GAI as a Grader

lahmejoon

Good afternoon,

First off, I am new here. I'm a very casual collector and stumbled across these message boards. The info on here is great and I enjoy seeing all the rips. I would love to get in on a group rip one of these days.

My questions are about GAI. It seems that everyone here uses PSA. I recall reading about GAI having financial issues, which may have been detremental to their reputation. I am curious as to any opinions on GAI as a grader of unopened material. Are they not as reputable for unopened material as PSA? Would having unopened material in a GAI slab be less valuable than the same grade in a PSA slab?

Thanks.
Aaron

weinhold

Hi Aaron,

I don't know the answer, but I think that someone here will have one for you. Just want to say welcome to the boards. I just joined myself earlier this year and it's been a terrific source of information...and fun.

bobbyw8469

I believe the GAI brand is tarnished enough to affect their pricing.....

WinPitcher

Hi and welcome to the boards.

I'd stay away from GAI products myself.


Steve

Dboneesq

Welcome to the Boards. I have learned a LOT from these members and I am sure you will as well.

As stated above, I would stay away from GAI material, especially the newer graded stuff. If you must purchase GAI graded packs, then be sure they have their FIRST label. JMO.

Sportsamerica

I agree with Doug... If you are going to buy GAI only the old flips, as the new flips have lots of resealed packs in them. I know someone else will show you a new flip vs. old (I don't have copies of each)

Also welcome to the boards.

PoppaJ

Hi Aaron,

Welcome to the boards!

This quoted post from a recent thread is from fellow member Morgoth.

He summed it up pretty well when he stated the following about GAI:

"1. They graded alot of cards with problems that PSA & SGC had rejected, such as alot of 55 Bowmans with factory wrinkles as 8s and 9s.

2. Their pack grading which was tops in the hobby for awhile started having issues with reseals.

3. Later GAI had issues with crossing them over to PSA and that led to confidence issues among buyers".

Lack of confidence seems to be the main factor why GAI is so heavily avoided.

You can do a search (the fourth box over at the top of this page) for GAI PACKS to find many old and recent threads thta will provide a lot of info and opinions for you.

PoppaJ

mexpo75

Wecome, I am relatively new here also, and you will really love the great advice and insight the people on here have. IMHO Gai is not worth it. I know there is sometimes when I see a great looking card GAI graded and I am really tempted to buy it thinking "oh, it will crossover to a PSA holder". In 99 of 100 times, it will not. Like they say if it seems to good to be true... Have fun!

TheHun

welcome

weinhold

I don't have any experience with GAI-graded packs, nor crossovers.

However, I have had a high degree of success lately with buying GAI-graded cards, sawing them out of their holders, and submitting that card to PSA raw . The price that I bought the GAI-holdered cards for was a fraction of what they would sell for once PSA graded them. For example, just in the past few months, that has resulted in some terrific results for me, including:

1952 Bowman Large Leo Nomellini GAI 8.5 to PSA 8
1954 Bowman Charlie Trippi GAI 8 to PSA 8
1954 Topps Tom Lasorda RC GAI 8.5 to PSA 9 (!)
1955 Topps All-American Ace Parker RC GAI 8 to PSA 8
Several other successes, and only a couple failures. It's a sample size of less than ten though.

The advice that others have dispensed about GAI packs seems about right just based on context clues that I have gathered. I just can't supply the hard evidence myself. -Keith

MeteoriteGuy

GAI = Bad

ElToroLoco

It all started when GAI didn't let people know there website was going to be down for maintenance. One day, late 2007, GAI decided to take down their website after they were evicted from their company location in California. Nobody knew what happened and the most interested were the people with thousands of dollars of cards and packs at said location. It started an uproar for a few months...after GAI went back in business,their reputation has never been the same....throw in the bad packs they've been grading and the company had lost trust from the hobby.

BobbyVCP

GAI has since moved and it is now just Mike Baker and one other person handling everything with a new label. I know that it is still new to the scene but what do people think of the new service and I think he has become a lot stricter in his grading standards.

Brick

Hi, hello, how are ya?

lahmejoon

The resealed thing is what I'm worried about. There are a few sellers of unopened stuff on ebay who are selling ungraded vintage packs and have stated that the reason they do not submit for grading is because they have seen a lot of mislabeled GAI pieces. I know excuses like this is a smokescreen for resealed product, but I started to wonder if there was a little truth to a potential problem with GAI grading resealed product.

Anyway, I like the 59 Topps set, so I picked up this pack as more of a keepsake/conversation piece. Many of you seem to have a keen eye for what is or is not untampered. I would never open this pack up because I already know what card is in there (although, the player's name eludes me now). I guess I'm more concerned that I bought the piece under the assumption that GAI's certification was worth something when, in reality, there are major reservations regarding the integrity of the company.

Any thoughts are appreciated.

Thanks!

cardbender

<< <i>I don't have any experience with GAI-graded packs, nor crossovers.

However, I have had a high degree of success lately with buying GAI-graded cards, sawing them out of their holders, and submitting that card to PSA raw . The price that I bought the GAI-holdered cards for was a fraction of what they would sell for once PSA graded them. For example, just in the past few months, that has resulted in some terrific results for me, including:

1952 Bowman Large Leo Nomellini GAI 8.5 to PSA 8
1954 Bowman Charlie Trippi GAI 8 to PSA 8
1954 Topps Tom Lasorda RC GAI 8.5 to PSA 9 (!)
1955 Topps All-American Ace Parker RC GAI 8 to PSA 8
Several other successes, and only a couple failures. It's a sample size of less than ten though.

The advice that others have dispensed about GAI packs seems about right just based on context clues that I have gathered. I just can't supply the hard evidence myself. -Keith >>



Smart move Keith. There are many legit cards in GAI holders that sell for fractions of what they are truly worth, just based on GAI's resent missteps and reputation hits. Cracking and resubmitting them to PSA or SGC is the way to go.

Also, worth mentioning is the fact that GAI was the only company slabbing packs for several years. So there's plenty of legit packs sitting in GAI holders to this day. You can find some bargains there too just because everyone seems to think that GAI packs are not worth buying.

hoopguru33

Welcome to the board. A couple of years ago I had my Celtics Star cards graded by GAI as they were the only ones doing the grading. They were doing fine at the time. However, I now stay away from GAI items.

2dueces

Mike Baker is he greatest grader in the world. That said I wouldn't buy a GAI graded card with your money.


BTW, Welcome to the boards.

KatsCards

The older the GAI slab, the better your chances are that it is good. Like others, I've had experience with buying the old slabs (darker silver label--1st graded), cracking them out and submitting to PSA. Every time the card came back with an equal or slightly higher grade. Would never ever touch a new slab.

lahmejoon

So, it sounds like the GAI label mine has is a newer version. I suppose I could pick one up in a PSA slab and put mine up on ebay. I would hate to take a chance submitting this pack to PSA and have it come back as resealed. I spent around $180 on the pack when I bought it.

Thank you all for your comments.

mcolney1

Can anyone post a picture of the old and new GAI flip? Would be quite grateful. Thanks, Tony

Keith - I've been tempted to use your strategy on HOF football, but haven't had the guts to pull the trigger. Might just buy a sampling and give it a try the next time we have a group submission.

I have one GAI card as GAI 2 of Turk Edwards - I'm quite confident that the card would cross to PSA, but probably a 1 to 1.5, its in pretty bad shape.

1989FleerBillRipkencollector

I think there's another- smaller i


Oldest





Next





Then- Pre Bankruptcy and were using up the rest of these post bankruptcy. From what I recall.






Last (as GA)

mcolney1

Thanks Donovan for the scans.

Also, Donovan, I'd like to take a moment to thank you for introducing me to this board. I never knew about it and you picked up a post I had on ebay about a '62 Kilmer that this knucklehead wouldn't sell me (April 07) because the auction final price wasn't high enough for him even though he didn't have a reserve. Earned him a neg. and some serious bashing on this board. He tried to defend himself, but like a person serving as his own defense lawyer, he was representing a fool. Thanks, I've learned so much...this is at least twice daily reading for me.

Tony

sentientbob

I got the impression that GAI is a joke. I thought they pretty much graded everything a 10. Ive seen GAI graded cards with considerable damage, such as creases, with grades of 10.

I wonder if somehow, people are able to open the containers and replace the cards, or if there is some other kind of scam. Recently, on Ebay, I saw a "graded" card, that was obviously done in someone's basement. Naturally, the card was graded a 10. It was a 75 Brett, and only fetched $33, so I guess it didnt fool anyone.

1989FleerBillRipkencollector

Tony, No problem. Happy Hunting !


EDITED- My GAI flip pics. Newest one added (GA)

mexpo75

Does anyone here have pics of the different GAI labels? I am interested in a GAI pack. It has an old serial number (starting in 104)

RyansRust

I was the...billripkencollector..guy who had the scans. They're all gone now due to me having to make room in pb.

Here's the oldest flip iirc- https://www.ebay.com/itm/1961-NU-Cards-Scoops-465-HOFer-Al-Kaline-graded-8/133471203789?hash=item1f1380f1cd:g:0zUAAOSw6VJfFzbm

2dueces

Early GAI was well trusted. Mike Baker head grader for PSA started the company. Early flips are as well graded as any. Unfortunately resale value is about 60% of PSA. Now if you’re just looking for a nice card, fairly priced to keep or crack for an album I recommend them. But I would shy away from any expensive card that looks too good to be true. JMO

lahmejoon

Wow - that might have been my first ever post almost 11 years ago!

Which pack are you looking to get? Cert numbers pre-102 are widely considered good. The only thing I'm aware of are the grocery cellos they graded, but were clearly not legitimate Topps-issue cellos. I think those are found in 102 and/or 103 cert series. That gives reason for pause, at least for me, in pursuing a GAI pack in the 102 series or later. That said, there are most likely good packs that were graded after that, but it would be helpful to see the seal and the folds to ascertain whether it looks good or not.

Tere1071

Going by the serial number on the individual cards GAI graded, is there a delineation between the cards that were graded "correctly" and those more suspect?

lahmejoon

@Tere1071 said:
Going by the serial number on the individual cards GAI graded, is there a delineation between the cards that were graded "correctly" and those more suspect?

No, not for individual cards - we are referring to the graded packs.