Full year of SGC to PSA crossover results

[Morgoth]

Here is the results of a full year of SGC cross overs I have done. My goal was to see how well they would cross over and to see if there was any value in doing it.

Here is some background info.

1. I am using VCP to calculate value.
2. These are not the only cards I have sent in this year, I have sent raw cards and modern in as well.
3. I have not included grading costs into the value as that would affect the profit side of the ledger. I don't plan on selling but if I do that is when grading costs will be added in.
4. I have cherry picked the best SGC cards and have about 50 to 60 I haven't crossed yet. This is do to either to their low PSA value or issues I found with them. These will most likely be sent in on a bulk common order in 2017.
5. The attached PDF file lays out the entire year minus my final grading order which won't pop until end of January.

RESULTS and CONCLUSIONS.

1. So far I have been able to raise the entire value of my collection by $923 dollars by crossing SGC cards over to PSA
2. At the same time I have lost over 23 points in grades by doing so.
3. There is value in crossing over but luck plays a major roll in this. About 1 in 10 cards did get a bump in grade. These cards not only made up the bulk of the value but also made up for all the cards that did not cross at all or were lower grades. If the bumped cards where the lowest valued cards I sent in I most likely would have lost money.
4. PSA is much tougher and consistent than SGC at grading 50's thru modern cards. I believe PSA and SGC are about equal in terms of Prewar grading.
5. In general big cards (Mantle, Aaron, DiMaggio) and certain years like 71 Topps Baseball are red flags in SGC holders. SGC seems to either over grade those or misses things PSA finds, either way it's a bigger gamble than sending in a mid 60's Ron Santo. Also PSA wont grade vending cards so 71 topps vending ends up in SGC holders quite often.
6. I will continue to do this in 2017 but with more controls on what players and years I buy so as to keep the losses smaller. Without my Aaron debacle I would be up closer to $1300 for the year.
7. Another thing about grades themselves. The data I have collected shows that most of the bumps are from cards without half grades. I see a lot of people paying almost PSA 8 prices for SGC 7.5's or way over PSA 8 prices for SGC 8.5's. This is not smart IMO as I see no data that these half grades cross over to the higher grade more often than then non half grades. Buying half grades at or below the lower grade is a good bet when you can though.

[enyouartist]

Thanks for the insight! Did you crack all of these first? Are you still making a profit if you factor the grading and shipping costs ?

[Morgoth]

Originally Posted by enyouartist

Thanks for the insight! Did you crack all of these first?

Yes I did, cracked and sent in raw. I haven't had good results any other way.

[itradeerrors]

Very cool, thanks for posting. The biggest problem I have seen with others doing this is they don't take into account the different way the 2 companies grade.

[Morgoth]

Originally Posted by enyouartist

Thanks for the insight! Did you crack all of these first? Are you still making a profit if you factor the grading and shipping costs ?

Yes, taking away shipping and grading fees and assuming I achieve VCP average per card I would clear over $500 in profit

[nman84]

Very cool project! I would probably have a lot of the Aaron minuses if I tried to do something like this. Glad you came out on top! Curious as to how much time was spent on this between researching, eBay, etc.?

Thanks for sharing, looking forward to 2017 results!

[SteigerWRX]

WTF happened to that Aaron? 7.5 to 0?

[Morgoth]

Originally Posted by SteigerWRX

WTF happened to that Aaron? 7.5 to 0?

Came back MC no holder

[gnpaden]

this is very interesting. thank you for posting. That Aaron is crazy.

[DJCollector1]

I would like to see pictures of that Aaron, if possible.
I have always found it "interesting" when things like this happen. I'm not saying its shady by any means, but it makes you wish you had never cracked the Aaron in the first place....or at least thats how I would feel.

I assume for example (you want to try for a bump from a BGS 9.5 card with high subs, to a PSA 10), that you could send them the cards, and essentially state "please do not crack the original slabs, if they will not meet the PSA 10 standard". Effectively, leaving them in their BGS gem mint 9.5 slabs, and NOT taking them out unless they are upped to a PSA 10.

I have never done that in specific, but I do know of several people that sent in cards, and they basically said "do not slab these cards if they do not meet a minimum of 9.5 gem" when he sent to BGS.
His reasoning was he was going to resell the cards, and he would just as soon sell them raw, instead of trying to sell them with "lower" grades than a 9.5.
I am not a dealer, and never will be...........but is there that much of an aversion (this is more specifically geared towards newer product though, and NOT vintage) towards BGS 9s? I guess we would have to compare selling "great looking raw cards" to, BGS 9s, and BGS 9.5s.
Thats not really why I brought this up though.

I am about to focus on all vintage soon, and I have to think that trying for an occasional bump is something everyone considers.
I'm guessing the Aaron was a super nice card, and the cut was really its only flaw. This might explain it getting a 7.5 from one grading service, and then the next one just stating "miss cut".

I don't know much about the differences of the grading services standards, and how they compare.
I do think its interesting, and like other posters have said in other threads....it is a subjective thing on a day-to-day basis. One graders "opinion" on a given day, then another graders "opinion" on another day.
Sad that its not any more precise than that, but it is what it is.

[Corky]

Are you considering sending the 1959 and 1962 Topps Aaron cards back to SGC for a re-grading? I can not find their policy on grading/encasing a card that they already graded.

[itradeerrors]

Originally Posted by Corky

Are you considering sending the 1959 and 1962 Topps Aaron cards back to SGC for a re-grading? I can not find their policy on grading/encasing a card that they already graded.

If it has been cracked out of the case it is just like sending it in for the first time with all grading companies. Unless there is a very obvious flaw I would send it back to( P)lease (S)ubmit (A)gain.

[Screamer]

Great insight; thank you for the work... the half grade info is really good to know

Question: why won't PSA grade a vending card?

[itradeerrors]

Originally Posted by Screamer

Great insight; thank you for the work... the half grade info is really good to know

Question: why won't PSA grade a vending card?

Vending cases are mainly left over junk they sold to big dealer at very low prices. A lot of short cut cards and other errors.

They will grade them if there are no problems with the card.

[Screamer]

Originally Posted by itradeerrors

Vending cases are mainly left over junk they sold to big dealer at very low prices. A lot of short cut cards and other errors.

They will grade them if there are no problems with the card.

OK; thank you

[mjohnatgt]

It probably didn't meet the requirements for size, normally 2.5"x3.5" or maybe a 1/16th less. If they send it back as MINSIZREQ (factory short) or MISCUT (factory miscut like trapezoidal) they don't charge the grading fee. So you can send it back in and maybe they'll grade it the second time.

[Morgoth]

The 62 I think has a bent corner I would need to crack to make sure. The 59 will go back to SGC

[discostu]

Really interesting.

I have a couple of SGC cards I'm planning on busting out and resubmitting to PSA, so this is interesting.

[Sportscards12]

Thanks for the project, good info

[Rookiemonster]

Awesome work wow

[owen21]

Thanks for sharing your efforts... great idea


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[sbfinley]

Honestly, if you keep subbing that Aaron it will probably cross.

[Morgoth]

Originally Posted by sbfinley

Honestly, if you keep subbing that Aaron it will probably cross.

True, my last 2016 order pops next week and I am sending in my first 2017 as well. There is another Aaron in the order popping next week. I may send the 59 back next week

[I only pull for]

Interesting thread, I did the same thing in 2016 with BVG to PSA. I will try and post a new thread about it at some point this year.
Good luck with the ones that didn't cross, I know the feeling.

[houdini]

Going to sticky. Great info.