Where Does The Card Community Stand On Grading?
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ก.พ. 2025
- We all have opinions on a wide variety of topics. In many cases, those opinions are always changing. Some people collect modern sports cards, but then change to collecting vintage. Some collectors prefer vintage and then move toward modern. Maybe you collect hall of fame players like Mantle, Mays, Musial, and Aaron...but then start collecting stars from your childhood like Nolan Ryan, Don Mattingly, Cal Ripken, and Wade Boggs. Part of the fun of a hobby is seeing where the journey takes us. Well, pretty much all of us have an opinion around the topic of card grading. Some people prefer #PSA and some prefer #SGC for their grading needs. But, some of these opinions change over time and based on personal experiences. So, consider this a check in on where everyone stands "right now" on this topic.
Here is a link to the @HighPopProfessor that I refer to in this episode:
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All statements and opinions shared in this video (and all of my videos) are for entertainment purposes only, and are not investment advice. I consider Sports Cards to be a hobby, and not an investment. If you're interested in investment advice, I recommend connecting with a certified financial planner.
Hi Graig! A non HOF player I collect is Sean Casey. In fact, I made a video recently of the auto collection I have of him. The reason I collect him is because of who he is and not what he did between the lines. Yes, Casey was a really good player for my Reds but he’s an even better humanitarian. The work he does for the Miracle League is admirable. That wonderful organization gives disabled kids a chance to play baseball and to just be a kid. To me, that is something truly special and needs more recognition. For that and all the other charitable things he’s done for the community, I collect his cards. Have a fantastic day, my friend!
Casey was a great player and is an awesome person. Wonderful player to collect!
@ Yep, I love collecting his cards. Have a great day!
I love guys like Casey who have cult followings for bein good dudes.
Cool collection. I remember Sean Casey. As a Cubs fan I very much respected him but was not as aware of how great a human he was.
I’m grading a t206 soon and I’m going to SGC because I like how it looks.
For next weeks question: I collect all Puerto Rican players. Clemente being the biggest player there. But I have cards great players from the 50's, 60's and 70's, like Sandy Alomar Sr, Juan Pizzaro, Felix Mantilla and of coarse Orlando Cepeda. I love my Mantle, Mays and Aaron cards, but my Puerto Rican collection gives me great pride.
That's awesome. Great choices.
That's a really cool collection. It is fun to collect cards based on a property other than what set they came from.
Hi Graig. I am a life long Dodger fan and collect Orel Hershiser cards. The 1988 World Series along with Hershiser’s 59 consecutive scoreless innings made me a huge fan, plus I hear that he is a great human! In 1989 I got to see him pitch, in person, at Fulton County Stadium with my dad, at my first MLB game! Bulldog is not a HOFer but he should be …..and in my heart…he is.
The bulldog!!
I heard a story once that he got the nickname "Bulldog" in the minor leagues because his manager was worried if the other team found out that they'd be batting against a guy named "Orel" that they wouldn't take him seriously. So "Bulldog" was meant to strike at least some worry in them.
@@joelmayer4055 I thought I’d heard that Tommy Lasorda nicked named him Bulldog to give him the attitude to be less timid.
@@ditkospidey That might be. It would be a small change to my story which is basically the same.
I like both PSA and SGC
Great episode
Collect what you like….Yes!!! I’m not getting rich with my Alshon Jeffery or Grigor Dimitrov collection but having a great time doing it. Love the discussion and thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences with the community. 👍🏻
You're doing it right!
PSA needs to be held accountable. They do not follow their guide, period. PSA is slow and expensive, grades 50 to 75% off. Their holders have had problems. PLEASE MLC tell me why annoint them other than say their auction prices are higher.
Thanks Graig!
Most of the cards are damaged inside the holders too
Bingo !
I collect a lot of local players from Eastern Oklahoma. Dylan Bundy, Brad Penny, Jackson Holliday, Jonny Ray 80's Pirates player.
That's great.
Boy, PSA is getting a lot of PR mileage out of that red carpet. I couldn't help but chuckle that a viewer beat Graig to an analogy. 🤣 Yes, PSA does have the bells and whistles. But you pay through the nose for them, and wait several months to get graded.
Love this week's question!!! I'm a huge Detroit Lions fan who grew up in the early-90s. I didn't watch a ton of HOF players on my team growing up, but of course I still have guys I watched in those years that I have lot of great memories of. At the top of that list are Herman Moore and Chris Speilman. For about three or four years in the mid-90s Moore was easily a top-5 receiver in the NFL. Every kid argued over who got to be him at recess. Other than Barry, he was the guy on that offense that seemed to do amazing things every week. Chris Speilman has the distinction of not only being a Lions' legend, but also an all-time great Buckeye (my college team). I love defensive players in general, and Speilman was a real easy guy to love and root for. The best thing about these guys? They have amazing cards you can snag for $10, $20, or $30. Nothing beats adding great players from your childhood for just a few bucks! We all love our big iconic cards, but to me these small cards of my PC guys are a huge part of what the hobby is all about!
Thanks 🙏
Thank YOU!!
Great video Graig. I collect Camilo Pascual, he’s Cuban born like me. Was a great player both in US and Cuba. He’s in his 90’s but still signs TTM. Hopefully I can meet him one day, since he lives in South Florida.
That's awesome. Thanks for sharing, Orlando.
Graig, I love this week's question, as I've been putting together a mix of HOF and non-HOF player runs over the past two or three years. Although I've been a Pirates fan since about 1970, and I own all of their cards from the Topps base and traded/update sets going back to 1967 (including multi-player, league leaders, and playoffs cards), I also was a fan of players of other teams during my youth and those are the players' cards I've been collecting. My first non-Pirates run was Dick Allen. Alphabetically, some of my non-HOFers include: Vida Blue, Cesar Cedeno, Nate Colbert, Steve Garvey, Dave Kingman, Fred Lynn, Reggie Smith and Jim Wynn. Most of these cards are readily available and inexpensive in ungraded EXMT to NM condition, but finding well-centered cards in the condition I want makes the chase a little more challenging at times. As I mentioned, I also collect HOF player cards, but collecting other cards provides a fun diversion.
Awesome names and players. Love it.
As one of the older "dudes" in your audience, my favorite dates back to my youth: Mr. Wally Moon. An absolutely solid performer during his 12 years in the majors. Played five seasons for the Cardinals and seven for the Dodgers. His first time up in the old Sportsman's Park, he was booed by the St. Louis fans who were angry that Enos Slaughter had been released by the Cardinals just before the first game of the 1954 season to make room for a rookie from Arkansas. He won the fans over in his first at bat by hitting a 2-1 pitch from a towering 6'5" Cubs lefthander, Paul Minner, onto the street beyond the right field fence. Traded in late '58 to the Los Angeles Dodgers, he proved to be the main difference maker in LA going from 7th place in 1958 to World Series champions in 1959. Always a thinking-person's ballplayer (and with a masters degree), he adjusted his swing to hit opposite-field homers over the 42" screen in left field where the moniker, Moonshot was originated by Vin Scully. Not surprisingly, Moon titled his extremely well written autobiography from a few years ago, Moonshots. He would play on two more World Series champion teams before retiring in 1965. As important as his skill on the field was, he was an outstanding family man who was kind and respectful to his fans over the years. Sadly, he passed away in 2018 after a long positive and meaningful life.
In checking back, I realized I failed to make the connection to the cards collected of Moon (who was also rookie of the year in 1954). If I don't have the most complete collection of Moon, it would have to be very close, including: all the Topps base cards, graded mostly PSA 8, one 8.5 and two PSA 9's, from 1954-1965 plus the one in 1962 with two versions--one with cap, the other without cap; the 1955 Topps Doubleheader with Cunningham on reverse side; the Batting Leaders card in '62 with Clemente, Pinson and Boyer; a 1962 Topps stamp; a 1955-team issued post card by the Cardinals and a 1959 issued post card from the Dodgers; the 1956 Topps pin; the two Bell Brand cards of Moon from 1961 and 1962; the Morrell-issued card from 1960, plus '61 Post, Bazooka, '62 Salada, "62 Topps Bucks, and 1962 Exhibit with stats on back in a PSA 9. Moon also appeared on the covers of both Sports Illustrated 1957 and Sport Magazine. Many autographed items including 1959 photo of Koufax and Moon, signed by both, from night Sandy struck out 18 and Moon hit game-winning homer in ninth to win the game. More stuff but I may have exceeded your initial request. Was fun to look back.
That's a fantastic comment and I love the reasoning behind collecting him!!
I am strictly a vintage collector and while I buy both PSA and SGC, I am perfectly happy grading only w SGC. The slab is better, the accuracy is better, the turn around time is much better, the customer service is much better, and the cost is more reasonable. If it means in 20 years the resale value is 10-15% less then if it was in a PSA slab...so be it.
When i got back into the hobby in 2022, i bought a mystery pack of signed vintage cards that some guy did TTM, I opened the pack with my dad and as we were going through the cards he pointed out, Jim Piersall's card. He talked about remembering some of Jim's antics on the field. I wanted to know more so we watched a documentary about Jim Piersall and it was really fascinating learning about his struggles with bipolar disorder and his other exploits. Like his hundredth home run where he ran to the bases backwards! Hahahaha! I have a bunch of Piersall's cards, but haven't gotten the entire run yet.
That's fantastic!!
Hi Graig. I enjoyed watching the Grading video. I am a big fan of SGC with their great turnaround times and customer service. They have a great price point also. The two players that I collect that are not Hall of Famers are Nolan Arenado and Ryan Mountcastle. I was looking for a couple of current players to collect and I decided on those two players. Arenado because he plays 3rd base just like one of my all-time favorite players (Brooks). Mountcastle because he is an Oriole, and he always seems to put his best forward in playing every day he is out there.
Awesome. It's fun collecting some vintage and some modern. I've got one modern player I like collecting.
Great discussion about grading, Graig! I'm sure there will be a lot more to come. I collect a lot of nonHOFers. I collect a lot of Cardinals nonHOFers. I collect Bo Jackson, Mattingly, Colavito! The list goes on and on. Some of them I don't have a ton of cards of, but I would love to add more. I would love to add a Dwight Evans rookie card to my collection, for example. Roger Maris, Vada Pinson! I could make this a long list! I tend to lean toward guys who had a significant impact on the game historically or on me as a young baseball player and collector. So, as with a lot of my collecting habits, it ties into nostalgia. Some of them were huge stars that weren't able to maintain a HOF level of play throughout the entirety of their career like Eric Davis. I obviously have an affinity for outfielders and firstbaseman, especially if they are lefthanded!
If you don't mind your cards taking a month to even be checked in and then another 2-3 months for grading go for PSA, if you want your cards back in 2 weeks go for SGC...easy to figure out
Loved the Toyota/Lexus analogy, Graig. Interesting thoughts as always to get the gears spinning in my head!
Thanks, pal.
Thanks Graig. I always enjoy what our peers are saying. Thanks for sharing my friend, talk soon pal.
Thanks for including my response Graig, can't wait for tomorrow night! Should be fun!
It's going to be a blast.
Great video Graig. There will always be a debate on these two companies. Or grading in general. I feel like the grading aspect protects my cards and gives it some type of value. Raw cards are very difficult to find value on because there are so many variables. I do like SGC for vintage and PSA for modern and had begun to shop according to that mindset. What I have found is that my options are more limited that way. So, I’m open to everything at this point😂.
Great question for next week!! This one is easy for me. Boog Powell and Dale Murphy. I love both of these guys. Boog is just a guy that I’ve grown to appreciate and learning some things about him just make him a very likable guy. And man, he was a gamer. Dale Murphy is a player I remember from my early childhood days. He seemed to make up a ton of my collection. I just remember seeing him everywhere. Great career and another great team player that put the team first.
Thanks for the video and thanks for sharing!
Great analogy Toyota/Lexis, I agree PSA is for sure positioning to be the premium brand for all the perks you mentioned that come with their lable. I don't think this has been mentioned yet regarding the people that feel PSA grades harder than SGC, I find it very interesting that every month when the GEM RATE numbers come out that PSA's Gem Mint 10 percentages are always signifantly higher for every era of cards over SGC. Maybe that is because they grade more cards or because they grade more modern cards, who knows. I just find those GEM RATE numbers very interesting. For the record when I send in card submissions SGC will always get my business over PSA.
Being a Dodger fan, I collect Fernando Valenzuela and Orel Hershiser, they were my favorites from that era. They are much easier and cheaper than my other two Koufax and Drysdale, always hunting for them.
I like to collect Fred Lynn. I remember watching This Week In Baseball with Mel Allen and at the end of each episode they would have snip-its of different players around the league while the credits and closing song was playing. And that’s where I saw Fred Lynn leap over the wall to rob someone of a home run. Greatest catch I had ever seen. From that day on I always wore #19. High school, college, and as a coach. I never wore anything else. Bearcat1912
Hi Craig. I collect Rico Petrocelli of the Red Sox as he was my first “favorite player”. Pre war I collect Jack Barry of the Philadelphia A’s then later Boston Red Sox. For awhile I was collecting type cards and I tended to pick Jack Barry if he was in the set.
My answer for this weeks question is The Big Klu Ted Kluszewski. Being a life long Cincinnati Reds fan this is a no brainer for me, I just wish he had more playing days Reds cards. It also helps that all of his Reds cards 52-57 were from some of the most beautiful sets/cards ever produced in my opinion. I also enjoy collecting The Big Red Machine era cards, what a team.
Hi Graig 👋
Another excellent episode this week. I obviously PC Joe Wood and that era of baseball. My fascination with Joe Wood and that era of baseball stems from the great book that every baseball fan should read " The Glory of Their Times " by Lawrence Ritter. I read this book as a impressionable young man and it's stories have stayed with me. I am a very big fan of the long history of the game and how it's changed over the years but at it's roots is still the same. Men with real stories playing a game they love and Joe Wood's story is the one I find most interesting.
He does not have the marquee name or considered a top tier relevant player but people should collect with their hearts and not just for investment purposes.
That's awesome. He was a star. Injuries ruined him.
Hey Graig,to answer your question.
As a long time Yankee's fan,my guy back in the sixties and seventies was a great Yankee but not a HOF. He was my guy to root for after Mantle retired.
It was Bobby Murcer,all thru Grammer and High School I rooted for Bobby who was hyped to be the next Mantle.We all know how that went.
But that didn't matter,still followed him even after he was traded.
Its was a shame he was traded because he was never the same player.
That's awesome. Murcer was supposed to be the next great Yankee CF.
I’ll go with a super modern example and my non-permanent HOF player I collect is Jose Ramirez. As an Indians/Guardians collector, I’ve never witnessed a star/superstar player spend their career in Cleveland and Ramirez took a massive hometown discount to do so. I love loyalty and humility and Jose is all that. He’ll always have a fan and collector in me!
The 2 non HOFers I collect are Tony Kubek and Rick Monday. A relative of mine is friends with Kubek and I’ve heard many stories about him. He also called the Sandberg game and the 87 ALCS. Great childhood memories. Rick saved the flag. I also collect the rookie cards of every player that made an appearance for the Twins in the 87 World Series. More childhood memories
I collect the cards of my childhood heroes, the 1968 world champion Detroit Tigers. Only Al Kaline is in the Hall. They were down 3-1 in that series against a dominant Bob Gibson and came back to win. Breathtaking! Except for Kaline, not sure other collectors would call these players “hobby relevant.” Good question Graig!
Graig, a few years ago baseball dominated my collection. It was probably 90% or more of the cards I owned, mostly in sets. Today it is barely part of what I have, maybe 5%. My top 5 collected players in order of number of cards I have of each of them is:
1) Caitlin Clark - mostly because of cheap highly printed Tops Now and Panini Instant cards.
2) Terry Bradshaw - first target and someone I still buy today
3) Michael Jordan - NBA hasn’t been the same since he retired
4) Iga Swiatek - most of my recent player purchases have been her and CC
5) Roger Staubach - always respected him and loved the way he competed
I collect the people I watch or watch play and that I have enjoyed the most. I have purchased cards for each of these players recently.
It wouldn’t surprise me at all if no one else who responds collects any of these people. As for baseball, my biggest collection is George Brett. I don’t have his rookie (my brother got that one when we split up what we owned together).
As a collector, I thoroughly enjoy your channel, even if you don’t collect anything that I do. Thanks for all of your videos!!!!!
Again great episode Graig! Honestly, I am all for keeping cards raw. The reality though is grading matters in this hobby. Although grading has its flaws, its currently the only method collectors, dealers, and investors have to somewhat vett their cards. There are things I like about both PSA and SGC. I want to love SGC, i think they do a more consistent job with the grading with better customer sevice. But I just cant get over the large distracting number on the flip. No matter the grade, it takes away from the card's appeal. I'll take the generic trusty brand any day. I just wish SGC would address their flip. As a collector who displays my cards a wall of big numbers just looks off.
Something special about raw cards.
To answer the question for next week. I PC’d George Brett ‘88-‘93, before becoming a HOFer. Had to find any and every card. The run for his 3rd batting title in 1990 was so much fun as an 11yo little leaguer (and it would be achieved in 3 different decades, technically).
Having just got back to sports cards in ‘25, I dabble in:
1) Kyle Tucker (just like his play and no batting gloves prior to batter clock)
2) Kyle Schwarber (Cubs season ticket holder from ‘14-‘17)
3) Kerry Wood (2nd ever cubs game I went to at Wrigley was his 20 strikeout game, I was 19)
I still love looking at those McGuire, Will Clark, Mark Grace, Eric Davis, Strawberry, Boggs, Mattingly, Justice, Frank Thomas, etc. cards that I’ve had since a kid. Figure it’s just a PC that’s era specific…not player specific.
-Grant
That's awesome.
Graig I have so many examples of PSA screwing up the grade due to blatant incompetence or inconsistency in graders I had no choice but to consider SGC. I submit cards for accuracy…period. I am so much like your Dad in this regard. They simply don’t care about their quality and that IS my primary concern. Period
Hi Graig. I PC John Olerud. He was a prolific hitter and great fielder. By all accounts, a down-to-earth, great person. If it weren’t for his brain aneurysm, he could have been the Ohtani of the 1990’s. His story is a good one. Check out his college stats - absolutely off the charts hitter and pitcher. He was good enough to skip the minor leagues and immediately made an impact big leagues. It’s fun to hunt for his rare, low serial numbered inserts and parallels from the 90’s and early 2000’s at relatively bargain, underrated prices.
He was a big time prospect when he came up.
The saying is, “collect what you like” and I just don’t like the SGC slabs. To me, they “look and feel” cheaply made. When I spend good money for a graded card, I want to feel the card is well protected in its slab and I just don’t feel that way about the SGC slabs. I feel they can easily get damaged and I believe they’re also just way too large. Therefore, I only buy them if it’s an absolute steal. The black aesthetic look of the SGC slab is a good concept, but the actual look of the materials used to make them appear so cheap to me. So my complaint about SGC is not about their actual grading or their turnaround times etc, but about their actual product.
I have the majority of my cards in PSA slabs and I’m content with PSA for a few reasons, but in actuality, I would much prefer the BGS slabs. The BGS slabs in my opinion, “look and feel” really sturdy…
In this video, you used car analogies for PSA & SGC. And in those terms, I believe SGC slabs are more like a crappy Ford. Lol So I’m a PSA guy, but hopefully someone can come along and restore the BGS name because it’s not healthy for the hobby to only have Collectors as the only company around.
I totally get that. PSA slabs do feel more professional.
🤣 you think sgc is a cheap Ford when you have medicine labels on PSA slabs. GTFOH
@ You have a point with the medicine label 😆 but PSA offers an apple like ecosystem. Meaning, they have the features they offer working together pretty seamlessly. SGC’s online POP reports etc are a joke in comparison. Their slabs are the size of an iPad mini and they’re the cheapest looking slabs on the market.
If all graded cards with the same grade resold at the same price, people would prefer the one with the best service and pricing. It is amusing to me because the graders switched between working between the companies like any other industry. PSA built a following at the right time.
A player I collect that isn’t on the Mt Rushmore of the hobby is Gil Hodges. He was born and raised about 25min down the road so I took some time to learn about his story. He came into the league about same time as Jackie and played first base along side him.
I always think about how cool it must have been with PeeWee at short, Jackie at second, and Gill at First. He was one of the few players that had Jackie’s back from the start. He was a great person and was coach during the miracle Mets championship. The town he grew up in put a big mural of him on the side of big building in town and there is also a bridge named after him.
Great video and question as always.
I have a limited budget so I decided to have a couple different collections. One Sub-Collection is HOF players that I really like, preferably in matched Grades. In this instance I AM, in some sense, buying the slab and not the card (e.g. a full run of 1987 and 1988 Greg Maddux cards in PSA 9). Completing these gives me a strong sense of having completed a "set," even of my own making/imagination.
But my "other" Sub-Collection is players from my home state. There are not very many of them and NONE of them are HOF. I try to get multiple cards of each of them. I have come to realize that these cards aren't just cards. They are "trophies" of a hunt for cards of these relatively obscure players. I found a card of a player that not many people are looking for. It isn't that these cards are terribly rare or hard to find so I require that they mention my area either in text or image. In that way most of my core-collection (my term) are non-HOF and will likely never be "hobby relevant." Most of the fun of my collection is finding just the right copy of a card and be able to get it in my price range. Some of the players were considered good at one time. Several had ASG/Pro-Bowl appearances. Some are obscure and I had to dig to even find out about them...and then dig again to find one of their cards. But most have been relegated to the dust-bin of history. So I enjoy picking them up from that dust-bin, usually for just a couple bucks.
That's a great strategy to have multiple sub-collections that complement each other.
Doc K is my pc player beause i grew up a Mets fan in the mid 80s. That and my childhood friend who got me into baseball cards was a Gary Carter fan. I'd trade my Carters for his Goodens. He'd trade his Goodens for my Carters. Man those were the days. Anytime the Mets played at Chicago or at Atlanta & Gooden was pitching, he was must see tv on WGN or TBS. Just look at any Beckett price guide from 85 and 86. His cards were HOT!! His 84 Topps traded and Fleer update seemed unattainable. Fast forward 39 years later and after an absence of 20+ years, he's still my pc guy.
He signs a lot at shows if you haven't met him yet.
@@MidLifeCards he does!! I'm up to 6 autos from him.
Grading is very complex now. I don’t think any of us know exactly where it all is going in the future, but I’d say it’s dysfunctional at best at the moment. Worse than ever.
As far as next week’s question, I collect all kinds of guys as you know that aren’t top-tier or even in the hall of fame, even though most should. Maris, Clemens, Bonds, Sosa, McGwire, Bo, Mattingly, Bagwell, and Biggio come to mind. I collect them because I saw them play, (other than Maris) and they bring me joy.
Also, like Manning, I collect Kip Wells because he was close to the family and his dad and mine are good friends.
I love how much you collect the guys you loved watching play.
I collect older Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres cards. I grew up near Buffalo and those are the cards of my youth from my hometown teams.
Firstly, thank you for the incredible shoutout! Al and I would love for the “Brothers’ Duo!” to join you on one of your upcoming collaborations!
To answer your question, there are two big names that I collect who are not HOFers:
Sean Casey! Iconic Al and I have history with Sean, and he’s an amazing guy off the field in addition to being an amazing player on the field. I’m sure he won’t be “hobby-relevant” in the future, but that won’t stop me from getting the “warm fuzzies” when perusing his cards.
The other one is cheating (pun intended?), but Barry Bonds. Not a HOFer, but because of his insane numbers and records, he will ALWAYS be “hobby-relevant”. My father was a big time Bonds super-collector over 35 years, so we almost view Bonds as an honorary member of our family. I have thoughts regarding PEDs, the 90s steroid era, and the HOF, but that’s for a different future video! Keep up the great content, Graig!
Looking forward to it.
Hey Graig, grading episodes are always fun. I collect two non-HOF players: Bob Uecker, and Thurman Munson. Bob because I’m an ‘80’s kid and no one is as fun as Bob. Thurman because he should be in the Hall of Fame. Non -inner circle HOF players I collect? Any of them from Indiana. My goal is to have at least one playing days card of Gil Hodges, Chuck Klein, Max Carey, Billy Herman, Mordecai Brown, Scott Rolen. I also collect Ernie Lombardi .
Great choices.
I generally don’t collect Hall of Famers, except I do collect Richie Ashburn for a personal reason (he was born on the same day as my father), but my player runs are all non-Hall of Famers; Del Ennis, Ted Kluszewski, Ryne Duren, Bobby Shantz, Frank Howard, and several others. In my mind, these were notable players, and I think by collecting them, I’m helping to keep their memory alive, as the Hall of Fame is not doing that for them. The players I collect are in some cases in the hall of very good, but some are just journeyman players that had good years and some not as good years. I just love their stories and there are also other channels out there that have their own non-HOF players that they like to highlight, and I love that. We can read and celebrate the stories of the HOFers, but there are thousands of other players that were good enough to play in the show and also need to be celebrated.
Great comment.
I have a lot of both slabs…. In the looks/feel department… SGC all the way. Vintage cards also just look much better in an SGC slab. The day sgc gets a registry, the playing field will seriously even out in my opinion.
I buy cards already graded....don't have to worry about how much grading fees cost, how long it takes. I like PSA,BGS,SGC in all sports. Vintage to modern (up to 2000 with some exceptions). I like having options.
That's a great strategy, especially for vintage.
This week’s question. As far as players I collect not hobby relevant. I collect football cards of Johnny Olszewski ( Johnny O. ) for the obvious reasons. He was my dad’s cousin. Then on a Bevis and Butthead theme, players that have funny names.
Dick Felt, Dick Wood, Dick Shiner and any other ones I come across we used to laugh at when we were kids. Just my crazy sense of humor 😂
As a lifelong Red Sox fan, there are any number of players that I could use as answers to this question. Examples: Luis Tiant, Dustin Pedroia, Dwight Evans, Jim Rice, Yaz (I know both Rice and Yaz are all of famers, but they don't have the pedigree of Ted Williams and likely won't be permanently hobby relevant) and Tony Conigliaro for his story as one of the greatest what ifs in the history of baseball. I'm also a lifelong NE Patriots fan. One former Patriots player I collect who is not a hall of famer and has little hobby relevance is former quarterback Steve Grogan. The team wasn't very good when he played, but he was my favorite player as a kid and his cards take me back to those days.
I totally respect that.
I collect lower end Sadaharu Oh from the 1960s-1970s. He’s not in the HOF bc.. he wasn’t in the MLB :D. I don’t have any of the expensive rookies from 1959-1960, but his menko caricature cards resemble t206 with a Japanese twist. I love em.
Great choice. I think Oh cards have a huge upside, too.
I’m a card guy over grading company guy and will buy pretty much any grading slab if the card looks great! I have HGA, Arena, GMA, TGA, CGC, BVG, PSA and SGC. I do however only submit cards to SGC.
Awesome. Buying the card not the holder!!
GM thought once that offering a cheaper reliable car called Saturn was a good idea, until they became too popular.
I collect BJ Armstrong and other Iowa Hawkeye cards- my favorite mlb player Jon Jay and cycling cards
My thought? If you need a number assigned to your card...do it yourself. Competent collectors and hobbyist are perfectly capable of grading...or as I prefer, determining the condition of their own cards. Does anyone still remember what we did prior to July 1991? Yeah...do that! ⚾
BINGO!
I collect Hank Bauer ! He is a Marine Corps WW2 veteran that is a hero ! He was no nonsense when it came to work and making money ! He is someone kids now a days need to look up to because the meaning of hard work!
And he was teammates with Ralph Houk and Jerry Coleman. Two other decorated WWII vets
Love that.
At least for now I still just prefer buying cards raw. It makes it more interesting in terms of “scoring a deal” on a sharp card versus paying “retail” for a slabbed card. Harder to do that sort of hunting with HOF players, but I also enjoy collecting “The Hall of Very Good” players, and you can still find affordable, crisp vintage cards with those guys (e.g. Vada Pinson, Keith Hernandez, Richie Allen, etc.).
One player I collect that is not in the HOF is football player Kenny Washington. Kenny Washington is the "Jackie Robinson of football" although he joined the NFL before Jackie Robinson played in the MLB. He went to UCLA and was college teammates with Jackie Robinson in both football and baseball. Washingtons cards are 1948 leaf, 48 bowman and 1949 leaf, he also has a 1948 leaf "white name" variation, that's it, no other cards of his were made. For any vintage football collector, you have to have a Kenny Washington card in your collection, and it is a great conversation/education piece. If i am at a card show and a dealer knows about Kenny Washington then i know that he knows his stuff.
His cards are also undervalued compared to the history that is behind them.
Is Marion Motley not one of the first, also?
@@MidLifeCards You are correct. Kenny Washington, Marion Motley, Bill Willis and Woody Strode as known as the "forgotten four". I also have Marion Motley cards in the collection, his autograph can be had for under $20. Of the four Bill Willis and Marion Motley both made the HOF and Woody Strode was a hollywood star actor, overall a very cool story and piece of history
I use both it just depends I do personally prefer the look of sgc overall enjoy the tuxedo look
I think that's where I'm at.
I collect al Oliver liked his hitting also think he should be a hall of famer, I think the hall needs to be more relaxed. Barry bonds is my big pc guy mostly Pittsburgh pirates. Collect the older Pittsburgh pirates players that won a world series. Buster Posey is also a PC guy.
My Dog died earlier today. 4 years old. She *seemed* to be doing fine (or, at least that she wouldn't be gone less than a week later) when I was on the live-stream. Thursday night with Sammy & Jason. Now she's gone. Which ties in to your question for this week. I showed not, just my, favorite non-hall of famer vintage baseball card in the live-stream, the 1971 Topps Thurman Munson. But also, my favorite non-Hofer, to collect, too.
Though Munson, is not in the baseball hall of fame. I hope so. One day. Munson, passed away unexpectedly, too. 32 years old.
Thurman, didn't live long, but what a life; he lived.
I'm really sorry to hear that, Andrew. That's absolutely awful and devastating. I'm still struggling from losing my Dog over a year ago.
@@MidLifeCards She passed away the same day, as the YTSCHOF inductions. 😔
You had me at Toyota........
Hi Graig. I am a long time collector with mostly vintage baseball basketball and football but I also have non sport and hockey and other collectibles. I started collecting in the 60's when I was a young kid. I still have that collection. I also have been a long time ebay user since 1997. So I am old (I prefer experienced).
On the PSA vs SGC I have some opinions. Esthetically , I agree I prefer SGC for vintage and also agree modern is best in PSA. Also because you want to compare apples to apples and most modern is in PSA, so modern makes sense for PSA. However I disagree with the comparing of PSA and SGC as products. They are not products but more of service businesses. CU is going to have to improve PSA service if they are going to continue to get premium pricing. I do not pay for 1st Class airfare to be put in the back of the plane or get slower drink or food or less room or board last. The service must match the branding and the related price, and provide enough value. That being said I believe that the real issue of grading services is the inconsistency and lack of appropriate grades themselves. This what ultimately what you pay for getting cards graded.
With the eventual adoption of AI and automation applied to grading, this is going to be a disruptor for all grading services. It should remove much of the human variation, with improved turnaround. Actually I see grading as being done with grading franchising , eliminating much of the shipping cost and turnaround and improving quality of service. I think it will happen soon. It does not have to be SGC or PSA. It could be some other type of service company or even Fanatics. It could have already happened but PSA and SGC do not want to kill the golden goose. Love your site and your commenting. See you at Strongsville....
Look into TAG. A game changer with their grading process and detail reporting AND the best looking slabs in the game!
But they don't grade vintage!!
@ not yet. Fingers crossed it’s coming
I'm pro non-grading for my collection. Because of past hobbies and being able to grade such items I don't need to pay for someone else's opinion on the condition of my cards. My choice and my opinion are what counts.
This question was designed to trigger me, my friend.
I collect Johnny Mize, Al Rosen, Jack Quinn, Dick Rudolph, Butch Schmidt, Larry Doyle, Carl Furillo, Tommy Holmes, Johnny Sain, Thurman Munson, Bobby Murcer, and several others I’m probably forgetting.
These players are either historically significant, played for an historically significant team, or are meaningful to me personally. “Hobby Relevance” is only important if it happens to align with my collection preferences.
Some great players and guys in that list.
The only thing I like better about PSA is the database and the resale value. Have you tried crossing an SGC 10 to a PSA 10?
Yep, everything else is shit
Voiced this before, I’m none of above. I’m all for authentication, just hate the casing, old label, new label, blah, blah, blah. Give me Mr. Pennysaver top loader any day of the week.
From Craig to Graig: As a collector…I buy the card not the company. As an investor, I purchase or grade with PSA 95% of the time as it is wiser and makes the most financial since based on data and return on investment. I use SGC more frequently for my PC because of the cards themselves, and I spent less money. Note: You could argue that cards look better in the black SGC holder as black is the best contrast for all other colors to “pop!”
I'd agree except for those times you are trying to be first to market. With the vastly quicker turnaround times , those new releases can get to market quicker and prices are going to reflect that speed with FOMO.
Someone educate me… does a new SGC slab have any type of anti-counterfeit feature? I’m not aware of any.
I find it baffling that you and others are now referring to PSA as a "premium brand " The differences you refer to as "bells and whistles" aren't for collectors, they are for flippers and those that are into it for the financial gain.
If card TH-cam "influencers" continue to refer to PSA as a premium company, eventually that repututation will stick, regardless if it is true or not. STOP DOING THIS!
SGC was/is widely regarded as the more knowledgeable company for rare vintage, especially prewar. There is a reason for this, they are simply better.
I collect Mike Matheny and Jack Dittmer. Neither hobby relevant, but appreciated Matheny's defense, and Jack Dittmer was from my home area.
Well said, and completely agree! Premium brands don't lie to you, don't issue number grades to altered cards, and don't utilize unsightly crumpled baggies inside of their ugly slabs.
Thanks for your input.
Psa is the best for reslling higher price cards,sgc is doing better on vintage and will eventually bring same price as PSA. I went with sgc because they showed up at our local show and was extra busy. For the SGC special for me on 70 and 80 was great I graded for me I sent some fawed cards knowing I can sell my extra to get my order paid for.at national and my local show sgc is showing up more in dealer cars so if there they will be bought more. Not seeing that much vintage in the 70 In psa cases .psa change there grading nowing sgc will get the business. Psa just wants to do modern and higher stuff there pushing vintage to sgc.
Hi Graig,
I’ve mention this a few times but don’t think you’ve talked about this much with MLN. I’m curious if the overall community is SGC strong were they once BVG at one time? Or maybe back in after pandemic and only seen the BIG 2… PSA vs. SGC… Beckett was my PSA … oh how the tables have turned! Fan of Raw me too, fan of slabs me too! But when I look at my slabs I want them to present like art…. SGC Slab = Frame like it or not!
I agree that the framing of SGC slabs is beautiful, especially on vintage cards.
I’ve got plenty of graded cards in my college but have never sent one in to get graded. Most likely never will and I think I’ve got a decent collection. I’ve got most in 1 touches or rigors
Great choice!
Most of my childhood cards are in one touches.
No soda Machines 🤯🤯🤯
Some younger folk in there 20’s gave me quite a premium for old label sgc cards a few liked the old label bgs cards but the old label psa cards that looked over graded they would not take
BGS for Life! 👊
I’ll collect any of the 1970s Yankees in a holder; better if card signed. Don’t really care about the grade if signed. For conversation purposes to enjoy.
I have a lot graded/authenticated from both. But I prefer SGC. I just look at the PSA cases and feel like they look so cheap made and low china walmart crap looking and then I look at the beautiful SGC black background slabs and I just love them. I prefer them. I was never that crazy about the old style green or red SGC labels however I still liked them just wasnt as crazy about them as the new style cases. Add in the price per card to grade and the only thing I hate now is that SGC stopped authenticating autographs since I am a big time autograph collector. That being said for grading. I prefer SGC and its because the beautiful cases.
I wish SGC would start doing autograph authentication again.
Have graded hundreds of cards with both PSA and SGC... SGC was a much better value for mid-grade vintage, a much better customer experience and decent ROI... Now, SGC is whatever Collector's and PSA want or need it to be... SGC's volume is so small compared to PSA's that it is likely to be used as either a testing platform for innovations, or it could be turned into a vintage-only arm of PSA or they can just keep it the discount alternative that it is... I really wish they'd freshen up the label, though... ancient font looks crappy... thanks for the vid
non HOF players I collect
Jim Abbott: inspirational
Will Clark: favorite 1st basemen from childhood
Significant Braves players from 1990-present
Orel Hershiser: liked him as a Dodger growing up
GREAT choices. Totally agree on Jim Abbott.
A "premium brand" is one that is consistently good... and anyone that grades frequently knows that PSA is much more inconsistent in their grading than SGC is. I've submitted tons of cards to both, and I've gotten back a lot more misgraded cards from PSA. That rarely happens when I grade with SGC - they almost always give my cards the grade they deserve.
Yeah. Consistency is going to be an issue if they don't work that out soon.
Now you ask about the submission counts, it's because the flippers, and investors sending in cards to psa. Collectors on the other hand prefer the accuracy and quickness of sgc. Collectors dont tend to pay full market unless very rare. Investors do and as we've seen, the market has gotten killed using that line of thinking
“Cheap people”. Wow. I always like to remind people that the VERY FIRST card psa graded was the notoriously trimmed Gretzky t206 Wagner. Makes ya think…
Yes, there is some evidence the Wager was altered a few times, but it was the best marketing decision to grade the highest value card as the first certification number. The hobby overall seemed to accept it rather than prove otherwise and possibly undermine all graded card values.
I wish there was an easy to reference hobby history of the key people in the early days of auction houses and grading. Their decisions still shape the industry despite technological improvements.
When did you stop hosting Cash Cab?
lol. I wish!!
PSA would truly be the "Apple" brand of our hobby if... A. Your iPhone's screen was badly off-centered and permanently surrounded by a crumpled-up baggie. B. It's inner components are altered, yet purported to be all-original. C. It takes 4-5 months to get your phone after you've ordered it. D. Your phone may work and it may not... complete luck of the draw. E. Your phone needlessly costs much more than every competitor. F. Your phone may incur a heavy surcharge if it works better than intended. G. You have a problem, yet customer service is non-existent. H. Your "new and improved" iPhone casing has stress cracks on the screen. I. Your phone of 10 years ago works better than your brand new one. I could go all the way to "Z" but hopefully the point is made... PSA is the company for "hobby sheep" and the lowest common denominator.
I.) your inner slab looks like shit and doesn't even display or fit the card thrown in hap hazardously....see A.) or a shrunken baggie, or both
@@BringingTheHeat-VBC Right? If I got a card back looking like that (after a 6 month wait and paying PSA their premium price), I would immediately crack it and display it in a One-Touch. It's akin to having a beautiful/rare Van Gogh painting, and placing it diagonally and off-center within a termite-eaten, rotting wood frame. No thanks, PSA!
Brilliant take
I have always hated grading I don't need someone else to tell me what shape my card is in.
Funny to hear PSA likened to Apple. Back in the day, that totally would have been SGC and their niche, more prewar focus. Whoever is calling SGC cheap slabs for cheap people clearly isn’t super well filled-in on grading. Laughable. How about the people who care about accurate grading? Are they “cheap”?🥴 Bells and whistles meaning something to me with grading is a difficult proposition when the grading itself is so inconsistent with PSA.
I like both slabs. I prefer 1980 and up PSA and 1979 and under mostly SGC. PSA resell much better on the whole but SGC has a better slab and half of the time it takes to grade PSA cards. SGC has better looking slab and the slab is much sturdier than PSA. The tux from SGC presents much better than a PSA slab. SGC grades more accurately. I was super PO’d when I heard PSA bought SGC.
Great video, Greg. For me, I prefer SGC. I just think the cards look so much better in the slab than PSA. Of course for anything modern, I would do PSA as it’s valued higher which is good for a quick flip (which I do with most modern cards).
As for next week’s question…it’s Andy VanSlyke. In my teens, he became my favorite player and that has not changed. Great defense and a good offense force for the early 90s Pirates.
I loved Van Slyke as a kid.
Psa bought sgc for grade transparency. That’s a fact straight from the ceos mouth at Psa.
That setup was already tried with bgs and bccg and it called miserably. So no they aren't doing that🤦
They really aren't working together though. Technology would be about it. They don't even use the same supplier for their slabs.
Grading companies have ruined sports cards collecting
I personally have lost all faith in grading companies in general.
Fan of all 3 sgc and psa and bgs cases for buying online.
I feel what makes psa the higher end, is the covering of the value of the card if it is determined later tampered/counterfeit. (This hits home a little more when value/money spent makes your palms sweat a little!) Also a tweak on the cases (like psa has updated continually) to show that money is being spent to create a tamper proof case would be money. These 2 things would go a long way imo.
Bgs needs card look up so you can see scans, they may be too far behind on this which for me is a critical aspect of grading.
Best regards
i think your a PSA guy thru and thru lol.. with your psa graded card sleeves.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.