grading cards

[2lanes1way]

why and how much does it cost for each card.

thanks

[DodgerBlue]

Card grading has been around for about 20 years or so. There are dozens of grading companies out there but only 5 that really mean anything. PSA, Professional Sports Authenticators, is the oldest grading service. I have found them to be more consistent in their grading over the years. BGS, Beckett Grading Service, is the grading company owned by Beckett Media. They produce the well know family of Beckett Magazines which are the industry's leading price guides for card values. Beckett values their graded cards at a higher price than those graded by other companies which I find funny and dishonest as well. SGC, Sports Card Guarranty, has also been around for a while. They have a reputation as the leading grader of pre war vintage material. SCD, Sports Collector's Digest, is the grading company owned by the hobby magazine of the same name. The grading company is fairly new although the magazine has been around for a long time. Finally, GAI, Global Authentication International, recently went out of business but had a reputation a solid grading company that also did a lot of business in the autograph authentication area of the hobby. Cards graded by these 5 grading companies are the ONLY graded cards anyone should ever consider purchasing. The reasons for getting a card grading can vary but usually center around increasing the value. Some folks get cards graded that they plan on keeping just to have them encased in a good solid graded card slab for protection purposes. Any high grade rookie cards, stars, and Hall of Famers from pre-1985 are worth geting graded for long term investment potential. Modern printing technology has come so far that most modern cards are mint or very close so grading doesn't often do much for value. Of course, there are exceptions. The price charged by grading companies usually depends on how many cards you submit to them and how quickly you want them returned to you.