Graded and authenticated by GAI but NOT encapsulated??

Snowball

Does GAI actually do this?. Is that a cracked case below the pack?.

EagleEyeKid

Doesn't look like a case. Looks almost like a top loader or card saver of sorts. Something to just put the labels in. Probably no type of holder available for the odd size. I don't know much about vintage, but did cards come out of these? Thought the T206 were the only ones in the Piedmont cigs. Guess they authenticate anything.

dbj77

probably something from their pre-grade program where they will take on site admissions at shows and give it a pre-grade so you know if you want to spend the major loot to have it encapsulated.

RedRomad275

I wasn't aware that GAI graded ciggarette packs. I would like to know about that and whether there is/isn't a card inside. Very interesting.........

jrdolan

Yeah, that's what a GAI pre-grade looks like. They send your card/item back like that if you choose not to pay the extra $5 to slab it. I figure it's worthless, market-wise, once it leaves GAI's hands because you could then put a worse or trimmed example of that card in that holder. I sure wouldn't buy any card in that state unless it was steeply discounted from graded value and the seller was respectable. It's basically like buying raw these days; you pays your money and you takes your chances.

That said, I like GAI's pre-grade program where it costs $5 to grade, check the result online, then decide whether to slab for another $5. I wish PSA would do it.

Dallas88

jrdolan,

Not to say I don't believe you, but are you SURE, after pre-grading, and putting the card in the top-loader with the sticker, are you SURE they send the card back to the submitter.

To me, as you correctly pointed out, that seems to be an open invitation to fraud and lack of respectability for the GAI label, case, and name.

I always "thought" that they put the "pre-grade" online and DID NOT send the cards back UNTIL you told them if you wanted it slabbed or not.

I also was under the impression that once it leaves GAI in the "top-loader", pre-graded, they will NOT authenticate it without "pre-grading" it again.

I am not a GAI shill, nor do I own any GAI cards. I just thought they did things different than what you described.

Thanks for your opinion and good luck on your collection!

Dal

jrdolan

Before I decided to consolidate to PSA I did some business with GAI. Mostly because GAI would generally (not always) grade a borderline off-center mint card as GAI 8, which would fetch more on the market than PSA 9 oc (which we and SMR regard as being roughly PSA 7, value-wise). Also, sometimes I would want to compare grades on a particular card for my education and knowing what kind of cards to send to whom in the future. Eventually I decided, screw it, this is getting too complicated and it's keeping me from building my sets in the registry. So PSA's nefarious plot is working!



Anyway, I would send a group of cards to GAI for pre-grades. They would post the grades online like PSA does, then wait for me to choose which ones I wanted slabbed. They'd send the whole lot back at once, slabbed and not. The ones I elected NOT to slab were in my Card Saver I holders with the GAI pre-grade sticker on it. Nothing to prevent me from substituting a similar but lesser card if I wanted to, but why? Why would I try to sell it in that state, when any newbie can see that I could have swapped cards.

And yes, if I changed my mind and wanted it slabbed, GAI would start over. Once it leaves their hands, all bets are off.

The pre-grade sticker, I believe, is for the submitter's information only, sort of like PSA's "minimum grade" or "evidence trimming" stickers. They're NOT intended for use on the market as though it were a fully slabbed card, though I have seen them sold that way. You'd have to trust the seller implicitly to buy that card in that state, and even then you'd have to consider it raw.

I've seen the stickers folded across the Card Saver opening to seal the card within, though mine did not arrive that way. I wonder if the sellers in those cases did that with the stickers to inspire more confidence in bidders. It doesn't in me. My thought is, "If that's the grade, why didn't you pay the extra $5 to get it slabbed?" It sure ain't gonna sell for any more money with a pre-grade sticker on it.

Dallas88

Thank you for the info jrdolan!

I haven't seen any "GAI toploaders" with the pregrade stickers for sale. That's a new one on me.....seems like another possible scam to watch out for. Like you said, "...if that's the grade and you're satisfied, why not spend the $5 to have it encapsulated!"

Great info

Dal

Mantlefan

Something's not right here. First, consider the seller, our old friend "Slabbed". Now you have unopened stuff, which was unopened as of grading, but since then...who knows?? Pass.

EagleEyeKid

That's not a Pre-grade label as it does not state "pre-grade" on the label itself as far as I can see. They probably didn't have holders to fit the cig packs....might be something new. Also, regarding pre-grade labels......they used to have the silver labels (when they first started) and it actually sealed the top of the card saver covering the entrance of the card saver. You cannot switch the cards; it was that sticky and if you tried, it would either tear or you leave the peeled back folded mark on the edge of the label. That would be a sign that someone tried it. GAI does not use the silver pre-grade labels anymore. Frankly I liked it. They now use a generic white sticker with a designated grade that has the GAI name on it. It looks like a price tag sticker you see on a lot of top loaders at shows. They stick right over the entrance of the card saver to seal it. One thing though....these are extremely sensitive stickers and if you try to switch the cards it simple broke in half....it's that sensitive. I do a lot of pre-grade.