Using MNT as a first pass to see if worth sending to BGS?

[McGuillicuddy]

As a Canadian collector I was thinking this might be the way to go with some of my raw modern cards. Since the cost/shipping/time of grading by PSA/BGS is crazy it seems to make sense to make sense to me to send to MNT as a first pass to see if it's even worth the trouble. My thinking being that anything that comes back 9.5 or better should be worth cracking and sending to the big 2 to maximize value, otherwise don't bother.

Anybody else thinking this way? Anybody see any MNT crossovers? They seem relatively strict from what I've seen so far.

[valleynuckfan]

MNT is very strict so you might be on to something there....

[Inferno]

I have a couple of previously graded MNT cards at PSA right now that are due back around the end of the month.

One was a quad 9.5 that I believe will gem at PSA because it looks amazing, and the other was a low sub 9.5 that I believe MNT may have overgraded and I expect will be a PSA 9 at most.

Both were cracked and submitted raw.

[McGuillicuddy]

I have a couple of previously graded MNT cards at PSA right now that are due back around the end of the month.

One was a quad 9.5 that I believe will gem at PSA because it looks amazing, and the other was a low sub 9.5 that I believe MNT may have overgraded and I expect will be a PSA 9 at most.

Both were cracked and submitted raw.

Super curious! Please let us know how it goes!

[Inferno]

I have a couple of previously graded MNT cards at PSA right now that are due back around the end of the month.

One was a quad 9.5 that I believe will gem at PSA because it looks amazing, and the other was a low sub 9.5 that I believe MNT may have overgraded and I expect will be a PSA 9 at most.

Both were cracked and submitted raw.

Just to follow up on this for the OP, my sub is in the final stages and will be on the way back to me within the next week or so. I got hit with a couple of upcharges which happened to be the two cards I had graded my MNT previously.

Here were the MNT flips for the two cards:


https://i.imgur.com/B0FpC9t.jpg


The MacKinnon was a quad 9.5 and the McDavid was a 9.5 with 9.0 edges.

Happy to say both came back as PSA 10's:


https://i.imgur.com/gy387B3.jpg


For what it's worth the Crosby YG was previously a BGS 9 with three 9.5's and an 8.5 for corners. Happy to see it cross as a PSA 9.

It's a tiny sample of only two cards so I wouldn't take it as gospel but I was pleasantly surprised on the McDavid in particular. Just wanted to follow up.

[mooselang]

Wow, that’s encouraging news! I actually just bought a Makar MNT quad 9.5 today that was selling much lower than a PSA or BGS counterpart. I doubt I’ll get it crossed over, but happy to know that “there’s a chance.”

Also, MNT’s customer service is phenomenal. I’ve gone to them with two issues - both during the weekend - and they’ve responded quickly to me both times during the same weekend.

[WillyC]

It appears MNT has the grading tuned in... now, there is an opportunity to take the security of the slabs to the next level and they could really set the stage in that area.

There is an untapped market to take on PSA and BGS security wise... IMO, fake PSA/BGS slabs are a volcano waiting to explode.

[rohara99]

Just to follow up on this for the OP, my sub is in the final stages and will be on the way back to me within the next week or so. I got hit with a couple of upcharges which happened to be the two cards I had graded my MNT previously.

Here were the MNT flips for the two cards:


https://i.imgur.com/B0FpC9t.jpg


The MacKinnon was a quad 9.5 and the McDavid was a 9.5 with 9.0 edges.

Happy to say both came back as PSA 10's:


https://i.imgur.com/gy387B3.jpg


For what it's worth the Crosby YG was previously a BGS 9 with three 9.5's and an 8.5 for corners. Happy to see it cross as a PSA 9.

It's a tiny sample of only two cards so I wouldn't take it as gospel but I was pleasantly surprised on the McDavid in particular. Just wanted to follow up.

The same guys tooting PSA's horn non-stop aren't going to like that haha.

BGS 9 = PSA 9
MNT 9.5 = PSA 10

Congrats on the crosses. I assume you cracked and submitted all 3 cards?

[kellmuff]

buddy of mine sent like 7 MINTY MINTY cards in to MNT and they all came back 9.5. Not sure what it takes to get a 10. Every subgrade was 9.5

[Inferno]

The same guys tooting PSA's horn non-stop aren't going to like that haha.

BGS 9 = PSA 9
MNT 9.5 = PSA 10

Congrats on the crosses. I assume you cracked and submitted all 3 cards?

Correct. I cracked all three and sent them in raw. I also have a Patrick Kane YG at PSA right now that was in a BGS 9 holder previously and its in just as good a shape as my Crosby if not better so I think that will also be an easy cross to a PSA 9 as well.

The McDavid is the one that surprised me the most. It has (visible under my loupe) about a three quarter inch run of rough/jagged edge going down into its bottom right corner. When I sent it to MNT previously I was expecting a 9.0 at best with no more than a 9.0 on edges and corners and maybe even an 8.5 on edges. Getting a 9.5 on it from MNT surprised me so getting a PSA 10 on the same card was not expected at all. It's a pack pulled PC card that's never being sold so it is what it is and I would have been fine with whatever grade it got. Definitely can't be disappointed with a Gem!

Either I was too hard on the card with my own assessment or both MNT and PSA overgraded the card. I trust the grading from both companies so I guess I was just too hard on it.

The MacKinnon FWA I had no doubt would be a 10. It came straight from UD as a redemption back in 2014 and was only handled by graders since. Minty as minty can be. You rarely even see quad 9.5s from MNT so to get the true gem on that one was very promising.

[rohara99]

buddy of mine sent like 7 MINTY MINTY cards in to MNT and they all came back 9.5. Not sure what it takes to get a 10. Every subgrade was 9.5

If they're on a similar grading as Beckett then 9.5 is 'Gem Mint' and 10 is Pristine.

Gem Mint can have minor imperfections under magnification, Pristine is perfect even under magnification.... or something to that extent.

[irv]

Correct. I cracked all three and sent them in raw. I also have a Patrick Kane YG at PSA right now that was in a BGS 9 holder previously and its in just as good a shape as my Crosby if not better so I think that will also be an easy cross to a PSA 9 as well.

The McDavid is the one that surprised me the most. It has (visible under my loupe) about a three quarter inch run of rough/jagged edge going down into its bottom right corner. When I sent it to MNT previously I was expecting a 9.0 at best with no more than a 9.0 on edges and corners and maybe even an 8.5 on edges. Getting a 9.5 on it from MNT surprised me so getting a PSA 10 on the same card was not expected at all. It's a pack pulled PC card that's never being sold so it is what it is and I would have been fine with whatever grade it got. Definitely can't be disappointed with a Gem!

Either I was too hard on the card with my own assessment or both MNT and PSA overgraded the card. I trust the grading from both companies so I guess I was just too hard on it.

The MacKinnon FWA I had no doubt would be a 10. It came straight from UD as a redemption back in 2014 and was only handled by graders since. Minty as minty can be. You rarely even see quad 9.5s from MNT so to get the true gem on that one was very promising.

Thanks for sharing your story.
Very encouraging to read! :)!