Why would anyone send cards to SGC?

koby

SGC 2 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle

$2,852.00

http://www.scpauctions.com/scpauctions/LotDetail.cfm?Lot_ID=10615

PSA 2 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle

$5,030.00

http://www.scpauctions.com/scpauctions/LotDetail.cfm?Lot_ID=10614">http://www.scpauctions.com/scpauctions/LotDetail.cfm?Lot_ID=10614

It appears PSA still outsells SGC for important cards. In this case, I am sure the guy who sent to card to SGC really regrets his decision.

The SGC graded card looks absolutely horrible, that it should never have made it into a 2 holder. It is hard to believe the two cards were given the same grades.

sagard

Looking at the cards instead of the flips/holders explains this price diffential. The first card probably gets into a "1" holder half the time, and the second one wouldn't look out of place in a "3" holder.

1420sports

I don't think it has anything to do with the holder - the SGC example does not have the same appeal. It looks to fit the grade, but there are 2's and then there are nicer 2's. I would bet if the cards were reversed, the card in the PSA holder now would be an SGC card and that would have been the winner. A 52 Mantle is a 52 Mantle, and either holder will get the same play if they have the same eye appeal.

koby

The first card is awful and would never make it into a PSA 2 holder. Are SGC's standards that much more lenient?

tkd7

How do you explain this card in a PSA 5 holder from the same SCP auction? It looks horrible.

tennesseebanker

Sgc is one of the better grading companies out there. There are a lot of Pre-war collections in SGC holders.
I would say thier Grading standards are close or on par with Psa. You can find cards in any holder by any grading company that look like they dont belong there.

I agree that the Sgc card doesnt have the same appeal as the Psa card.Therefore the difference in price.

baseballfanatic

<< <i>How do you explain this card in a PSA 5 holder from the same SCP auction? It looks horrible.

>>





Wow. It looks like someone left that Ruth in a storefront window for 10 years..........

1420sports

The Ruth fits the guidelines based on the scan alone, but I agree that the card looks awful. Last I checked PSA did not have a "faded" qualifier.

ndleo

I would say SGC's standard are more lenient that PSA. I've crossed over around 100 SGC cards and the the succes rate into an equivalent grade is around 70%. Only one time has the grade actually gone up - SGC 86 to PSA 8. The worst downgrade was a SGC 96 into a PSA 6, SGC must have missed a crease.

It seems to be more lenient on modern cards. I have horrible luck with SGC 96 modern.

Knuckles

The PSA graded card is clearly much nicer than the other eye-appeal wise even though they are both 2's.. I think if the cards were switched up between the holders they would both still be 2's and the nicer mantle in the SGC holder would go for more than the one in PSA holder again just due to it looking a lot nicer.

Griffins

I wonder if it was that faded when it was graded. It's a lot like cracked '68 Topps and '70-'83 Kellogg's 3D's in 8, 9 and 10 holders. They were graded accurately, but deteriorated after being slabbed.
I've crossed about 50 cards from SGC to PSA, and recently read of here doing the same with '52 Topps. I was amazed at the consistancy for the most part. The price difference on these Mantles can be attributed to the eye appeal of each. The PSA example is just a nicer card.

tkd7

I think both SGC have their strength and weaknesses. At lower grades there is certainly a difference between "technical grade" and "eye appeal" in many cases. This Cobb in the same auction is graded at a SGC 30 - 2, but to me the eye appeal far exceeds the technical grade (which is based on paper loss on the back).

My guess is the Ruth faded in the holder as well, which is something to remember when storing cards.




What does SGC do better than PSA?
Their holder is suited better to differerent size cards, no mylar insert needed
Your submission results are directly linked to the pop report and are archived based upon your customer number
Their labeling of older issues is much better than PSA (notice how PSA is playing catch up on T206 labeling)

What does PSA do better?
Get the bigger market share that enables more graded copies of most issues to be available
Have a large set registry population that encourages grading commons

What do they both do?
Grade most cards fairly. They miss some, sure, but as I've said before, umpires blow calls every game as well. Some are big, some aren't.

koby

It is strange that the Ruth card is faded but the label is not. Someone probably left it out in the sun or direct indoor light and then had the card reholdered.

WinPitcher

Just today i was at the sgc site and FYS had a thread there in which SGC did better then PSA in auctions. maybe he can give us his take here?

I was wondering while I was reading his thread if he used selected auctions. Not all NMNT cards are equal etc.

bottom line buy the card, not the holder.


Steve

Boopotts

<< <i>Just today i was at the sgc site and FYS had a thread there in which SGC did better then PSA in auctions. maybe he can give us his take here?

I was wondering while I was reading his thread if he used selected auctions. Not all NMNT cards are equal etc.

bottom line buy the card, not the holder.


Steve >>



True enough. Most of investigations I have made into the realized prices for high profile cards in SGC and PSA slabs respectively have indicated that there's a very small price differential between the two. PSA slabs outperform SGC slabs to the extent that the price of a card is driven by its demand by the set registry crowd, but the demand for many high dollar cards (high grade HOFers, etc) doesn't fit this criterion.

aro13

The difference in the price is attributable to the quality of the card.

I think if you check reliable past auction results for 1950's and 1960's cards you will find that SGC cards sell for at least the same if not more in the mid and lower grades where the cards often present better in their holder.

Griffins

<< <i>Just today i was at the sgc site and FYS had a thread there in which SGC did better then PSA in auctions. maybe he can give us his take here?

I was wondering while I was reading his thread if he used selected auctions. Not all NMNT cards are equal etc.

bottom line buy the card, not the holder.


Steve >>



His "results" are highly slanted and selective, to the point of being worthless. If you want true comparisons sign on to vcp and you can easily see the differences.
I don't think he's a member on this board anymore.

chaz43

<< <i>I think both SGC have their strength and weaknesses. At lower grades there is certainly a difference between "technical grade" and "eye appeal" in many cases. This Cobb in the same auction is graded at a SGC 30 - 2, but to me the eye appeal far exceeds the technical grade (which is based on paper loss on the back).

My guess is the Ruth faded in the holder as well, which is something to remember when storing cards.




What does SGC do better than PSA?
Their holder is suited better to differerent size cards, no mylar insert needed
Your submission results are directly linked to the pop report and are archived based upon your customer number
Their labeling of older issues is much better than PSA (notice how PSA is playing catch up on T206 labeling)

What does PSA do better?
Get the bigger market share that enables more graded copies of most issues to be available
Have a large set registry population that encourages grading commons

What do they both do?
Grade most cards fairly. They miss some, sure, but as I've said before, umpires blow calls every game as well. Some are big, some aren't. >>




Hate to burst your bubble bro, but SGC holders, prices, grading etc...... can't hold up against PSA in my mind ever. chaz

tkd7

Don't worry, my bubble isn't burst.

fsjeter

<< <i>How do you explain this card in a PSA 5 holder from the same SCP auction? It looks horrible.

>>



You know, this card could have been damaged by light after it was slabbed. I keep my graded cards out of the sun and in boxes just so something like this doesn't happen. Just my $0.02.

Scott

XanaduNow

Tkd, I agree with you about the holders being better. I've seen a lot of pre-war in PSA slabs that just scare the hell out of me. Cards just sitting loosely inside a sandwich bag, slipping and sliding all over the place. It's actually prevented me from having a lot of my stuff graded.

I don't know too much about the T206s or their slabs but I've found SGC to not be very good at all when it comes to labeling boxing cards. Here are a few examples ....

Hand cut strip cards have the year of issue on the PSA slab while on the SGC slabs I've seen they are just labeled "1920's"

Same goes for 19th century stuff. PSA always seems to isolate and label the exact year of a release while SGC will just put "1880s"

I also saw an auction a few weeks ago for a 1926 Spalding Champions Jack Dempsey in a SGC 84 holder. Unfortunately, SGC didn't know what issue it was so they labeled it as a 1926 Sports Co. of America card. I mean, this isn't an obscure oddball issue, the 1926 Spaldings are a popular set with many HOFers from numerous sports.

But like I said, I'm not familiar with T206s and I'm sure there are other discrepancies between the two companies. This is just what I've noticed in my little niche of the sportscard world.

Arthur

jradke4

maybe the person tried to restore the card and knew PSA would catch him at it.

1420sports

Cards just sitting loosely inside a sandwich bag, slipping and sliding all over the place. It's actually prevented me from having a lot of my stuff graded.

I think that they are actually safer that way. It may not be as eye pleasing as a custom insert, but I have heard about some cards being affected by the insert.

XanaduNow

I've never done any research on the subject but I've seen cards on an angle that could easily slide into the edge and bang a corner.

Stole these pics from a post by Rbdjr (hope you don't mind Bob but these appear to be relevant in this discussion )




This one's from MorrellMan from the same thread (again, hope you're not upset )


You still think these cards are safer?

Arthur

TheCARDKid

I get so tired of reading all the biased and slanted opinions about sgc vs psa on net 54.

These two companies are neck and neck in the industry. They both have their pros and cons. They both sell for similar prices. I've sent maybe 3 or 4 cards to SGC and they got grades about what I thought they would.

I'm glad there's two respected companies around, they keep each other competitive.

Biggest grip with PSA are the baggy "condoms"....Would you be nervous if you got this home?



It's like hanging a Picasso in a frame that's too big.

Those boxing cards make me hurt. Couldn't you just pay more money for oversized or undersized cards and have them insert a custom made piece of plastic in the holder to hold the card?

koby

<< <i>I get so tired of reading all the biased and slanted opinions about sgc vs psa on net 54.
>>




That board is so biased that I never bother to check it anymore. They're a bunch of idiots over there.

Stone193

SGC - good company.

PSA - good company.

Auction result comparison - I have seen it go both ways. My intuition? PSA may inch out SGC.

From a hobby POV - both are good - with SGC slightly beating out PSA since, IMO, the holder makes some cards look better and they can custom fit cards.

mike

Southerncards

I could respond to many of these posts, but after a hard day at work, I really dont feel like taking the usual abuse of being pro SGC.

Buy the card, not the holder.

Buy what makes you happy and use the grader that makes you happy.

oh, I almost forgot to mention..........SGC ROCKS!

lawnmowerman

<< <i>I could respond to many of these posts, but after a hard day at work, I really dont feel like taking the usual abuse of being pro SGC.

Buy the card, not the holder.

Buy what makes you happy and use the grader that makes you happy.

oh, I almost forgot to mention..........SGC ROCKS! >>



I believe the proper term was SGC RULES!

Southerncards

lawnmowerman - I concur!