I can only afford to send 10 cards to Psa. over the weeks I have changed out my ten that I want to send. I’m curious whats the deciding factor for the people who know the game best.
I understand the obvious, such as, value, grade potential, confirmation of authenticity etc.
But when it comes to stuff that is on the edge of it all.
For example.
I have a Topps, Authentic Film Frame Card. Its about a PSA 6-8. Max. But, its super rare, the holy grail of shots of the cards and just overall a dope card IMO. cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/thumb/8/8a/Topps_M02_Film_Frame.png/170px-Topps_M02_Film_Frame.png
Is it worth grading knowing its PSA grade isn’t really going to increase its value much? Like a 9 or 10 would.
Are some things just best left raw?
I have really valuable cards that I know have a great shot at a 9, with 10 upside, and 8 at the worst. But when choosing between two of similar value and grading potential how do I decide? Do I go with rarity, do I go with future potential value. These decisions kind of get grey with me.
ANY help would be greatly appreciated Thank YOU!
-Ape
I can’t afford sending huge amounts either, but I usually send about 20-30 cards and through a middle man but I don’t send every month. So if you put some money to the side every month for a submission, you could make a bigger one And if you are sending through a middle man service, the card rate is usually better per card the more you send, so technically you could save a bit for sending more at once.
But it’s up to you to decide what you really want to do. I’d recommend sending in cards that you really like and value. If you prefer to send more valuable cards then so be it.
So it seems the general idea is to send more. Which I didn’t expect. I guess because the turn around is so high? Because the price doesn’t really come down until your sending mass cards. But maybe I should send through a third party, like some suggested. I’ll have to get prices and compare.
My main goal is for preservation/future value for selling. I’m not flipping anything anytime soon, I’m keeping these cards for a few more years. But I think there’s more desirability for certain cards as PSA graded then not graded I think. Problem is that doesn’t always equate to more value.
I guess then, the real question is. Why do you even grade them in the first place?
If its not for preservation, if its not for increased value, then is there even a point?
Many grade cards to get outside validation and proof of their condition as well as assurance that the card will remain in that condition via the slabs protection. This also has the effect of increasing liquidity / decreasing the wasting time quibbling over condition as selling raw card is a huge hassle which makes selling a whole lot easier if/when the time comes. (Though you still have the occasional person asking for condition of the slab, strong/weak etc.)
If you have no plan to sell anytime soon then I would say wait to grade them, especially if you are happy with the condition they are in. I’ve known many people to have raw cards that they are very happy with only to become a seller of the card once they realize PSA doesn’t give them the grade they think it deserves. Save up and research the proper middleman to use. Be sure to check out the option the forum offers, you’ve likely heard of Ludkins if you’ve heard anything about middlemen.
This may sound a little wild but I’ve found it kind of holds up. If you have 10 really strong psa 10 candidates it may not be best to send them all in one go as I’ve found that the graders can be extremely harsh if all the cards are close to flawless. Some may disagree with me but I like to have solids 9’s sprinkled throughout a submission. It’s kinda the same reason why I don’t recommend submitting Japanese and English cards together. Graders are only human and if you put a bunch of 10 candidate cards in front of them chances are they won’t grade even the majority of them tens even if they deserve it.
If you only have the funds for 10 cards I’d choose the 10 cards you have the most likely hood of selling. Then if you decide to sell you can use those funds for Another submission.
I would grade the film card sense it is rare. Basically I would start with the 10 that are the most popular(ie Charizard, Eeveelutions, Starters etc) then when you save up more send in another batch.
Check in with Ludkins as well as the prices are good even if you just submit 5 cards.
And if you are sending through a middle man service, the card rate is usually better per card the more you send, so technically you could save a bit for sending more at once.