needs tending to before they go?

ReggieCleveland

Don't send them to BGS or SGC. You will get less money than if they were in PSA holders.

And that's the double truth, Ruth.

Arthur

HalfNipponese

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I'll be the first to admit I have no idea what I'm doing. The service options have me very confused due to the rarity of the cards I'm looking to grade. Specifically I found 11 of the cards that surrounded the 1990 Topps Frank Thomas NNOF. A week ago I found all the error cards from F sheet rows 1,2 and 4. I have duplicates of McGriff and Morris. My friend pulled the NNOF from the same batch of rack packs so I assume he has row 3. I wish we were still in touch.

The only confirmed sale I can find is for a PSA 6 Joe Magranine for $4700 Buy it Now from eBay. Some of the cards are so rare there is only one know other copy. I've checked the population reports of the big 3 and SGC hans't graded any with Beckett only seeing a small handful total. I may have stumbled into the rarest and most valuable junk was find in history. The story and more photos are on the 1990 Frank Thomas NNOF thread on this site.

I'm very hesitant to send them off to a stranger without first talking to someone at the grading company. A week ago I've never heard the cards and now I'm fielding request from private collectors looking to buy them. Lelands was great and offered to personally take the cards to PSA and get them graded. The problem is I won't be selling them. The only cards I will part with are the duplicates.

If anyone can put me in contact with someone at a grader it will greatly appreciated. I've attached a copy of my favorites next to their regular cards.

blurryface

Amazing cards, no doubt. But still do not warrant a special sitting, in my personal opinion. I realize they are your babies, but look around you. We've all got them. Still doesn't mean you can't bite your fingernails during the process though. And youre more likely to get someone on the phone during the "quality check" rounds (if not holdered properly) with an existing submission number than a customer service rep that will actually understand the significance of these cards right now and give you the time of day you feel you deserve. May be Todd can help here, may be not.

eta: hit the flag icon. maybe it will trigger him and he can chime in. not necessarily his department though. best of luck and cool cards either way!

HalfNipponese

@blurryface said:
Amazing cards, no doubt. But still do not warrant a special sitting, in my personal opinion. I realize they are your babies, but look around you. We've all got them. Still doesn't mean you can't bite your fingernails during the process though. And youre more likely to get someone on the phone during the "quality check" rounds (if not holdered properly) with an existing submission number than a customer service rep that will actually understand the significance of these cards right now and give you the time of day you feel you deserve. May be Todd can help here, may be not.

eta: hit the flag icon. maybe it will trigger him and he can chime in. not necessarily his department though. best of luck and cool cards either way!

Thanks blurryface! I'm going to try you're flag idea.

These aren't your run of the mill blackless errors though. These are specifically the cards that made up the blackless void that created the NNOF card. Very few people knowingly have these in their collection. I believe the most commons cards are the Craig Biggio All Star, Joe Magrane All Star, Kevin Tapani and Marcus Lawton. PSA has only graded 5 of them each. Hart and Fisk only have 1 other known copy to yet surface. Morris only had one until I found 2 in my shoe box. I'm not sure how accurate the population report is but it's fair to say these are far more rare than the NNOF card itself.

blurryface

I am well versed on these cards, know the thread and may own one or two myself! 😉

HalfNipponese

@blurryface said:
I am well versed on these cards, know the thread and may own one or two myself! 😉

LOL. I'm leaning towards taking your advise and throwing caution to the wind and seeing what happens. It makes me feel better knowing someone with the cards feels it's the way to proceed. If I don't get any traction in the next day or two I'm going to pull the trigger.

Thanks again blurryface.

HalfNipponese

@blurryface said:
I am well versed on these cards, know the thread and may own one or two myself! 😉

Beckett has reached out to me and has my phone number. I hope to talk to them soon and get the grading process started.