GEM cluttering the bay-waves...

downgoesfrazier

First of all I realize that the "fringe" grading conpanies have no value whatsoever to anyone. That said, how bad does it have to be to grade below MINT 9? Check out item number 2793483364. Let's start with the wax stain on the card front and go from there. Further, these are all over the dang place on eBay cluttering the listings for graded cards. .. "GEM" this and "GEM" that. It's a free country, but enough already!!! The stuff is fecal matter at best. This is the stuff that makes me appreciate SGC, PSA and GAI and the job they try to do. Just a small rant, now get about your day...

dgf

...yes, you'd think I'd know how to include a link after 800 posts, but no...That's one thing I prefer about SGC's boards...easy, one-step linkage...

dude

mikeschmidt

I dunno - I thought I would at least check them out. I took a chance on this card:




I've done pretty well in the past with some of the fringe grading companies (thinking specifically of some instances in the past with some FGA 1980 OPC cards...)

dude

Are there 2 GEM grading companies? MS's card says "GEM elite" while DGF's card says "GEM grading inc."

Rainman

i don't think GEM/PRO/AGA/etc. go below a 9 or 10. 1 of them even does 9.8s- i forget which fine company that is. i think i'd take a chance on BCCG (and even those are often nasty looking centering wise) before I went the GEM/PRO/AGA route.

67standup

KSA is in the same company. I'd rather have raw - and would never pay a premium - for anything non PSA or SGC. Second tier is GA and BVG.

Stone193

I have a theory on the Gem Grading Inc. - I believe that the "grading" service is a FRONT for the actual supplying of trumped up graded cards that are sold by vendors who could give a rats ass about quality or fair play. Even if not true, the end result, of the garbage they spew out, is the same. I don't usually feel this negative - but I don't like this company.
Mike

BugOnTheRug

dgf,

Yes, but I'll also bet that palmer is a 1/1. I doubt anywhere on the planet you will find a front wax stain in the exact pattern shown. GEM must realize this and is probably leading the industry in recognizing this important card-processing residual.......hence the 9 grade.

BOTR

downgoesfrazier

BOTR,
Ahhhh! Now THAT makes sense. I guess I just need to get a handle on their standards and submit accordingly.

Schmitty, even a blind squirrel finds an acorn now and again...GEM is still looking as that card you pulled up is NM if it's full-sized...what's going on up top??? It's like the Sesame Street song "which of these edges is not like the other, which of these edges doesn't belong...".

That palmer is hysterical. Actually, maybe GEM would give up the 9's on my actual childhood 77's with the tape marks on the reverse and warping from being left outside overnight and the dew drying (I used to take them outside to pretend I was the players on the cards)...good times.

dgf

SDavid

A while back there was a thread about an ebayer who buys psa 6 mantles and resells them in pro 8 or 9 slabs.

At the time, everyone assumed he was trimming them, but I wonder what a psa 6 would get from pro without trimming, especially if it was one of those well-centered, nice looking 6's that has a tiny wrinkle on the back or something. He might be able to get an 8 or higher without doing anything.

jaxxr

I have bought several GEM company cards in the past, in a prior thread with a similar subject, I gave out this information, but feel it might be suitable for this topic as well.

I bought from two different, maybe it was all from the same guy, I can't really remember, sellers, each at a separate auction, the following 1979 Topps Baseball for the purpose / hope of cracking out and to submit to PSA, for this set I am foolishly collecting.

All were graded 10 by the regular GEM outfit, with the diamond-like symbol. There are some other graders who use "gem" in their title but are not the same company from which my purchases were slabbed.

LOU BROCK, when cracked out there was a small "ding" across one corner, would possibly get an 8, did not submit.
PAUL MOLITOR, real nice but appeared to be a bit smaller than most of my 4500 raw 79s, but some of these which were almost all from unopened, are similar in size, was just afraid of getting a trimmed notice, no submit.
CHECKLIST # 602, real nice also, but somewhat less than a 10 for reverse centering, got a PSA 9.
C YAZ., all around very nice, got a PSA 10, proudly displayed in my registered set.

This is by no means any endorsement of GEM, but I did have fairly good results in total from the four economically priced ones I got and with two re-submitted to PSA. I have tried to get some bargains from a few other lower-level graders with very mixed and more often than not, generally unlucky results.

downgoesfrazier

jaxxr,
I'm sold! I'm going after that Palmer! Gum stain, hack-sawed and filthy-gross or not, GEM is the bomb! Said in "Seinfeld Steinbrenner" voice..." FRAZIER SMELLS A TE - EN! "

Seriously, your luck notwithstanding...look at the freakin' card! This stuff is absurd. It's actually well beyond absurd. What's the point of this stuff? How stupid would you have to be to be swayed even in the slightest by GEM's assessment after seeing that rectangular cardboard turd? I think third party authentication by the likes of these idiots is obnoxious at best and fraudulent at worst. Simply put, whoever "graded" that thing needs to be slapped.

dgf