Now these are collector specials....PSA get with it
1954
Posts: 2,898 ✭✭✭
I hope PSA is realizing that they are one year away from losing their comfortable position with the set registry, collectors and auction houses. I have begged PSA to start giving us collectors some specials that benefit all collectors and not just the 1972-present guys. Below is the new special for SGC this month. My intention is to show the creativity of what a true special is (the cost, the turnaround). I hate to tell you PSA (my friend Joe and Carol) but this is not good for PSA when all the auction houses are now preferrinig SGC to grade ALL of their high quality sets. Look at the huge collection that ended last night for HA. Look at the incredible collection of Lionell Carter in Mastro. All these guys had top line collections and these auction houses choose to get them graded by PSA.
Take a look at this and start giving back to your customers. This is a company who wants the business.
May Grading Specials
- Prewar Special: Hall Of Fame Special! 1900-48 HOFers, any sport, $8/card ($250 maximum value, 5 card minimum, 15-day service)
- Any card purchased in the Spring auctions, $9/card ($1000 max. value, 10-day service - write the auction and lot number on invoice)
- Postwar Special: Hall Of Fame Special! Post-1948 HOFers, any sport, $6/card ($250 maximum value, 5 card minimum, 15-day service)
- 1950-1990 Basketball and Hockey Special: $5 per card ($250 maximum value, 10 card minimum, 20-day service)
Best Regards,
Shane Leonard
Take a look at this and start giving back to your customers. This is a company who wants the business.
May Grading Specials
- Prewar Special: Hall Of Fame Special! 1900-48 HOFers, any sport, $8/card ($250 maximum value, 5 card minimum, 15-day service)
- Any card purchased in the Spring auctions, $9/card ($1000 max. value, 10-day service - write the auction and lot number on invoice)
- Postwar Special: Hall Of Fame Special! Post-1948 HOFers, any sport, $6/card ($250 maximum value, 5 card minimum, 15-day service)
- 1950-1990 Basketball and Hockey Special: $5 per card ($250 maximum value, 10 card minimum, 20-day service)
Best Regards,
Shane Leonard
Looking for high grade rookie cards and unopened boxes/cases
0
Comments
Paul
Personally, I currently prefer PSA, but I have no absolutely no qualms using SGC for certain vintage items.
The one thing that I will say, and I don't intend it to create a poop storm, but SGC is far more consistent in their grading. The drawback to SGC, is that I really prefer to see an SGC 84 to determine the centering as it could just as easily be a PSA 8 (OC) or PSA 9 (OC), and I'm not real keen on spending NRMT money on a significantly OC card. Granted, I would prefer to see any card that I'm buying, but SGC's "net" grading makes it a little more concerning to me.
Mickey71
Its like choosing to go to a crappy restaurant vs. a high quality restaurant. Of course the crappy place is going to be less crowded and cheaper. If your honest opinion is that SGC will return the same value or better value in your cards regardless if you planning on selling or keeping, you should make the switch immediately. You would be crazy not to. Leave PSA to those of us who prefer it and maybe the consistency and turnaround times will get back to the way they were in say 1999-2000 before PSA really exploded in popularity.
Jason
according to my values and my needs. Nothing holds dominion over me, I stand alone as the ruler of my life.
<< <i>I'd love to see a mass defection to SGC..I'd really like to see SGC run the same specials while also grading the same amount of product that PSA grades on a monthly basis..Maybe the PSA turnaround times would get better if they graded fewer cards...All of the same complaints you have about PSA would then shift to SGC and vice versa.
Its like choosing to go to a crappy restaurant vs. a high quality restaurant. Of course the crappy place is going to be less crowded and cheaper. If your honest opinion is that SGC will return the same value or better value in your cards regardless if you planning on selling or keeping, you should make the switch immediately. You would be crazy not to. Leave PSA to those of us who prefer it and maybe the consistency and turnaround times will get back to the way they were in say 1999-2000 before PSA really exploded in popularity.
Jason >>
Pretty strong statement to correlate SGC to a 'crappy' restaurant. Especially when you correlate PSA to a 'high quality' restaurant. Both have their issues, competition is good for all of us, etc. To believe that strongly in one or the other is flat wrong in my opinion...
<< <i>I'd love to see a mass defection to SGC..I'd really like to see SGC run the same specials while also grading the same amount of product that PSA grades on a monthly basis..Maybe the PSA turnaround times would get better if they graded fewer cards...All of the same complaints you have about PSA would then shift to SGC and vice versa.
Its like choosing to go to a crappy restaurant vs. a high quality restaurant. Of course the crappy place is going to be less crowded and cheaper. If your honest opinion is that SGC will return the same value or better value in your cards regardless if you planning on selling or keeping, you should make the switch immediately. You would be crazy not to. Leave PSA to those of us who prefer it and maybe the consistency and turnaround times will get back to the way they were in say 1999-2000 before PSA really exploded in popularity.
Jason >>
Well said.
Giovanni
<< <i>
<< <i>I'd love to see a mass defection to SGC..I'd really like to see SGC run the same specials while also grading the same amount of product that PSA grades on a monthly basis..Maybe the PSA turnaround times would get better if they graded fewer cards...All of the same complaints you have about PSA would then shift to SGC and vice versa.
Its like choosing to go to a crappy restaurant vs. a high quality restaurant. Of course the crappy place is going to be less crowded and cheaper. If your honest opinion is that SGC will return the same value or better value in your cards regardless if you planning on selling or keeping, you should make the switch immediately. You would be crazy not to. Leave PSA to those of us who prefer it and maybe the consistency and turnaround times will get back to the way they were in say 1999-2000 before PSA really exploded in popularity.
Jason >>
Well said.
Giovanni >>
It's not well said...you're not talking about PRO or GEM here. You're talking about either the #1 or #2 grading company out there (depending on who you ask). Plus, when it comes to pre-war, SGC blows PSA out of the water. No contest...
Don't take it the wrong way, you like SGC and thats fine, its your choice.
For me, I think PSA is like the Nike brand, and SGC is the Payless brand IMO.
Giovanni
Are there any non-sports specials and do SGC ship worldwide ?
Regards ,
Mark
<< <i>Hello To All ,
Are there any non-sports specials and do SGC ship worldwide ?
Regards ,
Mark >>
Give SGC a call and I'm sure they'll work out something for you. International shipping is possible, just that Customs can be tricky.
To hear some of the talk, it seems that a few have their lines already drawn. But rational thought and an objective view bear out several facts.
Fact 1, SGC is not a second-fiddle grading service. The acceptance and actual demand of many pre-war collectors for SGC graded cards justifies this point. Just look at the volume changes in pre-war that have been going into SGC holders. I think part of this is that Derek has returned and after being with Mastro for several years, I do not doubt that has had some sway with the pre-war collectors as well as his expertise in the pre-war arena.
Fact 2 is that BGS kicks the crap out of PSA and SGC on the brandy-new, twinkly, shiney stuff. They can't "authenticate" worth a crap and put too much bad material in holders, but they own the market on stuff produced since the Millenium.
Fact 3 is that PSA beats the doors off of SGC with regard to post-war vintage, but it also appears that the tide is turning a bit. The biggest downfall is what I stated earlier, SGC grades are more the result of "net" grading and without qualifiers, there's too large of a disparity in how EX to NM-MT cards present.
Fact 4 is that PSA has been inconsistent over the past 18 months. Whether it is to elicit more resubmissions, the result of being overloaded, or just being sloppy, I have seen way too many cards that have been misgraded. This includes overgraded AND undergraded as well as cards that I would be very concerned about with regard to being trimmed.
Fact 5 is that no matter what ANY of the grading companies do, someone will complain. Either they're too busy, they're too tight on grades, their too easy on grades, or they're too much of something else.
Use who you want to use and accept that there is some competition. But nothing is accomplished by demeaning or trying to denounce another service.
So, if I were looking to grade cards strictly for profit from resale, I I would send most of my pre-war to SGC, most of my vintage to PSA, and my new stuff and altered stuff to BGS. Luckily, I just collect, now, so I keep it simple. I buy predominantly PSA and SGC. The only BGS cards I would buy would be those that would be difficult to alter or . . . um . . . maybe . . . well, those that would be difficult to alter.
Shane
PS Jason, your analogy is definately not accurate. My comparison would be PSA (McDonalds) and SGC (Subway). Subway is the up and coming choice and McDonalds is for all the fat people.
<< <i>
Fact 5 is that no matter what ANY of the grading companies do, someone will complain. Either they're too busy, they're too tight on grades, their too easy on grades, or they're too much of something else.
Use who you want to use and accept that there is some competition. But nothing is accomplished by demeaning or trying to denounce another service.
>>
Excellent statements. My point was towards the initial post of this thread. Yes SGC is having all these great specials, their turnaround times are better, etc, etc. Why wouldn't they be? Don't breakdown who owns what market share...Instead look at total cards being graded...PSA absolutely KILLS SGC and BGS on submissions. I don't have the stats handy, but they are out there. Because of this, they are going to be slower and offer less specials as they try and keep up with demand for their services. In turn, SGC is going to throw the book at collectors and try to bring in more revenue. They are the #2 service, but being honest, it is a DISTANT #2 in number of submissions per year. I do NOT think that is a reason for the perceived inconsistent grading as of late by PSA. There is no excuse for some of the simple mistakes they have made recently. While i don't think it is as bad as some would like to make it, it is most definitely not as consistenly good as it used to be and its something they need to look at.
If SGC becomes the new "it" grading service and starts bringing in the same volume as PSA, they will experience the same sets of issues. Calling out PSA to kiss butt like SGC to try and get more submissions is pathetic.
They are the Washington Redskins to SGC's Jacksonville Jaguars...The Redskins don't need to lower seat prices or market season tickets to try and sell out..Heck, they don;t even have to win games to sell out..The Jags on the other hand had blackouts last year while having a better season..They also have some of the cheapest seat in the NFL and have to try every marketing gimmick in the book to sell out there stadium..The Skins have a monster following, built on tradition ,and they have a much bigger market than Jacksonville. Does that mean the Redskins fans are going to give up their seats and move to Jacksonville???
For anyone who wants to collect SGC, by all means please do so. I havent come in and started not one thread denouncing or degrading SGC. But PSA is my choice, and I see thread literally almost everyday whining and complaining about something that PSA is doing wrong. Why not let your actions speak louder than your words...Stop telling us about switching and just do it. Make it better for the rest of us PSA collectors.
Jason
according to my values and my needs. Nothing holds dominion over me, I stand alone as the ruler of my life.
<< <i>
<< <i>
Fact 5 is that no matter what ANY of the grading companies do, someone will complain. Either they're too busy, they're too tight on grades, their too easy on grades, or they're too much of something else.
Use who you want to use and accept that there is some competition. But nothing is accomplished by demeaning or trying to denounce another service.
>>
Excellent statements. My point was towards the initial post of this thread. Yes SGC is having all these great specials, their turnaround times are better, etc, etc. Why wouldn't they be? Don't breakdown who owns what market share...Instead look at total cards being graded...PSA absolutely KILLS SGC and BGS on submissions. I don't have the stats handy, but they are out there. Because of this, they are going to be slower and offer less specials as they try and keep up with demand for their services. In turn, SGC is going to throw the book at collectors and try to bring in more revenue. They are the #2 service, but being honest, it is a DISTANT #2 in number of submissions per year. I do NOT think that is a reason for the perceived inconsistent grading as of late by PSA. There is no excuse for some of the simple mistakes they have made recently. While i don't think it is as bad as some would like to make it, it is most definitely not as consistenly good as it used to be and its something they need to look at.
If SGC becomes the new "it" grading service and starts bringing in the same volume as PSA, they will experience the same sets of issues. Calling out PSA to kiss butt like SGC to try and get more submissions is pathetic.
They are the Washington Redskins to SGC's Jacksonville Jaguars...The Redskins don't need to lower seat prices or market season tickets to try and sell out..Heck, they don;t even have to win games to sell out..The Jags on the other hand had blackouts last year while having a better season..They also have some of the cheapest seat in the NFL and have to try every marketing gimmick in the book to sell out there stadium..The Skins have a monster following, built on tradition ,and they have a much bigger market than Jacksonville. Does that mean the Redskins fans are going to give up their seats and move to Jacksonville???
For anyone who wants to collect SGC, by all means please do so. I havent come in and started not one thread denouncing or degrading SGC. But PSA is my choice, and I see thread literally almost everyday whining and complaining about something that PSA is doing wrong. Why not let your actions speak louder than your words...Stop telling us about switching and just do it. Make it better for the rest of us PSA collectors.
Jason >>
Jason:
While I usually agree with most of your thoughts, I do think you need to work on your analogies a bit more.
Also, please consider that while PSA has significantly more submissions they also have a much larger grading staff than SGC and, accordingly, should be able to produce a higher output or at least maintain a certain level of quality. If PSA is so overwhelmed with submissions that they can't meet their deadlines or produce a consistent product then maybe they should discontinue their specials.
I do concur with you about those that regularly gripe and threaten to switch TPG's only to repeat their mantra month after month . . . it's time to poop or get of the pot. But I hope that you don't think a few people switching is going to realign the PSA Universe . . .
I felt PSA gave up their integrity and sold out their collector base when they tried to pass off the half grade system as
something more than a money play. At that point I took Joe Orlandos advice to "Never get cheated" and crossed my collection to SGC.
I am more than happy with my choice and I feel I get a much more supieror product and service from SGC.
Im sure glad I decided to eat at a different resturant.
The lines at the big corperate resturant were getting to long and the food and service was really starting to suffer.
I may eat there again after the heath department checks the meat for ecolie and cleans the place up a bit.
Deleted my 71 Topps Football set from the PSA Registry and Crossed it to SGC. Here are a few:
Also currently crossing my 55 Topps All American set to SGC. I can't wait to get these back in the SGC holders.
I have used and will continue to use both Services, but for now I feel I am getting a more accurate and higher quality product from SGC.
John
VERY untrue.....as you know i am a master 2001 collector and i keep close track of Pujols cards, even ones i dont buy or bid, and in the last 3 years, there has been a big swing.....it used to be bgs 9.5 brought more in auction, but now bgs 9.5 stuff gets a LOT less bids, and will not be more than a PSA 10....
i wish VCP had modern stuff so i could prove it to all you BGS lovers once and for all...
BGS only has a lead on the current year cards because most of the people who collect gold blue chrome refractors are kids, and they are the ones buying beckett.....
as soon as you get past "the kids cards" psa takes the lead--- COMPRENDE?
<< <i>otwacards said "Fact 2 is that BGS kicks the crap out of PSA and SGC on the brandy-new, twinkly, shiney stuff. They can't "authenticate" worth a crap and put too much bad material in holders, but they own the market on stuff produced since the Millenium.
VERY untrue.....as you know i am a master 2001 collector and i keep close track of Pujols cards, even ones i dont buy or bid, and in the last 3 years, there has been a big swing.....it used to be bgs 9.5 brought more in auction, but now bgs 9.5 stuff gets a LOT less bids, and will not be more than a PSA 10....
i wish VCP had modern stuff so i could prove it to all you BGS lovers once and for all...
BGS only has a lead on the current year cards because most of the people who collect gold blue chrome refractors are kids, and they are the ones buying beckett.....
as soon as you get past "the kids cards" psa takes the lead--- COMPRENDE? >>
My statement had more to do with the volume of submissions rather than realized prices. Sorry for the confusion...
Always looking for Topps Salesman Samples, pre '51 unopened packs, E90-2, E91a, N690 Kalamazoo Bats, and T204 Square Frame Ramly's
All the cry babies that stick up for other companies are starting to look like this guy. LINKY
Stop beeing a spy for other companies and just go!
Giovanni
I like the looks of the SGC holder, however they take up more space and when I am ready to sell my cards, the realized prices would not be as high if I had PSA holders. That is why I use PSA.
262
Collecting all cards - Gus Zernial
Post Cereal both raw and PSA Graded (1961-1963)
<< <i>
While I usually agree with most of your thoughts, I do think you need to work on your analogies a bit more.
Also, please consider that while PSA has significantly more submissions they also have a much larger grading staff than SGC and, accordingly, should be able to produce a higher output or at least maintain a certain level of quality. If PSA is so overwhelmed with submissions that they can't meet their deadlines or produce a consistent product then maybe they should discontinue their specials.
I do concur with you about those that regularly gripe and threaten to switch TPG's only to repeat their mantra month after month . . . it's time to poop or get of the pot. But I hope that you don't think a few people switching is going to realign the PSA Universe . . . >>
Your probably right, was trying to find the right analogy, I guess it didn't come across the right way. I am by no means a scholar..lol
My purpose of responding to this post was based on the initial post in the thread. Which is basically a collector saying that PSA needs to start giving MORE deals and specials like SGC does. I wanted to make a point that SGC is doing that because they are fighting for market share that PSA dominates. Maybe it's working, I don't know...Personally, I think PSA would still dominate with sheer volume of submission even WITHOUT running any specials. So I'm happy anytime they run a special that I can take advantage of, but I also don't feel like they owe it to me or anything else.
For those that use SGC, more power to them. If SGC becomes the premier grading company someday, I think it is safe to say they would also suffer from many of PSA's current shortfalls. It just comes with the territory. However, I don't understand why they are having problems with consistency. My only hypothesis is that they are being pushed to get more product graded and out the door and it is causing important steps in the process to either be missed or glazed over at times. For me, that is my only complaint with PSA. Longer wait times, higher prices, .5 grading...None of those things bother me, as they are all simply part of the business aspect of what PSA does and how much volume they do. they are a public traded company and the goal is to make money. The labelling errors as well as some of the obvious misses in the grading dept. lately are of concern and it's something I hope they can get corrected. I don't think it is a coincidence that they have been actively looking for new graders to hire. Based on what I've seen SGC doesn't have as many mistakes flating around out there, but they also have a smaller sampling of cards in the marketplace.
Just my opinion of course,
Jason
according to my values and my needs. Nothing holds dominion over me, I stand alone as the ruler of my life.
That explains everything. PSA is like Nike. Their cards are getting graded in a third world Asian country by some nine year old held in slave labor making 16 cents per day. No wonder it takes so long for cards to get graded and shipped.
This thread was not intended to have everyone bash PSA. I want PSA to know that the tide is changing (they know this and they don't need me to tell them this), however I can't afford to send them $15-30K a year for their service anymore because I am not so sure they deserve it. I realize that there are many big time collectors that submit a ton of cards to PSA. I just believe they should be giving specials to ALL types of collectors right now, not just the 1975 Topps and newer guys. The registry is what made PSA what it is today. No business can afford to forget about the guys that got them there, and I feel like this is what is happening.
Jason I also have 7 complete sets graded by PSA and I want PSA to be there for all of us in the long run. I don't want to switch and I don't want to see PSA fail.
Regards,
Shane
<< <i>Jason,
This thread was not intended to have everyone bash PSA. I want PSA to know that the tide is changing (they know this and they don't need me to tell them this), however I can't afford to send them $15-30K a year for their service anymore because I am not so sure they deserve it. I realize that there are many big time collectors that submit a ton of cards to PSA. I just believe they should be giving specials to ALL types of collectors right now, not just the 1975 Topps and newer guys. The registry is what made PSA what it is today. No business can afford to forget about the guys that got them there, and I feel like this is what is happening.
Jason I also have 7 complete sets graded by PSA and I want PSA to be there for all of us in the long run. I don't want to switch and I don't want to see PSA fail.
Regards,
Shane >>
If the tide is changing, I don't think running specials is the reason...Is there any evidence that SGC is gaining on PSA in actual submissions? I mean this is how we are comparing the 2 companies correct? Anyone seen any recent stats? The ones I've read were from last year...IMO, it would be a combination of people who disagreed with the advent of the new half point system, combined with PSA's recent increased error rate...Whatever special they run is really meaningless...They've destroyed SGC in the past without having any specials worth using...
Personally, I think SGC has A LONG WAY to go before they become the market leader in grading cards...You may not have meant to start another bash PSA thread, but you had to know the "sky is falling" crowd would pile on...
In the future, you might be better served to e-mail PSA and/or Joe Orlando directly rather than post messages that incite the PSA vs. SGC battle AGAIN...I'd much rather SEE a real defection to SGC rather than hear about it in every other thread.
Jason
according to my values and my needs. Nothing holds dominion over me, I stand alone as the ruler of my life.
here is my posting from a April 30th i started on the other forum
So 6 freaking months of this special is fine with you??? I didn't Join PSA (not) to be able to send in cards!!! I guess PSA was just satisfied in getting my membership money and that was it. I'll just consider this a $200 loss bet at the "window" then.
<< <i>
May Grading Specials
- Prewar Special: Hall Of Fame Special! 1900-48 HOFers, any sport, $8/card ($250 maximum value, 5 card minimum, 15-day service)
- Any card purchased in the Spring auctions, $9/card ($1000 max. value, 10-day service - write the auction and lot number on invoice)
- Postwar Special: Hall Of Fame Special! Post-1948 HOFers, any sport, $6/card ($250 maximum value, 5 card minimum, 15-day service)
- 1950-1990 Basketball and Hockey Special: $5 per card ($250 maximum value, 10 card minimum, 20-day service)
>>
As much as I truly believe strong competition for PSA is good for everyone, this SGC special doesn't do much for me.
1. How many 1900-48 HOFers are less than 250 in value?
2. Spring Auctions for $9 is a good special. Wish they would up the $1000 limit.
3. Postwar Special. $6 per/$250 max. Your really nice cards are going to be outside this range.
4. Basketball and Hockey??? With arbitrary start and stop dates? Silly.
SGC is a nice company. They typically grade with brutal force. It is not my belief they are more accurate than PSA, just overly harsh on cards in the lower end of the spectrum.
My guess is they won't be any better than PSA detecting alterations if they ever somehow took serious market share.
Hello to All ,
It doesn't matter who does the grading , because having your cards graded doesn't improve them , it just lets other people tell you how good they think they are .
If you want to swap money for this service , then go ahead .
It's all personal choice at the end of the day .
<< <i>
Hello to All ,
It doesn't matter who does the grading , because having your cards graded doesn't improve them , it just lets other people tell you how good they think they are .
If you want to swap money for this service , then go ahead .
It's all personal choice at the end of the day . >>
Actually, I don't think that could be farther from the truth. At the end of the day, it's about what the end user is willing to pay and what they're willing to pay based upon the grade and the label that carries that grade. A quick review of eBay and major auction houses will verify that there is a huge difference between realized prices based solely on the choice of third party grader.
If what you said were true, then PRO, GEM, KSA, and a myriad of other services would garner similar realized prices to PSA and SGC slabbed cards. But that certainly isn't the case!
In a perfect world, a MINT card would be a MINT card no matter who graded it, but we don't live in a perfect world. Based upon track records, regardless of personal preference, I believe PSA and SGC have demonstrated an ability to consistently and accurately grade and authenticate vintage material better than any of the other third party grading services and the proof lies in the realized prices and the selection of these two services by a majority of the vintage collecting community as well as the auction houses that liquidate many of the higher end collections.
Hello to All ,
Is the card improved by the grading process ?
or are you talking about what grading companies can get you the most money for your cards .
<< <i>
Is the card improved by the grading process ?
>>
No but if done right it will tell you if the card was improved BEFORE the grading process.
Unique Chicago Cards
Wrestling Cards
Hello to All ,
No denying that rockdjrw .
as for someone that signed up for a psa member just to get the specials that doesnt make much sense either. many times the specials are quite random, some times the hang on a little longer. so the special you really want might only happen for a month out of the whole year. i think that psa has resolved many of these issues with their reworking of the bulk submission groupings.
Collecting:
Brett Favre Master Set
Favre Ticket Stubs
Favre TD Reciever Autos
Football HOF Player/etc. Auto Set
Football HOF Rc's
Yup.
Steve
<< <i>
<< <i>
May Grading Specials
- Prewar Special: Hall Of Fame Special! 1900-48 HOFers, any sport, $8/card ($250 maximum value, 5 card minimum, 15-day service)
- Any card purchased in the Spring auctions, $9/card ($1000 max. value, 10-day service - write the auction and lot number on invoice)
- Postwar Special: Hall Of Fame Special! Post-1948 HOFers, any sport, $6/card ($250 maximum value, 5 card minimum, 15-day service)
- 1950-1990 Basketball and Hockey Special: $5 per card ($250 maximum value, 10 card minimum, 20-day service)
>>
As much as I truly believe strong competition for PSA is good for everyone, this SGC special doesn't do much for me.
1. How many 1900-48 HOFers are less than 250 in value?
2. Spring Auctions for $9 is a good special. Wish they would up the $1000 limit.
3. Postwar Special. $6 per/$250 max. Your really nice cards are going to be outside this range.
4. Basketball and Hockey??? With arbitrary start and stop dates? Silly.
SGC is a nice company. They typically grade with brutal force. It is not my belief they are more accurate than PSA, just overly harsh on cards in the lower end of the spectrum.
My guess is they won't be any better than PSA detecting alterations if they ever somehow took serious market share. >>
EXACTLY what i was thinking...thats a sugar coated special that is not very useful at all.. $250 for a prewar hof ? please..what are they asking you to send in, beat up cards?
Analogies aside, I think there are several truths to which most of us can agree:
1) SGC is a reputable company and for the most part they grade well. My own opinion is that they have their quirks upon which they will murder a card but knowing that I know what to send them and what not to send them (props to SGC collectors for pointing those out to me).
2) Their service - at least in my experience - is far superior. But I would just take that as a given, since they're a smaller company with more to prove. (Funny how GAI never got that.)
3) If you collect post-war vintage with the intention of eventually selling and want to maximize value, it's no contest. PSA wins. Just check VCP, particularly on the prices of commons. It would be nice if another TPG did catch up, and perhaps SGC will, but there's no contest right now.
4) Grading and turnaround times from PSA are wildly inconsistent, especially lately. Let's check in on this thread a year from now to see if those issues have been resolved.
5) This message board has a lot more traffic than SGC's. That may mean collectors widely prefer PSA, or it may mean there are just more blowhards over here.
Stay classy,
Ron
Buying Vintage, all sports.
Buying Woody Hayes, Les Horvath, Vic Janowicz, and Jesse Owens autographed items
Look, the reason PSA is the leader (and I grade with all 3 companies as seen in my footer below) is that they have been in the market for so long and were established before anyone as reputable. Now, because there are so many more PSA cards on the resale market than the other companies, it's a self fulfilling prophecy as to who will continue to be the leader. SGC and BGS can offer all the specials that they want but I believe that rather than spending $1000's on having your whole collection crossed over to SGC/BGS, you would rather spend that money on more cards. I put together a 61 Fleer basketball set with BGS because I like their slabs better than the other two - but I spent a bunch in grading fees when I could have bought cards of the same grade from PSA slighty cheaper. It was somewhat of a mistake financially although I'm quite satisfied with the set/slabs. I am grading an entire set of 38 Churchman boxing with SGC because I have the whole set raw and I wanted to give them a try - and I'm very satisfied with them as well. As for PSA, when I decided to put together my 57 Topps football set, there was no choice. There are so many PSA graded 57's on the market that it would be foolish to buy them raw and grade them with someone else or to buy PSA cards and cross them over (155 grading fees/cracking fees! - no way) - hence the self fulfilling prophecy....and that's my two cents.
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Mickey71
<< <i>That must be .com dates because the companies have been around longer than that. I graded some PSA cards in 1994. GAI also was grading some cards by the mid 90's.
Mickey71
PSA started in 91 with the Wagner card. SGC started in April 98, as they just celebrated their 10th anniversary in April. GAI did not start until after SGC i.e. 99 or 00.
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BigCrumbs! I made over $250 last year!
and the 'concept' of grading has been going on for longer then these professional
grading companies have been around.
I remember grading cards in the late 70's
Steve