POLL: If PSA was no more...which company would you use to grade out the majority of your collection

Basilone

Which company would you use...GAI, SGC, or BVG ?

joedel

I would go all raw!

rw2win

Pro, of course.

goodriddance189

is suicide an option?

Basilone

For the purposes of this poll...you have to pick from 1 out of the 3.

KING KELLOGG

Basilone...


Hmmmmmmm...

My first choice would be Snaggletooth Grading Service...


Without the professionals at PSA guiding all of us through the "subjective" nature of card grading, there wouldn't be any point in taking it serious.


I know that SGS couldn't handle the "intergity" part of the equation, so I would want the most ridiculous company name on my holders ( or whatever they could find laying around..used cardsavers...plastic window film....well you know....)


(John...what an odd thought..???...)



Snaggletooth Larry!

goodriddance189

i guess SGC, the only reason i don't collect them in the first place is because the hockey stuff i collect is rarely submitted to SGC

BVG holders are an eyesore, and their grading is well, inconsistent at best

pandrews

GAI, and more than likely GAI will get my submissions from now on.. I've heard too many unanswered questions about PSA lately..

calleocho

i would still pick up PSA graded stuff on ebay...there is 7 mill of them around.

dude

I didn't and can't vote for any of them. I have two vintage sets at 100% and another at 88% (my '69 set). I would do whatever it took to get the last 12% of my '69 set graded in PSA holders (buy 7's, 8's or 9's already graded and for sale in the secondary market) and retire those 3 sets with no intention of crossing them over.

I have serious concerns about those 3 mentioned and will not give them any business until some problems are corrected.

Basilone

This is hypothetical....pick the lesser of the 3 evils (if you feel that way).

This poll is not intended to bash any or all of the companies....just to provide some non-scientific data.

John

CON40

I would just keep hunting down PSA slabbed cards... I would not go to another grading service as I am very anal about the consistency of my holders!

goodriddance189

<< <i>I would just keep hunting down PSA slabbed cards... I would not go to another grading service as I am very anal about the consistency of my holders! >>



same here! it's sad, not only do i not buy other holders, but i refuse to buy qualified cards because the qualifier looks like crap when displayed alongside non qualified cards

Wetzel

I agree with joedel. I would pick none of the above and keep everything raw.
Scott

ctsoxfan

I would continue to try and hunt down only PSA graded, but that would eventually come to an end. GAI might emerge at this point, seeing as there are ex-PSA people there, but the rest of the companies wouldn't get any of my money.

nearmint

For my collection, I would choose BVG. I've seen a lower percentage of sliders in BVG holders, and I don't like the black "gaskets" in the SGC and GAI holders. I have seen cards damaged by the gaskets in holders from both other companies, and I find that inexcusable. BVG puts the card in a little sleeve to keep it from moving around, and though it doesn't scan well, it does a good job of protecting the card. BVG holders are also more secure than the others: there's no way you're going to get a card out without destroying the holder. I can open a GAI holder with my bare hands.

For my inventory I would choose SGC, since it's the most popular of the three.

Mike

Vargha

Under your hypothetical situation, I'd choose GAI.

pool

SGC

67standup

Factoring everything, I give a slight nod to PSA over SGC. Take out resale value, it's SGC all the way (boo, hiss...) To answer to original question: SGC.

Basilone

So far after 33 votes SGC holds a 2 to 1 margin over GAI.....

koby

Each of the companies that you mention have major problems:

If GAI corrects the problems that it has with the card-damaging gaskets, and if GAI's resale values improved, I might consider them.

If SGC's new change of ownership is not problematic and if SGC's resale values improve, I might choose them.

Until those problems are resolved, however, my choice if PSA is not here, would be BVG. BVG has safer holders than GAI and its ownership is not as questionable as that of SGC. Also, BVG cards tend to bring greater resale value than both SGC and GAI.



BVG... unfortunately

grilloj39

I like the grading company I'm with. If it went under, I agree with some that I would probably just go raw. I am already going raw on some T-218, T-220 1910 mecca/hassan boxing sets. I think it adds more enjoyment for me, making my own labels, being as descriptive as I want with variations, choosing holders, etc.

67standup

Although many don't think they're two distinguishable factors, maybe we should seperate such questions into card preservation/best holder/most attractive and ROI/resale.

I do agree with Koby regarding BVG holders, they're tough. It took me about twice as long to crack one of those compared to SGC or PSA.

Kosmo

SGC

nearmint

Lots of votes for SGC and GAI, but nobody has given their reasons. Do you prefer the holder of the company you chose over the other two companies? Quality of grading? Number of cards available? Name recognition? Resale value? Service?

grilloj39

Here's my preferences:

1) Quality of Grading
2) Security of Holder
3) Service
4) Resell Value
5) Name Recognition
6) # of cards Available

As a buyer and not a seller, I am not too concerned about resell value at this point, which is why I ranked it as low as I did.

Basilone

Grillo-

I do not understand...you rank # of cards available last...yet you are a buyer.

What the heck are you going to "buy" when there is hardly anything to pick from.

If you are a "submitter" then that is a different story.

John

jackstraw

i voted for sgc only because i like the black insert and it makes the card really stand out and no toll booth at the front door! am i the only person on the planet that thinks gai holders stink? the "not so arrow head corners", the sleeve is too deep and allows the card to curl! i will say that i love the stainless steel colored flip and the top label. i guess what i am saying is that if they fixed those two problems i might go with them. i will also say that if it was just rocchi and the boys doing all the grading then i might just end up collecting butterflies?

onegaucho

I'd actually prefer to go back to raw (which is where a few of my sets are anyways). I'd also go the route of hunting down other PSA cards for my collection (but not for investment purposes as some of my cards are).

thefootballcardstore

SGC - availabiliy/resale/popularity
But I do like the GAI holders,

Jeremy

I like the thread - who said nothing good ever comes out of this board?!?

Basilone

Thanks Jeremy.

To be honest...Im pretty surprised on how many people have voted for SGC over GAI. I thought that GAI might even have a slight edge over SGC.

It will be interesting to see how this all trends out in the next day or two.

John

Bearsnum34

Gai

dbj77

I would choose SGC, I like their holder and I've only heard good things about their customer service. The price isn't bad either, the only reason I probably don't go with them is that there is so little inventory graded to choose from. In other words not a lot of cards that I want to choose from like PSA has.


I'm starting to really hate PSA as far as customer service and consistency in product. If they don't change things soon as in now, then I will be taking my grading somewhere else or just stop with graded cards altogether.

SUPERPUNK813

If there were no more PSA.......

SGC hands down. I've sent cards to SGC before and i like there holder better than the PSA or GAI holder(can't stand that black on silver GAI flip ). For now i keep most of my cards in PSA holders becouse commons seem to have a much higher resale value in PSA holders and becouse i hate the way the SGC Registry is set up. If the SGC Registry were as easy to use and set up like PSA's(i don't like the drop down boxes and how do you even delete cards?) i would have already started a SGC graded set. I've thought about starting an SGC graded set anyway and just not adding it to there Registry. I also like PSA's simple 1-10 grading scale but the 1-100 scale has grown on me over the years.

Just my 2 cents.
The Punk.

aro13

For me I buy from all three companies so it merely depends on what cards I find from the sets I am working on. Based on dealer inventory, I would probably end up with more GAI in my collection.

thegemmintman

Seriously, I would sell all of my cards and get out of the hobby.

magellan

<< <i>making my own labels, being as descriptive as I want with variations, choosing holders, etc. >>



GGS is born ! (Grillo Grading Service) There will be tooth & nail competition with Snaggletooth

Seriously I'd pick SGC as I like their holders .

Dave

pc

<< <i>I didn't and can't vote for any of them. ..
I have serious concerns about those 3 mentioned and will not give them any business until some problems are corrected. >>



believe it or not a major star gai 9 crossed over to a psa 9.(from the holder!)

Wabittwax

I picked GAI only because of the experienced people that they have working for them. I wouldn't have a problem using the other 2 though. I would definately not go to collecting raw vintage. You would never be able to put together a nice set without getting burned on altered cards. You would have to settle for vg-exmt sets or only stick to post 1970 sets. There is no such thing as putting together a raw 1953 Topps NMMT set anymore.

uniship

gai

downgoesfrazier

SGC.


Magellan,
I have close to 100 PSA 9's and close to 300 PSA 8's from 1977 available. Email me if you are interested in a group...

dgf

NHLfightguy

I'd go with GAI, like the secure holder and look, they are already over in the pack grading department. The card grading is starting to get over.. If people think PSA holders are weak, sgc holders are even worse. Easy to open with no damage and are too big......................

Davino

I like GAI very much, they grade well and the 1/2 grades are very consistent and I've gotten a lot of their cards and many look pack fresh and really good in the holders.

Tempura

Have to go with GAI and their vast experience, half point grading. Done a great deal in 2 years time.

Not sure I can comfortably endorse SGC after Dave Forman taking over. Way too many skeletons in his closet and too old boy network for my taste.

Igloo

either SGC or BVG. Ive heard too much about the guys at GAI giving deals to the larger dealers and some of their recent grades on ebay and in the Mastro auction look really questionable. that Gem Mint 1958 Sandy Koufax with the huge print spot was a perfect example.

gemint

A "choose one" poll is too simple an answer. For me, if PSA goes under, I'd leave the rest of my collection raw and slab the cards I sell in whatever holder yields the best return.

qualitycards

GEMINT has a valid response. If indeed PSA were no longer slabbing, it would be interesting to see which of the grading companies would be the new #1. Both in volumn and in financial return. And perhaps if PSA went "under" in the future, these 3 choices might fare the same fate. And who knows what new entity might be around then. I know I didn't answer the question as it was posed, but just giving food for thought....jay

Basilone

In this particular hypothetical scenario...I'm simply asking out of the 3 remaining mainstream companies which one would you use (lets say if someone put a gun to your head) for future submissions and/or purchases of new graded examples that hit the market.

Only having 3 makes the question more difficult.

The easy way out would be if I gave the choice of "I will only collect already graded PSA cards", etc.

Since this is a PSA board....the numbers would be skewed in that direction.

Even in a worst case scenario...sellin GAI or SGC card is going to be more liquid (especially online) and more valuable than their raw counterparts.

itsawonderfullife

I'm not really that in the same boat as most of you. I don't build graded sets. I love buying beautiful vintage cards and will buy any card nice from any of the three mentioned if I can inspect it first hand before the purchase. In the past I've bought a bunch of GAI and SGC cards cheap and cracked them out and sent them to PSA and later sold them for a tidy profit. I also don't grade every card I can get my hands on if I plan to keep it in my collection. A lot of my vintage cards are raw and I know they are solid 8's or 7's, so why pay someone $8 to confirm that? I do send in cards that I think have a shot at a 9 or 10 however. Let's face it, if you buy a raw card for $3 or $5 and get it slabbed and now it's in a 9 or 10 holder and than sell it for $100 or $150, then you'd be foolish not to get it graded and even more foolish not to sell it. But to answer the question, I would use whichever company had the best resale at that given time. So my short answer is: yet to be determined.

Fabfrank

SGC