What would you do if...

carkim

What you you do if GAI emailed you and made you the following offer...

In a effort to promote our new grading company, GAI would like to extend to you the following special offer for Graded Card Set Builders.

If you have your entire 19___ _______ball Set regraded and reslabbed by GAI we will provide the service for free. All that we ask is that all future submissions be sent to GAI. Furthermore, all grading and reholdering fees will be half price for you for one calendar year.

Carlos

This is a hypothetical offer...Please don't email GAI asking about this offer!!!

metalmike20

Personally, I would say "NO THANKS".........Why would anyone want to take the risk of damaging your cards breaking them out for one thing......Then have them regraded by a new company that IMHO has NO reputation to it. You risk your cards and you risk the value. In 3-5 years this company might not be around anymore. Then what?? Your screwed!! And would the little guy benifet from this?? Probably not. The bigtime dealer?? Maybe!

All IMHO!!

metalmike20

qualitycards

CARLOS - Why would ANYONE except this offer, dealer or collector? What possible benefit would the person receive? If each card would be re-graded, then several may go down. If the grades will remain the same there is no benefit, and say you shipped your entire 1974 Baseball set, the 660 slabbed cards weigh a ton, damage can easily occur in transit. Plus why would any card junkies like ourselves ship them out and wait perhaps several weeks for their return? We would be without our beloved sets for too long a period. Thesre is so much to lose and NOTHING to gain - Thanks but No Thanks!....jay

mcastaldi

Yeah. . .what Jay said. . .

*laughs*

mike

carkim

Jay & Mike's,

Such is my point (I guess). Over 700 sets have been registered by PSA. Many collectors (myself included) are on a "quest for completion" on these sets. Does any other company have a chance with set builders (Current Craze in Collecting) to cross over or restart sets with any grading service besides PSA? I just don't see it happening. Nor do I see any grading service trying to jump on board with set listings on their web sites...The train has come and gone.

I'm staying put!!!

Carlos

mcastaldi

Carlos> I don't think the [set building] train has come and gone. Rather I think it's moving too fast for other grading companies to catch up or climb on board.

Mike

carkim

Mike,

You are 100% correct.

Carlos

Wayne8348

Just think about it though - with 3 1972 GAI 5oc's you could be #1 on the hypothetical GAI Set Registry! WOW

wayne

waitilltheytrytosell

carkim - Just so you know, your idea being offered is more of a reality than you may realize. And they probably are able to offer it by now without breaking out in laughter themselves.

People collecting sets is one of the biggest things that PSA has going for them. 700 sets is only the tip of the iceberg. People know that they can start collecting a PSA set, and then if they change their mind, the can sell off or trade their cards to many other eager collectors and dealers. Collectors and dealers send lots of cards into PSA because they know that a lot of collectors are building sets. Many collectors only buy cards that have already been graded. Who is going to start collecting a GAI set? Where are they going to get GAI commons? Who are they going to sell them to when they give up collecting a set because they can't find any cards? The secondary market for PSA is big and busy. Dealers will not just sell you PSA cards, but they will also buy them. Try selling a big pile of PSA cards to all the major dealers, and then try selling them a big pile of SGC, BGS, SCD, etc. The difference in liquidity will astound you.

FB

Carlos,

I'm sure that there are a number of people who would take them up on the idea. From what I've heard, the new GAI contingent are consumate sales people. And as such, they're trying to create hype surrounding their product. Will their product have substance? Probably... Will their product have value? Probably... Will their product have the same value as PSA over the short and long term? Probably not...

I don't know about you, but I've been tremendously pleased with PSA since the split. My grades are not quite what they were before, but maybe I need to be more selective when submitting. I'll take a tough, fair grade with fast turnaround from the recognized grading leader any day.

I've also heard rumblings in the past about some possible shady deals going on at the "old PSA". I can't substantiate any of them, but they came from sources that I wouldn't immediately discount. I've also heard that some or most of those players may have moved on to GAI.

So, I guess what I'm saying is that I've got too much invested in too many cards. There's way too much risk to change and I think that PSA is probably even going to get better since the split.

zardoz51

Sorry, I wouldn't be tempted


A GAI registered set?

I would be socially ostrasized, an outcast, and probably beaten up if i went up to strangers and said I had a Gai set.

PSA all the way!

NickM

zardoz - what if they give one of your vintage cards a 10 with two snaps and a circle?

Nick

Mitochondria

I would not crossover to any company from a PSA slabbed set at the moment. However, I do have SGC 1969s that I will probably not have reslabbed to PSA just to submit to the registry. In addition, I do have intentions of exploring the SCD Authentic material only because of its monopoly of the Larry Fritsch inventory. Nevertheless, if PSA ever went belly up, I'm certain the other competitors would not waste time trying to lure set collectors to reslab with them!

Ron

69topps8

I wonder if they'll reholder my PRO 10 1952 set as GAI 10's for free???

carkim

I should further add to my previous post...

6 months ago I probably listened intently to the hypothetical GAI offer. However, PSA's commitment to customer service has made me a loyal customer. The changes I've seen over the past few months has me once again enthusiastic about PSA, their graded cards, and of course Set Building.

Carlos

aconte

Would anyone change their mind if they knew that it was believed
that Charles Merkel had crossed over half of his PSA cards to
the new GAI holder? Wait....

Don't answer so quickly!!

Give me your answer a year from now...

I hope I'll still say NO!!!

aconte

mikeschmidt

Aconte -- we must travel in the same rumour mills. I would be very interested to hear what you heard -- and from whom.

Personally, it would not change my opinions. I will not buy into GAI for at least a year or so or until it is clear where PSA and GAI stand respective to one another.

My understanding is that Merkel (or others) would not consider doing the same thing right now -- though only time will tell. Of course, they may have the opinion that "two grading companies grading a card as MINT 9 is better than one". Assuming no damage done to the card, then it is not so hard to believe. As they say -- in real estate, you don't get only one opinion as to value...

MS

qualitycards

I don't care if Charles Merkel, Charles Chaplin or Charles Degaulle changes over to GAI, I will stick with PSA...jay

aconte

MS,

I tried to send an email to you but comcast still has not worked out the bugs with my home account.
This is a pain. I'll try to p.m. you shortly.

aconte

bobcat

I find it very amusing that GAI or GFI or whatever they are called would make such an offer. How they ever gained the support of so many reputable dealers is beyond me. It is quite obvious that PSA is THE main grading company. Look at how successful they have been, how long they have been around, what prices the PSA cards sell for, and how many sets/cards have been registered/graded. I could go on and on about why PSA is the only choice for me, but will not, and could go on and on about why I would not have my cards graded by anyone else, but will not.

Davalillo

I think that GAI will represent the greatest competitive threat of all the grading companies to psa in vintage cards.
1)Rocchi and Baker are well known and highly regarded by a large number of the major psa dealers and vintage collectors.
@)Several dealers that they are friendly with seem to want to give them a chance and it was not uncommon at the Ft. Washington show this weekend to see GAI holders alongside psa.
3)There is more "buzz" than ever regarding inconsistency of grading by PSA among major dealers and collectors.
4)GAI is apparently willing to grade cards and give you a certificate on what the grades are and give you an option to change the holder any time you want to GAI.
5)That Charlie would change over half his cards to GAI is ridiculous. However, Charlie has complete sets ungraded 1954-86 and I sense he will give GAI a shot on one of these sets. He is also likely to take them up on pt. 4.
6)I submmitted 4,200 baseball commons from the 50s and 60s to psa this weeknd so I am very pro-PSA. The reduced fees on large quantities and speedy turnaround time were too good to resist. I think PSA will get through this but I would not minimize the discontent among the aforementioed groups.