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Is GAI really as bad as people on this board say?

People on this board trash GAI and have nothing but praise for PSA. Is the competition really that bad? PSA screws up too. I had a T-206 card that had an ink spot on the edge. I had that card for over 20 years and my uncle had it for 20 years before that, long before people started tampering with cards. Anyway, I was expecting the card to come back with a grade and a qualifier for being marked. Instead it came back ungraded and listed as "RECOLORED"! It had one little spot of ink on the border. There's no way the card was recolored. I know the history of the card too well.

Comments

  • Anyone know why their site (GAI) and phone is down?
    imageimageimage
  • Not sure if you read the boards or not but PSA get's trashed everyday... did you see the posts last week about the gem mint 10 cards that were very OC. Sorry to hear about your T-206... try sending it again I'm sure if it's real it will get slabed.
    image
  • 2dueces2dueces Posts: 6,559 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>People on this board trash GAI and have nothing but praise for PSA. Is the competition really that bad? PSA screws up too. I had a T-206 card that had an ink spot on the edge. I had that card for over 20 years and my uncle had it for 20 years before that, long before people started tampering with cards. Anyway, I was expecting the card to come back with a grade and a qualifier for being marked. Instead it came back ungraded and listed as "RECOLORED"! It had one little spot of ink on the border. There's no way the card was recolored. I know the history of the card too well. >>



    People been trimming cards since the 1800's to fit into albums and such. You can trace your card back 40 years, but there is another 60 years of history for this card. There may be nothing wrong with it, but you don't know the complete history of a 100 year old card. I hope it passes the second time. Joe
    W.C.Fields
    "I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
  • BugOnTheRugBugOnTheRug Posts: 1,611 ✭✭✭
    considering GAI's website is down (maybe permanently) and you can't get through by phone, it's just one of 17 factors why GAI is AWOL, or up the creek without a paddle, boat, water, life vests, etc.

    Here's the poop: the players are PSA and SGC. For modern, BGS makes honorable mention.
  • EstilEstil Posts: 7,198 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>People on this board trash GAI and have nothing but praise for PSA. >>



    You don't suppose the fact that this forum is owned by PSA might have something to do with that, don'tcha?

    Naaaaaaaaaaah...
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  • rube26105rube26105 Posts: 10,225 ✭✭
    when psa screws something of mine up, they get told about it real quick on the boards by me, gai just plain sucks period
    i guarantee ya if you sent it to gai youd get it slabbed-that shows me well they pay attention, im glad psa sends things back, theve done it to me plenty of times, evid of trimming,trying to crossover from gai-grade anything inc.


  • << <i>when psa screws something of mine up, they get told about it real quick on the boards by me, gai just plain sucks period
    i guarantee ya if you sent it to gai youd get it slabbed-that shows me well they pay attention, im glad psa sends things back, theve done it to me plenty of times, evid of trimming,trying to crossover from gai-grade anything inc. >>



    tru'dat
  • GAI is a failed experiment by someone who thought he was better than his coworkers at his previous job...
  • I only bought one GAI graded card, and it was the first month they were in existence, when visibility and first impressions are the most important, AND.....


    I only bought one GAI graded card....never again....

    I wouldn't be surprised if GAI buys psa cards and reslab with higher grades for resale themselves....

    THey also have had a LOT of publicity of authenticating fake autos

    I sold the one I owned, and I won't own another.




  • stevekstevek Posts: 29,939 ✭✭✭✭✭
    <<< Is GAI really as bad as people on this board say? >>>

    Considering the high prices that GAI vintage slabbed packs bring, GAI is WORSE than what we say. Perhaps in the beginning of GAI, their slabbed packs maybe were unopened for the most part - maybe. But now the odds of a slabbed GAI pack being resealed is way too high in my view to be even close to worth what they sell for...I truly believe that with many GAI packs slabbed over the past few years, the chances of them being resealed is close to 100%.

    I mean as far as value, look at those Xmas rack packs - it is "well known" among collectors that these packs do not contain high grade cards and were not a Topps factory sealed item, yet they sell for way too much money on ebay than what they are really worth. Same with GAI packs - they sell for way too much money as well...WAY too much.


    -
  • stevekstevek Posts: 29,939 ✭✭✭✭✭
    The very last thing a troubled company would do is not have the phone connected, not pay the phone bill - that says it all.
  • So it sounds like they are having business trouble but that doesn't mean everything in a GAI slab is junk. I'm worried about this as my number one card is in a GAI slab. I'm afraid I've made a bad investment. My heart would be broken if I found out my card was tampered with or counterfeit. Here it is, I'm sure some of you have seen it before:

    image


  • << <i>[
    People been trimming cards since the 1800's to fit into albums and such. You can trace your card back 40 years, but there is another 60 years of history for this card. There may be nothing wrong with it, but you don't know the complete history of a 100 year old card. I hope it passes the second time. Joe >>



    Trimming wasn't an issue. PSA said it was recolored. I would think that anyone 41 years ago who tried to recolor a T-206 baseball card would not have had access to the technology to do it well. The recoloring would be obvious to even an amateur. The card is a common at that (Jake Stahl).
  • grote15grote15 Posts: 29,781 ✭✭✭✭✭
    GAI has had their share of issues to be sure, but we've also seen a number of horribly graded PSA 10s the last few weeks, too. I don't think it means that anything GAI graded is junk, just that they weren't successful as a grading company or running a business. Frankly, I'm surprised they've lasted as long as they have because the market for legitimately graded cards has been pretty much cornered by PSA and BGS and SGC to a lesser degree for pre-war.


    Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
  • bigfischebigfische Posts: 2,252 ✭✭


    << <i>So it sounds like they are having business trouble but that doesn't mean everything in a GAI slab is junk. I'm worried about this as my number one card is in a GAI slab. I'm afraid I've made a bad investment. My heart would be broken if I found out my card was tampered with or counterfeit. Here it is, I'm sure some of you have seen it before:

    image >>



    ill give ya 50 bucks for it!

    That card looks fine. Just have it crossed over if you are worried about it.
    My baseball and MMA articles-
    http://sportsfansnews.com/author/andy-fischer/

    imagey
  • rube26105rube26105 Posts: 10,225 ✭✭
    ya can send it off to psa still in slab and find out-beautiful babe!!!i want to touch it lol
  • rube26105rube26105 Posts: 10,225 ✭✭
    grote does have a point there ,under me lol-i dont know how i got up here
  • grote15grote15 Posts: 29,781 ✭✭✭✭✭
    That card looks fine. Just have it crossed over if you are worried about it.

    Agree. I'd cross it over with no Min grade specified, or if you have the balls, crack and resubmit as I'm fairly sure anything arriving in a GAI holder is automatically looked down upon by PSA.


    Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.


  • << <i>That card looks fine. Just have it crossed over if you are worried about it.

    Agree. I'd cross it over with no Min grade specified, or if you have the balls, crack and resubmit as I'm fairly sure anything arriving in a GAI holder is automatically looked down upon by PSA. >>



    I actually tried a crossover with PSA. I specified a minimum grade of 5. It didn't pass.
  • grote15grote15 Posts: 29,781 ✭✭✭✭✭
    LOL, rube!


    Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
  • grote15grote15 Posts: 29,781 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I actually tried a crossover with PSA. I specified a minimum grade of 5. It didn't pass.


    I remember that--that's why I suggested sending it with no minimum specified.

    Most GAI 4.5s will wind up in a 4 holder, barring any other issues.


    Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
  • stevekstevek Posts: 29,939 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>So it sounds like they are having business trouble but that doesn't mean everything in a GAI slab is junk. I'm worried about this as my number one card is in a GAI slab. I'm afraid I've made a bad investment. My heart would be broken if I found out my card was tampered with or counterfeit. Here it is, I'm sure some of you have seen it before:

    image >>



    Well the first question ya gotta ask is if there wasn't any problems with the card, why would somebody place a valuable card like this in a GAI slab instead of a PSA slab, and leave potentially many hundreds of dollars on the table? It's a tough question to ask when you own a GAI slabbed card in a situation like this. The answer may not be pleasant.


    -
  • Check out this auction:

    http://cgi.ebay.com/1933-Goudey-181-Babe-Ruth-PSA-5-Nice-Card_W0QQitemZ200154811969QQihZ010QQcategoryZ86843QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting

    I don't see how that card is in any better condition than mine. The back of mine is much better. Nowhere near the amount of red ink showing through.
  • Stone193Stone193 Posts: 24,448 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I think GAI was an honest and sincere attempt to enter the grading market and it appears to have failed.

    Many good collectors could not handle the bad customer service and appearance of "preferential treatment" and at times a poor job of "tracking" their customer's submissions - expecially in the pack grading side of the house.

    I met Mike Baker once and I really liked him. I believe he was a pretty good grader.

    I agree with BOTR - it's PSA and SGC and Beckett for modern.

    Also, SGC due to some really good marketing by someone with a saavy sense of the hobby - has created a really nice niche - focusing in on expert pre-War grading and custom holders that flatter some cards better than any holder on the market IMO.

    And last - these are businesses and no different than any other enterprise - they have made mistakes and I gurantee they will in the future - perfection only comes at death when one enters a higher plane?

    mike
    Mike
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  • bigfischebigfische Posts: 2,252 ✭✭
    I agree, i like your card more than the current auction.
    My baseball and MMA articles-
    http://sportsfansnews.com/author/andy-fischer/

    imagey


  • << <i>So it sounds like they are having business trouble but that doesn't mean everything in a GAI slab is junk. I'm worried about this as my number one card is in a GAI slab. I'm afraid I've made a bad investment. My heart would be broken if I found out my card was tampered with or counterfeit. Here it is, I'm sure some of you have seen it before:

    image >>


    my only problem is that they typically "overgrade"...yours looks like a good 4.5, but i would still rather have a psa 4...i would send it to psa and request min grade of 4 for cross grade and see what they say.
  • BigDaddyBowmanBigDaddyBowman Posts: 1,896 ✭✭✭


    << <i>So it sounds like they are having business trouble but that doesn't mean everything in a GAI slab is junk. I'm worried about this as my number one card is in a GAI slab. I'm afraid I've made a bad investment. My heart would be broken if I found out my card was tampered with or counterfeit. Here it is, I'm sure some of you have seen it before:

    I recently crossed some GAI cards over to SGC and got real good results. I cracked out of cases and submitted them raw. I don't think all GAI cards are bad. All crossed at the same grade or higher...except one graded lower. GAI missed a surface wrinkle. I have been pleased with the GAI I have bought and crossed. Good Luck on the rUTH...LOOKS LIKE A BEAUTY TO ME.

    HERE ARE A FEW EXAMPLES:
    THIS GAI....
    image
    BECAME.....THIS CARD
    image

    THIS GAI...
    image
    BECAME ...

    image

    THIS GAI...
    image
    BECAME...

    image
  • grote15grote15 Posts: 29,781 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Agree with Big Daddy. As I said earlier, it would be foolish to think that all cards in GAI holders are somehow "problem cards".


    Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
  • MorgothMorgoth Posts: 3,950 ✭✭✭
    I think GAI had their issues with doing things like overlooking surface wrinkles but I haven't had much issue with cards coming back fake or trimmed. I will say that if you try crossing over in the holder your wasting your time. You have to pop it out. I gurantee your Ruth is a 4 or 5. If you want the 5 you might have to resubmit a few times. It is worth more in a PSA 4 holder than a GAI 4.5 holder so that should tell you what to do with it right now.
    Currently completing the following registry sets: Cardinal HOF's, 1961 Pittsburgh Pirates Team, 1972 Pittsburgh Pirates Team, 1980 Pittsburgh Pirates Team, Bill Mazeroski Master & Basic Sets, Roberto Clemente Master & Basic Sets, Willie Stargell Master & Basic Sets and Terry Bradshaw Basic Set
  • mikeschmidtmikeschmidt Posts: 5,756 ✭✭✭


    << <i>Agree with Big Daddy. As I said earlier, it would be foolish to think that all cards in GAI holders are somehow "problem cards". >>



    True -- and in its early days, I was very successful in crossing over cards from PRO to PSA, seriously. But I have moved on -- as I no longer like taking the gamble, unless I can personally inspect a card at length
    I am actively buying MIKE SCHMIDT gem mint baseball cards. Also looking for any 19th century cabinets of Philadephia Nationals. Please PM with additional details.
  • StingrayStingray Posts: 8,843 ✭✭✭
    image

    A ruth for comparison, I think the GAI is fine!!
  • Brian48Brian48 Posts: 2,624 ✭✭✭
    I happen to like GAI and it would be a shame if they went out of business. I certainly don't view them the same way I view GEM, PRO, or any of the other fly-by-night services.

    I've had this GAI graded Clemens for a while now. Not sure if it will qualify as a PSA 10, but it's certainly much better than the PSA 9 I have.

    image
  • i hope the OP got a answer he can live with...
  • cardbendercardbender Posts: 1,831 ✭✭
    GAI is no worse than major auction houses like Mastro and Memory Lane.
  • rube26105rube26105 Posts: 10,225 ✭✭
    <Is GAI really as bad as people on this board say?>
    lol-yeah that why they are out of biz now -hate to have something in to them right about now that was expensiveimage
    gai gone


    Breaking News:
    November 9, 2007
    Global (Autograph) Authentications Bites The Dust?

    Global Authentication, a company that got its start when former members of PSA, Steve Rocchi and Mike Baker broke away and started their own company. Most know Global as GAI with their one man full-time autograph authenticator Justin Priddy. Priddy who is now 25 years old claims he started to authenticate 6-7 years ago and was on the road doing shows about 35-45 weekends a year. His claim to what he believed was his success was “his experience.”

    Last week we heard rumors from an excellent source that Global may be going down the tubes. Yesterday it was confirmed by several of our readers. One reader confirmed Global went “belly up” and the company filed dissolution papers two days ago. Another reader claims Global “shut down their website.”

    If you call Global’s phone you will receive a message stating the number has been disconnected.

    It is said that a collector stopped by the company’s headquarters and found the office empty, the doors locked and an eviction notice posted on the front door.

    It is important to note that complaints have been filed with an office for the City of San Clemente from clients of Global who have submitted items for grading and authentication and were worried about the status of their submissions.

    At the time of this writing, no official comments from the management of Global.


  • << <i><Is GAI really as bad as people on this board say?>
    lol-yeah that why they are out of biz now -hate to have something in to them right about now that was expensiveimage
    gai gone


    Breaking News:
    November 9, 2007
    Global (Autograph) Authentications Bites The Dust?

    Global Authentication, a company that got its start when former members of PSA, Steve Rocchi and Mike Baker broke away and started their own company. Most know Global as GAI with their one man full-time autograph authenticator Justin Priddy. Priddy who is now 25 years old claims he started to authenticate 6-7 years ago and was on the road doing shows about 35-45 weekends a year. His claim to what he believed was his success was “his experience.”

    Last week we heard rumors from an excellent source that Global may be going down the tubes. Yesterday it was confirmed by several of our readers. One reader confirmed Global went “belly up” and the company filed dissolution papers two days ago. Another reader claims Global “shut down their website.”

    If you call Global’s phone you will receive a message stating the number has been disconnected.

    It is said that a collector stopped by the company’s headquarters and found the office empty, the doors locked and an eviction notice posted on the front door.

    It is important to note that complaints have been filed with an office for the City of San Clemente from clients of Global who have submitted items for grading and authentication and were worried about the status of their submissions.

    At the time of this writing, no official comments from the management of Global. >>



    Not sure how you get GAI is gone from this new article which simply recycles other information from Beckett.

    I have a few GAI cards which I am not worried about losing value since I am collecting the cards, not the plastic case. I probably will never sell the cards, but if I do make that decsion in the future it won't be a big deal to break the cards out, having them re-graded, or just leave them as is. You can't get too caught up on the market value of a card if you are collecting because you like the card/player.

    J
  • That GAI Goudey 4.5 Ruth is fine Just crack it out and submit it to PSA and I bet its a candidate for a 5 just my opinion.
  • rube26105rube26105 Posts: 10,225 ✭✭
    <Not sure how you get GAI is gone from this new article which simply recycles other information from Beckett>

    pretty simple- you dont just close up shop and leave all your customers hanging, if you are moving to a diff location you would have a working phone and website up i would think before you go,a little pre-planning??????might be wrong, just seems awful strange to me nothing of theirs is up and running?
    randy


  • << <i>I happen to like GAI and it would be a shame if they went out of business. I certainly don't view them the same way I view GEM, PRO, or any of the other fly-by-night services.

    I've had this GAI graded Clemens for a while now. Not sure if it will qualify as a PSA 10, but it's certainly much better than the PSA 9 I have.

    image >>



    brian,i hate to tell you but that CLEMENS is trimmed, you can tell by how much space there is in the gasket....
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