Putting a value on my cards for submission
chadderp1
Posts: 2 ✭
I'm fairly new to card grading, but have thousands of will preserved cards from the early and mid 80s--including 2 sets of 86 fleer basketball. First of all, the price of grading is crazy....and the jump from $12 to $50 for the first two levels seems off kilter, but I am not here to complain. I am looking for advice on putting a value on the cards. I mean I don't want to deter PSA from putting a 10 on my card by me putting a value of an 8 or a 9. As you know with some of these cards a 9 or a 10 means a mortgage payoff or a car loan payoff, or in other cases a weekend trip for the family versus a trip to Applebees. All based on someones assessment of a single digit. It is indeed a crazy thing, so I don't want to put the wrong thought in the graders head when submitting. The SMR values obviously don't reflect the true market value, but using those numbers makes it less expensive per card to submit. I don't know, I've been struggling with this for a while and just wondered what other people did in a similar situation.
Thanks for any other submission advice you may have as well.
Comments
Make your best guess at potential grade/value. When in doubt, err on the low side, this does not prevent the grader from assigning a higher grade. If the value after grading is significantly higher than the service level chosen, you may be assessed an upcharge to the appropriate submission level at that point. This is a good problem to have.
PSA is just not going to put Gem Mint cards in "2" holders just because the submitter tried to rip them off by sending in a card far above the level it is declared at. PSA has a lot of incentive to get the grade right. It would ruin the business model if someone could say "Here is my Gem Mint Mantle Rookie that I submitted at Economy, so that's why it doesn't have a 10 label but only a 1."
As LC says, err on the low side. Don’t sweat it. Worst case scenario is they contact you for more money because your card(s) graded higher, which is also the best case scenario.
Welcome to the boards.
Yes! Welcome to the boards.
Hey guys, thanks so much for the input. Erring on the low side makes sense.
Since posting I've read many people saying you submit at the raw value, but that is not how I understood the PSA submission directions. Submitting at raw value would be much easier and less expensive and make more sense.
Thoughts on that?
Also, is it better to use a professional submitter that has a specific rep at PSA that they work with?
If you submit at "raw" value then when the cards are damaged or lost AFTER being graded, you would only get raw value back.... The value is supposed to be what the card will grade. You just don't want to anticipate too high a grade that will cause you to pay a higher submission fee because if it grades lower, you don't get a refund, and if you subbed lower, they may not always up-charge you.
Per PSA FAQ:
Q: How much do I pay, and what is a Declared Value?
A: Once you are prepared to fill out a submission form, you will need to select a Service Level, which is determined by your Declared Value.** The Declared Value is your estimate of the value of the item after it has been assigned a grade by PSA. ** We understand you will not know the true value of the item until it has been graded, so we ask that you form a realistic, educated estimate based on your own research, keeping in mind that the Declared Value acts as a maximum value for shipping insurance purposes and in the event of a claim related to the item.
To determine your value, we recommend you start by referencing PSA’s Photograde Online to obtain a general, visual illustration of each card grade; this may help you gauge the quality of your card. Based on this assessment, we then advise you to reference various pricing sources to determine the estimated value of your item. We also recommend you refer to a wide variety of trade publications, auction prices realized and/or even contact a dealer in your area (Dealer Directory) for additional assistance.
It is important that you spend the time, utilize the available resources, and take the necessary steps to accurately estimate the Declared Value. The Declared Value you provide establishes:
Once you arrive at a Declared Value, please refer to the submission form or Pricing for PSA Services to determine the Service Level for which your item is eligible, based on your Declared Value. The price listed will be what you will pay per item.
Note that if you desire a faster turnaround time on your order, you may select a Service Level above the Declared Value for your item.
Q: How much do I pay, and what is a Declared Value?
A: Once you are prepared to fill out a submission form, you will need to select a Service Level, which is determined by your Declared Value. The Declared Value is your estimate of the value of the item after it has been assigned a grade by PSA. We understand you will not know the true value of the item until it has been graded, so we ask that you form a realistic, educated estimate based on your own research, keeping in mind that the Declared Value acts as a maximum value for shipping insurance purposes and in the event of a claim related to the item.
To determine your value, we recommend you start by referencing https://www.psacard.com/photograde/1/1952-topps-mickey-mantle-311 to obtain a general, visual illustration of each card grade; this may help you gauge the quality of your card. Based on this assessment, we then advise you to reference various pricing sources to determine the estimated value of your item. We also recommend you refer to a wide variety of trade publications, auction prices realized and/or even contact a dealer in your area (https://www.psacard.com/dealers) for additional assistance.
It is important that you spend the time, utilize the available resources, and take the necessary steps to accurately estimate the Declared Value. The Declared Value you provide establishes:
1. the maximum item value in the event of a claim connected with that item while at PSA,
2. the maximum item value for shipping insurance purposes, and
3. the appropriate Service Level and Service Level price.
Once you arrive at a Declared Value, please refer to the submission form or https://www.psacard.com/pricing to determine the Service Level for which your item is eligible, based on your Declared Value. The price listed will be what you will pay per item.
Note that if you desire a faster turnaround time on your order, you may select a Service Level above the Declared Value for your item.