The Breakout Crossover game...

ejguru

I am in shock. My submission in early September (special) had a SGC 96 1968 that turned into a PSA 7. A larger submission dropped off at Ft. Wahington just posted today and I am totally blown away. There were 3 SGC 96's (all 1968) that I broke out myself and submitted that ALL CAME BACK 8's. What I think is even more unbelievable, I included 6 other 1968 SGC 96's STILL IN THEIR HOLDERS. I wrote a note giving them permission to break them out and they came back 3 9's and 3 MORE 8's . Even the 2 SGC 92's I broke out came back 8's.

In the crossover breakout game there are obvious risks I chose to accept, and in the past have had a rare one grade up or down from the corresponding grade. Can anyone put this into perspective--is this more typical than I experienced before, or is this rare? I am really at a loss in terms of what I should--if I can do anything. Help.

mcastaldi

guru> Each grading company interprets their own criteria a little bit differently. You obviously know that not all 9s are created equal - nor are all 96s. Ultimately, you have to decide if the card has a chance at a direct crossover based on the card, not on the holder it came out of.

In the last two months, I've submitted four 75T to PSA that were originally in different holders - three SGC96s and one BVG 8.5. Two of the 96s were very nice, but they definitely didn't scream "I'm a 9" at me. They came back 8s - which they are. They're very strong 8s, but 8s nonetheless. The other SGC96 was a blazer. It came back a 9. The BVG 8.5 was also an absolute blazer with eye appeal to spare. It too came back a 9.

In the past, I've had SGC92s come back a PSA9. . .and other 92s come back a PSA7. It just depends. There are always risks involved with crossing over a card, but the amount of risk varies from card to card - not from holder to holder.

Mike

Mantlefan

Just "crossed-over" 8 SGC 88 Topps FB cards and 3 SGC 88 BB cards. All of them came back PSA 8. I was satisfied, especially since some of the FB cards had their puzzle backs "scatched out".

murcerfan

For a true sampling... now you must break out a dozen or so PSA 9's and see what they come back. They should come from the same dealer as those SGC cards incase they were all sliders to begin with. Then break out a random sample of both SGC and PSA 8's and cross them both ways.. Now start at the beginning and sample "crack plastic" everything again. The summary is likely to be "buy the card, not the holder" (both card grading companies will shout this at the top of thier lungs at you). Looking to buy SGC cards to cross into a higher grade by PSA is akin to walking around with a "kick-me" sign on your back. If you want PSA 9's, then go buy PSA 9's, that's what my experience has taught me. Unless you are talking about '71 topps issues, all 9's are definetly not equal, but the range within the 8 grade seem even bigger. Also beware the SGC 92, it is typically applied to a card that has centering below the psa9 standard, but they are almost always high end 8's.......... (hence the 8.5 grade to begin with).

ejguru

To make matters worse, I just realized my 3 vintage cards I broke out all got reamed--
1933 Goudey Cronin from SGC 84 to PSA 6.
1933 Goudey Bill Terry from SGC 30 to PSA 1 and finally,
1936 Diamond Stars Rick Ferell SGC 70 to TRIMMED.


I appreciate all the comments, and over the past 3 years of actually submitting my own, I have seen 2 cards of about 10-12 (that I recall) get a ful grade different (1 up, one down). I am not talking about the tweeners (86, 92) going down a half-grade.

I guess the DEATH-BLOW for me is sending them in IN THEIR HOLDERS, 6 of them, and getting 3 back as 8's. Obviously, those were the LOWER POP 9 cards of the 6, compounding my misery.

murcerfan

I just got hammered on 2 invoices of '52 topps that I turned in at the Fort.
A couple borderline 7-8 candidates earned 6's.......hmmm........better switch to a 20x loupe.
I spoke to a dealer this evening who was sick over a submission of real nice 60's cards he just got back. He agreed........ all the nice 7's got 6's.
Are all the graders Yankee fans or something?? Certainly no rally monkey for my cards.
Anybody got Global's Address???

ejguru

Sad to hear the GRADER OF DEATH has returned. When I left Ft. Washington 2 weeks ago, I was thinking that the 138 cards I submitted were among the best I ever saw or submitted. Granted I'm not a big time dealer, and have only submitted about 2,000-2,500 cards over the past 2+ years, these invoices turned out as bad as my first invoices I ever submitted. UGH!