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Is grading your cards worth the price . . .

jontjont Posts: 445
in Buy, Sell & Trade - Cards & Memorabilia
... or is it just a roll of the dice? Never having had a card graded, is there any way for me to look at a raw card and have a ballpark idea what it might grade as?
Slide into my homebase

Comments

  • perkdogperkdog Posts: 31,945 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i> is there any way for me to look at a raw card and have a ballpark idea what it might grade as? >>




    Two ways. EXPERIENCE and a little luck!
  • Alfonz24Alfonz24 Posts: 3,123 ✭✭✭✭✭
    No it isn't. We are all multimillionaires funnelling money to the Joe Orlando retirement fund.
    #LetsGoSwitzerlandThe Man Who Does Not Read Has No Advantage Over the Man Who Cannot Read. The biggest obstacle to progress is a habit of “buying what we want and begging for what we need.”You get the Freedom you fight for and get the Oppression you deserve.
  • Bosox1976Bosox1976 Posts: 8,568 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Free grading by our panel of experts here - post a scan, everybody will give an opinion.image
    Mike
    Bosox1976
  • ldfergldferg Posts: 6,755 ✭✭✭
    boopotts had a great comment regarding this. if i could find the thread i'd link it.


    Thanks,

    David (LD_Ferg)



    1985 Topps Football (starting in psa 8) - #9 - started 05/21/06
  • EstilEstil Posts: 7,231 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I think my 1982/1983 Topps key rookies (Ripken/Gwynn/Ryno/Boggs) and other key 1980s cards have a pretty good shot at getting 10s. But with my luck I'll spend all that money on grading and get only 7s and 8s. image
    WISHLIST
    D's: 50P,49S,45D+S,43D,41S,40D,39D+S,38D+S,37D+S,36S,35D+S,all 16-34's
    Q's: 52S,47S,46S,40S,39S,38S,37D+S,36D+S,35D,34D,32D+S
    74T: 241,435,610,654 97 Finest silver: 115,135,139,145,310
    73T:31,55,61,62,63,64,65,66,67,68,80,152,165,189,213,235,237,257,341,344,377,379,390,422,433,453,480,497,545,554,563,580,606,613,630
    95 Ultra GM Sets: Golden Prospects,HR Kings,On-Base Leaders,Power Plus,RBI Kings
  • WabittwaxWabittwax Posts: 1,984 ✭✭✭
    My advice is to get 100 nice 1972-1980 Topps cards and hit the next $5 special. When you get the cards back, study each card closely and compare it to the grade. It will cost you $500 but you will get good idea of what to look for in grading cards. Experience is the only real way to figure it out. But to answer your question, yes it is worth the grading price "if" you grade the right stuff.
  • GriffinsGriffins Posts: 6,076 ✭✭✭
    Look at the card you're considering grading. Study other graded cards in the set, either at a show, store, catalog, or online. Figure what grade you think yours will get, and then, if this is your first submission (or one of the first 3-5) DEDUCT 2 grades. That is the likely grade. Now search completed auctions on ebay and see if the cost of the card + fees + shipping (PSA shipping is usually more expensive than a typical ebay seller) and see if it makes economic sense.

    Always looking for Topps Salesman Samples, pre '51 unopened packs, E90-2, E91a, N690 Kalamazoo Bats, and T204 Square Frame Ramly's

  • blue227blue227 Posts: 185 ✭✭
    The cheapest way to find out would be to invest in a 10x loupe and to closely examine your cards before making a decision.

    Without a loupe, it is a lot more difficult for an untrained eye to correctly distinguish the differences between a 7 or 8, 8 or 9, etc. --- even moreso for cards issued in the past 30 years.

    However, it is not guaranteed that using a loupe will provide a more accurate assessment of your cards' potential.

    The graders at PSA use 10x loupes but it hasn't helped them more accurately grade the cards i've submitted! ;-)



  • chaz43chaz43 Posts: 2,140 ✭✭✭
    You won't stay a virgin long in this business my friend. chaz
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