New to vintage, question

[nalbaugh]

Main question has to do with grading company. Are some grading companies frowned upon as opposed to others? Obviously PSA is well known, but what about SGC? I noticed a lot of SGC cards sell for less than PSA, can you tell me why? Thanks! Also, for obvious lower grade cards, would you send them to get an actual grade or just authenticated? What's the price difference?

[rednecksims]

Put simply vintage is weird.

PSA generally holds the most value, but some collectors prefer SGC. I like SGC for prewar WWI stuff. Post I prefer PSA. To me they grade close to the same, but the way the cards look in the holder is key for me.

When it comes to grade vs authentication, grade will win out 95% of the time. The other 5% of the time a card may be labeled as authentic by SGC because of trimming but have magnificent eye appeal. This card may sell for 10x what a card graded a 1 or 2 would sell for.

Vintage that has a autograph is a whole different issues that I wont go into.

The great people at net54 can give you a better explanation Im sure as they deal more deeply in vintage than I do.

[nalbaugh]

Appreciate it!

Originally Posted by rednecksims

Put simply vintage is weird.

PSA generally holds the most value, but some collectors prefer SGC. I like SGC for prewar WWI stuff. Post I prefer PSA. To me they grade close to the same, but the way the cards look in the holder is key for me.

When it comes to grade vs authentication, grade will win out 95% of the time. The other 5% of the time a card may be labeled as authentic by SGC because of trimming but have magnificent eye appeal. This card may sell for 10x what a card graded a 1 or 2 would sell for.

Vintage that has a autograph is a whole different issues that I wont go into.

The great people at net54 can give you a better explanation Im sure as they deal more deeply in vintage than I do.

[gnpaden]

I use them both consistently, but SGC for primarily my PC and early 50's cards as they look better with the black border. Use PSA if I am trying to resell and add value as they sell for a little bit more.

[fulltritty]

I have been buying only PSA and will probably keep it that way. I think the only non=PSA graded card I own is a 1993 SP Derek Jeter.

[nalbaugh]

Why fulltritty? Just curious

[pokerplyr80]

Personally I will buy an SGC card if it looks nice, but only if I can get it for the price of a PSA equivalent card 1/2 grade lower. This debate often comes up on net54 with some believing it's because of tougher grading standards at PSA. Others feel that is BS, and it's just because they market better and because of their registry. But the bottom line is SGC cards do not sell for the same price as PSA cards do. Bid accordingly.

I am pretty happy with this recent pickup.

[fulltritty]

Originally Posted by nalbaugh

Why fulltritty? Just curious

I guess it is because that is the grading company I use for my autograph authentications and most people on threads I have seen prefer PSA for vintage. Like I said, my Jeter isn't PSA so it is not out of the realm that I would look somewhere else.

[BoxingRobes]

There isn't much difference in the quality of the grading between SGC and PSA, but PSA has more appeal due to the registry and the simple demand that drives a bump in price.

Just trust your eyes, but PSA will sell for a bit more. Good for the middle class consumer/collector as you can find deals with non-PSA vintage slabs with good eye appeal.

[Bretsky]

Originally Posted by BoxingRobes

There isn't much difference in the quality of the grading between SGC and PSA, but PSA has more appeal due to the registry and the simple demand that drives a bump in price.

Just trust your eyes, but PSA will sell for a bit more. Good for the middle class consumer/collector as you can find deals with non-PSA vintage slabs with good eye appeal.

I agree with this. Also when buying vintage it seems like centering is key especially for resale. I will usually go after a card that might like a little rough if the centering looks strong. Good luck!

[chipotlecowboy]

I feel that the pre-war (WWII) grader of choice is SGC. I know most at Net54 feel this way. For postwar and everything through like 2010 it seems to be PSA. As stated above a lot of the reason PSA cards sell for so much more is because of the registry. I had eight PSA 10 1981 Donruss commons that were thrown in as part of a deal I did. Ungraded, all four together would be lucky to net me two dollars. However because somebody needed the cards to bump up their registry ranking I sold the lot of eight for $200. People will pay crazy prices just to raise their registry ranking and that's one of the things that drives the PSA market. SGC has a registry as well but since they are more known for their prewar vintage, it's not as competitive. A much smaller percentage of collectors can afford high-end prewar stuff, so their registry doesn't as tight a level of competition.

[vtgmsc]

"Buy the card, not the grade or the TPG" as others have said. I have collected and sent in to both for the past 10 years. Over 1000 cards sent in combined.

SGC ALWAYS will beat PSA in turnaround times and logging your cards in when they actually get them. PSA usually waits a few days to a week before they even acknowledge that your cards are there which can be frustrating.

It is my opinion from many years collecting that SGC is the most consistent grading company. PSA however will usually bring more on the market for the same grades which actually can open up some nice SGC buying opportunities if you are selective.

I use PSA when I want the best price for my cards but you need some patience in waiting for them to get back to you.

I use SGC when I want my cards back quickly and ROI is not the primary objective (for example a lower grade Bench Rookie) that will sell the same in either holder.

Peace, Mike

[nalbaugh]

Awesome help guys! Thanks!