Beckett to SMR and Vice Versa

Aknot · April 29, 2004 11:11PM

What is the corelation between the two? Is Beckett "Hi" a Gem Mint 10? Is Beckett an "eyeball" guide and SMR a "microscope" guide?

I know these are all guides but since Im starting to get into this hot and heavy Im going to be asking a lot of questions. I want to be fair but I dont want to "loose" out either.

MorrellMan · April 29, 2004 11:21PM

Haven't looked lately, and it depends on vintage or modern, but used to be vintage "hi" Beckett was SMR 7.

Aknot · May 12, 2004 11:14PM

Kind of "bumping" this. Here is what I do not understand. Beckett list A. Pujols Rookie Bowman at $40 in "Mint" condition. The SMR has it broken down:
(8) (9) (10)
264 Albert Pujols (R) 12 30 175

So "Mint" for Beckett (and Im talking Guide not Graded) is $40 which is on the LOW end between a 9 and 10 for PSA.

PSA:
"Prices listed in the PSA Price Guide are based on recent sale prices of Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) graded sports cards. The benefits of linking the prices to the grading standards of PSA, the industry's leading third party grading service, can be seen in the higher prices realized by these cards compared to ungraded cards."
(Who and how do they "track" this?)

Beckett:
(says something to the same effect)
(Who and how do they track this)

So a Mint "raw" (current) card SHOULD fall between a 9 and 10 PSA card?

jrdolan · May 13, 2004 1:11AM

I too would like to get some input on this. I recently bought a Bonds 86 Fleer Update PSA 10. No issues there. But I also got a couple 87 Donruss Bonds BCCG 10 as part of the deal. BCCG 10's seem to go for near SMR or higher among the modern crowd, who seem to regard that grade as the pinnacle. (PSA 10's don't seem to impress them more, perhaps because a large portion of modern collectors are Beckett-bred). But I too would like to know how BCCG correlates to PSA (as opposed to BGS or BVG, which is probably a different barrel of monkeys).

CADILLACN97 · May 13, 2004 8:08AM

according to BECKETT (and not real world prices on ebay), in baseball, from 1977 to present the prices reflect NRMT-MT values (which would be a psa 8). from 61 to 77 it is NRMT (a 7), and from 48 to 58 it is EXMT (a 6). if going by THEIR scale, a psa 8 card from 61-77 can go for up to 200% more than the price in the guide, while 9s from 77 to present can go from 125-150% of the published price. like i said, in the real world (ebay) this is not true, but if you look in any issue of a BECKETT magazine, right before it starts the price guide, it should have a % chart by grade in the how to use section. doesn't really help when buying or selling on the bay, but maybe if you are a shop owner selling raw.

DirtyHarry · May 13, 2004 9:05AM

IMO, you look at all available resources and then make your own best judgement. There is no black and white on this one.

Aknot - I think I recall reading one of your posts (paraphrazed) that a card is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. Thought that hit the nail on the head.

I posed a similar question to two long time store owners near me a while back. Both answered in similar fashion. They look at SMR, Beckett, Tuff Stuff, SCG on mainsteam cards and make a judgement. Oddball or unlisted stuff - they take a look at Ebay.

DirtyHarry · May 13, 2004 9:27AM

Justa follow up Aknot. On the Beckett site, they post employment opportunities. See they have one listed that entails tracking trends and values of card sales. Assume PSA would have similar analysts. The quesy part of this is that they are no doubt entry level positions for the technologicaly advanced who are astute at the gathering function but not necessarily the filtering (GIGO) function.

Aknot · May 13, 2004 10:27AM

Dirty,

I am in to "states" when on this board. One is a "business" which Im attempting to run and one is a hobby. I have to "walk" a fine line between the two. Ask lilgotz, samsgirl, and cspeier1, I do not mind "paying" (or trading for that matter) what I think its worth when it comes to the hobby side. BUT when Im on my business side it is ALL about the money.

Do not take this the wrong way, Im just trying to explain why some of my opinions and comments may differ on a few things or I seem to condescend myself.

DirtyHarry · May 13, 2004 11:28AM

Aknot - I hear you all the way. Just responded based on my exposure. Been following what you've been up to over the last few months with great interst and enjoy your posts. I am a few footsteps behind you, but on the same path.

Aknot · May 17, 2004 9:07AM

OK here is an example. I just got a Montana Rookie graded 8. A Beckett "Mint" is $175. An SMR 8 is $100.

A $75 difference is a large amount ESPECIALLY when the card looks as good as it does. So besides the $ spent on grading ("modern") why would I send a card to get graded?

Im about to send some 84 Topps Marino/Elways in. BUT if they get just an 8 the Elway is $55 and a RAW one (and "nice" looking with no obvious flaws) it is $80. Same with the Marino $52 graded 8 and $80 RAW and "nice" looking.

I just do not see any correlation between Beckett/SMR. Does there need to be one? Or is it just me?

And a small little itty bitty "irk" I have about the SMR. When I am looking at a Football listing I do not need to see a picture of a baseball player. It would be nice if a football player was there. Vice Versa with all the other sports, when looking in that "sports" catagory I should only see that "sport" being displayed.

Beckett to SMR and Vice Versa

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