On Site Grading

envoy98

I would like to hear from people who have used one of the big grading companies on-site services. I am doing the show in KC next month and have a big ol' box of stuff, modern, to be graded. I was thinking it might actually be a better deal since the fee for raw review is lower than the 10 day service and if I get back some poor grades because of something I missed then I can save the fee for slabbing it. The main reason I ask is for the procedures, what to expect and if the grades seem any more favorable/less favorable. I have heard it both ways but seems the consensus is that the grades are sometime a half to a full grade better on-site.

If it matters, it's BGS doing the on-site in KC.

Anyone have any thoughts. I realize this is essentially the PSA board, so please don't completely flame me for asking about BGS.

ctsoxfan

Bring your trimming supplies, and have a field day! It's raining BGS 10's!

Seriously, (but I am serious about the above, too), if you mean "raw card review", it isn't the same as them putting your card in a slab. They pre-grade it, in a soft type of sleeve, with your expected grade on a label at the top. Which is why it may be cheaper. I have purchased a few GAI pre-graded cards, which I believe were done on-site, and when I crossed them to PSA holders, almost each one was a full grade lower (sometimes 2) than expected.

envoy98

Thanks ctsoxfan.

I won't be bringing the trimming supplies.

But I was curious about how it worked etc. I am assuming you still put cards in a penny sleeve and Card Saver I and make up a list of the cards you are dropping off.

I know for raw card review they just put the "tamper proof" sticker on top of the card saver I and give it back to you. Then you hand it back to them with another $15 and they slab it right there. I have a few RCR cards now that I purchased sight unseen for cheap and I am going to have them slabbed there as well. It's like 7.50 for the RCR for 20-99 cards and then another $15/card to have it slabbed. I figure if I get a bunch of 8's or 8.5's I'll just sell them in the RCR and not pay the $15 to have them slabbed since most of my cards won't turn a realizeable increase in value to make it worth while. I will do the 9's and 9.5's though. Most of the stuff I am dropping off is modern bk, fb, bb. Matsui, Lebron, Leftwich etc...

I wonder if the crossover you experienced was a byproduct of GAI vs. PSA or a result of the perceived "on-site luck"

I've emailed a few sellers on ebay about this too, "How do you get so many 9.5's/10's" yeah, some of them are probably trimming but some of them have to be honest....right? I've gotten a response from a few of them that just say do on-site grading, way better grades blah blah blah. Others say "I have a good eye" Which translates to "I can see that just a 1/32 trimmed of the side will net me a 10".

thanks for any and all replies. I'm not new to the grading game by any stretch, but new to the on-site concept and just want to get impressions.