Using SMR guide to price raw cards?

purduepete

Earlier this week, I was at a card shop in my area and was going through some of the shopkeeper's recently acquired cards. I pulled out 4 fairly nice 1961 Topps high numbers that I needed for my raw set. The owner priced the cards out according to their PSA 7 values in the SMR guide ($30 to $50 each). I ended up buying them, since I rarely come across '61 highs in EX+ or better condition - but I don't think that they would fetch a 7 grade if I were ever to submit them. I suppose that I could have just said no thanks and not bought them, but like I said earlier, I needed them for my set...

My question to you all is: Is it standard practice for a dealer to price a raw card based on a grade they assume a third party grader would assign to it?

Discuss.

otwcards

I've never seen it before. Most use Beckett or on rare occassions, I've seen store owners look up recent sales on eBay.