Submitting cards to a dealer vs directly to PSA

Spahnfan

Is there an advantage to submitting cards to a dealer rather than directly to PSA?

Basilone

Personally...I have faith in PSA that the card is graded on its own merit...not by who submits it. Yes...even the little guys get 9's (for vintage cards).

John

brucemo

It's the same advantage you get when you take a taxi rather than driving yourself. Certain problems are avoided, but you pay more.

Probably a lot more, and maybe there are other problems.

The only time I submitted a card via a dealer, it cost $20. After a few months, I called the dealer to ask what was taking so long. The dealer kept blaming PSA. I tried to call PSA and since I had no invoice number they would tell me nothing. The dealer wouldn't give me an invoice number, despite there being a "customer bill of rights" on PSA's site that said that the dealer must provide me with the invoice number. PSA wouldn't do anything about this, they said that it was between me and the dealer.

Finally, maybe five months after I left the card with the dealer, I called them and they said it had come back ("you must have missed our call"). I got the card, called PSA with the serial number, and was able to get someone to tell me that the card had been graded and shipped back to the dealer several months prior. During that several months I had called the dealer several times.

This all took place in approximately 1999. The dealer is no longer a PSA dealer. The used to have a huge storefront, the largest card shop I've ever seen. Now they've moved, and are in a tiny space. This is a positive trend as far as I'm concerned, and I hope that it continues.

I've never submitted via a dealer since then. What's the point? All you have to do to submit yourself is print out an invoice, fill it out, pack your cards securely, mail them, and wait. If there is a problem, you call PSA with the invoice number, and it's fixed.

If you are asking, will they give you good grades if you send them good material, the answer is yes.

bruce

KING KELLOGG

Spahnfan...

You know what always comes first............Welcome to the board!



I don't see a lot of advantage going through an authorized PSA dealer. For the most part, I echo brucemo on...If you can fill out a simple form, pack your cards correctly, etc, etc....send them in yourself. PSA dealers are helpful with "estate issues" where grandpa passes on , but his collection doesn't. It's a good tool for the executors. Also, there isn't a PSA dealer on every corner...If there was a top notch PSA guy (Jay Wolt of Qualitycards comes to mind) in the same city or close to it, I'd be dumping all my submissions on the dealer, but they just aren't close to most of the people that need the education on cards. It's ironic that the PSA dealers are close to the collectors that don't need them...Think about THAT for a while.




And if you are looking for a little help in understanding grading...Follow this simple phrase...

THE HARDEST THING ABOUT GRADING YOUR OWN CARDS IS GRADING YOUR OWN CARDS.


Always get a few more opinions on grading from long term collectors.


Good Luck!!!




Larry

Spahnfan

Thank you all for your answers. You all don't just reply to a message, you actually answer them very fully. I appreciate that.

The grading part of cards is not a problem. I used to set up at shows in the 1980's as well as sold cards in SCD for a few years. I didn't have very many disagreements regarding my grading. I am not new to card collecting, just to graded cards. I have many graded cards, but all have been purchased. I have not sent in cards to be graded yet. I do have a lot of cards that I wish to submit and I am trying to find out the ins and outs of the submission process. For example, other than turn around time, why would I want to pay $10 or $15 to get commons graded rather than send in 100 cards for the bulk rate? I would appreciate knowing anything you should do or should not do, and why.

My main interest are baseball cards from 1954 to 1961.

crazysc

Spahnfan,

First, and understand I'm not being rude because I was in the exact same boat when I started, but despite years of hobby experience (which I had as well), you're probably not going to be able to grade your cards properly compared to today's grading standards. I looked at some cards which I easily called Mint (for modern) or NM/MT (vintage) and the same cards came back 6s and 7s, for little things I and most everyone else considered insignificant.

With that said, I'd probably start slow, grade 20-30 of your best cards first just to get a feel for it. Maybe even send in the stars first, because you'll have to pay more than common prices for them to be graded. Plus, it's not a total waste of money if you get a Mantle graded and it comes back a 6 (compared to getting a common graded as such). Once you get a better feel, then take advantage of the bulk grading and go for it.

autosoft

<< <i>Thank you all for your answers. You all don't just reply to a message, you actually answer them very fully. I appreciate that.

The grading part of cards is not a problem. I used to set up at shows in the 1980's as well as sold cards in SCD for a few years. I didn't have very many disagreements regarding my grading. I am not new to card collecting, just to graded cards. I have many graded cards, but all have been purchased. I have not sent in cards to be graded yet. I do have a lot of cards that I wish to submit and I am trying to find out the ins and outs of the submission process. For example, other than turn around time, why would I want to pay $10 or $15 to get commons graded rather than send in 100 cards for the bulk rate? I would appreciate knowing anything you should do or should not do, and why.

My main interest are baseball cards from 1954 to 1961. >>



With PSA newer Set Registry ... you will notice that PSA are offering better prices for having commons graded as collectors try to complete full sets of graded cards ...Check PSA home page for more details.. Last month they had bulk grading at $6 per card and currently are offering another promotion..

You will see even with commons if they are high grade you will get you money back in spades as entire set graded collecting continues to rise..

Wabittwax

I always use the bulk rate. I haven't sent in a batch less than 100 cards in a couple years. The turnaround time is excellent right now on all the grading services so don't pay any extra based on that.

Spahnfan

Crazysd,

No offense taken. I know this is not your father's grading anymore (like in not your father's Oldsmobile anymore). I know you are trying to prepare me for disappointment or frustration when I send in my cards. I have revised my grading on my sets a couple of times since the 1980's. I have compared my grading to the cards from PSA. Quite a few of the cards I thought were NM in the old days, I am sure would come back as 5 or 6 from PSA. I am sure it is quite a feeling of anticipation waiting for the grading to come back after sending in cards to see how close your grading compares.